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

[495] Hall, Blake, Duckworth, Ballinger, Twombley, and McCord. After Lieuts. Parker and Twombley, of company F, were wounded, Sergt. James Ferry took charge of the company and displayed marked efficiency and courage. Likewise after the fall of Lieuts. Huntington and Suiter, of company B, Sergt. Lewis (acting Lieutenant) took charge of the company and rendered most satisfactory service. Too much credit cannot be bestowed upon our excellent First Assistant Surgeon Elliott Pyle, then in charge of the medical department of the regiment. He was most indefatigable in his attentions to the wounded; nor upon our Quartermaster, St. John Lyde, who was ever present upon the field to supply the wants of the men. Sergt.-Major Campbell distinguished himself throughout the battle for coolness and bravery. Color-Sergeant Harry Doolittle, whilst supporting the colors, was again wounded, and Color-Corporals Henry A. Seiberlich, G. C. Phillips, G. B. Norris, I. C. Urie, and John H. Stewart were all wounded whilst supporting the old flag.

I join with you and my countrymen in the deepest regret for the gallant slain. Their sacrifices make our Constitution still more valuable to the civilized world, and while we mourn their loss, we can rejoice that they died like true heroes for their beloved country. How precious their memory, how sacred their dust. They died at once in the cause of Christianity and constitutional liberty.

After the fall of Lieut.-Col. Mills, which took place about nine o'clock on Saturday, the command devolved upon myself.

There were thirty-one prisoners and one stand of colors captured by the regiment.

I have the honor to be, Colonel, your most obedient servant,

sir: On the morning of the third instant, at this camp, I received orders to be in readiness to march at three o'clock A. M., with tents and baggage loaded; and at the appointed hour I formed the regiment in line and marched in the direction of Corinth, which place I passed through, and proceeding to a distance of about one half-mile north, formed in line of battle, my regiment constituting the right of the brigade. And in pursuance of your order, I ordered companies A and F to be deployed as skirmishers in front of the brigade at a distance as far as the old intrenchments. About eight o'clock A. M., I moved the regiment from this position a distance of about one half-mile to the left, and took a position immediately on the left of the Twelfth Wisconsin battery. At about nine o'clock A. M., I received orders to change position and marched in a northwesterly direction about one and a half miles, and formed a line of battle on the left, and in support of the Twelfth Wisconsin battery, where I remained about one hour, when I was ordered farther to the left and rear, and formed line near an old farm-house north-east from a battery of the enemy, and within easy range of its shells, several of which fell both in rear and front of the line. I then ordered the regiment to the rear about two hundred yards, which was marched in line of battle, and took a position on the road. Remaining here near a half-hour, I formed column and was conducted by yourself in person in the direction of the enemy's battery, to the left and front of my late position, through dense woods and brush, passing the line of our skirmishers. On arriving near the line of the M. & C. R. R., came upon the line of the enemy's skirmishers, and passing through it, took about twenty of them prisoners, and ordered them to the rear. I ordered a line to be formed on the railroad. During the execution of the order the enemy opened on us at a distance of about one hundred and fifty yards a most destructive fire of grape. and canister, in which several of my men were wounded; but, notwithstanding the severe fire, the line was formed on the railroad in excellent order, and while in this position the fire from their batteries was kept up, raking the ground, and would have done an immense damage but for the fact that at the point where the line was formed on the track there had been a cut about five feet in depth, the back of which formed a good shelter, their balls passing over our heads, and many of them lodging in the opposite bank, so closely had they raked the ground. Seeing an attempt on the part of the enemy to move forward one of their batteries to a point on the railroad, on our right, from which they could open upon us an enfilading fire, I ordered the regiment to file into the dense woods in our rear by the left flank. Having cleared the track in time to avoid a raking fire, I again formed a line of battle and marched to the rear under the incessant fire of their battery, whose firing had now become too high to do much damage. On arriving at the road, we followed it to the left until our left arrived at a white house situated on a road leading directly to the front. On this road the pickets of the enemy were posted in full view, about one hundred and fifty yards in front of us.

In this position I deployed the regiment as skirmishers to the right, and remained till morning. On the morning of the fourth I marched to the left and rear. about one mile, and formed a line of battle immediately on the right of the Sixth Mississippi battery. At about ten o'clock A. M., the firing of the skirmishers in front of us became rapid, and the advancing columns of the enemy soon drove them back, but they rallied to a point directly in front of our line, and until they had again retired to our rear I could not order my regiment to fire. But as soon as the space in front was cleared I gave the order to commence firing, which was kept up with spirit, but without very materially checking the advance of the enemy, who approached us in overwhelming numbers. My men had fired from fifteen to