Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-10-21

petent hands the Confederate army
would have been annihilated. 1t is diff
icult to decide just now which party
Federals or Confederates-is entitled to
the credit of having rendered the big
gest fool conspicuous in history, but the
North with its customary generosity is,
am quite sure, willing to concede this
honor to our Confederate friends.
With mental reservation of a few
honorable names, it may be said that
about the only intelligent fighting which
the generals of either army have ever
done they are doing now. The periodi+
Gals are full of the smoke of it. SheI-
man strikes at Buell. and Buell. at Sher-
man, and so along the whole line the
generals are shifting each other with a
vigor they never manifested on the field.
am prepared to believe the worst they
can say of each other, and don't care
which wins. There are not enough of
them now on friendly terms to make a
good company reunion. 1t is about the
6rst earnest fighting manyiof them have
ever done, and hope they will keep it
up until the next war. so that they may
be able to enter it with some little valu
able information in the line of their pro-
Ifession. The most that can be said of
their connection with the last war is
that they put their troops into battle
and then left them to get out as best
they could. Sometimes, Hs at Missiona-
lry Ridge, the boys broke away from
them entirely and won victory in total
disregard of orders, and in violation of
all rules of war taught at West Point,
and in a manner wholly subyersive of
military discipline, and in utter contempt
of the most approved authorities; but
of course the generals we're not respon+
sible for all this the boys would do it
in spite of them.
If McCook had been in possession of his
full corps the Confederates would have
been whipped on the Sth day of October,
'62, without help from any body, but Sill's
veteran division was at or near Frank
fort, and so the battle was really fought,
not by McCeOk's corps as whole. but
by one division of veterans under Rous>
seau and two brigades of raw recruits
under Jackson.
To these were opposed three division of
veteran troops.le one brigade Powell's)
operating under the personal supervis
ion and direction of Bragg. Polk, Cheat
ham, Hardee, Anderson and Buckner.
Gen. McCook in his report says: THE
battle was principally fought by Rous-
seau's division, and if there are, or ever
were, better soldiers than the old troops
engaged, have never seen nor read of
them"
General Bragg in his report says: "The
action opened at 10 80 p. m. between the
skirmishers and artillery on both Sides
The engagement became gen.
eral soon thereafter and was continued
furiously from that time until dark
For the time engaged it was
the severest and most desperately con
tested engagement within my knowlt
edge"
Rousseau's division lost in killed and
wounded 2l91, Jackson's division (twO
brigades) 1lO7; total loss in McCoOks
corps 329S.
Gooding, who come over. from Mitchell
with one brigade to help US, lost 499
total loss on the left 379S,
The loss sustained by the 10000 na+
tional troops on our right was 3S6 and
most, if not the whole, of this loss occur |
red in skirmises which preceded the |
battle. Many brigsdes did not fire
gun and some divisions did not lose
man.
Colonel Dan McCook, who commanded |
brigade in Sherman's division, said:
II turned round and saw the barn on
General Rousseau's right in flames, and |
saw the rebels 10 three lines In line of
battle They were so near l
could see daylight through their ranks
with my glass. | saw them envelope
and drive back Lytle's right flank. AT
that time our division, with two-batter-
les, was lying idle. L begged General
Sheriden to at least allow US to open on
. hnr, rtTff ~ on
swer l received to this earnest entreaty
was that it might concentrate the fire of
the enemy's artillery upon our troops.
This came to me frem General Gilbert
through General Sheriden."
General Steedman testified that the
enemy "would have been utterly defeat
ed had a single division been added to
the strength already engaged"
General Speed S. Fry said: 81 think
they (the enemy were satisfied
that if our army had been hurled upon
them at Perryville, they would either
have been captured or scattered to the
winds" Generals Steedman and Fry
were both right.
The military commission appointed to
investigation and report upon the opera+
tions of the army under General Buell.
found with respect to the battle of Per-
ryville:
1. The battle begun at o'clock.
2. The contest was obs mate and
bloody.
8. The duration of the battle was
about five hours.
4. The severest fighting was on
McCook's right.
5. McCook's right was not to exceed
300 yards faom Gilbert's left.
6. Assistance did not reach McCook
until about dark.
I. General Buel's headquarters were