Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-10
RAJ Hattie or PRATR7E GROVE

j UIN0-|-I U|-U-TT ~
EDITORS APPEAL: On arriving here yesterday, I was
very greatly astonshed to find such erroneous impress
sions existing in tho minds of the people as to the fight
on the eth Of December, at Prairie Grove, near Fayette-
Vile, Arkansas, between Generals Hindman and BlOunt
The facts are these: Gen Hindnan marched, with
about 5000 men, against the enemy, about lL0oo1 in
tending to cut of Herron's reinforsments Of 1000 In
this he failed, but, nothing daunted, brought on the
attack, at daylight, capturing, in the first charge of Gen.
Marmadukes cavalry, a whole regiment and twenty
three wEgons heavily laden with gu rtermaster and
medical stores. Soon after sunrise the fight commenced
IN good earnest, and with 40 cessation the artillery con
tnued until night fan Our whole line Of infantry, ex-
cept 1900 who never e~ngagedin the fight were in close
conflict nearly the whole day, the enemy attempting,
with their forse Of $4,000 men, to drive US from our pO-
aidon IN every ~instanee they were repulsed, and final
y driven back from the field Night coming on, firing
ceased, our men laying on their arms on the field. Our
troops had not eat or slept for forty-eight hours at u
o'clock that might, Blount sent a Gag begging for ces.
sstion of hostilities for twelve hours, in order that he
might bury bis d ad and care for his wounded nearly
al Of whom were at that time still on the field. Detain-
log the officer until daylight, and during the time ar
ranging to have q personal interview on she battlefield
with Blunt Gen Hindmsn knowing the almost stsrv
ing coalition of his men, ordered them to fai back
during the night twenty miles. 70 where they could get
food. Daylight brought on the interview between the
opposing generals, during which orr cavalry we're busy
in gathering oil the arms and spofs from the field, no
Federal, except the wounded sld dead. being on it until
9 O'clock, the commencement Of the twelve hours eessa
aos Of b%ostilities.
Our less in killed on the field was eightyasven
wounded and in hospital three hundred and eightysix,
The loss of the enemy, to my own personal knOwlsdgei
was about seven hundred killed see the True Demo
craft quotes me as having said five hundred, which is a
m%isprntl The number Of wounded c uld not certainly
have been less than from two thousand to tweRtythree
hundred.
Thus, with q force numbering but nine Thousand badly
fed, afnei and clothed men, we made q forcei march
of fifty miles across Boston mountain, attacked and
whipped a force Of eighteen thousand Of the best armed
and equipped men I ever saw.
I regret to state that our old friend r E Chew, Of
Memphis, who was major commanding a battalion, was
killed a nobler g-entleman or more gallant officer
never lived.
Orr t-oOps fought with as great desperation as ever
characterized any men. Apart of Gen Parsons (of Mis-
sour) brigade made the only successful bayonet sharge
that I have heard Of during the par. know that num-
bers Of the enemy we're killed having none other than
bayonet wounds. In this charge Colonel Stein, form.
erly brigadiergsnersl Of the Missouri State Guard, was
killed, g ban passing directly theoR h the brain.
I ana glad to be able to correct the lying statements
which have been 50 generally made by Yankee papers.
Yours, etc, J. W KELLER.