The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-04-17

Walkers right before they could be re
| inforced, and took in reverse those OF
| the right and left, while they were at
| tackled in front In a few minutes
| about eighty of Walkers men had beer
| bayoneted or captured in their rifle
| pits. The federal troops approaching
| Walkers line on the south of the road
were driven back by the fire of artillery
directed against their left flank by Ma
jor-General French but the main body,
| dunchecke by CockrelPs skirmishers,
| pressed forward steadily under the fire
| Of the brigade, until within twenty OF
thirty PAGES of its line. Here it was
| checked, and ultimately repulsed, by
the steady courage of the missOurians.
| The action had continued with spirit
| for almost an' hour, during most of
which time fifty field-pieces were play
| ing upon the confederate troops.
But the most determined and power
| full attack fell upon Oheatham's division
and the left of CleburRe's. The lines
| of the two armies were much nearer to
each other there; therefore the action
was begun at shorter range.
The federal troops were IN greater
force, and deeper order, too, and pressed
forward with the resolution always dis
played by the American soldier when
properly led. An attempt to turn the
left was promptly met and defeated by
Cheatham's reserYe-Vaughn's brigade.
After maintaining the contest for three
quarters of an hour, until more OF their
best soldiers lay dead and wounded
than the number of British veterans
that fell in General JacRson's celebrated
battle of New Orleans, the foremost
dead lying against our breastwOrks,
they retired = unsuccessful - because
they had encountered irtrerched infan-
try unsurpassed by that of Napoleon's
old guard, or that which followed We'll
Hngton into France, out of Spain. Our
losses were:
IN HARDEE's CORPS.
Divisions. Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total.
Cheatham's ....-.---.26 IS "a 195
walkers, Killed or taken 50
Divisions. Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total.
T9SPPsls RslPPsi.'s:::.::.:::-s ;15 g Y lis IS
22s
The com parativeIy severe loss in
French's division was accounted for its
position-on the descending crest of
Kenesaw-where it was exposed to the
fire of about Fifty guns and by the
turning of his line of skirmishers.
That of Cheatham's was principally
in the reserve, which fought in open
ground, unprotected by intrenchments.
From the number of dead counted
from his breastworks, Lieutenant-Gen-
eral Hardee estimated the loss of the
troops engaged with his corps at five
thousand and in his official report,
dated July Both, Major General Loring
estimated that of the Army of Tennessee,
which assailed his corps, at twenty-five
hundred.
[ think that the estimate Of northern
officers OF their killed and wounded on
that occasion, "near three thousand, !"
does great injustice to the character of
General Sherman's army. Such loss,
in the large force that must have been
furnished for decisive and general at
tack by an army of almost hundred
thousand men, would have been utterly
insignifcant-to trifing to discourage,
much less defeat brave soldiers, such
as composed General Sherman's army.
It does injustice to southern marksman-
ship, too. The fire of twenty thousand
infantry, Injured to battle, and in
trenched, and of fifty field pieces
poured into such columns, frequently
wi. hin pistol-shOt, must have done much
greater execution.
DEATH OF GENERAL POLK.
The death of General Polk is thus re-
counted
In the evening, of the thirteenth Lieu
tenant General Hardee expressed ap-
prehension that Bates division, posted
on Pine Mount, might be too far from
he line occupied by his corps, and re-
quested me TO visit that outpost, and
decide if it should be maintained. We
rode to it together next morning, ac-
companied by Lieutenant General Polk,
who wished to avail himself of the
height to study the ground in front of
his own corps.
Just when we had concluded our ex-
animation, and the abandonment of the
hill had been decided upon, a party of
soldiers, that had gathered behind us
from mere curiosity, apparently tempted
an artillery officer whose battery was in
front, six or seven hundred yards from
us, to open fire upon them; at first
firing shot very slowly. Lieutenant
General Polk, unconsciously exposed by
his characteristic insensibility to dan
ger, fell by the third shot, which passed
from left to right through the middle of
his chest. The death of this eminent
christian and soldier, who had been dis
tinguished in every battle In which the
army of Tennessee had been engaged,
produced deep sorrow in our troops.
Major General Loring, the officer next
in rank in the corps, succeeded temper
arily to its command.