Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-07-12
o,ent after reo,m.nt were tbus swept

'
| general. The rebels saw the condition
of affairs and pressed the rear hard,
| while fankIng parties were adding TO
| the confusion and TO our loss as they
dashed along and cut of small squads
of our men. Two of our little guns
were run into a ditch and captured.
| This state of confusion continued
| considerable portion of the day. At
tempts at reorganization were futile,
| as the command was so mixed mat
| they could not get into companies or
other organized bodies. AT length a
| part of Gen. Grierson's command
formed long enough 20 give ours lit
tie assurance, but so badly were they
mixed that it appeared Impossible to
| get the command separated, and With
| no commander confusion naturally
continued. Captain Booth, of Col.
| MeCrillis' staff. lsnd if the writer has
been correctly informed, the same who
afterwards became Major, and PERISH
ed the Fort Pillow massacre) re-
| ceived an ugly but not dan
gerous wound, apparently being the
work of buckshot, cutting about the
depth its own size across his nose. He
was usually very quiet man, having
little to say, bat this irTitated him
until he was in a desperate rage, while
the blood ran down covering his
clothes and horse and his face was red
with it. His appearance was CHASTITY.
He stopped at the side Of the road in a
little field and called some men TO halt
with him. They did so, then placing
himself at the side of the road he Or
dered the men to form on that line.
Almost every one asked him if he was
much hurt, to " hich he would reply,
/" 1t is only scratch, let US stop and
fight them here |" 1t appeared as if
one thought came to the mind of each,
that was I'll fight or perish with
him." Soon the color bearer of the
72nd Indiana came along with his
coIors rolled up and the cover on them.
The Captain asked him If he couldn't
show his colors, he replied in the af-
firmative and united the string where
upon Captain Booth seized the cover
and tore it from the banner. The bear
er unfurled it and took his place in
the line, whereupon, the men came
fucking to il from all directions like
bees settling on a limo with their
queen. A line was formed regardless
OF regiment or company and In this
way a partial reorganization was af-
fected. The road now ran through a
ping horizontally to our course.
Squads of men were placed
along to the right and left of the road,
behind the tops of these ridges, and III
order that their aim should be the
more unerring they dismOunted. The
rebels were pressing hard, and when
they were in a position their fire would
be most Intellectual our boys poured
vOlleys Of death missiles into their
ranks, aud before they could recover
from their partial shock these com
panies would fall back and let the
companies on the next ridge await the
approach of the rebels.
Afterwards in conversation with
Col. Warren, of the 1O.h Alabama
Cavalry, the writer was told by the
Colonel that he (Col. WarreD) COM
manded the rebel advance brigade at
these places, and being ordered to
press our rear hard, he lost more men
than he had ever lost in his exper-
fence from the beginning of the war,
in the same. length of time aud with
the same amount of fightIng-that his
horses were unsaddled by the score at
every ridge.
During this these Mississippi sol.
diers were cursing the Cumberland
men; especially was this true with
part OF the officers at brigade head
quarters.
About an hour by sun Gen. Smith
came back and took command Of our
brigade himself at Ivey farm. He
formed hollow square with the
ID, Sd and All Tennessee Regi-
ments facing to the rear, the
oh Kentucky and 72i Indiana
to the left, with the Third Illinois in
deep ravlne to the right. Oar brigade
headquarters took position on nigh
point in the center where the move.
ments could be seen. The Third Ten
nessee Va S stationed to the right of the
rear facing the rebels. and was the
first to receive blow. Their line was
formed In a hollow in an open field.
The fist battalion received the first
fire, and returned a vOlley, instantly
raising wild yell and charging in a
perfect line to the top Of the ridge,
there hiring again and standing for
fight. The second battalion followed
in equally as pretty movement. Had
they been made on dress parade, the
movements could not have been more
perfect. Captain Perkins, Of Nc
Criilis' staff, in half cry, exclaimed,
''See that Why can't the id Ten
uCSSCCdbS uO buat ISSEAiIy al
orderly came, and being informed it
was the Third Tennessee that made
the charge. Captain Perkins was crest,
fallen and evidently ashamed of his
remark. The firing was now heavy
and hard, the sound of the carbines
and shOt-guDs making a continuous
roar, while the rebels brought up our
guns they had taken from the ditch
and hrnupht them to hear on rs Thew
again tried their flanking movements,
but the Fifth Kentucky and Seventy
second Indiana on one side and the
Third Illinois on the other met them
with q hearty greeting, The smoke
of battle filled the atmosphere, until it
was hazy. The crash and roar con-
tinued until dark was creeping upon
us. and the rebels ceased their firing,
evidently tired of the work at 1yey
Farm, notwithstanding their victory
was overwhelming during the day.
Wicked for Clergymen.