American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-12-12
Tac Battle CT Mam.erdsyil.e---G Jas.
Il. shalEleFs.
IFrosa tae nIs-i-sippian.


H. regard 10 the battle OF Mamfordsyifle, and
Hat mucs Injustice has been done ne officer
h. command, ask the publication of a few
kscta In relation 10 1t. The battle WAS fought
h,g . Brigade, the infantry O. which was
<omposed entirely Of Mississippians, and
kheT-fore, the true state Of tie case should
q matter Of interest to all your readers.
I Gen. Chalmers had been ordered 70 the
rout Of the army to seize Cave city, break
L. the railroad communication between
Aoaisvillo ami Bowling Green, and take
secession Ct the telegraph line. This be
J ia with great py0mPtness and success. At
BE same time be Was told that there was q
kamp OF instruction Of Tie enemy near By
AIch be would be probably ordered in a
~ days, 10 take From Intercepted tele-
&rIms ne learned that the enemy ~ Num-
TDrIsville supposed his force 10 he seven
lousaud strong, and advancing on them,
bat they had telegraPbed Louisville for re-
htarcerseuts, and tAat trains had beel or
Erred iva Louisville u bring these reinforce
cnis forward Mumfordsville Was IN the
= rect pathway Of our army a strong
II lace naturally, had been well fortified and
- II was then reported 10 he held bv only
II gtte-R injured ra0 recruits, it required no
- great geucralship to see that.it was
Il eig important, that this place should be
II Ken before it could be reinforced by tile
6n-my. In addition 10 this, on tue night of
Al zen OF October, officer arrived from
f. SCOTS brigade Of cavalry, stating that
II bad been ordered by Gen Kirby Smith to
,- Iumf1rdsglie, If it cost half Of his men,
IL iat Col. Scott would attack The place next
n 0ruIEE with one thousand cavalry. Aud
batting also, that lac had positive informal
ION that there were but et1htee, haadred re-
nils at Aamf0rdsyiile, and that the rail-
z& al had been torn up IN the rear so that
IL achievements could not arrive IN time
assist the garrison.
II General Chalmers feeling the Importance
ID the place to Us, aud fearing that the cav
II RI might fail 10 take it, determined ut once
assist in making the attack. 1t was then
clock at night. Mumfordsviile was four
e1 miles to the front, and Gen. Bragg,
TIA our whole f0sce, eighteen miles in the
ar aud the attack by Col Scott was to be
sde early next morning There was no
Rne to communicate with headquarters, and
Fait for reply, therefore, Gen. Chalmers
living determined to assist Cen Scott
E rumunicgted his intention to his division
nmander, who forwarded the same to
T. en. Bragg and be, on receiving the COM
IncatioH remarked, a. halniers has an
ipItgd the orders | was about to give
n'
a We reached Mumfordsyille eatly on the
prHinR Of the 18th of Oct. Gen. Chalmers
u been Informed Hy Il citizen who had re-
-aiIable the extreme left near the river,
Il the light from the Burksvile road, there
r. made the following distribution of his
bees: After having driven in tie enemy's
Eket aud skirIrishers by his sharpshooters
tssed them Immediately in front, if
ack was intended in that quarter, he sent
10th Mississippi Regiment, and section
Artillery under Col. Il. a. Smith, along
crest Of Mrs. Lewis hill with orders to
IS on 10 the river on the left of the works
j b watch his opportunity, and il he thought
could like the works from that side 10
ke an attack" The Blythe Mississippi
ment under command Of Lieut.. Col.
pre- was left in front of the works, but out
range of the enemy's guns and guarding
"a ordnance train. The remainder of the
Eade, consisting Of the Battalion of Sharp
oters, Mai w G. Richards, commanding,
It'll Mississippi, Col. V. II. Bishop, the
Col. j. ". White, and the 29th, Col. L.
Nalthall aud one section of KetchumS
terry of Artillery were Led by Gen. Chal-
h in person, around to the right aud came
on the Barksville road The enemys
fks consisted of earth work on the
{, constructed on the model of regular
ion fort-a long range of rifle pits on the
semi-circular in form, and terminating
small stockade fort, and another series
da pits in the centre with an absttis in
BIT formed Of feied timber. Gen. Chal
+ ascendcd a high hill about three quar-
of msle from the b8stion work, aud
|ins carefully examined the ground, dis
bred that he conid approach within two
bred yards OF il under cover Of timber,
at once determined do so; and to make
barge from that point.
then sent word 10 Col. Smith. that he
d attack that work with the 9Th and
holding the 9Th in reserve, and that he
press on and obey his original IN
ctons" Before we reached the woods
which the attack on the bastion work
TO be made heavy firing OF infantry
heard the left, and Gen Chalmers
losing that the enemy had made saly
Fol. Smith sent an order TO Lieut. Col.
re TO move up To his support. The
ps OH the right moved steadily forward,
ing the enemy before them from the
b. into their works, and had advanced TO
lat less than fifty Yards from the bas-
our battery in the meantime playing
it. had riddled the euenly's flag with
BIS and had pressed them fierceiy that
head could be seen above the works,
their guns were fired by holding them
arms length and shooting at random,
an accident occurred, which changed
Whole fortunes Of the day. Gen. Chal-
had Just given the order TO prepare to
be with bayonets, and was bringing tie
lr0und TO the right of the 10Th aud 7th,
Us Artillery, preparatory TO making the
charge " hich we all now believe would
taken the fort in five minutes more, as
nemy had but three hundred men in
work, and these were so badly fright
that their officers could scarcely hold
steady, when Col. SCOTS artillery
up behind as aud opened on our rear,
bell falling among our men, aud that
Without Gen Chalmers having any no.
cf his arriyal--surposing we were at
h in the rear, we fell back to meet this
ry, suffered heavily and lost all the adj
&c 10 position we had gained. When
e haA that this was Col. Scott's battery, /
We're sent 10 Col. Smith to move
1 to the right with his command, and
the intcniion to make sudden attack
the bastion with our whole force and
1t, and this when taken, commanded
her works completely. The messen-
pou returned with the Information that
nith had made an attack on the rifle
ear the centre. that hi Lieat. Col. Bat /
had been killed. himself mortality I
BED, ani his Regiment severely cut MP I