Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-18
BATTLE OF BONNEVILLE.

BATTLE VI BVUNEVuLE.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ACCOUNT
GIVEN BY GEN. PHIL SHERIDAN.
aaas Up III Mad - Rsly % HlDssal
A Dssaeans.t N the 1sar e IL
Easny-Chssrsd - ths WHSLE Of q
Loesnseave-viessry.
On the 18th day a June, 1soe, while IN
command Of the Second Michigan and Second
Iowa regiments Of cavalry, BY direction Of
Gen W. g. Rnseczan, commanding ths Army
Of the Mississippi, took up position at tie
little village Of Booosville, IN tie state Of
Mississippi, on the Mobile & Ohio railroad.
he Army Of the Mississippi lay about twenty
miles in my rear, and that Of the enemy in
and about Tupelo and Guntown, some fifteen
mills in my 'front.'
Immediately on taking this position did
what I never failed to do during the whole
course Of the war; make Q map, or rather m
Information map, Of the surrounding country.
Ny mind ran to the accumulation of know.
ledge Of this kind.
On July / the regiments bsfore named.
which commanded, bad IN effective strength
Of 8N men. Very early on the morning Of
that day, July 1, the enemy advanced against
ne, the main column Of his force being in
what was known a. the Blackland road. Nv
strong picket forcs was under command Of
Lieut. Scranton, of the Second Michigan
cavalry, who was driven back, making q
Hxong resistance, nearly to Bonneville; in
sact, almost to ths edge Of the little town.
I did not know whether reinforcements
would Be sent or not, so thought would do
The best could with what had in hand. I
was heavily pressed by the enemy and 1 did
aot know his strength. but made up my mind
10 rely upon myself; and, as had an accu-
rate knowledge Of the country, selected one
company Of the Second Michigan and one
,ompany Of the Second Iowa to perform the
iuty Of q forlorn hope, and put Maj Russell
A. Alger, Of the Second Michigan, in COM
mand, with instructions to take q wood road
around the left Of the enemy's advancing
forces that would lead him around to point
IN the Richmond road, on which the enemy
was principally advancing, and It q point in
his rear
THE INSTRUCTIONS 10 MAJ. ALGER
told Maj Alger that when be reached the
Blackland road he should turn up it, in rear
II the enemy, and not deploy his cavalry but
charge right through whatever he met on tho
road, and report to me at Bonneville This
would bring him through the line Of battle
Of the enemy. II he could not charge through
be should 60 - far as he could and then re-
treat by the same road he went out on. I
gave him to conduct him on this mission. nv
guide and scout-a thin man with light COM
plexion, long, light hair, and native Of
the neighborhood OF Bonneville. His name
was lost by the burning Of my records In the
Chicago IRE. 1t was from this man I got the
principal knowledge Of my information map
hat marked this trail or wood road, ON which
his forlorn hope was to be sent then told
Maj. Alger would take the balance Of my
command and join those now fighting tho
snemy in front, and then when be struck the
rebel line OF battle, In the rear, to have his
men cheer q loudly As they could; that
would probably hear the cheering and would
:harge at the same time from the front; that
would give him one hour to go around and
come through the enemy's line and reach me
1t Bonneville, and II did not hear the cheer
ing Of his men l would charge the enemy at
the end OF one hour from the time he started
He went on, and moved from where
was, near my headquarters tent q had not
discouraged the men by taking down my
out on the line Of battle just
west OF the railroad track, in the village Of
Bonneville. The fighting was sharp along
he line, and the firing Of the enemy seemed
10 show 80 much numerical strength, had
he greatest anxiety to hear from Maj. Alger.
The hour, the time set to hear from him, was
Up, but there was no cheering, 80 ordered
he charge on the enemy, which was my part
II the arrangement; and just at that moment
locomotive and TWO platform cars, loaded
With bales OF hay for the horses OF my COM
nand, came down the track from the main |
,ody IN the resr, right into Bonneville and |
lust behind the line OF battle.
THE WHISTLE OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.
AS the troops knew l had sent back for re- |
nforcements to help us, thought If the en- |
'ineer were made to blow his whistle it would |
i've them encouragement, 50 l galloped to
INN and ordered it to be sounded loudly and
continuously. The men heard it and be-
leved the reinforcements had arrived, and
ave season to suppose the enemy thought sc
90. l never heard such wild cheering a.
occurred on our part. The enemy broke and |
an, not only on the roads but all over the
ountry. He was defeated
Now to go back to Maj. Alger. He was
Unable to come through to me as the enemy
or me to hear his cheering, but. singular az