Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-01

] All u9uf DeIOI6, De6u dfaWu IN bQllS COuLTHcLlI
| and rendering more compact the lines so thinne
and depleted by our loss in killed and wounded
Before this 6nal struggle on the left, 1 had hear
that Lytle's brigade was outhsnked on the righ
by an overwhelming force of the enemy, AM
was falling back. During the day, l was 81
hard pressed on the left and center by the con
tinuOus and persistent assaults of the enemy
and knowing if our left wing was turned on
position was lost and total rOut of the sTmy
corps would follow, 1 felt the importance of M
presence there, and could not look after the in
terests of the 18th brigade; and, besides, Lieu
| tenant Z. j. Jones, my acting adJutant- general
| was often sent to learn its condition, and re
ported to me that, though severely sssailed, il
| had triUmphGntly repulsed the enemy in several
| attacks, and that Colonel Lyttle felt that be
| could easily msintain his position; but late in
! the afternoon an immense force of fresh troops
1 Of the enemy moving around to his right, con
cealed by the undulstiOn of the ground, turned
his right flank, and fell upon the right and rear
of his brigade, and drove it, and forced it to re-
tire, which it did under the orders of Colonel
Lytle, who was at the same moment wounded,
| as he thought fatally, and refusing to be taken
from the field, was taken prisoner by the enemy.
Hearing of this condition of things, I galOped
over toward the right, and found the brigade re-
formed in line of battle, the right (the 18th Ken
tucky volunteers, Colonel Pope) resting on the
hill at Clark's house. with LoOmis' battery i'm
medistely in the rear, on an erninence. The. 10th
Ohio, Lieutenaut-Colonel Burke; and the Sd
Ohio Colonel Beatty, on the left of the road
These regiments had, without support, strug-
gled hard to hold their line of battle for several
hours, and were only forced to retire after i'm
mense loss, and the movement of the enemy
above referred to. While near the 18th Ken
lucky, 1 saw a heavy force Of the enemy sd
vaucing upon our right, the same that had
turned Lytle's right flank. It was moving stead
lily up in full view of where General Gilbert's
army corps had been during the day, the left
flank of which was not more than four hundred
yards from it. On approaching, the 18th Ken
tueky, though broken and shattered, rose to its
feet and cheered, and, as one man, moved to the
top of the hill where it could see the enemy, and
I ordered it to lie down l then rode I'D to Loo
mis- battery, and directed him to open upon the
enemy. He replied that he was ordered by Gen
eral McCOok to reserve what ammunition he had
for close work Pointing to the enemy ad-
vsncing, l said it was close enough and would
be closer In a moment. He at once opened with
slacrity and made fearful havoc upon the ranks
Of the enemy. 1t was admirably done, but the
enemy moved straight ahead his ranks were
Taked by the battery, and terribly thiRned by
the mUsketry of the 18th brigade, but he scarcely
fal.ered, and finally hearing that reinforcements
FNLb 81 FlOANEAAkS AAAo VI auo WAS OiUGAcu "
retire and give place to them, which it did in
good order The reinforcementS were from
Mitchell's division, as I understood, and were
Pea Ridge men" 1 wish knew who COM
manded the brigade, that l might do them JUS
tice; can only say that the brigade moved d.
rectly into the fight like true soldiers and opened
a terrific fire and drove back the enemy 1t
was d gallant body Of men. After repulsing
the enemy they retired few hundred yards to
piece Of woods to encamp in, and during the
night the enemy advanced his pickets 10 the
woods on our left front, and during the night
captured good many of our men, who went
there believing we still held the woods. It was
in this way that my assistant adjutant general,
Lieutenant +. j. Jones, and Lieutenant J. A.
Grover, assistant adIutant general, 18th brigade,
were captured by the enemy. l regretted the
capture of these young gentlemen deeply.
They had behaved most calamity during the
day, and, l can truly say, deserve well of their
country. Major Hopkins, with three comps-
MES of the lst Michigan Engineers and Nc
chanics, remained on the field during the day,
and late in the evening formed a line of battle
on line with the portion of the 18th brigade on
the left of the road. Their force was too small
to oppose the advancing column of tGe enemy.
They took shelter behind Clark's house, but
were forced to retire with the 18th brigade,
which was done in good order They lost quite
g number IN wounded and missing.
The conduct of the officers and men under
the FIRE Of the rebels was admirable. The SSth
Indiana, Colonel Humphrey, was in the 18th
brigade, on the right. 1t was not under my eye,
but I was informed that though a new regiment,
it behaved well.
l have thus given general statement of this
battle and such incidents as occurred to me. 1t
was hard and gsllantly-fought field, and the
country is called upon to mourn the loss of
many brave men who fell in it.
My division fought it under many disadvan-
tsges. 1t was attacked on ground well known
to the enemy, and fixed upon by him as the bat
tieheld, and while il was on the march, and it
was impossible for Us TO know much of the
nature of the ground on which We fought. My
men, too were suffering intensely for want Of
water, having been scantily supplied for day
or two, but they fought it bravely and against
three or four times their number Of the best
solIiers Of the rebel army, and under the direc-
ton and eye of Bragg, BuckneT, Polk, Cheat
ham and other prominent generals of the rebel
army. If Of the old troops any msu finched, 1
do not know it, and have not heard of it, and
very few men of the undisciplined new regi
ments behaved badly. L had an opportunity Of
seeing and knowing the conduct of Colonel
StarkweatheT, Of the 25th brigade Colonel
Harris, of the 9th brigade, and of the officers
dHu Al6u uAi46A lAltil GUliLl4IOf AAQ 4 CdnnOt
speak too highly of their bravery and gallsntry
on that occasion. They did cheerlully and with
sscrity all that brave men could do. Colonel
Lytle of the 18th brigade, fell severely wounded,
while geantly maintaining his position on the
right and doubtless the country is as much
indebted to him and the brave men of his brigade,
as to those whose conduct l Witnessed.
To the whole division l tender my sincere
thanks for their gsllsntry on that bloody field.
l also acknowledge my Indebtedness to Lieu
tenant T, J. Jones, my A. A. General, and to
Lieutenant w. P. Mcdowell, S. L. Hartman,
D. Q Rousseau, and Harrison MillsTd, my reg
ular aids, and to w. f. G. Shsnks my voluu-
teer aid, for gallant bearing and efficient ser
vices rendered on the battlefield. l also &C
knowledge my Indebtedness to Lieutenants
George w Landrum, ID Ohio, VIM QuintOn,
10Th Illinois, and James H Connolly, 37th In
diana, the signal corps of the 80 division, for
gallantry and valuable services on the field
They attended me voluntarily, though not their
place to do 50, through the thickest of the fight.
Ny orderlies, SeTgeanss DamOs, Emery, and
the rest, behaved CALAMITY during battle Col.
Buekner Board of the second Kentucky cav
airy and his command, rendered efficient ser
vice IN making reconnaissance to the front and
skirmishing with the enemy.
herewith transmit the reports OF COlOnels
StsrkwestheT, Harris and Pope, and also list
of casualties in my division, amounting, in all,
to 1850 killed and wounded. My division was
about 1000 strong when it went into the action.
We fought the divisions of Anderson, and
Cheatham, and Buckner.
am, very respectfully, your ob't serv't,
LOWELL II ROUSSEAU,
Brigadier-G General Commanding Sd Division.
DEPARTURE OF THE PRIsoNERs.-Tbe En-
erald with her carUo Of Confederate prisoners,
hacked out from the wharf yesterday, and