Confederate account of the battle of Perryville.
The
Knoxville (Tenn.) Register has the following account of the
battle of Perryville from a Confederate officer engaged in it:
‘
On the 7th
Buell occupied
Perryville, making it the centre of his line of battle.
On the night of the 7th
Hardee moved up his division, fronting
Buell's army.
On the evening of the 7th a portion of the right wing of the army of the Mississippi (
Cheatham's division, composed of
Donelson's,
Stuart's, and
Maney's brigades,) moved from
Harrodsburg to
Perryville, where they rested on their arms in line of battle till daylight.
The pickets skirmished all night.
On the morning of the 8th, at daylight, at the centre of the lines there were cavalry fights, and many were wounded on both sides.
About half-past 9 o'clock cannonading commenced.
’
At half-past 10 we discovered that the enemy were massing troops on their left to turn our right wing.
At this juncture,
Cheatham's division, above mentioned, was moved from the left to the right of our lines, about one and a half miles.--During all this time a brisk fire of artillery was kept up.
Carnes's battery was immediately brought into action, which, admirably served, did great execution.
(This was
Jackson's battery at
Columbus, Ky.)
Cheatham's division was now about three-fourths of a mile from the enemy and in line of battle,
Donelson's brigade being in advance.
The ground between us and the enemy was broken, but without timber.
It was found necessary to approach nearer the enemy for this reason and because of the superiority of their guns —
Carnes was ordered to advance, and was in this movement supported by
Donelson's brigade.
We advanced about one-fourth of a mile, and the enemy finding their position untenable retired to another.
We again advanced a quarter of a mile, to the summit of a precipitous bluff, which the battery of
Carnes could not ascend.
Our lines were here reformed, and orders were received to advance upon the enemy at a double-quick across open fields unobstructed except by stone and rail fences.
With terrific welts and unbroken front we advanced upon the enemy, two batteries playing upon
Cheatham's Division, advancing under this fire and enflicted by the batteries of the enemy.
When within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy they opened on us with grape and cannister.
When within eighty yards they opened on us with musketry, and now the fight became general.
About this time
Maney's Brigade, with
Donelson's, were sent round to the enemy's extreme left to capture a battery which had been so destructive to us. The battery was taken, and here the
Yankee General,
Jackson, fell.
This was half an hour after the fight became general.
Every inch of ground was bravely contested.
It became known that
Jackson had fallen, and the enemy retired, probably for this reason, but more probably because they could not withstand the impetuous valor of our troops.
About this time, probably a little earlier,
Stuart's brigade moved into action in perfect order and with great coolness.
The troops first engaged, worn and weary, rushed on with
Stuart's men, and the rout on the left became general.
The enemy reformed their lines several times, but were no sooner restored than they were broken.
The fighting was kept up till night put an end to the conflict.
We had then driven the enemy from three to five miles along the whole line of the two armies.
We formed our lines and remained on the ground daring the night.
On the morning of the 9th, believing it would be hazardous with his weary troops to renew the conflict with a reinforced army of the enemy,
Gen. Bragg or
Polk ordered our army back to
Harrodsburg.
We captured all the artillery of the enemy except one battery, and unknown numbers and quantities of all descriptions of small arms.
The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was enormous.
The field of battle was everywhere strown with the killed, wounded, and dying.
In places they were piled up on each other.
We retired in perfect order, each regiment and brigade in proper position, to
camp Dick Robinson and its vicinity, where our army was concentrated.
Our loss in killed, wounded and missing, will not reach 2,500.
The killed in
Cheatham's division number 200, and about 1,250 wounded. This division suffered more.
