The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-01-31

in position with Walkers division; Cornay's
and Nettle's, with M6utons division. The re-
serve artillery WAS ia the rear. Taylor had
chosen his position in the edge of q wood with
cleared fields in fronton both sides OF the road
Soon after his troops were assigned as above
described, the advaHce of Lees cavalry APP
peared in front and Tayior's skirmishers fell
back into line. Taylor says: On the left a
body Of the enemy's cavalry. following hard
upon ours ran into the line of the 18th Louis
lana and was destroyed. The enemy formed
his line on the opposite side of the cleared
fields and some lghtskirmishing took place.
The Union force OF infantry and cavalry
was disposed as follows: Minis battery was
posted a hill near the road, about 200
yards to the left Of a belt of timber, and was
supported by the 23d Wisconsin infantry. The
9th Indiana supported the battery ON the
right, Joined by the nth Illinois, 4Sth Ohio,
10Th Kentucky, Goth Ohio, section of
mounted artillery and the SD Ohio, making
about 2, 500 infantry. The cavalry and mounted
infantry under General Lee were posted on
the TANKS and rear, Colonel Dudley's brigade
on the left, and Colonel Lucas on the right,
with skirmishers deployed in front of the in
fantry The Chicago Mercantile Battery and
the LIST Indiana battery, arriving later, were
placed a commanding ridge to the east of
the road.
The Union troops lay quiet from noon until
were moving their troops around so as to en-
velop the right flank of the latter command in
their front At o'clock General Lee receiveda
dispatch from General Franklin informing him
that he hoped to be able to get up with General
Emory's force the next day. General Lee says,
in his testimony before the Committee on the
Conduct of the War: About o'clock staff
officer of General Banks came up to me and
said that General Banks ordered me to dispose
my force to move Immediately on Mansfield,
four miles in advance. | was little surprised,
and, more than that thought there must be
some misapprehension; but the staff officer
said that was the order. | rode back to General
Banks and asked him about it, He said that
was the order. | told him we could not ad-
vance ten minutes without general engage
ment, in which we should be most gloriously
logged, and ] did not want to do it. We had
some little conversation about the general in
tention of going to Mansfield that night. /
told the general I could move just about a
quarter of mile; the enemy was distant half
mile He finally told me we would wait if /
thought itsswas impossible to advance, and he
hurried off another staff officer for the in
fantry.o
THE CONFEDERATE ASSAULT.
Taylor waited until p. H. when, suspecting
that the arrangements of the troops in his
front were not complete, he ordered Mouton to
attack Ransoms right, who he thought had
been weakened by transferring troops to the
left. The field was crossed under murderous
fire." says Taylor; the wood was reached and
our little line sprang with yell on the foe,
when General Mouton fell" Five regimental
commanders were killed. but the division
pressed on under command of General Polignac,
supported on the left by General Major with
his division of cavalry, dismounted. General
! Randall pushed his brigade forward in echelon
/ from the left, the whole movement being under
/ --eft Al
attack had developed, Walker and Bee were
ordered into action on the right, with orders
| to gain the road in rear of the Union position.
The dense woods prevented rapid advance of
Bees cavalry. Walker however, advanced
directly to the attack. Taylor says: 1.-The
! enemy in vain formed new lines of battle on
the wooded ridges, which are a feature of the
country. Every line was swept away as soon
as formed and every gun taken as soon as put
| in position
HOW IT WAS MET BY RANSOM.
| General Ransom gives the following equally
graphic description Of the reception given to
| Monton's charge: about o'clock D. N. the
enemy commenced advancing his lines across
| the open fields in our front and east OF the
road. | directed Colonel Landram to advance
| our right, consisting of the S3d, Goth and 4Sth
/ Ohio 130th Illinois, and 10Th Kentucky, and
1 he Immediately opened fire on the enemy, now
i drove back his first line in confusion upon his
second, but recovering he again advanced TILL
unable to endure our heavy fire, he halted
| about 200 yards from orr front. where many of
his men lay down, and returned our fire. / felt
confident that this portion of our line could
not be broken; but while moving towards the
/ left flank, was informed that the enemy was
pressing our left and that the mounted in
| fantry there was falling back. At this time
Captain White, chief of artillery, reported that
the Chicago Mercantile Battery Lieutenant
Cone aud the LIST Indiana battery Captain
! Klaus had arrived, and directed him to place
them in an advantageous position ON ridge to
i the east of the road and near a house occupied
as General Banks headquarters, where they
opened on the enemy, who had shown them
selves in strong force on the left. sent Lieu
tenant G. t. Davis aid-de-camp, to order Lieu
/ tenant-Colonel Baldwin, commanding the SD
| Ohio, to move his regiment to support the 23d
Wisconsin. He moved promptly, but that
| regiment and the mounted infantry were al
ready driven back, and | directed him to sup
| port the batteries. Our left flank was now
completely turned, and the enemy, having
| taken Minis battery, were III strong force on
the hill and pouring q destructive fire into the
batteries of the 4th division. I ordered the
latter to the rear, to point on the right of the
road, and sent my adjutant- general, Captain
| Dlckey, TO order Colonel Landram TO withdraw
his division to the edge of the timber. in our
rear or, failing to find Colonel Landram to
| give orders TO the regiments. While ia the
performance of this duty Captain Dickey was
| nortaily wounded. Owing to the fall of Cap
tain Dickey some of the regiments did not re-
ceive the orders to fall back until they We're cut
off while CALAMITY fighting superior force. In
company with Colonel LandraIn | was, as the
troops arrived, reforming the lines in the edge
Of the woods, when / was severely wounded in
the knee and carried to the rear. found the
| woods and roads filled with mounted men fly
ing from the field"
General Ransom closes his report with high
praises of the gallantry of General Stone and
| General Lee, Colonies Landram, Emerson and
| Vance and every infantry and battery COM
mander, as well as the officers and men under
their command, with the exception of the COM
j mander of the 18th Ohio, who he says | saw
| at some distance III the rear Of his regiment
| lying behind fallen tree, while the veterans
Of his regiment were IN the thiclzest of the fight
under the lamented Major Bering."
FALLING BACK ON THE 18TH CORPS.
/ Colonel Vance was killed. General Cameron
assumed command of the 18th Corps on the
arrival of his division, and formed a line three
quarters OF a mile in rear of the battlefield, on
the edge of the woods, il which Lees supply
train was parked, and there Taylors advance
was checked half an hour, but he again resort
ed to flank movement and a disorderly re-
treat ensued, caused by the road being blocked
by the wagon train. There was no panic in