The National tribune., 1882-01-14
Army Of the Cumberland.
Continued from First page. J

Wing had not only held its position, but had fur
nished three brigades to repel the advance of
Bragg's left upon the rear of the army.
The movement of Crittenden's left and centre
divisions upon Bragg's right wing having been
arrested, left Woods division in position to cross
at the upper ford Wagner's brigade was at the
river bank. Hascall was in reserve some dis
lance to the rear of the opening between Wag-
ner's right and Ravens left. The withdrawal of
Negley from Palmer's right precipitated the at
tack of Donelson's and Chalmers brigades against
the right and Adams and Jackson against the
left. Chalmers attack was made with great
fury. His men had been confined, without fires,
in their rife pits for forty-eight hours, and when
finally the order came at ten o'clock to
CUP AND AT EN-"
they came forward like a pack Of hounds in full
cry Crupt recoiled from the attack in the open
field between the Round Forest and the wood in
which Negley was engaged, and, falling back,
met the charge at the time that Negley dashed
to the rear. Now, Crupt's right was in the air,
and exposed to attack by Donelson following
Negley. Crupt repulsed Chalmers in his 'front.'
but Donelson's brigade, pouring to his rear,
threatened to envelop him. Crosse, from his
position in reserve, faced to the right, and soon
after to the rear, and bore back the charging
columns, enabling Crupt to Withdraw.
The movement against Breckenridge having
been arrested by the necessity of reinforcing the
centre and right, Wagners brigade was left to
fill the space between the Round Forest and the
upper ford Price was at the lower ford; Harker
moved rapidly into the improvised line before
mentioned and Hascall, left temporarily in re-
serve, was reinforced by the Ninety seventh Ohio
Of Wagner'S brigade. AS the roar Of battle on
the right came nearer and clearer, and the crowd
of fugitives grew denSer, Hascall was ordered by
General Rosecrans in person to move towards the
right. The most terrible state of anxiety and
suspense pervaded the entire Left Wing. Has
call at once changed front TO the rear, but his
progress was INSTRUCTED by flying mule teams
and fugitives to such an extent that he deter
mined to halt and hold his brigade intact for
future Developments Standards battery was
posted in the Round Forest on the exact position
where the monument now stands, supported by
Hazen's brigade on the right and the Fortieth In
diana on the left. The retirement Of Cruft threw
the weight Of the attack upon this position. Chal-
mers was wounded in the first attack. General
Polk says, with reference to this assault: "The
regiments on the left recoied and fell back.
Those of the right were moved to the left to hold
their place, and pressed forward.
'The brigade of General Doneson having been
ordered forward to Chalmers's support, moved
with steady step upon the enemys position, and
attacked it with great energy. The slaughter
was terrific on both sides; \ = all the
line in their front was carried except the extreme
right. This point, which was the key to the
enemy's position, and which was known as the
Round Forest, was attacked by the right of the
brigade It was met by fire vf artillery and
musketry which moved down more than half its
number The Sixteenth Tennessee Colonel
Savage, lost POI out of 402. 1t could not advance
and would not retire" In the Eighth Tennessee
the loss was 3O6 out of 425 including the Colonel
The report goes on to say, "The extreme left
alone held it's position. This occupied piece of
ground, well chosen and defended. The river
being on one hand, and deep railroad cut on
the other. 1t was held by a strong force of
artillery, well supported by reserve composed
of General Woods division. My last reserve
having been exhausted, the brigades of General
Breckinridge's division and Jacksons brigade
were the only troops that had not been engaged.
Four of these were ordered to report to me; they
came in detachments of two brigades each, the
first arriving nearly two hours after Donelson's
attack, the other about an hour after the first.
Fhe brigades of Adams and Jackson
assailed the enemy's lines with energy, and after
a severe contest were compelled to yield and fall
back. They were promptly rallied by General
Breckenridge, who, having preceded his other
brigades, reached the ground at that moment,
but as they were very much cut up, were not
required to renew the attack. The brigades of
Preston and Palmer, on arriving, renewed the
assault with the same undaunted determination,
but as another battery had been added since the
previous attack, to a position already strong and
difficult of access this assault was alike inetfect-
uaI."
Such is the plain, unvarnished tale, as told by
the corps commander, under whose personal
direction the position on the left held by Palmer
and Wood, with five brigades, numbering 1885,
was charged by fresh troops, in six brigades,
whose effective strength was 5000 men, supported
by several batteries of long range artillery.
~ when Chalmers's assault first fell upon Palmers
right, Hazen faced his two right regiments, the
Sixth Kentucky and Ninth Indiana, to the rear,
where the impetus of Chaimers's assault upon
Cruft had borne him, at the same time retiring
the two left regiments, the Forty-first Ohio and
One Hundred and Tenth Illinois, some fifty yards
to the left of the pike and engaged to the front,
the FOrtieth Indiana having fallen hack A