to the musketry-fire under which we were compelled to remain from Sunday at 8 a.m. till Monday at 4 p.m.  Captain Kossack, of the engineers, was with me all the time, and was of great assistance.  I inclose his sketch of the battlefield, which is the best I have seen, and which will enable you to see the various positions occupied by my division, as well as of the others that participated in the battle.  I will also send in, during the day, the detailed reports of my brigadiers and colonels, and will indorse them with such remarks as I deem proper.

I am, with much respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. Sherman,
Brigadier-General commanding Fifth Division.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION Tuesday, April 8,1862

Sir:  With the cavalry placed at my command and two brigades of my fatigued troops, I went this morning out on the Corinth road.  One after another of the abandoned camps of the enemy lined the roads, with hospital flags for their protection; at all we found more or less wounded and dead men.  At the forks of the road I found the head of General T. J. Wood’s division of Buell’s Army.  I ordered cavalry to examine both roads leading toward Corinth, and found the enemy on both.  Colonel Dickey, of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, asking for reenforcements, I ordered General Wood to advance the head of his column cautiously on the left-hand road, while I conducted the head of the third brigade of my division up the right-hand road.  About half a mile from the forks was a clear field, through which the road passed, and, immediately beyond, a space of some two hundred yards of fallen timber, and beyond that an extensive rebel camp.  The enemy’s cavalry could be seen in this camp; after reconnoisance, I ordered the two advance companies of the Ohio Seventy-seventh, Colonel Hildebrand, to deploy forward as skirmishers, and the regiment itself forward into line, with an interval of one hundred yards.  In this order we advanced cautiously until the skirmishers were engaged.  Taking it for granted this disposition would clear the camp, I held Colonel Dickey’s Fourth Illinois Cavalry ready for the charge.  The enemy’s cavalry came down boldly at a charge, led by General Forrest in person, breaking through our line of skirmishers; when the regiment of infantry, without cause, broke, threw away their muskets, and fled.  The ground was admirably adapted for a defense of infantry against cavalry, being miry and covered with fallen timber.

As the regiment of infantry broke, Dickey’s Cavalry began to discharge their carbines, and fell into disorder.  I instantly sent orders to the rear for the brigade to form line of battle, which was promptly executed.  The broken infantry and cavalry rallied on this line, and, as the enemy’s cavalry came to it, our cavalry in turn charged and drove them from the field.  I advanced the entire brigade over the same ground and sent Colonel Dickey’s cavalry a mile farther on the road.  On examining the ground which had been occupied by the Seventy-seventh Ohio, we found fifteen of our men dead and about twenty-five wounded.  I sent for wagons and had all the wounded carried back to camp, and caused the dead to be buried, also the whole rebel camp to be destroyed.