Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-04-25
OFFICIAL REPORT OF GEN. SHERMAN.
HEADQUARTEs, FIFTH DIVISION,
ArRIL 8, 1862.
To MAJOR General Grant,

AFRIL :, lcu--
To MAJOR General Grant,
commanding army m fsd:
SIR: With the cavalry placed at my com
mand. and two brigades OF my iangued
troops, went this morning out On the Cor
inth road. The abandoned camps of the
enemy lined the road, with hospital flags for
their protection At all Of these we found
more or less wounded and dead. At the
forks of the road found the head Of Gen,
Woods division At that point | ordered
cavalry TO examine both roads, aud found the
enemy's cavalry. Colonel Dickey, OF the
Illinois cavalry, asked for reinforeements.
ordered General Wood to advance the head
of his column cautiously on the lett hand
road. whilst | conducted the head oil
the third brigade Of the nth dlvls-
ion up the right hand road. About hall
a mile from the forks was clear field, thro
which the road passed, and immediately be-
yond it 4 space Of 200 yards ol fallen timber,
an! beyond that an extensive camp OF the
enemy's cavalry could be seen. After a re-
conuoisance, | ordered the two advance COM
panies of the Ohio 77th, Col. llildebrand.
70 deploy as skirmishers, and the regiment
itself TO move forward into line with inter-
walls OF 100 yards. In this order advanced
cautiously until the skirmishers were enga-
ged. Taking it for granted that this dispo-
sition would clear the camp, L held Col.
Dickey's 10th Illinois cavalry ready to
charge. The enemy's cavalry came down
boldly to the charge, breaking through the
line OF skirmishers, when the regiment OF in
fantry, without cause, broke, threw away
their guns and fed. The ground was admi-
rably adapted to a defense Of infantry against
cavalry, 1t being miry aud covered with ial-
len timber. As the regiment OF infantry
broke, Col. Dickey's cavalry began to charge
with their carbines, and fell into disorder.
| | instantly sent orders 10 the rear Tor
the brigade TO form in line Of battle, which
was promptly executed. The broken Inian-
trv and cavalry rallied on this line, and as
the enemy's cavalry came up TO it, our cayal-
~ in turn charged and drove thsm from
the field. | then advanced the entire brigade
upon the same ground, and sent Colonel
Dickey's cavalry mile further on the road
On examining the ground, which had been
occupied by the Ssventy-seventh Ohio, We
found fifteen dead and twenty-five wounded
| sent for wagons, and had all the woundeC
carried back to the camp, and the dead bu
ried. | also ordered the whole camp to b
DESTROYED. Here @e found much ammuni
tion for field pieces, which was destroyed
also, two caissons, and a general hospita
, with about $50 confederates wounded AM
about SO OF our own troops. Not haylni
the means of bringing them of, Colone
Dickey, by my order, took surrender
signed by the medical director, Lyle, and a
the attending surgeons, and a pledge to re
; port themselves to you as prisoners
war, and also another pledge that ou
wounded would be carefully attended to, an
surrendered to US tomorrow, as soon a. au
I Dulances could 20 out.
4 inelose the within document, and II
. quest you 10 cause to be sent out wagons
: ambulances Tor the wounded OF ouIs 10 mo
row also, that wagons be sent out to brir
Il in the many tents belonging to US, which a
, pitched all along the road for miles. d
not destroy them as | knew the eneu