The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-15

Kentucky campaign, we come to spe
? of Col. Smith IN his last battle-the o
T here-knoWn as the battle of Munfort
Q vile, fought September IA, 1862. Il
g mediately prior to entering Kentuck
/ Col. Smith had been ordered to resuI
!, command of his regiment On reachil
Glasgow with his main force Septemb
Il, 1862, Gen. Bragg ordered forwa
the same night Chalmers brigade of III
!, sissippians to the railroadat Cave Cit
2 and Duncan's Louisiana's brigade to Il
junction next south, with instructiol
. to intercept and cut Buelps commuI
cations by rail with Louisville. Ge
Chalmers surprised and captured Il
telegraph operator and depot of suppli
at Cave City, but because information
to our movements had been In son
manner communicated to the Federal
he did not succeed in capturing an
train. Hearing that force of the enem
supposed to be raw recruits, but
reality numbering, as we afterwaI
found, largely in excess of 5000 traine
and disciplined soldiers, were intrenche
at Munfordsville protecting the railroa
bridge over Green river, Gen. Chalmer
without orders from his superiorS, 4
was currently believed, leaving parts {
of the Seventh and Twenty ninth Reg
ments to guard Cave City, advanced wit
the rest of his brigade numbering 120
or 1900 strong, to Horse Cave, on tn
road TO Munfordville, and after restin
until a late hour in the night agaiI
moved forward, and by dawn the mex
morning struck the Federal picket
/ about mile in advance of their forti
fcations. These were hastily driven il
by the sharpshooters of the brigade
commanded by Maj. w. G. Richards
of Columbus, Miss, who fell seriousl!
wounded before our main line made thu
attack.
The brigade was then being rapidly
placed in position for general assault
in the following manner as remember
The Seventh Mississippi, under cammand
of Col. Bishop, on the extreme right
and extending nearly to the river; nexi
the Twenty-ninth, commanded by Col
E. G. Walthall; next the Ninth, conan
ded by Col. Thomas w. White-all three
to be placed east of and parallel with
the dirt road-and with company Of
sharpshooters and q party of Garrity's
battery, constituted the right attacking
column. The Tenth Mississippi under
command ,of Col. Robert, A. Smith, was to
be placed in position to the left, perpen-
dicular to but far removed from the
dirt road and constituted the left attack
ing column, with the Forty-fourth,
commanded by Lieut.. Col. James Moore,
in reserve and partially covering the
interval between the. Tenth and the road.
With these dispositions made Gen.
Chalmers would be prepared to advance
on the enemy's works.
As the Tenth Mississippi marched by
the left flank on the crest of yonder hill
in order to be opposite the Federal right,
which was a fortified eminence covering
the bridge, the enemy beyond the dense
fog that oYerhung the intervening
valley could be plainly seen standing in
compact line behind their works with
guns shimmering in the morning sun, and
announced their readiness by diseharg-
ing at occasional intervals . single piece
of artillery with such accuracy that the
first shot struck the head of my company,
wounding privates NJ. S. Leopard, E. j.
Hudson and w. B. Lesley another fired
on our right cut the flag staff of the
Twenty-ninth Regiment in twain.
By the time the Tenth got in position,
Capt. Watt L. Strickland ,Iof the brigade
staff rode hastily lup and said: "COl.
onol! the General orders you.to charge" "
After indicating the danger and hazard
of the enterprise, Col. Smith replied in
substance: "To charge now before the
right is ready will draw upon me the
concentrated fire of the enemy. Will I
not be too soon?" NO." replied Strick-
land, "the General says charge now" to
which Col. Smith made response: "The
duty is mine, the. responsibility be-
longs elsewhere" Then pointing to
the felled timber in the enemy's imme-
diate front and to fence standing to
our side of it, Col. Smith instructed his
company commanders that as when the
order to advance would be given it
would be preceded with the command,
"By the right of companies to the front,
he desired them in advancing to pre-
serve we'll the interval, so thaton reach
ing the fence and throwing it down the
companies after passing through wOuld
be in position, on the order Companies
into line" being given to promptly form
regimental front. Then followed in his
his usual clarion tones the command,
"By the right of companies to the front,
forward, tiouble-quick march p Through
an open field of full quarter OF a mile
under fire from the enemy's artillery
and small arms behind formidable
the tenth advanced at a
"double-quick," with Col. Smith proudly
leading on horseback. Passing over
the intervening space without serious
damage and throwing down the fence
that skirtedssthe timber, we found the
dbdttis Of beech trees beyond SO arranged
as to render it impossible, on receiving
the order Companies into line," to form
regimental front, Protecting themselves
as well as possible, the troops were en-
abled, after receiving terrible damage, to
silence the enemy's fire from the fortif-
cations. In this position we remained
several hours without being able, on
account of the timber and the confor-
nation of the ground, to see or hear
from our brigade center or right. It so
happened that when Col. Smith reached
the felled timber he struck . narrow
path left by the enemy in the Gbdttis,
when waving his sword over his head
and pointing to an opening in the works,
cried out, "Follow me in = then yielding
to the hazardousimpulses of his knightly
nature he rode straight forward, to be
shot from his horse Ia the narrow space
between the ab0ttis and the Notifications.
Our lieutenant-colonel, james Bullard,
q brave old man, had fallen on the
extreme right of the regiment just Is we
reached the matted mass of beech-he
and his horse torn to pieces BY canister
shot.
The Forty-fourth Mississippi, which
when the attack was made, was left IN
reserve on the crest 81 the hill, was
soon ordered to advance to the support
of the Tenth. Reaching the felled tim
Der, and taking shelter behind stumps
and logs in the interval to the right Of
the Tenth, they too succeeded in silenc-
ing the enemy's fire in their front. Its
brave commander, Lieut.. Col. Moore, fell
mortally wounded in the vain effort to
reform his men in this inextricable mass
Of felled and pointed timber.
For awhile, Is we were afterWard in
formed, the assault by our right made
after the Tenth had become engaged
promised success. The TWenty-ninth,
Ninth and Seventh Regiments, after
gallant charge, reached the wide and
deep ditch around Fort Craig and the
fortifications adjacent. These troops
on reaching the ditch had been ordered
to lie down. In that position they kept
up their FIRE and soon had the Fedesals
y they dared otraise their heads above
the parapes. The United States flag
avine above the fort was riddled by the
bullets from Walthalls guns. They had
been IN this position only abort time
when q piece Of artillery belonging g
Scots Louisiana cavalry, which had
come upon the feld without the know
ledge Of Gen. Chalmers, opened Ore .
short distance 70 the northeast, and IN.
fortunately threw shell 90 near 20 our
aanauIting column as 70 cause some con-