The National tribune., 1901-03-21
THE DIVISION OF DAVIES.
Something About Its Part at the Battle o.
COrinth.

C0r1nth.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: To recent
issues of your valuable paper Gen. Raum
contributed two articles on the Battle of
Corinth, which occurred on the Sd and 4th
of October, 1862. Gen. Raum writes very
interestingly of the engagements on both
days, but is surely mistaken in some
things.
While on this subject, l will endeavor
to set Greeley and Headly right in some
of their statements in their histories Of
this same battle.
l do not pretend to say that / saw
everything that took place during the bat
tie, but l do claim to know something
of the part Dayies's Division took. L
hope you will be patient while one who
was on the firing-line tells his side of the
story. 1 belonged to the Union Brigade
so called because it was composed of
fragments of Sth, 18th and 18th Iowa. and
5Sth H., which was in Sweeney's Brigade,
Davies's Division.
l am not denying the charge, made by
Gen. Raum, that Dayies's Division broke
on the morning of the second days fight.
Greeley and Headley say the Union Bri-
gada broke first. This | claim is not true
On the morning of Oct. 3, Dayies's Di-
vision was in line of battle on each side
of the Chewalla road and behind earth
works constructed by the rebels during
the siege of Cornth. The division was
engaged all day with superior number
of the enemy, stubbornly contesting every
foot of the ground from these old earth
works to the town, a distance of about
three miles. At sundown the division oc
cupied a position to the right Of Robinett,
the left of the division resting on the ditch
around the fort.
Here we received a few hard crackers
and a slice of raw ham, which were the
only rations received that day. BY this
a H.
would be allowed to get some sleep. But
not SO. The command to fall in was
given, and from that time until midnight
we were kept on the move. Finally, we
were halted and told to lay on our arms
and get what sleep we could. This was
very little, as the enemy opened fire with
artillery, which proved interesting enough
to keep everyone awake. When daylight
came we found we were in line of battle
a little in rear and to the left of Battery
Powell, occupied by Capt. Richardson
with four guns Of Battery ID, 1st Mo. l..
A. In front and TO the left of Powell was
Battery X, 1st Mo. l.. A.
Gen. Daviess orders were for every
man to lie down and wait for his COM
mand TO fire About s o'clock a. III. the
9TH Iowa, Lieut.. Parrot in command, de-
ployed as skirmishers, and soon developed
the enemy. Before the enemy emerged
from the timber in our front the SlSt
Ohio, on our right, arose, fired yolley
and left the field in a hurry. Greeley
and Headley say it was the Union Bri-
gade that ran. This | want to emphat-
ically deny. The Union Brigade was still
in line when Gen. Davies gave the COM
mand to fire, and fell back with the di-
vision. 1t seems strange that Gen. Raum
did not see the S1st Ohio break, if he
was in the position he claims he was. On
his own responsibility he ordered the 56th
ILL., to charge and recapture Battery Pow
ell. Why did not he, with the 56th ILL.,,
cupy the place left by the S1st Ohio?
There was plenty of time for him to have
done so. | am of the opinion that these
two regiments would have made a dismal
failure of retaking Powell if Davies's Di-
vision had not rallied to their aid, for the
rebs came on this assault two regiments
deep. Gen. Raum says earthwOrks were
extended during the night and the troops
slept behind their stacked arms. If there
were any earthworks in front of Davies's
Division, they were out of sight.
On the morning of Oct. 3 the army
started in pursuit of Prices army, but
when our advance guard came in contact
with the rear guard of Prices army Rose
Grams halted his army and remained at a
standstill all the time Gen. Hurlbut was
fighting Prices army on the Hatchie,
when a determined movement on Rose
crans's part might have annihilated
Prices army.
| would like to hear from others on this
subject. / do not write this to disparage
the part any command took in this battle.
1t must be remembered that the troops
in Davies's Division received their bap-
tism of fire at Donelson, Shiloh and siege
of Corinth.-W. III. HITTLE, Sth Iowa,
Sergeant, Battery X, 1st Mo. L. A, Glen
wood Iowa.