119 Series I Volume XXIV-II Serial 37 - Vicksburg Part II
Page 119 | Chapter XXXVI. BATTLE OF CHAMPION'S HILL, MISS. |
was very glad to see me, for he had been under a desperate fire. I immediately ordered a charge, which my men obeyed as promptly as I ever saw troops in my life. We drove the enemy across some deep ravines before they brought us to a stand. This was under a desperate fire. They occupied one ridge and 1 another, which a deep, narrow ravine between us. There they shot my horse three times, and he lay down and died, like a soldier. There times I tired to drive them form their position, but my men were not able to ascend the hill on which the enemy's line was formed. At different times my adjutant came to me to know what we were to do for ammunition. I told him to take the ammunition from the dead and wounded that lay on the field. My loss here was upward of 100 men. We held our position until we were forced for the want of ammunition to fall back. This, I think was about 3 o'clock. I then saw General Green. He said that the orders were to fall back beyond Baker's Creek, below the bridge over which we had crossed in going out the night before. We did so, and formed in an open field, to hold the crossing until General Loring could cross. The enemy crossed the creed above where we did, and commenced a heavy cannonade upon us, and soon drove us from our position, though in the mean while we replenished our ammunition. We then took the road toward Edwards Depot and Big Black Bridge. I got there about 11 o'clock, and crossed the river to my wagon train. Just after sunrise the 17th, I was ordered by General Green to put my men under arms and be ready to move to the east side of the river. In a few minutes I started. General Green accompanied me. The firing was then going on between the men who occupied the ditches that night and the enemy's crossed over the bridge and moved up the river about half a mile. Here General Green halted and ordered me to move 400 or 500 yards higher up the river, and take my position in some rifle-pits next to the river, on the left of the line of the battle, which we did at once. We commenced a heavy skirmish with the enemy. Here my horse received a very bad wound in the face, which brought him to the ground. I then went in the ditches myself. We skirmished with the enemy for about an hour before they made the charge. They formed their men on the river in the timber where we could not see them. They brought their men out by the right flank in column of fours about 140 yards in front of my regiment at a double-quick, colonel [W. H.]Kinsman's regiment (Twenty-THIRD Iowa, general Lawler's brigade) leading the charge. I then opened a most terrific fire upon them, and kept it up until the brigade had passed out of my sight behind a grove of timber that stood immediately on my right. They moved so as to strike the ditches occupied by General Vaughn's brigade, so I am informed, I do not know whose troops were there, but it was immediately on the right of Green's brigade. After they had passed me, I listened for our men to open a heavy any firing on the right, I directed Lieutenant-Colonel [George W.]Law to mounts his horse and go to General Green and know whether the center were holding their position or not Colonel Law returned in a few minutes, and said that General Green ordered me to fall back. I did so at once. After I had got back below the bend of the river, I discovered that they had crossed the ditches and were between me and the bridge. My lieutenant-colonel, being mounted, thought he could make his escape, and did so with the loss of the left
Page 119 | Chapter XXXVI. BATTLE OF CHAMPION'S HILL, MISS. |