173 Series I Volume XXXIX-I Serial 77 - Allatoona Part I
Page 173 | Chapter LI. EXPEDITION INTO MISSISSIPPI. |
Question. State what you know in regard to the supply of forage for the expedition.
Answer. All I know is from the complaints I heard made. Captain Fitch, commanding Battery E, First Illinois Light Artillery, told me at Ripley, on the morning of the 8th, that his animals could not go on without forage. I also heard Captain Mueller, of Mueller's battery, make similar complaints at the same time and place. I saw but very little forage along the road. I saw some growing corn and wheat along the road, but not much. Forage for my teams was obtained by my quartermaster sending a man out to pick up a sack of corn occasionally. This I said nothing about, for I understood it to be in violation of General Sturgis' orders.
Question. State at what time you marched on the morning of the 10th of June, and give the incidents of that day's march.
Answer. I moved out from Stubbs' plantation about 8 o'clock in the morning. I was attached to the First Brigade. The Ninety-ninth Ohio had the right of the brigade. Captain Fitch's battery with four guns was next, and Captain Mueller's battery with two guns next, and I followed the batteries. The rest of the brigade was in this order; Ninety-THIRD Indiana, Ninth Minnesota, Seventy-second Ohio. When we reached the white house belonging to Doctor Ames (which I think was about three miles from Brice's Cross-Roads) we then received orders. Captain Buckland, of Colonel McMillen's staff, told me that they were fighting in front, and said that Colonel McMillen would give a hundred dollars to have his brigade up there, and ordered me to keep well closed up to the battery. My regiment being a little behind I ordered them to double-quick, which they did for about 300 yards at that time. I kept on to the battle- ground, marching in quick time and double-quick in about equal proportion. While marching from Ames' to Brice's Cross-Roads, I saw a great many men who had fallen out by the way on account of the heat. Many of them said that they belonged to Colonel Hoge's brigade. When I formed my first line of battle, I think 100 men had fallen out, over one-quarter of my command. I halted at the cross- roads not over two minutes, and halted again about 100 yards beyond there on the Guntown road, just long enough to form line, and then went right into the position assigned me by Colonel McMillen. My men had loaded about half a mile back from the cross-roads. The position assigned me was to the left of the Guntown road and about 300 yards in advance of the cross-roads, my right resting about 150 yards from the Guntown road and my line running parallel to the Baldwyn road. On the left I could see no troops. The brush was very thick where my line was formed, and on all sides of us. I relieved a line of dismounted cavalry. I don't know what troops they were. I advanced my line about FIFTY yards beyond where they were. As I was going into this position, Colonel McMillen informed me that there were two lines of our troops in my front, and instructed me to be careful about firing on that account. I relieved, as I understood it, one of those lines. I was informed at this time by a cavalry staff officer that there was a line of skirmishers in my front, and he also told me to be careful about firing. I gave instructions to all my line not to fire, as we had skirmishers in front. At this time I heard several of my men say that they were so much exhausted that they could not load. It turned out that there was no line of skirmishers in front. While in that position my officers and myself could occasionally see men moving in our front, some of them dressed in blue clothes and some in butternut. Some of my officers and men persisted in wanting to fire, saying that if they were our men they had no business to be wearing butternut clothes. Some of my men did fire, in violation of orders, but only a few shots. In a few minutes a rebel line advanced in plain sight, and I then opened fire. At the same time they opened heavily on us. The firing between the two lines continued as much as ten or twelve rounds, and I had a number of men wounded, and some killed. The enemy then fell back. They advanced again, and I repulsed them the second time. Soon after this they commenced to flank me on the right, so I swung back the right, and gave them a volley which repulsed them. They then commenced to turn the left; the firing commenced again on my right and in my rear. I then gave the order to fall back, and we formed a second line. The firing was still coming in on my flanks, and I flly until we got to the cross-roads. At this time my men were in considerable confusion and very much exhausted. I here formed about thirty yards in front of the artillery, which was in position, by Colonel McMillen's orders. When I formed there there were quite a number of troops on my left. A number of the men told me that they belonged to the Eighty-first Illinois. The artillery was in position just in rear of the Baldwyn road; I think there were two sections; one piece was firing down the Guntown road. My regiment extended across the Guntown road and in front of a gun, so that I had to break files on the right each time that the gun was fired. After they had fired a few rounds the Ninety-THIRD Indiana fell back and took a position on my right, and were immediately moved by the flank to the left and rear of Brice's house. After this time I received no orders. The
Page 173 | Chapter LI. EXPEDITION INTO MISSISSIPPI. |