The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-10


| tire out OF action, Bragg, having placed him in
| command of all the troops on the right, and
| "it being now near dark, the order was given
| 10 fall back half a mile and bivouac for the
| night" And just here it is noteworthy that
! WiherS did not lodge that night with the
| troops of his own division, but with Colonel
| Martin of Brcckinridges division, from which
the charitable deduction is that he was unable
| to find his own troops, for otherwise IT was his
duty to be with and attend to their reorganiza-
tion and readiness for the next day. Hence,
| If there be significance in words, he makes 1t
| clear that such was the absolute latencss ofthe
| hour that had the attempt been made to carry
| the federal battcries-whose fire he character
| ICES as terrfc-with such troops as
were there assembled, it would have resulted
| in an awful butchery and dispersion OF all en-
ployed IN so lnsensate, SO preposterous an
undertaking. and such must be the verdict Of
| any military man who may studiousy read
| the reports Of the subordinate officers OF
Withers's three brigades, and bear in mind the
| formidable line of fifty old pieces Of artillery
which Webster had improvised and which
! Buell. had so opportunely supported with
| Ammen's fresh brigade. Nor was il materially
| different with the other division of Bragg s
corps, for Kuggles, who commanded it, and
who did splendid service that day, especially
in the capture Of Prentiss, reports;
| Subsequently TO PTcntiss surrender while ad-
vancng towards the river, | received Instructions
from neral Bragg to carry forward all the troops
| / could find IrcCcved from Colonel Augnstn no.
| tice of General Behurcgnrds orders 10 Withdraw
| from the further pursuit, and finding soon alter
wards that the forces were falling back, retired
| with them lust rs night set in 10 the o. en- field in
the rear, aud rs received no further orders di-
| rected General Anderson and Colonel Gibson 70
hold their troops IN readiness with their arms clean
ed and cartridges supplied for service the next day
ibid il2)
General Patton Anderson thus describes the
situation with his brigade;
The sun was now near the western horzon-thc
battle around as had ceased TO rage. met General
Ruggles, who directed me 10 take road which was
ftt 10 Ia al N
ton of the river. had not proceeded far, when
overriding me, he ordered halt TIL some nr.l ry
could be taken 10 the front when he would give
me further directions. soon after hGlting several
bril les, composing portions Of Generals Polk ana
iiardee's commands filed across the ROAD IN
'front.' OF me, and moved oil 10 inc let al flShJ
angle TO the roHd and commenced forming line OF
bHttle in an open field and woods beyond Several
batteries passed down the rOud i'll the direction OF
Plttsburg Onc soon returned and fled of into the
field where the infantry was forming. Thcenemys
punbonts now opencd fire General Rueges directed
to move forward "A short distance, and by mcn.
ing TO the right to gain little hollow, which would
probably afford better protection for my men against
shell than tie position then occupied. l gained
the hollow and called a lait, ordering the men to
take cover bchird the hill ana near little raylne
which trayersed the hollow We occupied this posi-.
ton some ten or fifteen minutes when one otGeneral
Ruggles's staff directed me to retire to the enemys
camp, beyond the range Of his floating guns In
filing oil from this position several men were killed
and many wounded by the exploding shells OF the
enemy; it was now twilight. As soon as we had
placed hi between us and the gunboats the
lance, from the direction of the river 1t eight
O'Clock at night before we had reached bvouac,
near General Bmggs headquarters, and in the
darkness Of the night the Twentieth Louisiana and
portion of the Seventeenth Louisiana and Conleder
ate Guards got separated from that portion OF the
command with which | was encampcd on other
ground. liy the assistance of my stall the where
abouta Of the whole command was ascertaned be-
fore we slei t." Ibldp. 499)
Colonel Randall Lee Gibson is very meagre
in his report to what his brigade did after
3 p. IN, but here is all that he says OF what was
done after Prentiss' S surrender.
In obedience to orders we moved with the main
body of the army towards the river l was given
command by Brigndier General Ruggles TO retire
my command nom the fire of the gunboats. In this
movement considerable disorder ensued, owing to
the iact that a the troops closely massed
My whole command was kept together for the
night except the Nineteenth Louisiana Volunteers.
Colonel Is. /. Hodge who IN spite OF eXertion OF
his own, did not succeed in reporting to me until
after the battle OF the eth. Il bid p 4s0).
AS for Colonel Pond commanding the third
brigade of Ruggles's division Of Bragg's corps,
touching his operations after p. m, relating
n charge made by his forces, pursuant to an or
der from General lIardee, he says:
This brought my troops under the fire of the one-
mys batteries and three Of his regiments in OBJ
lique column insead OF line OF battle, and the fire
became destructive thnttne troops recoiled under
20Jl Tho 18th Louisiana tMontons 81 suffered So
veroly in tins charge; also the orleans Guards; the
10th Louisiana less than either, being on the right
and consequently in what might be called the rear
of the column, As my troops were advancing to
this charge again received severe fire from
own troops on the right, which, added to the fire
from the enemy, almost disorgnnized the command.
In order To reform we were compelled to fall back
about 100 yards to the enemys main camp,
where we reioincd Colonel Iooney with his
regiment The charge made on the encmy's
battery, In which the Eighteenth regiment suffered
SO severely, wus not in accordance with my judg.
mont. l was alone (in the quarter Of Owl
creek without anything 10 support my own
the left of the general line, and therefore felt il my
duty to take any step with extreme caution aud to
keep my force in hand to hold Owl creek against
any and every contingency.
'When night came" he goes on to state, he
found himself considerably in advance of our gen
eral 'front.' ana SO fell back without ORDERS" be It
noted, from his corps commander, and Slept
within mile of the river and 400 yards of the fed
eml line" Nhid p. biS)
1t is to DO noted that the 18th Louisiana
lost 207 officers and men either killed or
wounded in this i'll judged charge. This
brigade was not in the quarter of the field
with General Bragg, and refer to the reports
of Colonel Pond, Colonel Monitor, Major
Gober (lGth LouisiaHa), Colonel Marshall j.
Smith and Colonel Loonoy, 3Sth Tennessee,
chiefly 10 show that no order reached them to
retire, and that up to the very edge OF night
they were being employed on the confederate
left, by orders of General llardec in desultory.
resultleSs though bloody conflicts. Colonel
Pagan, OF Gib,ous brigade, writing as early as
the 9TH of April, states:
II was late in the afternoon when the enemy
were rcpulSod and were followed III the direction
OF the river after the capture of Prentiss. That
fatigue decmatcd in numbers but clated THAI such
II hard fought day had such glorious close Ibid
y. 1NS.
Evidently Colonel Pagan had not heard Of
the Lost opportunity when he wrote, nor
had Colonel II, w. Allen Mt the date Of his
report of April 10th, neither had Captain
Dubroca (of the 18th Louisiana), who COM
manded the regiment at the close of the action
Colonel Hodge of the 18th Louisiana (Gibson's
brigade) is thus specific as to the lateneSs OF the
hour.
Attur the enemy were driven from this strong
hold which lr1niiss and Wallace had heldl we
with several hriEadeS. moved towards the river II
was then nigh sunset. In utcnr lance with your
order ,Gltsousl we commenced falling back about
Quoted the regiment TO the camp OF the eucmy
whore had established u temporary hos ital during
the day was in the saddle an a late hour OF tho
night ond,ayoriug 10 find your headQunrtcls but uu
able 20 do So Rch Recs, Vol, y. Z. l T. }g3.
Captain w. q. Poole, commanding the
Florida battalion, rs early rs April 18th, re-
ports that. after the successful affair with
preutisS, his battalion, with u portion OF tho
brigade, Uatton Anderson'S) proceeded for
ward within range of the heavy guns on the
Tennessee river, where "we were for some
time exposed 10 the onemy's shollS. >
We then fell back 10 the enemy camp and
biNouaccd for the night Qbid, page 505)
Colonel Charles Jouos Seventh louisiana
rs early rs the nth OF April reports that, after