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

[649] was ordered to resume the march, marching in the rear of General Maury's division. Before reaching the Hatchie, I received an order to push forward, “that General Maury's division had engaged the enemy on the Hatchie, and needed assistance.” I pushed forward as rapidly as the men could possibly travel; when we arrived, however, we found General Cabell's force falling back in good order. I was ordered to form on the left of a road in a field, behind a fence. We threw out skirmishers, who soon engaged those of the enemy, and drove them back. The Fourth brigade came upon a body of the enemy's skirmishers, charged and repulsed them. We here lay still for about half an hour, the enemy in sight, every minute expecting to move forward, but instead, we received orders to “fall back,” which we did without any interruption of the enemy, though they still continued throwing shell as they had been doing all the time; here I had three or four men slightly wounded, I was then ordered to move my division out on the “Boneyard road.” At the crossing of the Hatchie I received orders to proceed to the Ripley road, and bivouack for the night, which I did in line along the road towards Pocahontas, throwing out pickets to give notice of the approach of the enemy. The next morning I resumed the march in good order towards Ripley. During the fight and on the retreat, both officers and soldiers have shown themselves as brave as the most sanguine could desire. All did their duty well, and were I to particularize I would not know where to begin. I cannot, however, refrain from acknowledging my obligations to Captain Wm. B. Pittman, for his promptness in carrying an order through the field when the very atmosphere seemed filled with shot, shell, grape, and canister; also to Major Theo. Johnson, who acted as voluntary aid, and who conveyed orders with great despatch through the hottest firing regardless of danger.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Captain: I have the honor to report the part taken by my command in the engagements before Corinth, on the third and fourth, and at the Hatchie bridge, on the fifth instant.

My brigade consisted of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-first Arkansas regiments, Jones' battalion of Arkansas volunteers, Rapley's battalion of sharpshooters, and the Appeal battery, under Lieutenant Hogg. These regiments were small, making an aggregate of thirteen hundred and sixty-seven (1,367) effective men. On the third instant, in obedience to orders from Brigadier-General Maury, commanding division, my brigade, after crossing the Mississippi and Charleston Railroad, was held in reserve to support the brigades of Generals Moore and Phifer, that was ordered to advance and attack the enemy. I remained within supporting distance of the two brigades with my whole brigade until half-past 3 o'clock, when I was ordered to send two regiments to support General Moore on the right. I sent, at once, the Nineteenth Arkansas regiment, under Colonel Dockey, and the Twentieth Arkansas, under Colonel H. P. Johnson, who became, after arriving on the field of battle, quickly engaged with the enemy, driving the enemy before them with great loss; our loss being small, not over five killed and ten wounded in each regiment After these regiments had been sent off, I received an order from the division commander to move, with the remainder of my brigade, to the support of General Phifer. This order was obeyed promptly. After arriving on the field I found General Phifer's brigade, although much exhausted from heat and dust, had driven the enemy within less than eight hundred (800) yards of their breastworks around the city of Corinth. I immediately formed my line of battle, threw my skirmishers to the front, and engaged the enemy's skirmishers, which enabled General Phifer to withdraw his brigade. After his brigade had been withdrawn, I advanced with my skirmishers, fighting the enemy as far as I deemed it prudent with the small force I lead. I therefore contented myself with holding the position I had, and watching the movements of the enemy, my skirmishers in the meantime keeping up a brisk fire with the enemy's sharpshooters. I am confident they did terrible execution with the enemy's skirmishers. I then captured two fine ambulances and nine prisoners; the enemy during this time kept up a constant fire of grape and canister, which, although furious, did but little harm, as my loss was only two privates killed and five wounded. I was here struck myself on the foot with a spent Minnie ball, which gave me a great deal of pain at the time, but did not disable me. About sundown, after the enemy had drawn all their infantry and artillery inside the inner works, I received an order to report, with my brigade, to General Hebert, on the extreme left, to guard the crossing of a road leading from the Purdy road across to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. I reported, as directed, to General Hebert, who gave me the necessary instructions, and ordered me (by the consent of General Armstrong) to retain a section of Kink's artillery and Colonel McCulloch's regiment of cavalry. Alter making such a disposition of the forces under my command, placing out my pickets to watch the movements of the enemy, and protect our left from a flank movement of the enemy, I remained there until seven o'clock A. M., on the fourth, when I was ordered by General Hebert to move up and report to General Green, to whom he had (being sick) turned over the command of the division. I moved up, as ordered, and reported to General Green