Year: 1862

TIE following graphic description Of the
battle of Perrysville, written Dy one who
bore an honorable part in it, cannot fail to
interest our readers. We are permitted
by friend, who received it, to present it:
DEAR FATHER:--


l will now give you an account of the
Perryville fight, as near IS can recol.eci,
from my own observations; stating, first,
that | vas iii the thickest OF it, fom the
commencement until darkness brought ii
to close: this was occasioncd (my being
in the fight by the absence of the other
non commissioned staff officer whose duty
it is to bear messages 70 and from bate
ry upon the field of battle


Upon the morning Of the Sth ut., when
about six miles from Perryville, cur ears
were greeted with the report of cannon at
long intervals. next came an order to make
rs good time as possible. far the rear
guards of the two armies were skrmish-
ing. 1t needed no second order 10 spur
up our tired and worn out soldiers, for the
thought that they were at last to meet the
foe they had been following for SO many
weary weeks was enough


Lad been little indisposed for sever
al days, and was riding in our ambulance
at the rear of the Brigade, the hospital
; steward riding my horse, at the time the
order came. Immediately took him and
went forward; caught the Battery in the
course Of few minutes, and remained
with it during the rest of The day. When
the head of Gen Rosseau's column had
arrived within about three miles of Per
; rysville, and about one half mile from
Chaplin Creek, it was halted and survey
vey of the ground taken. At this time
there was TO the tight of us. ab a nile,
a section Of two guns from one Of the bat
tercs in Gilberts corps, shel!ng the
woods ia their front, but without obtain
Ing an answer from the enemy, in ANY


form. The ground before US was sue
cessor of small hills and raviues rnnning
nearly parallel with the creek; this ground


was mostly pasture and and corniields.--


After crossing the creek; which lay here


in the shape of a half circle, bonding in
towards us both on the right and left, the
, ground rose TO quite an eminence above
| the surrounding country. in some places
r very abruptly and in others with gradual
slope This range of hills kept the course
, Of the creek and was crowned with woods
in whch the enemy had his artillery post
ed as We afterwards found out. From the
appearance of the ground Gen. Rosseau
male up his mind that the enemy was "
ing in tna woods across the creek and
Immediately commenced forming his line
of battle. The 18th Brigade being in the
advance that day. he posted it on the ex
treme right. Our Brigade, the 9th, came
next, consisting of the 10Th Wisconsin,
3Sth Indiana, Cd, 33d end 85th Ohio Reg
imen;s snd S:monson's 9Th Ind Battery
Then on the left of Us was posted the 23th
Brigade consisting of five regiments and
two batteries. You see by this arrange


ment that our Brigade was in the center
of the line o! battle, for Jacksons Division
of two brigades and Terrill with one bri 6
ade were placed, some time afterward, on
our left wing; while this arrangement was
going on, one section of Loomis' Battery
was ordered down on what was calculated
TO be, and was afterwards made, the front
line of battle, to see if he could bring out
the enemy's fire and show us his position,
but he very wisely held his peace, and af


ter Loomis bad fired away for twenty
minutes without getting an answer regi-|
ment of Kentucky Cavalry was ordered 10
make reconnaissance toward the creek and,
Immediately afterwards the other part cf
Loomises Battery and ours were ordered
to the front. The Cavalry proved TO be
the flSht Dlit, LOT no sooner hau they got
within good easy range then the enemy
opened two Batteries upon them which
sent them scampering back. We soon got
into position and an artillery fight OF two
and a half hours ensued, in which we lost in
our Battery l man killed, 3 wounded and 3
horses; about this time the enemy com
menced moving large force of infantry
and artillery toward our left with the evil
dent intention Of turning our left wing
JacksonB Division and Terrlls Brigade
had now come up and were quickly form
ell on our left, TO prevent this movement:
and at the same time our infantry was
brought forward To support the batteries.
The action had become general along the