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[509] and Perryville road. Near this point I met Captain Hoblitzell with a brigade of General Robert B. Mitchell's division, coming to reinforce us. This brigade was commanded by Colonel Gooding, of the Twenty-second Indiana, and consisted of his own regiment, the Fifty-ninth and Seventy-fifth Illinois, and Captain O. F. Pinney's Fifth Wisconsin battery. I ordered the posting of his infantry, and then placed Captain Pinney's battery in position near the cross-roads and in a small skirt of timber to the right. Gooding's attack, assisted by Pinney's battery, drove back the enemy and reoccupied the position of Russell's house. In this attack, Colonel Gooding's gallant brigade lost in killed and wounded four hundred and ninety-nine men, almost one third of his force. At this moment, Brigadier-General James Stedman reported to me with his brigade of Schoepf's division. It had grown nearly dark. He posted his battery on the right of Pinney and opened fire. I conducted his brigade to a position on the right and front of these batteries. The two battalions of the Eighteenth regulars, under Major Frederick Townsend, were posted on a commanding ridge in an open field, the right resting on a wood, the Ninth Ohio on the right of Townsend, the right resting on a field. The other regiments of this brigade were in second line and supporting the batteries. The line of Stedman's brigade was about two hundred yards to the right and rear of Russell's house. By this time it was dark, and the firing ceased on both sides. I remained in front of Stedman's line until nine P. M., when I rode to the left and found that the line there had been retired by General Rousseau. Believing that the enemy would renew the attack at daylight, I ordered him to throw his line back, with his left resting on the Maxville and Perry-ville road, and the line extending to the right on commanding ground to the left of Stedman's brigade. This movement was executed about twelve o'clock at night.

When General Terrell's brigade gave way, a portion of his troops fell back with him to the position occupied by Stone's and Bush's batteries, and at this point, when in the act of rallying his broken troops, at four o'clock P. M., he was struck in the side by a fragment of a shell, carrying away a portion of his left lung. He died at eleven P. M.

When Terrell's brigade gave way, seven guns of Parson's eight-gun battery fell into the hands of the enemy. At six P. M, four of the guns of Harris's Nineteenth Indiana were also taken by the enemy.

The posting of Starkweather's brigade, Stone's and Bush's batteries saved my left and secured to us the Maxville road upon which stood our entire ammunition train and ambulances. The ground to the right of this road being rough and rugged, prevented the train being taken off the road and parked.

I previously stated that the firing on both sides ceased at dark. The enemy posted their pickets about fifty yards from ours, but the main body escaped during the night, and with such precipitation that they left their dead and wounded, and could not carry the guns captured from the new batteries from the field. The guns were all secured next morning, except two Napoleon guns of Parson's battery, that were kindly exchanged by the enemy for two six-pound field-guns.

The enemy retreated across Chaplin River to the Harrodsburgh turnpike, about one half-mile distant from the battle-field, thence to Harrods-burgh.

The battle-field was a chosen one of the enemy. They marched from Harrodsburgh to give our army battle, at or near Perryville. The ground upon which the battle was fought was very much broken by hills and deep ravines, which offered every facility to them to conceal their troops. The bluffs and dry channels of Chaplin River and Doctor's Fork also gave the enemy every advantage for concealing and massing large bodies of troops. I was assailed by, at least, three divisions. I have since been reliably informed that Gen. Bragg commanded the enemy in person, and that Polk's and Hardee's corps were present upon the field.

Thus ends my account of the part taken by my corps in the battle of Chaplin Hills, the bloodiest battle of modern times, for the number of troops engaged on our side. Rousseau had present on the field seven thousand men, Jackson five thousand five hundred. The brigade of Gooding amounted to about fifteen hundred. The battle was principally fought by Rousseau's division, and if there are, or ever were, better soldiers than the old troops engaged, I have neither seen nor read of them. Great discrimination must be exercised in making a perfectly fair statement, respecting the conduct of the new levies. Exposed as some of them were, to a terrific fire at the onset of the enemy, it would be extraordinary to expect of them the steadiness and composure of veterans. It was also clearly perceptible that the resolution and obstinate resistance displayed by the old troops in the same brigade, or in close proximity had a salutary effect in animating and encouraging the new troops. For instance, in the Ninth brigade, where the Second and Thirty-third Ohio, Thirty-eighth Indiana, and Tenth Wisconsin fought so well, I was proud to see the Ninety-fourth and Ninety-eighth Ohio vie with their brethren in deeds of heroism.

Commanders have found occasion for severe reflections on individuals, whose conduct did not entirely justify the confidence reposed in them by their State and country. These cases, happily but few, compel me the more strongly to awaken the attention of our authorities to a more rigid and careful selection of officers, who may join to their other qualifications the essential ones of courage and honor.

The material of the new levies is evidently as good as in the old regiments. My apology for the misbehavior of some of them is want of discipline and confidence in the field and line officers.

If it were not a great pleasure, my duty compels me, to call the attention of my superiors and


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