Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[650] who ordered me to remain in supporting distance of his brigade, at the same time informing me that I would be subject to orders from my own division commander, Brigadier-General Maury. A short time had elapsed before I received an order from General Maury to move as near General Phifer as I could, taking advantage of the ground to protect my men from a terrific fire of artillery, which I was exposed to from a battery of the enemy on the south side of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. I placed my brigade on the side of a hill protecting them as much as possible from this furious discharge of grape, canister, and shell, that was kept up without a moment's cessation, sufficient to demoralize any troops except such as the troops which composed my brigade. This was within less than seven hundred (700) yards of the breastworks and the town of Corinth, where the First Missouri brigade, under Colonel Gates, was hotly engaged. About eleven o'clock A. M., I received an order from General Maury, delivered by Captain Flowerree, Adjutant-General, to move rapidly to the support of Colonel Gates, who had entered the enemy's breastworks and could not hold it for the want of ammunition. This order was received with a shout by the whole brigade, who had stood this terrible cannonading for more than an hour. Immediately after receiving the order, I moved by the left flank, at double-quick, until I crossed the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. After crossing the railroad, through a terrible fire of artillery, I faced to the front and moved on the enemy's works, the left in the open field and the right and centre through a skirt of woods about fifty yards wide, expecting to find the Missouri brigade. This brigade had, however, fallen back, taking a road on my extreme right. Instead of meeting the Missouri brigade as I had been informed I would, I found the enemy in line of battle just outside of the timber, and about three hundred yards in front of the breastworks. My left became engaged at once, after facing to the front, and the whole line in a few minutes afterwards, when I gave the word “charge.” As soon as the command was given, the whole line moved at double-quick, almost as one man, shouting “Butler,” and driving them until they reached the crest of the enemy's breastworks, where a greater force than I had driven in sprang up, delivering a tremendous volley in the very faces of the greater part of my whole line, which was at that time subject to fire, from the left front of the bastion near the college, as well as to the artillery fire from the battery on the south side of the railroad, and on the left of the work charged. A part of the Twentieth Arkansas regiment, under Colonel Johnson, went over the works inside of Corinth. The numbers of the enemy being so great in front, at the same time being exposed to such a dreadful cross fire of musketry and artillery on my flanks and rear, that my men were compelled to fall back with a very heavy loss of killed and wounded, officers and men.

The courage and daring of my men, who shot the enemy down in their trenches, is beyond all praise; the ground in front of the breastworks was literally covered with the dead and wounded of both friend and foe, the killed and wounded of the enemy being nearly, if not fully, two to one. Those left presented the appearance of men nearly whipped, and convinced me that it was nothing but their reinforcements and superior numbers that kept them from a total rout. My loss, in officers especially, was, I regret to say, very great at this time; a great many, both officers and privates, were wounded and taken prisoners. I lost here three brave and valuable field officers killed--Colonel H. P. Johnson and Major Dane W. Jones, Twentieth Arkansas regiment, and Major Dowdle, Twenty-first Arkansas, and Colonel Daly, Eighteenth Arkansas, mortally wounded (since dead). Lieutenant-Colonel Matheny, Twenty-first Arkansas, wounded. Captain Lynch, Eighteenth Arkansas, and Captain Atkins, Rapley's battalion, two gallant officers, were killed. Colonel Cravens, Twenty-first Arkansas, acted nobly, and had his horse shot under him. Colonel Dockey, Lieutenant-Colonel Disunke, Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, Major Williams, and Major Wilson, distinguished themselves by their gallantry and daring; also, Captain Ashford, who commanded the battalion of sharpshooters (Major Rapley being absent, sick). After being repulsed by an overwhelming force, I received an order to fall back with what was left of my brigade, with the remainder of the army, which I did, taking all the knapsacks and blankets I could with me to the camp on Chewalla, on the south side of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, where we remained until the morning of the fifth. I only numbered, all told, on the morning of the fifth, previous to marching to Davis' bridge, across the Hatchie River, five hundred and fifty (550) men. Mine was the rear brigade in the division, and was, owing to the order of march of that day, some distance in rear of the advance brigade, which became engaged with a greatly superior force of the enemy immediately after crossing the Hatchie River. When the cannonading was first heard in front. I was then crossing the Tuscumbia River, a distance of five miles. I received an order from General Maury, while crossing the river, to move rapidly to the front to the support of General Moore. I moved forward, then, as rapidly as possible, at the double-quick most of the way, until I reached the field of battle, which was then on the east side of the river, and where General Phifer's brigade, with my battery of artillery, which I had sent in the advance, was hotly engaged with the enemy. I immediately, after ascertaining the position of the enemy, formed line of battle, and placed my line on the right of General Phifer's brigade. The enemy opened fire on us at once; we replied instantly, and continued to keep up a perfect musketry duel for about an hour, when I found my cartridges giving out. I immediately issued about ten (10) rounds of cartridges to the men and renewed the fire, which was continued until the enemy ceased