New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-29

an hour since the repulse Of Hem and the enemy
was securely posted IN the gap, and Waithell ana
Gist met with front and flank fire, which threw
their hrigades into confusion and drove them back
precipitately.
Upon the repulse of Helms brigade, Gen.
Breckinridge had proposed, and had cordially
approved, a change Of front Of his two right
brfgades so as to swing round on the flank and
rear Of the enemy's position. His account of the
operations of these brigades is as follows: In
the meantime, Adams and Stovall advanced
steadily, driving back two lines Of skirmishers.
Stovall halted at the Chattanoogaroad. Adams,
after dispensing q regiment and capturing bat
terry, crossed at Glenn's farm and halted beyond
in an open field. When Helms brigade was
checked and had given Col. Lewis orders in ref
erence to his new position, rode to the COM
mands of Adams and Stovall on the right. 1t was
now evident from the comparatively slight resist
ance they had encountered, and the fact that they
were not threatened in front, that our line nad en-
tended beyond the enemy's left. | at once
ordered these brigades to change front
perpendicularly to the original line Of
battle, and with the left Of Adams ana
the right of Stoyal resting on the Chattanooga
l,road to advance upon the flank OF the enemy.
Slocomb's battery, which had previously done
good SERVICE was posted on favorable ground on
the west of the road to support the movement.
| The brigades advanced in fine order over field
and into the woods beyond. Stoyall soon en-
countered the extreme left of the enemy's works.
which retiring from the general north and south
direction of his intrenchments extended west
! Wardly nearly TO the Chattanooga road. Alter
severe and we'll contested conflict, he was checked
! and forced TO retire Adams on the west of the
4 road met two lines of the enemy. who had I'M
proved the short time to bring up relntofcements
and reform nearly at right angles to the troops ia
his main line of works. The first line was routed
| Int II was found impossible to break Ihe second
aided as itwas by artillery, and attsFa san gulnary
contest which reflected high honor on the brig
ade it was forced back in some confusion. Here
| Cen Adams, who is as remarkable Tor ms Judg-
| H., ~ fpT is
| wounded and fell into the hands OF the enemy.
| Lieut. Col Turner, of the 10th Louisiana, was
wounded and the gallant Major Butier, OF the
same regiment. was killed. StoVall had gaihea a
| point beyond the angle Of the enemy,s main line
/ Of works. Adams had advanced still further,
4 being actually in rear of his intrenchments.
< good supporting line to my division at this mo
ment would probably lave produced decisive
/ results AS ii was, the engagement on our rlght
had inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, and com
4 pelIed him to weaken other parts of his line, to
| hold his vital point Adamss brigade reformed
behind Slocomb's battery. which repulsed the enc
nv by rapid and we'll directed fire, rendering on
| this occasion important and distinguished ser
The whole division now fell back. to ridge
parallel to, and overlooking, the Chattanooga
road. ....
The faultiness of our plan Of attack was now
but too apparent. Perhaps never before III the
history of war had an attack been made IN sin
gle lire, without reserves or supporting torce. II
! was still more unfortunate that our attack was
| directly in front, against breastworks. The i'm
4 portant results effected by two brigades on the
! flank proved that had our army been moved
under cover of the woods, mile further to the
right, the whole of the enemy's position WoulC
Ihaye been turned and an almost bloodless victory
Il rained. A simple reconnaissance before the bat
tie would have shown the entire practicabiity O
the movement, and the advantage to be gaIneC
by it.
n tha difc4ltv Of opposing two lines with a SINGLE
one Gen Cieburne had the still more difficult tasl
Of o+tsekinn breastworbs along his entire from
and Of disentanrlinc his troops mixed up with
those of the left wing owing to the want of ad
insfment falready alluded tor of the line of bat
Tile before the action began After aluding to The
check of his advance, by the fire from the breast
works. Gen. Cieburne adds "passing towards
tba ieft al this time found that the line Of ad
vance of nv division (Which was the left Of the
Tioht vino If tbe ARMY conyerced with the line
I Of advance of the left wing Of the army, the
n aanks OF the two wings had already come into
lcnl1ision-Dart of Woods brigade had passed over
Bates,s brigade. Of Stewards division, which was
tha right If the left wing; and Deshler's brigade
4 which was NV left, was thrown ont entirely, and
| was in rear Of the left wing of the army
| ordered Wood to move forward the remainder of
liz brigade, opening at the same time in the direc-
Ition Of the enemy's fire with Semple's battery.
That part of Woods brigade to the left of
Lowry's regiment, and to the left of the southern
/ angle of the breastWorks, in its advance at this
l e,
| (Chattanooga- Lafayette and attempted to cross
it in face Of heavy fire inits front it had almost
| reached the road, its left being at Poes house,
/ (known as the burning house D when it was driven
/ back by heavy obIique fire of small arms and
| artillery, which was opened upon both its danks
the fire from the right coming from the south face
Of Of the he breastworEs, which was hid from view BY
| the thick growth of scrub oak bordering The
field. Five hundred men were killed or wounded
hv this fire in a few minutes. Upon this repulse
and Lowry's regiment also having been forced
TO retire ordered the brigade still further back
j to reform SempIe's battery, which had no posi-.
/ tion. / also ordered back.
j / now moved Deshler's brigade by the right
/ flank. with the intention Of connecting it with
P0Ik's left so filing up the gap left in my center
1 kv the withdrawal of Wood. This connection,
/ However, / could not establish as Polk's left
| had in its turn been driven back also. Finding
it useless sacrifice Of life for Polk to retain his
| position, | ordered him to fall back with the
/ rest of his line, and with his and Woods brig
ade / took up strong defensive position, some
| three or four hundred yards in rear of the point
| from which they had been repulsed. DeshIer's
| brigade had moved forward towards the right
| of the enemy's advanced works, but could not
| 20 beyond tile crest of q low ridge, from which
| f,nwry had been repulsed. I therefore ordered
| him to cover himself behind the ridge, and tC
| hold his position as long as possible His brig
| ade was now en- eciel5n, about four hundred
wards in front of the left of the division, whict
| here rested for some time.
/ In effeeting the last disposition of his com
1 FalI sbo oII Fn;,