768 Series I Volume XVII-I Serial 24 - Corinth Part I
Page 768 | WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX. |
posed as we were to an enfilade fire from the enemy's 6-pounders, charged with grape and canister.
As soon as the rebels had surrendered I had the roll called, and found some 65 men not accounted for. These I am much afraid shirked and went to the rear, but eventually returned to the field, but did not rejoin the regiment till after the engagement. With this exception the men acted gallantly, maintaining the position in rear of the Seventy-sixth Ohio during the entire fight and bivouacking in the enemy's fortifications.
Very respectfully, general,
GEO. A. STONE,
Colonel, Commanding.
Brigadier General CHARLES E. HOVEY.
Numbers 30.Report of Colonel Charles R. Woods, Seventy-sixth Ohio Infantry.
HDQRS. SEVENTY-SIXTH Regiment OHIO VOL. INFANTRY, Arkansas Post, Ark., January 12, 1863.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that the Seventy-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry went into the action at this place about 500 strong yesterday afternoon. The regiment moved across the open fields in line of battle, with bayonets fixed, a distance of 500 or 600 yards.
After reaching the woods in front of the enemy's breastworks the obstructions were such as to considerably impede the movements of the regiment. No shots, either of artillery or musketry, were fired at us until we reached a point about 250 yards from the enemy's lines, at which the guns of the enemy opened fire upon us with grape and canister. The first two rounds passed over our heads and did no damage. The third round killed and wounded quite a number of men.
At this time we had reached a point about 100 yards from the breastworks, and the enemy, about three regiments strong, opened a destructive fire of musketry upon us from the front and right and left, extending on the left to the full extent of the range of their muskets. This fire would probably have annihilated the Seventy-sixth Regiment pushed on, under this-concentrated fire of musketry, to the near edge of the woods, about 75 yards from the breastworks, at which point the fire became so hot that the regiment faltered, but held its ground.
Finding it impossible to push the regiment over the open ground I ordered them to open fire, to give them confidence. After firing several rounds I ordered the advance, but as soon as the men raised to move forward the fire was so hot as to make it impossible to move forward. I then ordered the men to clear and silence the guns of the enemy in our front, which was done in the most effectual manner, as not a single shot was fired from their two Parrott guns in our immediate front; and one piece, some distance to our left, was so well commanded that it could not be used, and the enemy was obliged to move it farther to the left in order to use it.
All of the artillery horses belonging to two of the guns in our front were killed and a part of those belonging to the one on our left. Quite
Page 768 | WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX. |