The National tribune., 1908-04-16
THE BATTLE Or IgPELO.
where Forrest wa. ikaiaEa BY &c, e


zs5s A. +. Smith.
Editor National Tribnnei Will you
not please give Il brief statement of the
battle of Tupelo-nunipers Engaged and
losses on each side.-{5F qcNeill. os-
kaloosa, Iowa. s. 4 @f
After the disastrous sbatoe of Gun
town 1t was very necessary that Forrest
be chastised into becoming respect for
| the Union arms, and Maj-Nien A J..
Smith left La Grange Te4h., July 5,
1864, with the First-Division of the
Sixteenth Corps, under Gen. ]. A. Now
er: the Third Diyisi6n ef the same
corps, under Col. d. Moore; the Cav
| airy Division under RrigsEen. b. H.
| Grierson and brigade of coiored
troops under Col T.. RoutOn, numbering
| altogether about 1900 men,. Gen
Smith went with the infantry The
| enemy was found about six miles north
| of Ripley and driven back toward Pom
totoc, where McCulloch's Brigade Of
Confederate Cavalry was encountered
and driven thru the town. The 9th
| ILL., Cav, supported by the SD Inds.
made reconnaissance on the Okalona
| Road and discovered the enemy about
! nine miles from Pontotoc in position
beyond low, swampy bottom about a
mile and half in width and densely
| timbered. The enemy had blockaded
the roads and the position was such
that Gen.. Smith did not deem it pru-
dent to attack and. therefore, content
ed himself with demonstrations in front
while he started his column around the
swamp toward Tfpelo. a distance of
IS miles. Forrest tried to draw Smith
into a battle before he was ready, by
attacking the rear of the column, but
was handsomely repulsed by the 7th
Kan. Cav. and the colored troops.
About six miles from Tupelo the enemy
| made a charge with four brigades of
cavalry on a train and had a sharp
battle in which the colored troops acted
splendidly, inflicting loss. it was esti-
mated, upon the enemy of 500 killed,
wounded and missing. The 14th Wis
captured a stand of colors. On the
night of July 13, Smith formed his line
of battle near Tupelo and the battle
opened on the morning of July IA with
Forrest trying to secure a commanding
position on our left. He was repulsed-
in this and then made an attack on
the right of the Third Division. They
were allowed to come within about 100
yards, when the First Brigade rose.
delivered a crushing volley at short
range and then charged with bayonets,
sweeping the enemy from the field and
killing their commander, Gen. Faux
ner, of Kentucky. Next. the enemy
attacked the First Division in three
came on bowling and yelling like
COmanches to within canister range of
our batteries, and there followed an OBJ
stinate battle of about two hours, dur
ing which time the enemy left their
dead within 30 yards of our batteries.
Then Gen. Mower advanced his divi-
sion about one-quarter of a mile, driv-
ing everything before him and securing
the ground upon which lay their dead
and wounded. OF the dead. 270 We're
counted Immediately in Mowers front.
Great numbers of small arms were
picked up, which had TO. be broken. as
there was no means of transporting
them Gen. Smith estimates the loss
of the enemy during the day at 1900
killed, wounded and missing Smiths
men We're exhausted by their long.
rapid marching in the intense heat with
short rations. As they had exhausted
nearly all the rations and ammunition
brought with them it, was necessary to-
return, which Gen. Smith did after de-
stroying the railroad for about five
miles each way from Tupelo. He
reached La Grange on. his return July
81, having been gone II days. He
claims to have inflicted a loss upon
the enemy of 5000 killed, wounded and
prisoners and suffered a loss of eight
officers and 50 men killed, 80 officers
and 529 men wounded~and 3s- missing;
a total Of 674. Among abe killed was
Col. Alexander Wilken, 9Th Nina, who
fell at the head of his regiment.-Edi-
tor National Tribune.