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The Confederate line of battle was formed in a bend of what was known as
Baker's Creek, across the Jackson and Vicksburg railroad.
After a desultory fire, the battle commenced in earnest about noon;
Hovey's division attacking the centre of
Pemberton's line, held by
Stevenson's division, while two other divisions of the enemy threatened to turn the
Confederate left.
To relieve the centre,
Gen. Loring was ordered to attack with his own division and that of
Bowen.
Gen. Loring did not attack.
The enemy remained steadily in his front, in heavy force, occupying a series of ridges, wooded, and commanding each other, and forming a very strong position.
Meanwhile
Stevenson's sixty-five hundred troops bore the brunt of the battle, sustained the heavy and repeated attacks of the enemy, broke
Hovey's line, and drove it in disorder.
But there were three other divisions of
Grant's army marching from
Raymond, and about to come into action.
The only reinforcements that came to
Stevenson's overtasked troops, were two brigades of
Bowen.
Loring was inactive; he again disobeyed orders to move to the left, and remained engaged with the movements of the enemy in his front.
Stevenson continued the unequal battle until the enemy's division from
Raymond had arrived on the field, when the
Confederate line at last gave way and broke in confusion from the field.
Gen. Loring states that he was making dispositions for an attack upon the enemy's right, by which he hoped to “overwhelm it and retrieve the day,” when he received orders from
Pemberton to retreat and bring up the rear.
If such an attack was designed, it was too late; the day was already lost.
The retreat of the
Confederates was by the ford and bridge of
Baker's Creek.
As soon as the enemy realized that they were leaving the field, he moved forward in heavy force.
The retreat was covered with great spirit.
Brigadier-Gen. Tilghman, of
Loring's command, having become separated from it, was left with less than fifteen hundred effective men to sustain the attack of six or eight thousand of the enemy, with a fine park of artillery.
But he was advantageously posted; he not only kept the enemy in check, but repulsed him on several occasions, and thus kept open the only line of retreat left to the army.
He was killed as he was serving with his own hands a twelve-pound howitzer.
His bold stand saved a large portion of the army; but the retreating columns were not yet across the stream.
A message was sent to
Gen. Loring: “For God's sake, hold your position until sundown, and save the army.”
A few moments later, a despatch was received from
Gen. Bowen, stating that the
