Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-10-01
TmK LATE RArTLE-wALTHALL's


NEAR CHATrANoooA, TESS, Sept e. lss3.
EDTTeBs APPEAL; Allow me space for q oflei ae
count OF the part tbs 34th Mississippi regiment ana
wai.bsurs brigade took in he recent three days hard
Taught battle. On The west ChickaRasga river, sePtem-
bor 1sth. 18Th and sOth. The brigade Is composed Of the
a4th. a7th. SSH, soA and 3lih Mississippi regimaHiE, and
with Uiddslrs brigade, Col Govan commanding, foraed
a division, under rigzdierG General LIddsu, Of Walkers
corps
eur brigade hut encountered the enemy At Alexsn.
der's bridge, about eleven miles westward FEM Ring
gold The river here runs eastward, though its general
eourse b northeast. We mad set out from Lafayette TO
hunt for tbs Fstersls, and 6sand their advance On Fri
day afternoon, the 18th. posted on the aorth bank and
under the south bank protected BY dsnss esdan and
other growth As We moved IN line ofba ule toward
them they poured g destructive voley into our RACKS,
but, after a short Though ssyere engagement, the Fed
erals were driven bsck The loss in cur regiment wa
thirty woundes, two Of them mortsly-J. II Phillips
and r. N. Westmorelsnd, company D. We then
crossed he river at Byron's ford, further down, and
went forward e mile or nore without further resistance.
The next DAY the fight opened on our right about 3
steam mil, near the river. OR brigade, in connection
with Liddeu's, Wss engaged in two hot charges one
about noon, and the other in the afternoon In the frst
we encountered United States regulars, and passed
over two batteries eixfesn gunF il succession, driving
their defenders before Us, but q terrible IRE on both
tanks and the disabled con dlion of most Of the horses,
prevented as from holding ire ground Iong enough to
rscsre uors than ons q the guns. Ia this encounter
SeuE ea1t J. W. Morrison, color bearer, company D
". Il. Warner, company c. James A. Rearo, eempa-
ny Asa J. Avsnz company B. sud a. ), LovoFn, were
killed, and S. A. Moore, e-mpaHy c, MORALLY Woundedi
Lieut. Morrow, company A, was struck in three places
dangerously iH ths rang, and Adigisnt Miller had bis
$500 49,. E--..g - .---a h~rr E-.-H. 81
wounded in diGarsut degrees. Tbese aas the ssd oe.
cu7reneez Patrick Bessy, company F, hfd an in
t--ortlng a5vsuturs. After passing The b~atteriss, he
hal fred and reloaded O. he went forward, bat had not
capped his gun. Suddenly eaco1utsr.ng e regular oH.
~, waving lie sword ia the Effort TO rally his men,
Beatty, WHO Is q tree solder, as well ss a true son Of the
Emerald Isle, promptly ordered hin "a surrender and
hand over his sword, but lie other insisted on being
taken to an oEssy. Pat said lie had no tlzo d
for that SO e'ubus Lis eun, in sn instant
be brought ths Federal 10 he ground by a blow across
the bes5, picked us his fallen sword, delivered him Of
the belt, and pressed on after the foe. When the color
bearer fe1s private Felix II lsn5, company G. grsEped
tho 1sg and bore it CALAMITY Onward
In tbs afternoon. p~rvstes Z. G. Bowden, e.mpauy A
and wm s. BeIont, company C, were Filsd, and pd
vs+e Il C Singleton, company =, morally wounded
Major Pegram, who was In command, Col Benton
being abssat on sick Iesve) rss also severely wounded
the shot taking eject liz the fsshy par Of the left breast
and side. The fEbt lasted until eight Or nine o'clock q
night.
Sunday morning, the battle was renewed At daylight
by he ski-mishsrE Oar brigade was szs.n twice in sc
tou, e1esun sring a heavy FIRE On both tanks as well al
in front. Ligut-CoL Reynolds, Ct he s0tb Mississippi
had been pl1oed in command Of orr regiment after Mai
Pesrsm Wa dzaB'ed. Ii the 6ast seton he was nor
tally wounded, aud Privatss John 7. Cox and willis G
Gulrck eonp-ny p, were killed.
The agh-ing on Saturday and Sunday was Of The
most determined character. The direction Of the line
Of battis varied in the different attacks, so thrs our
men often had he Disadvantages OF not knowing Il,
real position Of the enemy, protected IS they were ia
several Instances by breast works hastily provided As
the struggle between the two armies progressed in DIFF
ferent parts of the field, portions Of our Iias were some.
times forced baek but The enemy were gradually driv.
en- three or four niles IN q north eaE-en direction until
we struck the level leading North from lafayette to
Chstsaooga, where tksy were compelled to retreat in
disorder Sunday night. The regiment, IS well as the
whole brigade, behaved with gallsntry, yssising ground
Only when the mature Of the position rendered it impss
sibls to Withstand a superior Hecei and the spirited
chs-gsz made upon the en5Ey were the eommeudstion
Of superior oHears. Gen. Walthau wss ever a. hand
encouraging and directing his men, and, though con-
gszIy exposed to dang I, he luckily escape unHurt.
The battle was fought aaluly in the woods, the BOT
ton through which we passed (sn tie HghD being open
woods. Ths Confedsrats loss in killed Ess much smaller
in proportion .hsn ia former battles and such ne doubt
was ;bs sssa wits the Fsdsrsls.
IN Ike series Of Engagements our regiment lost none
killed Ensty-sx wounded, dssr asrlaiy3 and uias-
teen supp $50 to be csprsred The leE Of the brigade
Was between seven sd eigat hundred killed, vog1ded
sad missing. Lisut Col McEeIva'n and Major Staples
Of the 24th, Lieut.. Col jones Of he 9Th, and Lieut.
Col Morgan Of the @3h Mississippi we're wounded, and
Col sealss Ct he 3lib vas .sk-n prisoner. So that out
Of ten field of6osrl only iAres came OF safely.
Col Beaten reached she batts field on Monday and
was warmly greeted by the boys. S3on after his sri
val an Interesting ceremony took plscs-the presents.
by private Beatty, Of the sword captured by lin.
Ia rendering # he said " Colonel here IS a sword that
come 20 u9iagste your country, The Colonel thanked
him for The gift rsmarkl1g: 4 viii try to use Is s.
a. you Old yo-r gum 1 cannot do it 5ale."
Our brigade is now, s. formerly, q part OF Polk's
corps, Hindma1s division. r.