Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[618] was intended to cover. The rebels came out of the woods at one time, and were forming for a the Thirtieth Illinois, every man of whom dashed at them, and drove them back in confusion.

In the afternoon, on the extreme right, the Eighth Illinois and Thirty-second Ohio charged upon a battery and captured every gun. The Thirty-second will be remembered as one of the regiments surrendered by Colonel Tom Ford, at Harper's Ferry. They displayed great bravery during the engagement, and acted well every part assigned to them.

Lieutenant-Colonel Snook, of the Sixty-eighth Ohio, was killed after the formation of his command into line of battle, and before his regiment had fired a single volley. One of his men had called his attention to a rebel flag, at the edge of the woods, about three hundred yards in front. He walked to the crest of a hill, at the foot of which his command was resting, and, while looking at the flag, was shot in the side. He staggered down the hill and expired in about half an hour.

The result of Logan's fighting was the capture of two batteries of artillery, and the utter rout of the enemy's right. The three brigades of the Third division, commanded by Generals John E. Smith, M. D. Leggett, and John D. Stevenson, nobly sustained the reputation they have long held as true soldiers and brave men. The Ohio brigade was skilfully handled by General Leggett, who is one of the most efficient brigadiers in the Western army. De Golyer's Eighth Michigan battery did splendid execution, driving back the rebel column several times. Captain De Golyer is spoken of in the highest terms by his superior officers.

While Logan and Hovey were busy on the right and centre, Osterhaus and Carr were doing their work finely on the left. They took a full share in the engagement. Osterhaus opened the fight early in the morning. He could not get a very good position for his battery, while the enemy were so situated that they could bring their guns to bear directly upon his advancing columns.

These two divisions were held at bay during a portion of the day, but finally forced their way forward and drove the rebels back. The casualties in the commands of Generals Osterhaus and Carr were much smaller than in Hovey's and Logan's divisions.

General A. J. Smith occupied a position on the extreme left. There was a gap of two miles between him and General Carr. He was not engaged until late in the day, when Logan began to press the rebels on our right, compelling them to move toward him. He sent for reenforcements several times, but did not receive them, and was thrown almost entirely on the defensive. His men acted bravely, however, succeeding, during the day, in capturing two thousand prisoners and twelve pieces of artillery. The rebels, severely punished on our right, fled to the left, only to fall into the net which General Smith's division acted as. Smith's command consists of two brigades — the First under General Burbridge, composed of the Twenty-third Wisconsin, Eighty-third Ohio, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Indiana, and Seventeenth Ohio battery; and the Second under Colonel Landrum, embracing the Nineteenth Kentucky, Forty-eighth Ohio, Seventy-seventh, Seventy-ninth, and One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois, and the Chicago Mercantile battery. The Mercantile claims to have killed General Lloyd Tilghman, with a shell from one of their guns. They say rebel prisoners inform them of the fact.

General Quinby's division of McPherson's corps came up in the rear of Logan's command, and was immediately ordered to the position which Hovey, with Spartan zeal, was endeavoring to hold against an immensely superior force. His support was needed and timely, and soon turned the tide in our favor. Quinby's men were resolutely resisted, but pressed the enemy steadily from the moment of their entrance on the field of action until victory crowned their labors in the evening. Their loss was very heavy.

During the desperate struggle on the left, in which Hovey's division fought against double their numbers, at great disadvantage, the rebels made an attempt to charge the Sixteenth Ohio battery, and would have succeeded in capturing it but for the alacrity with which the pieces were limbered and run to the rear. Our infantry had been driven back, and the battery was left without support. The rebels started for it on the double-quick, and got within a hundred yards of it, when it started at full speed to join our retreating column. A volley of musketry from the enemy mortally wounded Captain Mitchell, commander of the battery. It was thought at first that he was taken prisoner, as his horse came into our lines riderless. He has since been found, however.

Early in the afternoon, a section of company D, Second Illinois artillery, under Captain Rogers, advanced to dangerously close proximity to the rebel lines, and opened two twenty-four pound howitzers, to drive the rebels from a position from which they were about to advance upon our men. They filed out of the woods in excellent order, and formed in front of the battery and within three hundred yards of it. They then marched steadily forward toward the guns, and were about to give their first volley to our battery men, when a double load of canister scattered among them, causing at least fifty to fall. Captain De Golyer's Eighth Michigan battery opened on them also, and gave them several loads of James's rifled shells. The effect of our artillery fire was all that could have been desired for us. It broke the ranks of the rebels, and compelled them to fall back in great disorder. They ran into the woods like a flock of frightened sheep, as load after load of grape and canister burst among them. I have never witnessed a more thorough rout than that which the rebels met with in their attempt to get possession of Captain Rogers's guns.