No. 9.

Report of Colonel Thomas W. White, Ninth Mississippi Infantry, of operations September 14.

SEPTEMBER 19, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report the part taken by my regiment in the attack made by the Second Brigade of Withers' division on the enemy at Woodsonville, Sunday, the 14th instant:

We left Cave City with the brigade at 10 p.m. Saturday, and marching all night reached the hills the railroad while the sharpshooters were driving in the pickets and skirmishers of the enemy. We followed them in and were formed in line in the field north and east of the railroad depot at Rowlett's Station. We then marched by the flank through the woods on the hill to our right, and on reaching the orchard, on its northern base, were ordered to form in line in the woods near the house of Woodson and charge the fort on the northeastern end of the enemy's lines. The regiment formed as desired, but on examining the fort and rifle pits supporting it I concluded to wait a few moments until Colonel Walthall arrived, who was directed to form near and support me. In the mean time two guns of Ketchum's battery were brought and put in position in the grove in front of the house and commenced to fire on the fort and lines of the enemy. General Chalmers arriving now on the ground, and my regiment being formed in line with the Twenty-ninth, we moved up amid a very heavy fire toward the fort through a corn patch and over several fences, and crossing the turnpike road, took shelter under a bank on the road-side about 100 yards from the fort and commenced a very heavy and well-directed fire on the men who were firing from the walls of the fort. In passing through the field and while firing behind the bank we lost several men. The Twenty-ninth being on my right and the ground being sheltered for them near the fort, part of my right wing moved up nearer fort on the left of that regiment. We had now been over the road some fifteen or twenty minutes when I heard the order to charge given and passed along the line from the right. The regiment advanced at a run through a very heavy fire of grape-shot and small-arms toward the fort. Our men got within some 40 steps, but recoiled and returned in confusion to the bank near the road, when they formed and prepared to charge again, all of them stopping as soon as the road was reached. At this time I received an order to move the regiment up by the right flank to charge a light battery which was reported to be firing at us from the hill on our right. As the noise was great and the order given on our right flank the regiment did not get off in good order, some leaving in advance of others as the word was passed along the time. We formed, however, in a corn field back of a house and prepared to charge on the battery above mentioned when we were informed by an aide of General Chalmers that the battery was one of Colonel Scott's command, and order [us] to retire under cover of the woods, where the sinks in the ground gave shelter from the enemy's fire.

In the charge on the fort I lost several most gallant officers wounded and many brave men killed. Where all behaved so well I will not particularize, but the regiment, officers and men, did all that could have been expected or required of them.

I inclose a list* herewith showing the casualties, from which it will

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*Embodied in Report No. 5, p.982.

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