The Evansville daily journal., 1862-04-26


HEADQUARTERS DIVISION Army OF
/. WEsTERE 1ENNEssEE,
H5s April IL, 1862.
Capt j. 4. Rawlaas, H. Il General:
SIR: have the honor to report in briei
the part taken by my Division in the battle
OF the 9Th and 7th April. e-ee- 's7s
/ On Sunday morning, April 9th, about
halfpast seven o'clock, I received mes
sage from Brig. Gen. Sherman that ne was
attacked in force and heavily upon his left
wing. ---#----
Immediately ordered Col. J. G. Veatch,
commanding Second Brigade, to proceed to
the left Of Gen. Sherman.
This Brigade consisted of the Twenty
fifth Indiana, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and
Forty-sixth Illinois,; was on march in ten
minutes, arrived in Gen. Sherman's line
rapidly and went into action.
must refer to Col. Veatch's report fer
the particulars of that day. 1 i-s-a
Receiving in few moments a pressing
request for aid from Brig. Gen. Prentiss,
took command in person of First and Third
BFigades, respectively commanded by Col
N. G.. Williams, of the Third Iowa, and
Brig. Gen. j.. G. Lauman. o.
The first Brigade consisted of the Third
Iowa, Forty-Hrst Illinois, Twenty-eighth
Illinois, and Thirty-second Illinois.
The Third Brigade, of the Thirty first
Indiana, Forty-fourth Indiana, Seventeenth
Kentucky and Twenty-ffty Kentucky
In addition, took with me the First and
Second Battaiions of the Fifth Cavalry,
Mann's Light Battery, four pieces, com
manded by First Lieut.. -, Ross Bat
terry Second Michigan, and Mayors Battery
Thirteenth Ohio. sl
As we drew near the rear and left of
Gen. Prentiss' line, his regiments, in bro
ken masses drifted through my advance,
that gallant officer making every effort to
rally them.
|" L formed my line of battle, the First
Brigade thrown to the point on the soath-
erly side of large open field, the Third
Brigade continuing the line with an obtuse
angle around the other side of the field, and
extending some distance into the brush and
timber
Mann's battery was placed in the angle
of the lines, Ross Battery some distance to
the left, and the Thirteenth Ohio Battery
on the right and somewhat advanced in the
corner of the timber, so as to concentrate
the fire upon the open ground in front, and
waited for the attack.
2 A single shot from the enemy's battery
struck in Mayors Thirteenth Ohio Battery,
when officers and men, with common i'm
pulse of disgraceful cowardice, abandoned
the entire battery, horses, caissons, and
guns, and fed; and saw them no more
until Tuesday.
called for volunteers from the artillery;
the call was answered, and ten gallant men
from Mann's and.Ross' batteries brought in
the horses, which were wild, and spiked
the pieces. .s.q1 f.-
The attack commenced on the Third
Brigade, through the thick timber, and was
met and repulsed by a steady and contiuu-
ous fire, which rolled the enemy back in
confusion, after some half hours struggle,
leaving many dead and wounded.
The glimmer of bayonets on the left and
front of the First Brigade showed large
force gathering, and an attack was soon
made on the Forty-frst Illinois and Twen-
ty-eighth Illinois on the left of the Brigade,
and the Thirty-second Illinois and Third
Iowa on the right; at the same time a
strong force of very steady and gallant
troops formed in column, doubled on the
centre, and advanced over the open field in
front.
They were allowed to approach within
four hundred yards, when fire was opened
from Mann's and Ross batteries, and from
the two regiments of the First Brigade, and
the Seventeenth and Twenty fifth Ken
lucky, which were thrown forward slightly
so as to flank the column. a...4 ... ..-.
3 Under this whitening FIRE they yainly at
tempted to deploy, but soon broke and fell
back under cover, leaving not less. than
one hundred and fifty dead and wounded,
as evidence how our troops maintained
their position.
The attack on the left was also repulsed,
but as the ground was covered with brush
the loss could not be ascertained.
Gen. Preutiss having succeeded in rally
ing considerable portion of his command,
/ Ipermitted him to pass to the point of The