[515]
from Gen. Terrell or myself, the battery had been taken by the enemy, and the troops driven back from the open ground on the knob to the skirt of woods, thus extending our left; and it was impossible to then recover the body of our fallen General.
From this time up to five P. M. the battle raged with great fury and with varied success on both sides.
Two regiments, the Second and Ninety-fourth Ohio, belonging to Gen. Rousseau's division, had come into our lines between the two batteries, and behaved most gallantly.
Finding no enemy in front of Colonel Webster's brigade, which never lost a foot of ground up to this time, Col. Webster rode off with me a little to the rear, where we found Gen. McCook.
He rode with us up to Colonel Webster's command, and reported that his right was being heavily pressed and falling back.
He and all of us then saw the progress of the enemy on Colonel Webster's right, as evidenced by the steady approach through the corn of a flag with a black ball in the centre of a white ground, and he had scarcely time to change the front of Colonel Webster's command, which was then all on exposed ground, when the enemy's infantry, arriving on the edge of the corn, opened fire upon them.
The regiments moved down at a double-quick to the right-face and formed in the woods, when they opened a deadly volley on the enemy, who were found in large numbers on the ground the next morning, (they were killed, I believe, mostly by the rifles of the Ninety-eighth Ohio.) They however still advanced, preventing Capt. Harris from getting the whole of his battery off. Heavy firing all along this changed front still continued.
The line, so far as was observable from this division, was then at a right angle with the main road, instead of parallel with it as before, when fresh troops from the extreme right rushed in with rapidity and gallantry, checking the further advance of the enemy, and closing the fight at dark.
At about half-past 5 P. M. Colonel George Webster fell from his horse mortally wounded.
No man on that battle-field displayed more of the characteristics of the soldier than he. He fully understood and most faithfully discharged his duty.
Of General Terrell's fatal wound I was not apprised until the battle closed, when I found him lying prostrate and receiving every aid and comfort from his devoted staff.
Up to the time of the loss of Lieutenant Parsons's battery, both he and his Adjutant-General, Captain William P. Anderson, displayed such courage and persistent energy as is not to be surpassed.
Lieut. Parsons, whom I met passing through our lines after the loss of his battery, appeared perfectly unmanned and broken-hearted.
His only remark was: “I could not help it, Captain; it was not my fault.”
Captain Harris, commanding the battery on the right, is, with his men, entitled to all praise for their steady fire, continued for three and a half hours. I cannot conceive a battery to be better served than his was.
Too high praise cannot be given to Lieutenant E. E. Kennon, Acting Adjutant to the Thirty-fourth brigade, and to Lieutenant John Collins, of the Ninety-eighth Ohio, Aid to Col. Webster.
It would be hard to conceive of two young officers performing their duties with more unflinching courage than they showed.
With the exception of Captain S. M. Starling, Inspector-General of Infantry and Ordnance, all the staff-officers left me and I believe reported to General McCook.
On the decease of our General, Captain B. D. Williams, Division Quartermaster, knowing well the topography of the country, was detailed before the engagement on General McCook's staff; and of him and of the other staff-officers I have no doubt high praise will be awarded by the General commanding the corps.
At one time I found Lewis Craig, a volunteer aid, bravely rallying a regiment then in disorder.
Captain Starling, who staid with me during the whole engagement, rendered most valuable assistance.
He joined the service only when the division was formed in Louisville, yet appreciated at a glance the importance of many positions, and aided personally in maintaining them.
His coolness and courage are unsurpassed.
Nor was the courage of the troops at all at fault.
It must be remembered that the position of the two batteries, forming our right and left, was taken without regard to the line of infantry battle, yet our entire force, with the exception of two regiments, was formed between the two.
And from the contracted space, and from the fact that all the men and most of the officers being of the last and recent call, were without experience in such matters, many times the men went up in line of battle and delivered their fire four, five, and six deep.
Many of the officers, whose names I never knew, did their whole duty.
Some failed, and amongst them I regret to report Colonel J. R. Taylor, of the Fiftieth Ohio.
He, although on the field, and in sight of his men, was of no service to them.
The first position that I saw him in, was lying on his face, crouching behind a stump, and twice subsequently I saw him far to the rear of his regiment, whilst his men were in line of battle, apparently trying to rally some half a dozen stragglers.
I annex a statement of killed, wounded, and missing, amounting to near twenty per cent of the force engaged.
The loss of our General, crushing as it is to this young division, falling as he did so early in the fight, will be felt more deeply by many of his brother commanders whose friend he had been, and whose friends they were.
But none will miss him more, or mourn his death more sincerely than I, who have been so near him during this unhappy war.
Your obedient servant,
Percival P. Oldenhaw, A. A.G. and Chief of Staff.
