Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Our forces consisted of Brig.-Gen. Patton Anderson's division, composed of Col. Powell's brigade of the Twenty-fourth Mississippi, First Arkansas, Forty-fifth Alabama, Twenty-ninth Tennessee, and Barrett's battery; Gen. Adams's brigade of the Thirteenth, Sixteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-fifth Louisiana, and Slocomb's battery of Washington Artillery, who took position on our left; Col. Jones's brigade of the Twenty-seventh, Thirtieth, Thirty-seventh Mississippi, and Lumsden's battery; and Gen. Brown's brigade of the First and Third Florida, Forty-first Mississippi, and Palmer's battery, formed our centre. Gen. Buckner's division, which was posted on our extreme right, with Anderson's division, formed the “left wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Major-Gen. Hardee. The Cheatham's and Withers' divisions formed the “right wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Major-Gen. Polk; Withers's division was absent, being with Major-Gen. Kirby Smith.

Thus we had but three divisions in the field. Before the battle commenced, Gen. Cheatham, who had been in position on our extreme left, was ordered to our rear, between Perryville and Harrodsburgh, Gen. Bragg having anticipated that the greatest force of the enemy was pressing on our right to cut us off from connection with Harrodsburgh. The reverse, unfortunately, proved the case; as the greatest force of the enemy was on our left. As I have stated, the lion-hearted Liddell opened the fire on our right, the supposition being that we were fighting the right wing only of Buell's army. Gens. Jones and Brown, on the centre, acted with Gen. Liddell, and Gen. Brown being wounded early in the action, the command of his brigade, the First, devolved on Col. W. Miller, of the First Florida regiment, who fought most gallantly, being the last to leave the ground on the next morning towards two o'clock.

The engagement on our left did not commence until about noon, and then it was only skirmishing for a considerable time, Col. Powell's brigade holding the extreme left of our lines, and gallantly driving the enemy back for about a mile, against superior forces. It was about this time, towards four P. M., when Gen. Smith's brigade, belonging to Cheatham's division, was ordered back to our assistance, that Gen. Adams, with his brave Louisianians, was holding the enemy in check against fearful odds, when he was forced to fall back from his position. Gen. Hardee, seeing the importance of holding the point, ordered Gen. Adams to retake it, telling him he would be supported by reinforcements. It was while advancing again, and anxiously looking for the reenforcements, that General Adams, seeing that the gallant young Major Austin (commanding a battalion of sharp-shooters) was picking off, be-hind a stone fence, what Adams supposed to be our own men, ordered him to cease firing.

“I tell you, sir, they are Yankees,” cried the excited Austin. “I think not, and you had better go forward first and ascertain,” replied Adams. “I go, sir, but I don't think it necessary, for I know they are Yankees,” insisted Austin. “Well,” said Adams, “I will go myself,” and dashing forward on his charger, he had not proceeded one hundred yards when a furious storm of Minie balls whizzed by his ears from the enemy, who were shooting from a rest at him from behind a stone wall! The General turned immediately, and riding up, cried out: “You're, right, Major — they are Yankees, and you may give them goss.” Austin then poured in a deadly fire, the Washington artillery, Slocomb's battery, also, doing terrible execution, driving the enemy back with fearful slaughter. Towards six o'clock, as I have said, the firing became incessant on both sides. There stood Adams, with his little brigade, holding back a division of the enemy, left as it were alone to his fate, until, seeing there was no chance of being reinforced, he gradually fell back, in most excellent order, but not without considerable loss.

It was at this time the cheering was heard on the part of the enemy, in the centre, and which was returned by our troops, which led us to believe that the enemy was being routed, when they opened a battery and shelled us from the Schoolhouse Ridge. Soon after this, night came on and closed the scene of strife, our troops sleeping on and remaining victors of the battlefield, besides capturing over five hundred prisoners. Our loss is estimated at between two and three thousand killed and wounded. The enemy's loss, at a low estimate, is between five and six thousand. Among the killed is Major-Gen. J. S. Jackson; Brig.-Gens. Ratcliff and Terrell wounded. We took eleven pieces of the enemy's cannon, destroyed four, and brought seven off the field. It was another battle of Shiloh, without any decisive results. Had we have had five thousand more men, or had Withers been with us, we would have completely routed and annihilated the enemy, leaving us the way clear to Louisville. No troops in the world ever fought with such desperate courage as ours. Whole regiments of our men went into that fight barefooted, fought barefooted, and had marched barefooted from Chattanooga! The First Tennessee, Col. Field, formerly Gen. Haney's old regiment, went into the fight with three hundred and eighty men, and lost all but ninety! Lieut.-Col. Patterson was killed, and eight captains out of the ten.

On the same day Gen. Kirby Smith whipped Gen. Tom Crittenden's forces between Lawrenceburgh and Salvisa. Gen. Withers, with Gen. Morgan, capturing seven hundred and forty prisoners and an ammunition train of wagons. On the next morning, the ninth, our infantry fell back from Perryville towards Harrodsburgh, and our cavalry on the Danville pike. At twelve M. the enemy hoisted a white flag over the town, and