River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-30
HARRISON IN ACTION.
How the General Repulsed the Enemy a
Peach Tree Creek.

n
Peach Tree Creek.
When the news of General Harrison's
nomination reached Wichita Falls, Kan.
it found many of the distinguished gentle
mans oldarmy comrades to receive il with
Joy. One Of them, L. T. Miller, wrote of
the enthusiasm there, and in the course of
the letter gave an incident which he said
won for the General the title of the
{" Hero of the Battle of Peach Tree Greek. -
Recalling the facts of that bloody struggle,
he wrote; General Ward, of Ohio, COM
mandcd our division of the Twentieth
Corps, Army of the Cumberland. On the
morning Of the 10Th O. July, 1851, we were
in the center of the Army of the Cumber-
land in front of Atlanta. Our corps was
in advance, and crossed over Peach Tree
Creek, a deep but sluggish stream, about
the width of White river at low water.
= we rot over about O'Clock p. m, and
were preparing TO get dinner. In front of
US was sandy ridge covered with scanty
growth of pine, and on top of the ridge was
a rail fence. After crossing the river each
brigade sent forward pickets who occupied
this ridge. Soon picket-fring began, and
later on some of the pickets came back to
our main lines and reported the enemy TO
be advancing in force. This was reported
promptly to General Ward, who was back
in the rear, and across the creek. About
this time Generals Coburn and Harrison,
each commanding a brigade, reported TO
General Ward their belief that the enemy
was advancing and would occupy the ridge.
General Ward, Notwithstanding this infor-
nation, although requested by Harrison
and Coburn, declined to give them orders
to move their brigades forward. At this
juncture l heard this conversation be
tween Generals Harrison and Coburn.
was commanding the Thirty third Indiana
-Coburns old regiment-and was on the
righ hit of the regiment. They rode up 10
where l was. General HarrisOa said to Co
burn:
John, I'm going to place my men or
that ridge. if you will support mel'
"'rll see you through replied General
Coburn, and, turning about ordered me tC
move the Thirty-third Immediately for
ward, which | did. just then Harrison
put spurs 10 his horse and dashed forward
up the hill, in front of his brigade, and
both brigades, cheering, ran rapidly for
ward up the hill and drove the enemy bach
from the ridge.
After the two brigades were in motion.
there came an order from General Ward t
move forward The other brigade of oul
division came on. finally, and joined US or
our left. Then the Fourth Corps, on our
left, started, and the Fourteenth Corps, or
our right, moved up and supported US aft
er we gained the ridge from which we
drove the enemy. Here we hastily made
a breastwork out of piled rails, and. with
our single line. repulsed three assaults -four
lines deep. Harrison saw that, unless the
ridge was occupied at once, the whole di
vision would be forced back pell-mell over
Peach Tree Creek; and as we were the cen
ter Hood would mass on either wins
Fourteenth Corps or Fourth Corps. and put
il D rout II should be said that Hood was
j. front of our position, massed with foul
lines, in column of regiments, with heavy
reserves and massed artillery"