Confederate account of the battle of Lukas.
A correspondent of the Jackson
Mississippian, gives the following account of the fight near Lukas (a Northern story of which we publish in another part of this paper:)
‘
Friday morning,
Col. Ord sent in a flag demanding the unconditional surrender of
General Price's army, stating that the army of
Gen. Lee had been destroyed in
Virginia;
Longstreet and
Hill, with their entire divisions captured; that the war was now virtually closed and as he wished to prevent the useless shedding of blood, he demanded an unconditional surrender.
That he (
Gen. Price) was completely surrounded by an overwhelming, force, and could not escape.
’
General Price replied that whenever the independence of the Southern Confederacy was acknowledged, her rights respected and the Vandal hordes of the
North were driven from her soil; that then, and then only, would he and his army be willing and ready to lay down their arms.
General Price, in obedience to orders from
General Van-
Dorn, and being almost destitute of forage, unable to cross the
Tennessee river, prevented from passing down towards
Corinth by the unfavorable condition of the country.
The enemy having possession of the western bank of
Yellow Creek, determined to fall back to
Baldwin, and there unite with
Gen. Van-
Dorn.
The order to fall back was issued Friday morning at 9 o'clock, when no one dreamed of an attack.
On Friday evening at 2 o'clock, the enemy, in line of battle, approached our outpost.
Heavy skirmishing ensued.
At 3 o'clock
Gen. Price ordered up the 4th brigade.
When they reached their position they found the enemy in line of battle holding a good position on a hill.
The order was given to charge them, which charge drove the enemy back two hundred yards into a ditch formed by the road from
Fulton to
Eastport, and directly under their cannon, which were masked.
Gen. Price had now reached the field.
The firing had almost ceased.
Gen. Herbert and
Col. Martin, commanding brigades with
Whitfield's Legion, being all the force in line.
Gen. Price ordered up
Gens. Gregg's and
Green's brigades, to form on the left, charge the enemy and press them down on
Gen. Murey's division, he being on the right.
Before the arrival of their brigades,
Gen. Price ascertained that the enemy were lying in the road, sheltered from our artillery.
They were firing but one gun, and that on our right.
The gallant and lamented
Gen. Little suggested that as they seemed to have but one gun in position.
If the line would move forward, the battle could soon be won. The order was given.
Our man immerged from the under brush in line.
They were then met by as terrific a fire from masked batteries and concealed musketry as was ever encountered.
But the invincible 3d Louisiana, 3d Tennessee, and 37th Alabama stood like statuary.
When the order to charge was given they rushed headlong through the sheet of fire and lead, drove the enemy from their position and guns.
Whitfield's legion pressing on the right, the enemy would resist and fall back until they were driven half a mile losing nine guns.
It was now dark,
Gens.
Green and
Gregg arrived, but too late to enter the flight.
One hour of daylight, and the entire Yankee division would have been captured.
We held the field all night brought in the wounded, and evacuated the place in accordance with the order issued in the morning.
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing 482; that of the enemy
General Price brought off his entire train and captured stores.
