Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

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[62] early in the morning, but had been counteracted by General Smith's operations. Later information was brought by an aid-de-camp of General Smith, and communicated by me to Major-General Grant, of the absence at that time, of the danger apprehended.

Instantly, upon the receipt of Major-General Grant's order to attack, I hastened to do so-ordering Generals Smith and Osterhaus to “attack the enemy vigorously and press for victory” --General Blair to support the former and General Carr the latter, holding Lawler's brigade in reserve.

At ten o'clock A. M. General Hovey.resumed his advance, and approaching in plain view of the enemy, disposed his forces for battle along a skirt of wood and across the road of his approach. General McGinnis's brigade was formed on the right and Colonel Slack's on the left. General Logan's division of General McPherson's corps was between the railroad and my right, and about half a mile from the latter.

A mile in front stood a hill some sixty or seventy feet high, covered with thick wood. In this wood the enemy was drawn up in strong force, doubtless augmented by his tendency to his right above noticed. This hill is indifferently called Midway or Champion Hill, from the fact of its being half-way between Jackson and Vicksburgh, and the reputed property of a citizen by the name of Champion. The space between the hill and my right was composed of undulating fields, exposed to the enemy's fire, while the ground to its left and front was scarred by deep ravines and choked. with underbrush, thus making a further advance extremely difficult.

Undaunted the brave men of the Twelfth division pressed on under a galling fire. By eleven o'clock A. M. the engagement became general all along the hostile lines, and continued to rage with increasing fury until twelve o'clock M. Meantime the enemy had been driven back with great slaughter, quite six hundred yards, leaving in our hands three hundred prisoners and eleven pieces of cannon.

Rallying in his desperation. and bringing forward fresh troops, he poured down the road, and with superior numbers renewed the conflict. Not daring to cross the open field in the direction of General McPherson, who had handled him roughly on the extreme right, his main force was directed against General Hovey. A crisis had come. Struggling heroically against the adverse tide, that officer called for the support of a division of General McPherson's corps, hard by, which had not been engaged, but did not get it until his line was being borne back. The support finally came, and was also borne back. Slowly and stubbornly, however, our men retired, contesting every inch of ground lost with death, until they had neared the brow of the hill.

Here, under partial cover, they rallied and checked the advance of the enemy; but a bold and decisive blow was necessary to retrieve the day in this part of the field. This was happily struck by General Hovey. Massing his artillery, strengthened by Dillon's Wisconsin battery, upon elevated ground, beyond a mound to his right, he opened an enfilading fire upon the enemy, which, challenging the cheers of our men, went crashing through the woods with deadly effect. The enemy gave way, and the fortune of the day in this part of the field was retrieved.

Gens. Hovey's and Crocker's divisions pushed forward to the crest of the hill, while General Logan's division, falling upon the flank of the broken foe, captured many prisoners. Five of the enemy's guns that had been captured by General Hovey, and had not been brought off, again fell into our hands. The carnage strewing the field literally stamped Midway as the Hill of Death. General Hovey had lost nearly one third of his men — killed and wounded. It was now about half-past 2 o'clock P. M.

As already mentioned, General Osterhaus's division early advanced to feel the enemy--General Garrard's brigade on the right and General Lindsey's on the left. The sharp skirmish that followed upon the receipt of my orders to attack was pressed until the centres of the opposing lines became hotly engaged. The battle was raging all along my centre and right.

In front of my centre, as well as my right, the enemy appeared in great numbers. Garrard's brigade was hard pressed, and General Osterhaus requested that it should be supported. Support was afforded by Benton's brigade of Carr's division, which promptly moved forward in obedience to my order, and joined the former in the conflict. All of Lawler's brigade of the same division, except a reserve of one regiment, also advanced to support Lindsey's, who had pushed a charge near the mouth of a battery. Lawler's brigade here cast the trembling balance in our favor. Himself narrowly escaping the effect of a shell, his men joined Lindsey's, and both dashed forward, shooting down the enemy's artillery horses, driving away his gunners, and capturing two pieces of cannon.

This success on the left centre, forcing a portion of the enemy to the right, increased the resistance offered to my right centre, and caused it to be continued until the flight of the enemy on my extreme right had communicated its effects to the centre.

The enemy, thus beaten at all points, fled in confusion — the main body along the road to Vicksburgh — a fragment to the left of that road. General Carr's division taking the advance, hotly pursued the former, and Lindsey's and Burbridge's brigades the latter, until night closed in; each taking many prisoners. The rebel General Tighlman is reported to have been killed by a shot from General Burbridge's batteries.

At eight o'clock P. M. General Carr arrived at Edwards's Station, where flames were consuming a train of cars and a quantity of stores, which the enemy had fired. Both, to a considerable extent, were saved by the activity and daring of his men. During the same night General Carr's division was joined by General Osterhaus's. Generals Blair's and Smith's divisions rested some