Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-01
1890 oE oEsAPL1N LIZ.
GenerGI 8o~s'ea"'. On'esai Report.

| Captain j. A. Campbell, A. A A. G., lst Corps d A
| mee Army of the Ohio
SIR: have the honor to submit the follow
ing report Of the part taken by the Sd division
army of the Ohio, in the battle of Chaplin Hill
fought on the Sth instant
On the morning of the Sth, on the march
| General MeCook showed me an order from Gen
| Buell. in which it was said he should move eau
| tiOusly on approaching Perryville, as the enemJ
would probably make resistance in that vicinity
/ When near Chaplin Hills battle-ground, anC
perhaps three miles from PeTTyville, the repor
Of artillery to our right and front was heard, ant
| General McCook ordered me TO advance my cav
airy and infantry in reconnaissance. Leaving
ihe artillery ON an eminence in the road, moved
on with the infantry preceded by six companies
| Of the ID kentucky cavalry, Colonel BuclzneI
Board, and when near the field Of battle, Colo
mel Board reported the enemy in sight. halted
the command, sent back for General McCOOk,
and he and l rode forward to the front, exsmin-
ed the ground, and chose a line of battle to be
adopted if the enemy advanced upon US, and
soon sfterwsrd moved up to RUssel's house, on
the nil overlooking the field, and there halted
the head of the column, While there
the artillery two pieces } Of Cap
tain Harris battery, with Gray's cav
airy, continued to fire, and small arms were also
heard Gay addressed note to nae, saying he
had been pressing the enemy all the morning
was pressing him then, and much needed reg
lment of infantry to support his pieces. l or
deTed the 42d Indiana regiment to do so, and
rode forward TO his pieces and found him and
Captain Harris there The enemy was disap-
pesring IN the woods far to the front, and out Of
range of Harris ordinary brass pieces / then
ordered up LOomis with two of his Parrot guns,
and he sbeled the woods, the enemy now and
then appearing, until he was finally no longer
to ba nd fbo ,vIo 10
Every thing indicated that the enemy had re-
tired, and it was SO believed. General McCOok
rode off to see General Buell., understood to be
two or three miles on our right. Waiting, per-
haps an hour, concluded TO resume the march
to Chaplin Creek, then probably a mile to our
front, to get water for my men, who were suffer
ing intensely for want of it. There was q small
pool in the bed of the little stream to the right
Of Loomis' two pieces, to which the u Indiana
was directed, IN order to obtain a supply, and
the main column was then ordered forward; but
when the head of the column was within hun
dred yards of L0Omis' pieces, halted it and
went forward to see what was reported to be
the enemy re-spp, ing in the woods beyond
and in few minutes l could see him plainly,
and the discharge of shell from three batteries,
gave Unmistakable evidence of his presence. l
ordered Loomis to reply and bring up the re-
mainder of bis guns, and sent an order to
Captain SmOnson, 9TH Indiana Artillery, to
Join Loomis, all of which was promptly done
I then sent an order TO Colonel Lytle to form his
brigade on the right in good position, and gal
loped back to place Harris brigade in position
to resist the advance Of the enemy, which l was
Just informed by q messenger from Captain
WicIlffe, of Colonel Boards cavalry, was being
made in that direction, in great force of cavalry,
infantry and artillery. l aided Colonel Harris,
commanding the 9.h brigade, to form his bri-
gade in two lines, the ID Ohio, Lieutenant Colo
mel Kell, the 10th Wisconsin, Colonel Chaplin,
and the 32d Ohio, Lieutenant Colonel Moore,
being in the front line Soon after this, by
messenger, Colonel Stsrkweather, commanding
the 2StA brigade, announced his arrival on the
left, his brigade having been unfortunately cut
of and separated from my division by General
Jackson's column that morning at MaKville, but
he had the good sense, when be heard firing in
front TO abandon the road, move around jack
sons column, and by going through the fields TO
fall in on the left, and found his brigade on the
very spot where it was most needed; a large
body Of the enemy's cavalry appearing that mo-
ment mile and half to the front, was admi-
rably shelled and dispersed in great disorder by
Captain Stones Ist Kentucky artillery I then
directed Colonel Starkweather to place Stones
battery and that OF Captain Bushs Atm indiana
artillery on high ridge on the extreme left, and
extending diagonaly to the front, and to sup
port those batteries with the lst Wisconsin,
Lieutensnt-COlonel Bingham, placed on that
ridge and by the 18th. Pennsylvania, Colonel
Hambrght, placed on another ridge, running at
almost right angles to the one on which the bate
res were planted. This formation gave cross
fire, and proved Of infinite value in maintaining
that all-important position during the day. These
formations were made in Great haste, and in
few moments, but without the least confusion or
disorder, the men moving into line SIS if on par
ade. ! then returned to Harris sTigade, hearing
that the enemy was close upon him, and found
that the 33d Ohio had been ordered farther TO
the front by General McCook and was then
engaged with the enemy, and needed support
General McCook, in person, ordered the 2l Ohio
to its support, and sent directions to me to order
up the oath Illinois also, Captain Maui COM
manding | led the oath Illinois in line of
battle Immediately forward, and it was promptly
deplOyed as skirmishers by its commander, and
went calamity into action on the left Of the SD
Ohio. The I'd Ohio moving up to support the
33d Ohio, was engaged before it arrived on the
ground where the 33d was fighting The 35th
Indiana, Colonel B T. SeTibner commanding
then went gallsntly into action on the right Of
the 2i Ohio Then followed in support the 94th
Ohio, Colonel Frizzsll. l wish here to say of
this regiment, although new and but few weeks
in the service, it behaved most gallsntly, under
the steady lead of its brave Colonel Frizzel
Colonel Harris whole brigade, Simonson's bat
terry on its right, was repeatedly assaied by
overwhelming numbers, but gallsndy held its
position. The 35th Indiana and ID Ohio, after
exhsusting their ammunition and that taken
from the boxes of the dead and wounded on the
field still held their position, as did also, 1
believe, the l0th Wisconsin and SD Ohio.
Fer this gallant conduct these brave men are en-
titled to the gratitude of the country, and /
thank them here as | did on the field of battle
After the 25th Illinois went into action, saw
the undisciplned troops of General Jackson IN
front in support of Parsons battery Of Jack
sons division yielding the field in great cOnfu-
sion, under q most terrific fire Of the enemy,
who was moving in the direcrion of my extreme
left. General jackson was killed, the support
to Parsons battery giving away, the guns were
captured, but the gallant captain brought off his
horse and company. Seeing the enemy moving
toward our LEFT in great force with the apparent
view of turning it, driving some broken and
disOrdered regiments before them, l galloped
around to Colonel StsTkweather, on the left, and
directed him to open bis bsttsries-StOne and
Bush-upon the enemy. The order was prompt
" and effectively executed The firing was ad-
mirsble, and the heavy musketry Of the sd-
vancing enemy was received by toe gallant lst
Winconsin with shouts Of defiance, (they sup
porting these batteries), placing their caps on
their bayOnets.
Iordered the regiment to lie down under cover
and await the nearest approach of the enemy
But the artillery repulsed the enemy again and
again, and held him in check for several hours,
until finally fresh and overwhelming force
moved toward the guns. 1 should have stated
that the 2lst Wisconsin, Colonel Sweet, was to
the front of these batteries, in cern-6eld lying
IL aI.
when be approached with his overwhelming
force, this new regiment poured into bis ranks q
most whitening FIRE. The steady advance and
heavy FIRE of the enemy, however, caused por-
ton Of this regiment to break in confusion but
the most Of it, under its gallant officers, stood