The National tribune., 1902-10-23

booty. He no longer thought of holding
the State for the Confederacy, though he
had gone through the farce of installing
a Confederate State Government at
Frankfort.
On the sth McCook engaged the enemy
at Perryville, and without notifying
Buell. precipitated an action, the brunt OF
which fell on his division. To the rank
and file it was apparent that there was
some misunderstanding on the part of the
division commanders. Buell. was reported
to be at the rear sick. Only a few regi-
ments of Gilbert's command and one bri-
gade Of Crittenden's went to the assist
ance of McCook. From our position on
hill We could plainly see the fighting,
yet We remained inactive and apparently
| forgotten during the entire day, waiting
for orders that never came. We were
told that We were being held in reserve
for the next day, when great general en-
gagement was looked for, but when the
next day dawned it was found that the
enemy had decamped, falling back on
| HarrOdsburg, and so ended the battle Of
Perryville.
The general feeling of the army was
allowed to escape so easily, and almost
of shame and disgust at the poor tactics
displayed by our commanders. Buell's
unpOpularity increased and was shared in
by his corps commanders. McCook was
censured for rashness, Crittenden for in-
activity that looked like Indifference to
the result, and Gilbert for inefficiency and
general worthlessness. Our loss in the
battle was over 1900 men, nearly all from
McCoOk's command. Bragg acknowledged
loss of $500, but this was far from
! correct, as We held 5000 Of his men
prisoners after the battle, and next day
captured 1,50O Of his sick and wounded
at Harrodsburg, while his loss in killed
and wounded must have been fully equal
| to our own. 1t was always the policy of
the COnfederates to minimize their losses
in their reports, and to greatly exagger-
ate that of the enemy. l will not say that
some of our own commanders did not do
| the same thing. Gen. Polk commanded
| the Confederate forces during the action,
Bragg being absent at Frankfort with
Kirby Smith.
Our army at Perryville consisted of
three corps. commanded by Gilbert, Nc
second in command under Buell. of these
Generals all but Gilbert were known to
the>army. This was his first and last ap-
pearance in command of corps.
After the battle of Perryviile Bragg
seemed to have had enough fighting. He
retreated southwark. closely pursued by
Buell.. At Harrodsburg there was some
uSulluS anu large qudhlity VI bIdSS .
plunder fell into our hands. Day after
day We pressed more closely on the re-
treating enemy, compelling him to aban-
don much of his impedimenta, and taking
many prisoners. But he pressed onward
towards Cumberland Gap, and as his evil
dent intention was to leave the State as
quickly as possible, Buell. abandoned the
pursuit.
Upon our return to Louisville we were
allowed a few days for rest and recuper-
alton. We were supplied with an abun-
dance of rations, and the first potatoes and
onions we had seen for year were issued
to us by the agents of the Sanitary Com
mission.
An incident of our march through the
city of Louisville is still fresh in my recol-
lection. My ''bunkey" and I had looked
forward for some time to the day when
we would be able to obtain a drink of the
famous Bourbon to be had in that city.
Accordingly we slipped out of ranks un-
observed and made our way to the Louis
vile Hotel. Imagine us, two dirty, un-
shaved, ragamuffins, with tattered cloth
ing, broken shoes, trousers legs incased in