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advanced the line of battle about four hundred yards from the river, and awaited the onset.
But he had not long to wait.
In one hour after his arrival on the ground
General Grant struck his little force with two brigades, under
McClernand and
Dougherty, with cavalry and artillery.
The attack was made on both right and left flank almost simultaneously, and was followed up by an assault on the center.
The two wings sustained the shock most gallantly, but the regiment in the centre, being in an open field and exposed to the concentrated fire of the enemy from the cover of the woods, was compelled to retire.
Before the engagement opened,
General Pillow had dispatched to
General Polk for additional ammunition and a regiment of infantry and a section of artillery, to be held as a reserve.
The ammunition was sent, and
Colonel J. Knox Walker's regiment and two companies from
Colonel Logwood's cavalry battalion were immediately forwarded.
Two field batteries, one under command of
Captain W. H. Jackson and the other under command of
Captain Marshall T. Polk, were also forwarded.
Unfortunately, the steamer transporting these batteries lost her stage-planks, so that the landing could not be effected, and the steamer was compelled to return with the guns.
Referring to the time when
General Pillow's line was broken in the center, as above stated,
General Polk says in his official report:
By this time it was obvious that further reinforcements had become necessary, and Colonel Carroll's Fifteenth Tennessee and Colonel Mark's Eleventh Louisiana regiments, which had been ordered to the river bank and were held as a reserve, were ordered forward.
I directed Colonel Marks to land his regiment higher up the river, with a view to a flank movement which he was ordered to make.
Shortly after his landing, he was met by General Pillow, who directed him, with his regiment and that of Colonel Carroll, to move rapidly on the enemy's flank.
General Pillow directed Colonel Russell, with his brigade, to support that movement, and himself accompanied this command during the execution of the movement under Colonel Marks. Captain Jackson, who had reported to General Pillow that he could not get his battery ashore, was attached to his staff and directed to lead this column.
In aiding Lieutenant-Colonel Barrow, who was in immediate command of the Eleventh Louisiana, to bring a portion of the column into line, he fell severely wounded.
We were getting decidedly the worst of it. The situation of affairs at 12 M. is thus reported to
General Polk by
Major Winslow:
About 12 M. I was ordered by you to recross the river and ascertain