Memoirs of the Union's Three Great Civil War Generals eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,934 pages of information about Memoirs of the Union's Three Great Civil War Generals.

Memoirs of the Union's Three Great Civil War Generals eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,934 pages of information about Memoirs of the Union's Three Great Civil War Generals.

During this change the enemy’s cavalry charged us, but were handsomely repulsed by the Twenty-ninth Illinois Regiment.  The Fifth Ohio Battery, which had come up, rendered good service in holding the enemy in check for some time, and Major Taylor also came up with another battery and got into position, just in time to get a good flank-fire upon the enemy’s column, as he pressed on General McClernand’s right, checking his advance; when General McClernand’s division made a fine charge on the enemy and drove him back into the ravines to our front and right.  I had a clear field, about two hundred yards wide, in my immediate front, and contented myself with keeping the enemy’s infantry at that distance during the rest of the day.  In this position we rested for the night.

My command had become decidedly of a mixed character.  Buckland’s brigade was the only one that retained its organization.  Colonel Hildebrand was personally there, but his brigade was not.  Colonel McDowell had been severely injured by a fall off his horse, and had gone to the river, and the three regiments of his brigade were not in line.  The Thirteenth Missouri, Colonel Crafts J. Wright, had reported to me on the field, and fought well, retaining its regimental organization; and it formed a part of my line during Sunday night and all Monday.  Other fragments of regiments and companies had also fallen into my division, and acted with it during the remainder of the battle.  General Grant and Buell visited me in our bivouac that evening, and from them I learned the situation of affairs on other parts of the field.  General Wallace arrived from Crump’s Landing shortly after dark, and formed his line to my right rear.  It rained hard during the night, but our men were in good spirits, lay on their arms, being satisfied with such bread and meat as could be gathered at the neighboring camps, and determined to redeem on Monday the losses of Sunday.

At daylight of Monday I received General Grant’s orders to advance and recapture our original camps.  I dispatched several members of my staff to bring up all the men they could find, especially the brigade of Colonel Stuart, which had been separated from the division all the day before; and at the appointed time the division, or rather what remained of it, with the Thirteenth Missouri and other fragments, moved forward and reoccupied the ground on the extreme right of General McClernand’s camp, where we attracted the fire of a battery located near Colonel McDowell’s former headquarters.  Here I remained, patiently waiting for the sound of General Buell’s advance upon the main Corinth road.  About 10 a.m. the heavy firing in that direction, and its steady approach, satisfied me; and General Wallace being on our right flank with his well-conducted division, I led the head of my column to General McClernand’s right, formed line of battle, facing south, with Buckland’s brigade directly across the ridge, and Stuart’s

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Memoirs of the Union's Three Great Civil War Generals from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.