New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-29

ssss
tenden,s corps, isolated at that point. The attack
however was not made.
At IS 4. NJ, Lieutenant Baylor Of the cavalry re-
ported to me, with a note from General Wharton
youehing for his entire reliability. Lieutenant
Baylor stated that McCook with his corps had en-
camped at Alpine the night before and that his
column was moving on to Lafayette. Our cavalry
piekets had been driven in on the Alpine road the
evening before few miles from town, and had
directed General Breckenridge to supply their
place with infantry pickets. Soon after the report
of Lieutenant Baylor, a brisk fire openedupon the
Alpine road about two miles from Lafayette.
Upen reaching the point, found that two regi.
ments Of cavalry had attacked the skir1nishers of
Adamsfs brigade, and had been repulsed with CON
siderable loss. General Adams was satisfied from
the manner Of the advance that this force was the
vanguard of heavy column. therefore brought
down a brigade (Polk,sl from Cleburne, on Pigeon
mountain, and prepared for battle. The enemy g
cavalry had, however, captured the infantry
picket and upon McCoak learning that the men
belonged to Breckinridge's division, he became
aware that Bragg had been reinforced, and began
a preeipitate retreat. The report Of Lieutenant
Baylor and the advance upon Lafayette did not
satisfy the commanding general that dcGook hau
been in our vicinity. He emphaucaily dened on
the night of the 18th that single Yankee foot
S0lgleT UEqSSeu IigSOH stttNVhj
however, in council next morning, that McGook
was at Alpine, Thomas in McLemore Cove, and
Crittenden at Lee & Gordons mill. The enemy's
right was therefore separated from the left by
some sixty miles with difhcult mountain to cross;
and the center was more than a days march from
either wing Our own force was concentrated at
LAFAYETTE and could have been thrown upon either
corps without the remotest possibility of beine
molested by the other two. The attack, however
WAS delayed for six days.
The withdrawal Of McCook from Alpine and the
appearance OF heavy force in front of Catlett's
Gap on the l6th induced me to reinforce Deshler's
brigade at that gap, by the whole of Breckinrdge'
division.
was directed on the 18th, to move my corps Al
daylight on the next morning in rear of Genera
PoIk's corps towards Lea Il Gordonss mill. A de
| monstration was to be made at thatpoint, by Gen
eral Polk, while the rest Of the army should eros
| lower down on the Chickamauga. Cleburnes di
vision was drawn up in line of battle at Ander
sons house on the 18th, and Brecknridge's was
sent to guard the crossing at Glass's mill. JUS
before sundown, our cavalry p1ckets were driver
away from OWENS ford, some miles above the
mill, and the enemy crossed over in considerable
| force. hasteued there in person with Adams I
| brigade, but the enemy did not advance upon it
The next morning Adams's brigade was Withdrawn
4 to Glass's mill; and determined to make diver
| sion at that point, Helms brigade was crossed
1 over and opened with ten guns upon the enemy
| An examination of the ground subsequently
| showed that our fire was unusually accurate anC
/ fatal-the ground was still strewn with unburleG
| men. and eleven horses lay near the position Of
the enemyis battery. Our loss was slight In the
afternoon received an order to report in persOr
to the commanding general at TedfordFs ford, ant
to hurry forward Gleburne's division to the same
point. Soon after Breckinridge was ordered Il
relieve Hndman at Lee & Gordons mill.
j found upon reporting to the commanding gen
eral, that while our troops mad been moving nj
the ChieEamauga, the enemy had been movin!
down and had thus outfanked us and had driver
back our right wing.
| Cleburne was ordered to take position on tn
extreme right and beginan attack. He did not &c
/ into position until after sun-down, but then ad
4 vaneed in magnificent style, driving the enem
/ back some three -fourths Of mile, He capture
three pieces of artillery, number Of caissons, tw
/ stands of coloTs, and upwards Of three hundre
i prisoners. His own loss was small, and fell chief
| upon Woods brigade, which had to cross an ope1
4 field, and encounter log breastworks upon the op
1 posite side Of it. Captain Semple and Llentenan
4 Key ran their batteries under cover Of darkness
within sixty yards Of the enemy line, and opene
with happy effect. The other batteries Of tn
division were placed by my direction on the righ
| flank, so as to enflade the enemy's line.
have never seen troops behave more gallantl.
! than did this noble division, and certainly neye
saw 50 little struggling from the field.
i The action closed between nine and ten a
4 night; further pursuit in the darkness was no
thought advisable. After readiusting our line
1 Considerably deranged by the fght,) and con
ferring with Gen. Gleburne and each of the
1 brigade commanders individually, | left at J.
O'Clock to find Gen. Bragg at Tedfordfs ford
where the orders for the day stated that his head
| quarters would be- 1t was near five miles to the
4 ford, bnt as / had no orders for the next day,
\ deemed it necessary to find the commanding gen
eral.
ON my way, learned from some soldiers thai
Gen. Breckenridge had come up from Lee d. Cor
don's mill. dispatched Lieut. Reid, of my staff
to find him, and conduct his division at once tc
Cleburne's right. About midnight Lieut.. Col
Anderson, adjutant general, reported that my
corps had been placed under command Of Lieut.
Gen. Polk, as wing commander, and that The
general wished to see me that night at AleXan
der's bridge, three miles distant. was much ex
hausted, having been in the saddle from dawn tt
midnight, and resolved to rest till o'clock. A
that hour l went to Alexanders bridge, but fail
ing to find the courier whom Gen. Polk had PLACED
there to conduct me to his tent, rode forward t
the line of battle, which | reached little afte
daylight on the Goth. Gen. Breckenridge had no
yet got into position, as Gen. Polk had permitted
him to rest the night before on account of the
Wearied condition of the men. Repeated and
urgent orders had been issued from the corps
headquarters, in regard to keeping rations fol
three days constantly on hand. But owing tc
difficulties, and possibly, to want of attention
some Of the men had been without food the day
before, and division had its rations unissued, but
cooked and on hand Orders were given for theil
prompt issue.
tf:25 A. NJ, an order was sheWn me, Just re-
eelYed from Lieut.. Gen. Polk, and addressed tn
my division commanders, and directing them to
advance at once upon the enemy. The reason
giyenf for the issue of the order directly to them
was that he (Gen. Polk had not been able to find
the corps commander. I Immediately replied to
the note, saying that Brig Gen. Jacksons brigade
of his corps was at right angles to my line that
| my men were getting their rations, and that they
| could finish eating while we were adjusting tht
line of battle. Gen. Polk soon after came on the
| field, and made no objection to this delay.
| At 8 o'clock Gen. Bragg himself came on tht
field and then learned for the first time that al
attack had been ordered at daylight. However
the essential preparations for battle had not beel
made up to this hour, and in fact could not b.
made without the presence of the cemmander-in
chief. The position of the enemy had not beef
lreconnoitered, our own line of battle hadnot bee
adjusted and part Of it was at right angles to tn
rest; there was no cavalry on our Hanks, and n
orders had fixed the strength or position of the re
serve. Moreover, Kershaw's brigade of MoLaw'
division was found to be between Stewart an
Cheatham.
About 50 A. NJ. q report came from the extrem
right that line Of the enemy was eXtendiu
across the Reid's Bridge road, and nearly at righ
angles to our line. Gen. Adams was directed t
press back their line of skirmishers. This wa
handsomely done, aud personal reconnaissance
made with Gems, Forrest and Adams proved tina
our line extended beyond that of the enemy
and that his flank was covered for great dis
tanee by infantry skirmishers, and that no cav
airy was visible. During the night before, ha
discovered the practicabity of outfanking tn
enemy, and therefore placed Breckenridge on th
right of Clehurne, SO that he might turn the loI