No. 223.-report of Lieut. Put. Darden, Jefferson artillery.
camp, near Corinth, Miss., April 10, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to report that on the morning of April 7 I took command of the company agreeably to your orders.
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First Sergeant Coleman, Second Sergeant Bullin, Third Sergeant Wade, Fifth Sergeant Wilcox, First Gunner Hendrickson, Private Manifold, acting second gunner; Brown, third gunner; Marschalk, fourth gunner, and 50 privates were on duty, besides 4 men that were detailed to assist Dr. Turpin with the wounded.
I placed Sergeant Coleman in command of the left section, taking immediate command of the right myself.
I did this because I had so few officers on duty.
Before sunup I was ordered to the rear.
After traveling about 1 mile I received orders from General Withers to move to the battle-field as soon as possible.
When I arrived at the first line of the enemy's camp General Hardee ordered me to follow the advancing column and open fire on the left of the Washington Light Artillery.
Moved forward into battery, and opened fire on the enemy with solid shot, shell, and canister.
Though I had only 6 men to work each gun, and wornout by the previous day's work, they fought well and with desperation for about thirty minutes, when they began to fall of exhaustion at their posts.
Our supporting infantry was driven back, our canister was all gone, and the men so disabled that we limbered up under a galling fire from the enemy and retired from the action, where I received orders to fall back still farther on the rear.
I shortly afterward received orders from General Beauregard to repair at once to Corinth and report to him.
I neglected to state that, before leaving the field of action, 3 horses of the second gun were killed and 2 wounded, and we were so hardly pressed, the enemy being only 50 or 75 yards distant, that we were compelled to abandon it.
On leaving the field I found a 12-pounder howitzer, with 4 horses attached to it, which had been captured from the enemy.
I immediately ordered Acting Lieutenant Coleman to have it driven along with the battery.
We lost the rear part of the caisson to the second gun.
None of our men were killed or wounded.
In conclusion, sir, it affords me great pleasure to assure you that all, both officers and privates, stood to their posts and performed their arduous and dangerous duties with bravery, gallantry, and energy.
Yours, respectfully,
