American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-12-12
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI, DECEMBER II, 1862.


before we arrived, and that he had sent sew
erai couriers to General Chalmers. to notif,
linn OF bis presedce, aud regretted that they
had not reached him. The enemy answered.
the degnahd for surrender-by saying they had
Jnst been reinforced, and could hold out
against any force, but proposed truce for
the removal Of the wounded, and burial OF
the dead This WAS agreed TO, and consumed
much time; bat when ready to re-
sumo hostiEties, notice WAS sent to the fort
TO remove the flag OF truce and the enemy
asked for one heuF more, stating that he had
not finished burying his dead This was
granted him, and brought on night We
thea returned 70 Gave City, carrying all of
our wounded able to bear Transportation
oar force was sixteen hun3red-the enemy
twenty three hundred. Our loss vas thirty
six killed aud two hundred and forty-tbree
wounded. The glllaatTy of our troops Won
the highest encom uas from the enemy
Colonel Smith, 1.-the bravest of the brave, y
! fell within twenty-five yards of the rife pits
Lieuts--ColoueI Billiard aud Moore but a
4 little further on, and Major w. c. Richards
was wounded when gallantly leading his
battalion of Sharpshooters.
! General Chalmers, who never dismouuted
during the fight, rode within forty yards of
the bastion work, under the heaviest FIRE OF
small arms and artillery. Col. WalfhaI and
Lieut. Colonel Brantley, and Major Morgan,
tN.iAt'At4e- ~ 0uAitSA ais Sluc. 1oi- y -tttt
and Col. Bishop, on foot, went with their
regiments, calamity to the charge This
fight having demonstrated the strength of the
position, and Gen. Chalmers having notified
his commanding officers that there were no
defenses on the opposite side of the river, it
was then determined, for the first time, to
cross a column over Green River, and sur
round the place. The enemy, IN the mean
time, had received reinforcements Of 2000,
making in all 1890, and had our army
marched directly upon MnmfordsvilIe, which
/ it would have done but for this fight, one
whole division would, perhaps, have
been mere severely handled than this
I brigade in the~frst instance. That General
/ Chalmers attack was well planned, is cvi-
dent from the fact, that Gen. Buell., who
I built the works, when he came up behind Us,
supposing that we still held them, prepared
to attack them at precisely the same points.
1t is not my intention to eulogize General
Chalmers, my connection with him being
such as to render that indicate but there
are some facts which | deem it due to him
and 10 the truth of history to state. He has
+ been charged with violation of orders, with
rashaess aud reckless disregard of his
men with having attacked place which it
was intended not to attack, but to take
without firing a gun. The facts just stated,
! are sufficient answer TO these charges. And
so far us a disregard for his men are con-
cerued. nothing can be more untrue. On the
march through, Kentucky, by his exertions,
his men were nearly all well shod, when 9TH
crs were harefooted. Twice during the march,
when others were without food, he provided
rations for his men, and once ne retained the
wagons, with their cooking utensils, against
orders, and at the risk of being arrested,
rather than permit his men to go without
something to eat. AT Knoxville, when We
could get no tents, and the snow WAS falling,
he procured quantities of straw from the
neighboring farmers, and had huts built Of
rails, and matched them with straw, for the
protection of his men And by = contract
made during the summer, he procured a full
suit Of clothing for his brigade, and had his
men well clad, when every other brigade in
the army was suffering for clothes.
he is Il very rigid sciplinarian-perh
second only TO Gen. Bragg, in our army, In
this respect, and is particularly severe upon
officers who are negligent in the discharge of
their duties, and this has, doubtless. made
work of the many ISLANDERS recently circu-
lated against him.
1t has also been stated that he was placed
under arrest So far from this being true,
his whole conduct was approved by his COM
mander and when the garrison surrendered
his brigade was selected to receive the pris-
oners, and he was placed in command of the
fort. in the language Of Gen. Bragg, :" as a
compliment for his gallant attack upon it
What have said, Mr.. Editor, has refer
ence to brigade composed entirely of
Mississippians and though much has been
devoted to one man, hope il viii not be nn-
interesting to your readers. De SOTO