From Fort Henry to Corinth Part 5

[Footnote 2: The Fifteenth Michigan arriving without ammunition, immediately before the attack began, marched to the rear for ammunition and, returning to the field, fought through the day between the Eighteenth Missouri and the Eighteenth Wisconsin.]

The artillery was not attached to brigades, but was under the direct command of division commanders. The batteries of Schwartz and McAllister, and Burrow's Fourteenth Ohio Battery served with McClernand's division. Willard's Company A, First Illinois Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Wood, and Major Cavender's battalion of Companies D, H, and I, First Missouri Artillery, were attached to W.H.L.

Wallace's division. Mann's four-gun battery, Ross' Second Michigan, and Myer's Thirteenth Ohio batteries, were attached to Hurlbut's division.

Behr's Sixth Indiana Battery, and Barrett's Company B, and Waterhouse's Company E, First Illinois Artillery, were attached to Sherman's division. Barrett's battery had formerly been commanded by Captain Ezra Taylor, promoted Major of the First Illinois Artillery, and was still commonly called Taylor's battery, and is so styled in some of the reports of the battle. Munch's Minnesota and Hickenlooper's Fifth Ohio Battery were attached to Prentiss' division. There was some change in the a.s.signment of batteries on April 5th. The above gives their position as it was on April 6th. Bouton's Company I, First Illinois Artillery, and Dresser's battery, commanded by Captain Timony, though not a.s.signed, were given positions on the field by Major Ezra Taylor, Sherman's chief of artillery, by direction of General Grant. Margraff's Eighth Ohio Battery served with Sherman, Powell's Company F, Second Illinois Artillery, served with Prentiss. Madison's Company B, Second Illinois Artillery, served at the landing. Captain Silversparre's four-gun battery of twenty-pound Parrotts, though a.s.signed to McClernand, remained at the landing from lack of horses and equipage to pull them out to camp.

The Third Division, commanded by General Lewis Wallace, comprised three brigades: The First Brigade, commanded by Colonel Morgan L. Smith, of the Eighth Missouri, comprising the Eleventh and Twenty-fourth Indiana and the Eighth Missouri, was in camp at Crump's Landing; the Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel Thayer, of the First Nebraska, comprising the First Nebraska, Twenty-third Indiana, and Fifty-eighth and Sixty-eighth Ohio, was camped at Stony Lonesome, two miles out from Crump's Landing; the Third Brigade, commanded by Colonel Whittlesey, of the Twentieth Ohio, comprising the Twentieth, Fifty-sixth, Seventy-sixth, and Seventy-eighth Ohio, was in camp at Adamsville, three miles out beyond Stony Lonesome, or five miles from Crump's Landing.

Buell's Battery I, First Missouri Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Thurber, and Thompson's Ninth Indiana Battery, const.i.tuted the artillery of the division.

The cavalry consisted of the Fifth Ohio, Fourth and Eleventh Illinois, Companies A and B, Second Illinois, under Captain Houghtaling, two companies of regular cavalry under Lieutenant Powell, Stewart's battalion, and Thielman's battalion. The Third Battalion of the Fifth Ohio and the Third Battalion of the Eleventh Illinois remained with Lewis Wallace. The rest of the cavalry was a.s.signed to different divisions, but the a.s.signment was changed on April 5th.

The Fifth Ohio Cavalry, attached to Sherman's division till April 5th, frequently made reconnoitring expeditions some miles to the front, and frequently encountered parties of hostile cavalry. Thursday, April 3d, General Sherman sent Buckland's brigade out on a reconnoissance on the Corinth road, but with strict injunctions, in accordance with General Halleck's repeated order, not to be drawn into a fight with any considerable force of the enemy, that would risk bringing on a general engagement. Buckland marched to the fork of the road about five miles out, which must have been at Mickey's. General Hardee states that Mickey's is about eight miles from the landing. Posting the brigade between the roads, he sent two companies out on each road. Both encountered hostile cavalry, understood to be pickets, within half a mile, began skirmis.h.i.+ng with them, and saw a larger body of cavalry beyond. The companies were recalled, and the brigade reached camp a little before dark and reported. Next day, Friday, the 4th, a cavalry dash on Buckland's picket-line swooped off a lieutenant and seven men.

General Buckland, who was near, sent information to Sherman, who sent out 150 cavalry. Major Crockett, who was drilling his regiment near by, sent a company to scout beyond the picket-line. Major Crockett was sent by General Buckland with another company, to bring the first one back.

Before long firing was heard, Buckland started with a battalion to the rescue, found the second company had been attacked and Major Crockett captured, pushed on a distance estimated at two miles, attacked unseen a body of cavalry just about to charge upon the first company, was reinforced by the cavalry sent out by Sherman, pursued the hostile cavalry a distance estimated another mile, came in view of artillery and infantry, was fired on by the artillery, returned bringing in ten prisoners, and found General Sherman at the picket-posts with a brigade in line. The same evening, in obedience to an order from General Sherman, Buckland sent him a written report. This advance was the attack upon Cleburne's brigade reported by General Hardee.

Sat.u.r.day the cavalry were moving camps, in obedience to the order of rea.s.signment. Batteries were moving about under the same order. Buckland and Hildebrand anxiously visited their picket-lines and observed the parties of hostile cavalry hovering in the woods beyond. Some of the men on picket claimed they had seen infantry. Captain Mason of the Seventy-seventh Ohio, on picket, observed at daylight, Sat.u.r.day morning, numbers of rabbits and squirrels scudding from the woods to and across his picket-line. General Sherman was advised, but he had no cavalry to send out; the Fifth had gone, and the Fourth not yet reported. He enjoined Buckland and Hildebrand to be vigilant, strengthen their pickets, and be prepared for attack. Additional companies were sent out to increase the pickets, Buckland established a connecting line of sentries from the picket reserve to camp, to communicate the first alarm on the picket-line, and instructed his officers to be prepared for a night attack.

Sat.u.r.day afternoon, General Prentiss, in consequence of information received from his advance guard, sent Colonel Moore, of the Twenty-first Missouri, with three companies from his regiment, to reconnoitre the front. The line of his march being oblique to the line of the camp, led him out beyond the front of Sherman's line. He marched in that direction three miles, saw nothing, and returned to camp. The oblique direction of his march prevented his running into Hardee's lines. Prentiss, a.s.sured there was some activity--a cavalry reconnoissance in his front--pushed his pickets out a mile and a half and reinforced them. McClernand, the same day, went out with Colonel McPherson and a battalion of cavalry on a reconnoissance toward Hamburg and a short distance out on the road to Corinth, and saw a few hostile scouts back of Hamburg.

General Lewis Wallace's reconnoitring parties developed the presence of a considerable force at Purdy and Bethel, on the railroad. Getting information, Friday night, of signs of preparation for movement by this force, an order was sent to the brigade at Adamsville to form line at daybreak. The other brigades reached Adamsville at an early hour, and all remained prepared to repel attack till noon. The activity observed at Purdy and Bethel was, in fact, Cheatham's preparation for his march, Sat.u.r.day, to his position in General Polk's line. General Grant being advised, Friday, by L. Wallace, of the a.s.sembling of the force in his front, directed W.H.L. Wallace to hold his division in readiness to move to the support of L. Wallace immediately in case he should be threatened; and advised Sherman to instruct his pickets to be on the alert, and to be ready to move in support with his whole division, and with Hurlbut's if necessary, if an attack on L. Wallace should be attempted. W.H.L. Wallace and Sherman commanded, by their respective positions, the bridges across Owl Creek, over which pa.s.sed the two roads from the camps at Pittsburg Landing to L. Wallace.

Sat.u.r.day, Sherman wrote to Grant: "All is quiet along my lines now. We are in the act of exchanging cavalry, according to your orders. The enemy has cavalry in our front, and I think there are two regiments of infantry and one battery of artillery about six miles out. I will send you in ten prisoners of war, and a report of last night's affair, in a few minutes.

"Your note is just received. I have no doubt that nothing will occur to-day, more than some picket-firing. The enemy is saucy, but got the worst of it yesterday, and will not press our pickets far. I will not be drawn out far, unless with certainty of advantage; and I do not apprehend anything like an attack upon our position." A little later in the day, General Sherman wrote to Grant: "I infer that the enemy is in some considerable force at Pea Ridge [another name for Monterey]; that yesterday they crossed a bridge with two regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry, and one battery of field-artillery, to the ridge on which the Corinth road lays. They halted the infantry and artillery at a point about five miles in my front, and sent a detachment to the house of General Meeks, on the north of Owl Creek, and the cavalry down toward our camp. This cavalry captured a part of our advance pickets, and afterward engaged two companies of Colonel Buckland's regiment, as described by him in his report herewith enclosed. Our cavalry drove them back upon their artillery and infantry, killing many and bringing ten prisoners (all of the First Alabama Cavalry), whom I send you." General Grant on the same day despatched to General Halleck: "Just as my letter of yesterday to Captain McLean, a.s.sistant Adjutant-General, was finished, notes from Generals McClernand's and Sherman's a.s.sistant adjutant-generals were received, stating that our outposts had been attacked by the enemy, apparently in considerable force. I immediately went up, but found all quiet. The enemy took two officers and four or five of our men prisoners, and wounded four. We took eight prisoners and killed several. Number of the enemy's wounded not known. They had with them three pieces of artillery, and cavalry and infantry. How much cannot, of course, be estimated. I have scarcely the faintest idea of an attack (general one) being made upon us, but will be prepared should such a thing take place. General Nelson's division has arrived. The other two, of Buell's column, will arrive to-morrow or next day. It is my present intention to send them to Hamburg, some four miles above Pittsburg, when they all get here. From that point to Corinth the road is good, and a junction can be formed with the troops from Pittsburg at almost any point. Colonel McPherson has gone with an escort to-day to examine the defensibility of the ground about Hamburg, and to lay out the position of the camp, if advisable to occupy that place." Earlier on the same day General Grant also telegraphed to General Halleck: "The main force of the enemy is at Corinth, with troops at different points east. Small garrisons are also at Bethel, Jackson, and Humboldt. The number at these places seems constantly to change. The number of the enemy at Corinth, and within supporting distance of it, cannot be far from eighty thousand men." General Halleck was preparing to leave St.

Louis and come to the front to take immediate command of the combined army for the march on to Corinth. He advised Buell he would leave in the beginning of the coming week.

CHAPTER VI.

s.h.i.+LOH--SUNDAY.

Three companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri, which regiment formed the right of Colonel Peabody's brigade, Prentiss' division, were sent out on reconnoissance about three o'clock in the morning of Sunday, April 6th.

Following the road cautiously in a south-westerly direction, oblique to the line of the camp, they struck the enemy's pickets in front of General Sherman's division. General Johnston, at breakfast with his staff, hearing the fire of the encounter, turned to Colonel Preston and to Captain Munford, and directed them to note the hour in their blank books. It was just fourteen minutes after five o'clock.

Order was given to advance. To communicate the order along the line required time. General Beauregard says the advance began at half-past five. The three companies struck a battalion under Major Hardcastle, on Hardee's picket-line. Major Hardcastle was posted on picket with a battalion of the Third Mississippi, a quarter of a mile in front of Wood's brigade, Hardee's corps. Lieutenant McNulty was posted with a small party, one hundred yards, and Lieutenant Hammock with another small party, two hundred yards, in front of the centre of the battalion.

Cavalry videttes were still farther to the front. The Major reports: "About dawn, the cavalry videttes fired three shots, wheeled and galloped back. Lieutenant Hammock suffered the enemy to approach within ninety yards. Their line seemed to be three hundred and fifty yards long, and to number about one thousand. He fired upon them and joined his battalion with his men. Lieutenant McNulty received the enemy with his fire at about one hundred yards, and then joined his battalion with his men, when the videttes rode back to my main position. At the first alarm my men were in line and all ready. I was on a rise of ground, men kneeling. The enemy opened a heavy fire on us at a distance of about two hundred yards, but most of the shots pa.s.sed over us. We returned the fire immediately and kept it up. Captain Clare, aide to General Wood, came and encouraged us. We fought the enemy an hour or more, without giving an inch. Our loss in this engagement was: killed, four privates; severely wounded, one sergeant, one corporal, and eight privates; slightly wounded, the color-sergeant and nine privates. At about 6.30 A.M. I saw the brigade formed in my rear, and I fell back."

At six o'clock, Colonel Moore, of the Twenty-first Missouri, also of Peabody's brigade, was directed by General Prentiss to move out with five companies to support the pickets. About half a mile from camp he met the three companies of the Twenty-fifth returning. Despatching the wounded on to camp, and sending for the rest of his regiment, he halted with the detachment of the Twenty-fifth till joined by his remaining five companies. So reinforced, he continued his advance three hundred yards, met the advance of Shaver's brigade, halted on the edge of a field, and repulsed it. Colonel Moore being wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Van Horn took command, and was further reinforced; after an engagement of half an hour, was overpowered and fell back to the support of the brigade.

According to General Bragg's report, Johnston's line of battle, after marching less than a mile beyond the scene of the first attack made by the three companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri, came upon the strengthened National pickets, which he calls advanced posts. These fell back fighting. The army advanced steadily another mile, pus.h.i.+ng back the fighting pickets, and then encountered the National troops "in strong force almost along the entire line. His batteries were posted on eminences, with strong infantry supports. Finding the first line was now unequal to the work before it, being weakened by extension, and necessarily broken by the nature of the ground, I ordered my whole force to move up steadily and promptly to its support."

Thus opened the battle of s.h.i.+loh. A combat made up of numberless separate encounters of detached portions of broken lines, continually s.h.i.+fting position and changing direction in the forest and across ravines, filling an entire day, is almost incapable of a connected narrative. As the first shock of the meeting lines of battle was near the right of the National line, an intelligible account may be given by describing the action of the divisions of Grant's army separately, beginning with the right, or Sherman's.

The direction of General Johnston's advance was such as to bring him first in contact with Sherman's left and Prentiss's right. To preserve even an approximate alignment of a line of battle of two miles front, marching with artillery, through wet forest, over rough, yet soft ground, with regiments in column doubled on the centre, the advance was necessarily slow. The reports show that portions of the second line, instead of keeping the prescribed distance of eight hundred yards in rear of the first, overtook it, and had to halt to regain the distance.

The National pickets, posted a mile in front of the camps, were struck about half-past six o'clock Colonel J. Thompson, aide-de-camp to General Beauregard, in his report to his chief, says: "The first cannon was discharged on our left at seven o'clock, which was followed by a rapid discharge of musketry. About 7.30 I rode forward with Colonel Jordan to the front, to ascertain how the battle was going. Then I learned from General Johnston that General Hardee's line was within half a mile of the enemy's camps, and bore from General Johnston a message that he advised sending forward strong reinforcements to our left. From eight o'clock to 8.30 the cannonading was very heavy along the whole line, but especially in the centre, which was in the line of their camps. About ten o'clock you moved forward with your staff and halted within about half a mile of the enemy's camps."

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Field of s.h.i.+loh.]

SHERMAN'S DIVISION.

The Seventy-seventh Ohio, of Hildebrand's brigade, was ordered the evening before to go out to See's, Sunday morning, and reinforce the picket reserve stationed there, and was up early Sunday morning. General Buckland, having slept little in the night, rose early. While at breakfast he received word that the pickets were heavily attacked, and were falling back toward camp. He at once had the long-roll sounded, and his brigade formed on the color-line. He rode over to General Sherman's headquarters, a few hundred yards off, and reported the facts.

Meanwhile, the brigades of Hildebrand and McDowell formed on their respective color-lines. The division was formed--Taylor's battery on a rising ground in front of s.h.i.+loh Church; Hildebrand's brigade to its left, the Seventy-seventh Ohio being next to the battery, and four guns of Waterhouse's battery placed between the Fifty-seventh and Fifty-third Ohio--the Fifty-third detached and forming the extreme left. The other two guns of Waterhouse's battery were advanced to the front beyond Oak Creek. Buckland's brigade formed to the right of Taylor's battery, and McDowell's still farther to the right, on the bluffs of Oak Creek, near its junction with Owl Creek, and separated from Buckland by a lateral ravine which opened into Oak Creek. Behr's battery was with McDowell.

One of its guns, with two companies of infantry, was stationed still farther to the right, commanding the bridges over Oak Creek and Owl Creek, immediately above their junction.

The advanced section of Waterhouse's battery fell back before an approaching skirmish line and took position with the battery. General Sherman rode to the front of the Fifty-third, to the edge of a ravine, the continuation or source of Oak Creek, and saw, through the forest beyond, Johnston's lines sweeping across his front toward his left. At the same time, General Johnston was, a few hundred yards off, on the other side of the ravine, putting General Hindman with one of his brigades into position for attack. Hindman's skirmishers opened fire and killed Sherman's orderly. Sherman's brigades advanced to the sloping of the ravine of Oak Creek; Sherman had already sent word to General McClernand asking for support to his left; to General Prentiss, giving him notice that the enemy was in force in front; and to General Hurlbut, asking him to support Prentiss.

The first line of Johnston's army, commanded by General Hardee, opened, widening the intervals between brigades as it advanced. The two brigades commanded by General Hindman, having less rough ground to traverse, outstripped General Cleburne. Hindman's own brigade, commanded by Colonel Shaver, inclining to the right, struck Prentiss' right. General Hindman in person, with Wood's brigade, came to the front of the Fifty-third Ohio. General Johnston, having put it in position, rode back to Cleburne and moved his brigade to Buckland's front. The battle opened. The Fifty-third Ohio, detached by the position of its camp from the rest of Hildebrand's brigade, being off to the left and farther to the front, was first engaged. According to the report of Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton, the advancing line of Wood's brigade having twice recoiled before the fire of the regiment, Colonel Appler cried out to his men to fall back and save themselves. The regiment retired in confusion behind McClernand's Third Brigade, which had come up in support; but, soon rallied by the Lieutenant-Colonel and Adjutant Dawes, it returned to the front to the bank of the stream. The colonel reappeared and again ordered a retreat. The regiment was now fatally broken. Adjutant Dawes, however, rallied two companies and attached them to the Seventeenth Illinois, of McClernand's Third Brigade, while a considerable detachment joined the Seventy-seventh Ohio, then commanded by Major Fearing. In the afternoon, Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton, with the greater part of the regiment reunited, acted as support to Bouton's battery.

General Patton Anderson, with his brigade, and Captain Hodgson's battery of the Was.h.i.+ngton Artillery, pressed forward from Johnston's second line, commanded by General Bragg, into the gap between Hindman and Cleburne. Posting his battery on high ground, he advanced his brigade down into the wet and bushy valley of Oak Creek, and charged up the slope. Taylor's battery and the Fifty-seventh and Seventy-seventh Ohio instantly drove him back. His regiments, not discouraged, charged singly, and when broken, charged by battalion, but could not withstand the fire, and as often fell back. General Johnston, who had pa.s.sed on toward his right, dispatched two brigades, Russell's and Johnson's, from the third line, commanded by General Polk, to aid the a.s.sault. General Beauregard moved them to his right, beyond Hindman, to attack McClernand.

Meanwhile, Cleburne, forming the extreme left of Hardee's line, with his brigade of six regiments and two batteries engaged Buckland. The valley of Oak Creek is there wider, deeper, and boggy. The slope, crowned by Buckland's brigade, was steep and bushy. A bend in its course gave some companies of the Seventieth Ohio an enfilading fire. Cleburne's regiments, tangled in the mora.s.s, struggled with uneven front up the wooded ascent, only to be driven back by Buckland's steady fire.

Reforming, they charged again, to meet another repulse. The regiments, broken, disordered, and commingled, persisted in the vain endeavor, only to encounter heavier losses. The Sixth Mississippi lost 300 killed and wounded out of a total of 425. More than one-third of the brigade were killed and wounded. Pond's brigade, of Bragg's corps, came up in support, but paused on the wooded bank, and did not attempt to cross this valley of death.

McClernand's other brigades, which were to the left of the Third, after some very sharp fighting, fell back. The long line of Wood's brigade then largely outreached Colonel Raith's left flank. Raith refused his left regiments. Wood's brigade wheeled to their left, confronting Raith's new line. Waterhouse's battery, being taken on the flank, was limbering up to withdraw, when Major Taylor ordered it into action again. Raith's regiments gave way. Wood's brigade charged on Waterhouse's battery, capturing three of its guns. Captain Waterhouse and two lieutenants being wounded, Lieutenant Fitch, by order of Major Taylor, retired to the river with the two pieces that were saved sound.

The Fifty-seventh and Seventy-seventh Ohio being now a.s.sailed on the flank by Wood's advance, fell back in disorder. Anderson's brigade then gathered itself up, emerged from the wet borders of the creek, and gained the plateau in front of Hildebrand's camps. Buckland's rear was now commanded by a hostile battery and threatened by Wood's brigade.

General Sherman at ten o'clock ordered his division to take position to the rear along the Purdy road. Barrett's battery, moving back by the Corinth road, came into position with McClernand's division in its second position. McDowell's brigade had not yet been engaged, and to get into the new position merely s.h.i.+fted his line to the left along the road. Buckland moved back through his camp in order, his wagons carrying off his dead and wounded and such baggage as they could hold. The greater part of the Seventy-seventh Ohio, commanded by Major Fearing, together with some companies of the Fifty-seventh, held by Lieutenant-Colonel Rice, and some companies of the Fifty-third, represented Hildebrand's brigade. Colonel Hildebrand finding his command so reduced, served part of the day on McClernand's staff, but returned to General Sherman in the evening. Colonel Crafts Wright, commanding the Thirteenth Missouri in W.H.L. Wallace's division, was ordered in the morning to take a designated position on the Purdy road. This brought him on the left of General Sherman's new line. The remnant of Hildebrand's brigade formed on Wright's left and operated with him.

Meanwhile General Grant, at breakfast at Savannah, nine miles below Pittsburg Landing by river, but six miles in an air-line, heard the firing. He at once sent an order to General Nelson to march his division up the river to opposite Pittsburg; and, not aware that General Buell had arrived the previous evening, sent a letter out to meet him, advising him of the order given to Nelson and explaining the reason for not waiting in person for his arrival. Steaming up the river, he stopped at Crump's Landing at eight o'clock and directed Lewis Wallace to hold his division in readiness to move. Arrived at Pittsburg Landing, Colonel Pride, of his staff, at once organized ammunition trains, which were busy all day supplying the troops at the front. The Twenty-third Missouri, just arrived by boat, he hurried out to reinforce Prentiss.

The Fifteenth Iowa, just arrived, and the Sixteenth, sent by Prentiss to the landing for ammunition, he directed to form line, arrest the tide of stragglers from the front, and organize them to return. Riding to the front, he found General Sherman a little before ten o'clock in his hottest engagement, still holding the enemy at bay in front of his camp; told him that Wallace would come up from Crump's Landing; sent word to Wallace to move; to Nelson, to hasten his movements; returned to the landing, dispatched the two Iowa regiments to reinforce McClernand, and proceeded to visit the other divisions in the field.

The loaded wagons of McDowell's brigade, hurrying to the rear along the Purdy road, interfered with the formation of Sherman's new line. Behr's battery, galloping to the position a.s.signed to it--the centre of the line--added to the difficulty. This battery was hardly in position and under fire before Captain Behr was killed, and the men abandoned their guns, fleeing from the field with the caissons. The line so disordered and broken was hard pressed by the enemy, and Sherman selected another line of defence, to his left and rear, connecting with McClernand's right. McDowell, nearly cut off by the enemy's pressing through the gap left by Behr's men, brought the remaining gun of this battery from its position near the bridge, and by a rapid fire pressed back the advance.

His regiments became separated while struggling through dense thickets to the new position. The Fortieth Illinois found itself marching by the flank, with a deep ravine along its left, and a confederate regiment marching in parallel course not far to its right. Thus cut off, the Fortieth formed with its rear to the ravine, with a desperate effort drove its dangerous companion out of the way, and, pus.h.i.+ng through the timber, came into a valley in rear of McClernand.

Not all the force engaged in the two hours' fight in front of Sherman's camp followed him to his new position. Cleburne had difficulty in reforming his shattered command. The remnant of the Sixth Mississippi marched to the rear under command of the senior surviving captain, disabled for further service. The fragment of the Twenty-Third Tennessee remaining near Cleburne was sent to the rear to hunt up the portions that had broken from it in the contest. Cleburne, proceeding for his other regiments, was stopped by General Hardee about noon, and directed to collect and bring into action the stragglers who were thronging in the captured camps. With the aid of cavalry he gathered up an unorganized mult.i.tude; but, finding he could do nothing with them, he resumed the search for his remaining regiments. About two o'clock he found the Fifth and Twenty-fourth Tennessee and Fifteenth Arkansas "halted under the brow of an abrupt hill." The Second Tennessee had moved to the rear, and did not rejoin the brigade during the battle.

Cleburne was not again severely engaged during the day. Colonel Pond kept his brigade, in pursuance of General Bragg's order, watching the crossings of Owl Creek.

But the brigades of Anderson and Wood pressed on. Trabue's heavy brigade of five regiments, two battalions and two batteries, had been detached from the reserve at Beauregard's request for reinforcements, and sent by Johnston to his extreme left. Skirting Owl Creek, he came in full force upon Sherman's right flank, at half-past twelve o'clock. McDowell's two remaining regiments, the Sixth Iowa and Forty-sixth Ohio, were quickly moved to confront Trabue. The Forty-sixth Ohio was more alert in movement, and opened a hot fire before Trabue was completely deployed and in position. A steady combat through the timber and underbrush, and across the ravines, lasted an hour and a half. The Sixth Iowa lost 51 killed and 120 wounded; the Forty-sixth Ohio, losing fewer killed, but more wounded--34 killed, 150 wounded, and 52 taken prisoners--was quite shattered, and took no further part in the battle. Colonel Trabue's estimate of the character of the fighting at this point appears from his statement that his command in this encounter killed and wounded four or five hundred of the Forty-Sixth Ohio alone. It appears also from his report, which has never been officially published, but which is printed in the "History of the First Kentucky Brigade," that, of the 844 casualties in the brigade in the two days' battle, 534 were in the four regiments engaged in this encounter. Sherman readjusted his line, resting his right on a deep ravine running to Owl Creek, and keeping his left in connection with McClernand. Trabue was reinforced by General A.P. Stewart and part of his brigade, and a part of Anderson's brigade which had been resting in a ravine in the rear. The struggle lasted with varying intensity and alternate success.

There were charges and countercharges, ground was lost and regained; but the general result was a recession of the battered division to the left and rear. About four o'clock, during a lull, Sherman moved his reduced command still farther in the same direction, and took position so as to cover the road by which Lewis Wallace was to arrive. Here, with an open field in front, he was not further molested, and here he bivouacked for the night. At this point, Captain Hickenlooper, who had been engaged all day in the st.u.r.dy defence made by Prentiss, joined Sherman with his battery. Buckland, rejoined by the Seventieth Ohio, was ordered, late in the afternoon, to take his brigade to the bridge over Snake Creek, by which Lewis Wallace was expected. From this point the Forty-eighth Ohio marched to the landing for ammunition, and was there detained as a portion of the force supporting the reserve artillery till next morning.

The bridge appearing free from risk, Buckland returned to the place of bivouac, const.i.tuting the right of Sherman's line. The Thirteenth Missouri became separated from the division in the last struggle, was incorporated for the night in Colonel Marsh's collection of regiments, const.i.tuting for the night McClernand's right. The position of the Thirteenth during the night was close by the headquarter tents of General McArthur, of W.H.L. Wallace's division. The Fifty-third Ohio bivouacked with the Eighty-first Ohio, in front of the camp of the Second Iowa, in Tuttle's brigade of W.H. Wallace's division. McDowell's brigade had disappeared from the division. Portions of the Fifty-seventh and Seventy-seventh Ohio, with Lieutenant-Colonel Rice and Major Fearing, were still with Sherman, and formed the left of his line in the bivouac.

McCLERNAND.

The Forty-third Illinois, of McClernand's brigade, being out by permission, Sunday morning, to discharge their pieces, which had been loaded since they marched to the picket-line, Friday evening, distant firing was heard. This being reported to General McClernand, he sent an order to Colonel Reardon to hold the brigade in readiness for action.

Colonel Reardon, being confined to bed by illness, directed Colonel Raith to a.s.sume command. There was some delay in getting the brigade formed, owing to the sudden change of commanders and to the incredulity of the officers in some of the regiments as to the reality of an attack.

The brigade being at length formed, advanced, and took position, with its right near Waterhouse's battery--its line making an angle with Sherman's line, so as to throw the left of the brigade upon and along Oak Creek. Colonel Marsh, of the Twentieth Illinois, heard considerable musketry on the left of the National camp. This continuing without material interruption for some time, he ordered regimental commanders to be in readiness to form, and soon after received an order from General McClernand to form the brigade. Soon after the brigade was formed an order was received to advance to the support of General Sherman, who was reported to be heavily attacked. The brigade moved to the left to a position a.s.signed by General McClernand. The First Brigade was ordered to form three regiments on the left of the Second, and to post one regiment, the Eleventh Iowa, in reserve in rear of the right of Colonel Marsh's brigade. The alignment of the Third Brigade, by Colonel Raith throwing his left too far to the front, so as to be exposed to a flank attack and also to cover Colonel Marsh's right, Colonel Raith wheeled his left to the rear to connect with Marsh. The right of McClernand's division, as thus formed, connected with Sherman, but the left was uncovered.

General Johnston sent two brigades from Polk's corps, Colonel Russell's and General B.R. Johnson's, to reinforce his extreme left. General Beauregard, who had taken immediate command on the Confederate left, sent them farther to his right, and they went into position on the left of Wood's brigade. Two regiments of Russell's brigade formed on the left of Wood; the rest were marched by General Clark, the division commander, still farther to the right. Three of General Johnson's regiments formed on the right of Russell's two, while General Bragg moved Johnson's remaining two regiments off to his right, to another attack. The a.s.sault on Colonel Marsh was made with great fury. In five minutes most of the field officers in the brigade were killed or wounded. The enemy's fire seemed especially directed at Burrow's battery, posted in the centre of Marsh's brigade, all the horses of which were killed or disabled. The colonel and lieutenant-colonel of the Forty-eighth Illinois being wounded and taken off the field, the regiment finally became disorganized and retired in disorder. The other regiments fell back. The battery was lost. The first brigade, which had not been severely engaged, next retired in some disorder. The Third Brigade, being now enfiladed and turned on its left flank, Colonel Raith refused his left regiment, and was himself soon mortally wounded. Wood's brigade then wheeling to its left and advancing, the Third Brigade fell back, leaving Waterhouse's battery on the flank of Sherman's division exposed.

The division formed again, its right connected with Sherman's left on the Purdy road. When Sherman fell back from the Purdy road, McClernand adjusted his right to connect again with Sherman's left. While his right connected still with Sherman, his left for a while almost joined W.H.L.

Wallace in the position which he had a.s.sumed, and, when pushed back still farther, his left was yet to some extent protected by the character of the ground, rough, intersected by ravines, and dotted with impenetrable thickets that intervened between it and W.H.L. Wallace.

McAllister's battery, and Schwartz's battery commanded by Lieutenant Nispel, were reinforced by Taylor's battery, commanded by Captain Barrett, brought over from Sherman, and by Dresser's battery, commanded by Captain Timony.

A determined and desperate struggle ensued, which lasted, with occasional intermissions, till late in the afternoon. Shaver's brigade, which, after a severe and protracted contest, had overcome Peabody's brigade of Prentiss' division, was ordered to the attack upon the left of McClernand's line. Advancing across a wide and open field, he encountered so hot a fire in front and on his right flank, that his brigade recoiled back to the shelter of timber and halted paralyzed, till later in the day he was ordered to attack in another quarter.

General B.R. Johnson was wounded, and his brigade so severely handled that it retreated from the field, leaving its battery, Polk's, behind.