unseemly haste, then all the troops of Gen. Jack
son s division will hereafter be classed among the
veterans of the Union army.
The partial success of the rebels upon this
division, encouraged them to recommence the at
tack upon Rousseau, and now began one of the
bloodiest passages at arms which has occurred
during the war. I witnessed it from beginning
to end, and gazed upon it with an indescribable
horror, which took away all sense of danger.
Those whom I have longest known and best
loved in the whole Union army here fought and
fell
scores before my eyes, and died in every
terrible form of death. I may behold great bat
tles hereafter, and my heart may become some
what callous to their bloody scenes, but never
shall I forget what I saw at that time, nor will
the impression made thereby ever pass away.
The Seventeenth brigade (Col. W. H. Lytle,
Of the Tenth Ohio, commanding) formed, as I
have said, the right of Rousseau s division, and it
sustained the heaviest
fire, and as long as it remained upon the hill its
ranks were continually ploughed by the terrible
discharges from the enemy s artillery.
But while it remained there, (and it remained
until a third of its number strewed the field,) it
never for an instant ceased to belch forth a volley
of flame into the face of the foe, nor could the
rebel legions, with all their desperation, summon
courage to charge it. Every officer stood like a
rock to his post, andjhe gallant Col. Beatty, dis
mounting from his unmanageable horse, placed
himself coolly and calmly in the centre of his
regiment, cheered both by voice and example his
dauntless men, and seemed totally unconscious
that death was everywhere around and about
At last a shell from the rebel cannon set fire
to a pile of straw, the flame of which instantly
communicated to a large barn upon which the
right wing of the Third Ohio rested. In a mo
ment the whole was in a blaze ; the heat became
intense and unendurable, and though some of the
heroes stood until their faces were blistered rath
er than break their ranks, they were compelled
at length to retire in confusion upon the centre
and left of the regiment, which they also threw
into disorder. Slowly and reluctantly the oilicers
DOCUMENTS.
501
began to follow their men down the hill, at the
foot of which they immediately re-formed the torr
and bleeding ranks.
Daring this time the Fifteenth Kentucky, Col.
Curran Pope, which was in the rear of the Third
Ohio, and under shelter of the hill, became in
tensely anxious to advance, and more than once
sent up to ask the Third Ohio to retire, and allow
them for a time to face the foe. As soon as the
disaster of the burning barn threw the Third into
disorder, Col. Pope shouted " forward " to his
regiment, and with the utmost alacrity it rushed
up the eminence. No matter that muskets, rifles,
cannons hurled immediately against it every dead
ly missile of war ; no matter that the roar of
musketry and artillery which greeted its appear
ance sounded not like successive volleys, but like
the continued rattle of ten thousand drums. No
matter that its ranks were decimated ere it had
been there a single minute ; it stood like a wall
until Lieut-Col. Jouett and Major Campbell were
both killed, and Col. Pope was wounded and his
horse shot from under him. Then it retired, and
rallied at the foot of the hill.
All this time the Tenth Ohio were lying upon
their faces to the left of the Third, near the sum
mit of the same hill, and upon the other side of a
lane, as I have before mentioned. And now oc
curred the most terrible disaster of the day.
The retreat of the Third Ohio and Fifteenth
Kentucky had left the right wing of the Tenth
uncovered, and a whole brigade of the enemy,
forming in mass, advanced toward them over
ground of such a nature that if the Tenth did not
receive warning from some source, the rebel col
umn would be upon them and annihilate them
before they could rise from their faces and change
front. Colonel Lytle was expecting the enemy to
appear in his front, over the crest of the hill, and
had intended to have the gallant Tenth charge
them with the bayonet.
And they still lay upon their faces, while the
enemy was advancing upon their flank, stealthily
as a cat steals upon her prey. Nearer and near
er they come. Great heavens ! will no one tell
the Tenth of their fearful peril ? Where is the
eagle eye which ought to overlook the field, and
send swift-footed couriers to save this illustrious
band from destruction? Alas! there is none.
The heroes of Carnifex are doomed. The mass
of rebels, which a rising ground just to the right
of the Tenth has hitherto concealed from view,
rush upon the hapless regiment, and from the
distance of a hundred yards pour into it an anni
hilating fire, even while the men are still upon
their faces. Overwhelmed and confounded, they
leap to their feet and vainly endeavor to change
front and meet the enemy. It is impossible to
do it beneath that withering, murderous fire ;
and for the first time in its history the Tenth
regiment turns its back upon the enemy. They
will not run ; they only walk away, and they are
mowed down by scores as they do so.
The noble, gifted, generous Lytle, the Cheva
lier Bayard of the Ohio troops, was pierced with
bullets and fell where the storm was fiercest.
One of his sergeants lifted him in his arms and
was endeavoring to bear him from the field.
You may do sour.; good yet," said the hero ; " j
can do no more ; let me die here." lie was left
there, and fell into the hands of the enemy. It
is fervently hoped that his wounds were not mor
tal, and that he may yet again be restored to u*
to fight for the cause he loved so well. The
brave Major Moore was badly wounded while
doing all in his power to retrieve the terrible
blunder which some one had made. Lieut-Col.
Burke, with almost superhuman courage, endeav
ored to rally his men, succeeding at last, and
forming the shattered remains of the Tenth in
line of battle a considerable distance to the left.
During all these bloody conflicts, Gen. Rous
seau seemed everywhere present, and, as if he
possessed a charmed life, rode fearlessly amidst
the iron hail, directing and encouraging his men.
If the " dark and bloody ground" had furnished
for the Union army only two such men as Pope
and Rousseau, the patriot might cry exultin< ir lv
" Well done, Kentucky !"
While the Tenth Ohio was being so terribly
cut up, another immense body of rebels filed off
to the left, disappeared behind the woods fronting
General Sheridan s division, and soon after com
menced a desperate assault upon our right and
right centre. But Mitchell and Sheridan were
ready to receive them, and the high hill to the
right of the road, occupied by the latter in the
morning, instantly became a huge volcano, belch
ing forth from every quarter volumes of fire and
smoke, and flinging into the midst of the dis
mayed and staggering traitors, ten thousand pro
jectiles, dcadl}" as a volley of stones shot from
the crater of Etna. After vainly endeavoring to
storm the hill, the shattered masses of the enemy
gave way, and were pursued by General Mitchell
be} r ond Perryville.
And now while the Seventeenth brigade was
still struggling gloriously, and even after its
frightful losses, was actually holding the rebels
in check, the Ninth and Twenty-eighth brigades,
both of which had borne a distinguished part so
far, came to the rescue. A half-dozen regiments
ushed up along the crest of an eminence situated
to the left, and with loud shouts bore down upon
the enemy. Around a farm-house to the left of
the Seventeenth brigade and in a woods in front
of it, (the same under cover of which the rebels
iad advanced in their assault upon Jackson s di
vision,) the combat raged with unintermitted fury
br more than half an hour. But when the at-
;ack upon our right was repulsed, the enemy re-
,ired from this portion of the field.
Just about sundown a last despairing effort of
,he baffled foe was made upon the right of Rous
seau s division. Our line of battle in all this part
f the field, had now completely changed direction,
ranging from north to south instead of from east
to west, as in the beginning of the day. A bat
tery, which I believe was Captain Loomis s, re
pulsed this last assault. Bat the firing of artil
lery continued half an hour into the night, form
ing a scene awfully sublime. At last its thunder
532
REBELLION" RECORD, 1862.
ceased as by mutual consent, and the Union army
lay down upon its arms while the rebel hordes
silently and rapidly resumed their retreat, leav
ing us in possession of the field of battle, and
large numbers of their dead and wounded in our
hands.
I visited the various hospitals the next morn
ing, and rode over the field of battle, where num
bers of the slain and too many of the wounded
were still lying, and I estimate our loss at five
hundred killed and twelve hundred wounded,
although I am, perhaps, the only person, that
has yet made an estimate, who puts it so low.
I do not believe the enemy s loss was greater,
but I think it was equally severe. A few hun
dred prisoners were taken by each side. We
lost seven pieces of cannon, and captured a num
ber of wagons and ambulances. Several of the
rebel guns were disabled, and may now be in our
possession.
When the writer of this left the field, our forces
were still in line of battle, expecting a renewal of
the rebel attack ; and consequently he could ob
tain only a few names of the killed and wounded.
From those presented here, nothing can be infer
red as to the fate of those not named. Y. S.
REBEL REPORTS AND NARRATIVES.
GENERAL BRAGG S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT No. 2, )
BRYANTSVILLE, KY., Oct. 12. f
SIR: Finding the enemy pressing heavily in
his rear, near Perryville, Major-General Hardee,
of Folk s command, was obliged to halt and check
him at that point. Having arrived at Harrods-
burgh from Frankfort, I determined to give him
battle there, and accordingly concentrated three
divisions of my old command the army of the
Mississippi, now under command of Major-Gene-
ral Polk Cheatham s, Buckner s and Anderson s,
and directed Gen. Polk to take the command on
the seventh, and attack the enemy the next morn
ing. Withers s division had gone the day before
to support Smith. Hearing, on the night of the
seventh, that the force in front of Smith had rap
idly retreated, I moved earty next morning, to be
present at the operations of Polk s command.
The two armies were formed confronting each
other, on opposite sides of the town of Perryville.
After consulting the General and reconnoitring
the ground and examining his dispositions, I de
clined to assume the command, but suggested
some change and modifications of his arrange
ments, which he promptly adopted. The action
opened at half-past twelve P.M. between the
skirmishers and artillery on both sides. Find
ing the enemy indisposed to advance upon us,
arid knowing he was receiving heavy reenforce-
ments, I deemed it best to assail him vigorously,
and so directed.
The engagement became general soon there
after, and was continued furiously from that time
to dark, our troops never faltering and never fail
ing in their efforts.
For the time engaged it was the severest and
most desperately contested engagement within my
knowledge. Fearfully outnumbered, our troops
did not hesitate to engage at any odds, and though
checked at times, they eventually carried every
position, and drove the enemy about two miles.
But for the intervention of night, we should have
completed the work. We had captured fifteen
pieces of artillery by the most daring charges,
killed one and wounded two brigadier-generals,
and a very large number of inferior officers and
men, estimated at no less than four thousand,
and captured four hundred prisoners, including
three staff-officers, with servants, carriage and
baggage of Major-General McCook.
The ground was literally covered with his dead
and wounded. In such a contest our own loss
was necessarily severe, probably not less than
twenty-five hundred killed, wounded and miss
ing. Included in the wounded are Brigadier-
Generals Wood, Cleburn and Brown, gallant and
noble soldiers, whose loss will be severely felt by
their commands. To Major-General Polk, com
manding the forces, Major-General Hardee, com
manding the left wing, two divisions, and Major-
Generals Cheatham, Buckner and Anderson,
commanding divisions, are mainly due the bril
liant achievements of this memorable field. No
bler troops were never more gallantly led. The
country owes them a debt of gratitude which I
am sure will be acknowledged.
Ascertaining that the enemy was heavily reen-
forced during the night, I withdrew my force
early the next morning to Harrodsburgh, and
thence to this point. Major-Gen. Smith arrived
at Harrodsburgh with most of his force and
Withers s division the next day, tenth, and yes
terday I withdrew the whole to this point, the
enemy following slowly but not pressing us. I
am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
BRAXTON BRAGG,
General Commanding.
To Adjutant-General, Richmond, Va.
KNOXVILLE "REGISTER" ACCOUNT.
KNOXVILLH, Oct 18,1863.
Col. Pv, C. Tyler, of the Fifteenth Tennessee
regiment, reached this city yesterday, directly
from the scene of conflict in Kentucky. He ad
vises us that the skirmishing commenced on the
sixth between the cavalry, and occasionally there
was an artillery duel. On the seventh Buell oc
cupied Perryville, making it the centre of his line
of battle. On the night of the seventh Hardee
moved up his division, fronting Buell s army.
On the evening of the seventh a portion of the
right wing of the army of the Mississippi (Cheat-
ham s division, composed of Donelson s, Stuart s
and Maney s brigades) moved from Harrodsburgh
to Perryville, where they rested on their arms in
line of battle till daylight. The pickets skir
mished all night. On the morning of the eighth,
at daylight, at the centre of the lines, there were
cavalry fights, and many were wounded on both
sides. About half-past nine o clock cannonading
commenced.
At half-past ten we discovered that the enemy
DOCUMENTS.
were massing troops on their left to turn our
right wing. At this juncture Chcatham s divi
sion, above-mentioned, was moved from the left
to the right of our lines, about one and a half
mile. During all this time a brisk fire of artil
lery was kept up. Games s battery was imme
diately brought into action, which, admirably
served, did great execution. (This was Jack
son 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 ne
cessary to approach nearer the enemy for this
reason, and because of the superiority of their
guns. Carncs was ordered to advance, and was
in this movement supported by Donelson s bri
gade. 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
re-formed, 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 yells and unbroken front
we advanced upon the enemy, two batteries play
ing upon Cheatham s division, advancing under
this fire and enfiladed by the batteries of the ene
my. When within one hundred and fifty yards
of the enemy they opened on us with grape and
canister. 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 ex
treme 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 re-formed 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 during the night. On the morning of the
ninth, believing it would be hazardous with his
ro.now t.ho, conflict, with a rccn-
Polk
weary troops to renew the conflict with a
forced army of the enemy, Gen. Bragg or
ordered our army back to Ilarrodsburgh.
AVe captured all the artillery of the enemy
except one
quantities
The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded
was enormous. The field of battle was every
where strewn with the killed, wounded and dy
ing. In places they were piled up on each other.
We retired in perfect order, each regiment and
brigade in proper position, to Camp Dick Robin
son and its vicinity, where our army was concen
trated. Our loss in killed, wounded and missing
will not reach two thousand five hundred. The
killed in Cheatham s division number two hundred
and nine and about one thousand two hundred and
fifty wounded. This division suffered most.
At half-past four o clock on Monday morning,
thirteenth instant, Col. Tyler left Gen. Polk, and
of subsequent events he is of course not advised.
Tennesseeans in this fierce conflict maintained
their ancient reputation for distinguished valor,
not only maintaining it, but winning new and
imperishable laurels. The instances of indrvidual
valor occurring among these troops in this bloody
conflict would fill a volume.
Polk, Cheatham, Donelson, and all our leaders
were every where seen cheering on our troops
with reckless exposure of their persons to the
hottest fire of the enemy.
Gen. Withers s division was not in the fight,
being in our rear, between us and Gen. Kirby
Smith. We took in this (Wednesday s) fight about
five hundred prisoners. Hardee s command and
three brigades of Cheatham s division were alone
engaged.
In addition to details given, we furnish a letter
from Col. Vaughn, the gallant commander of the
Third Tennessee regiment. His statements con
firm the news published.
HARRODSBURGK, Kv., Oct. 10 7 P.M.
On the eighth instant Gen. Bragg s forces met
the enemy, ten miles west of here, and a bloody
fight ensued. We had from three hundred to
five hundred killed and probably one thousand
wounded. The enemy s loss more than ours.
We captured some five hundred prisoners and
twelve pieces of artillery. They were reenforced
during the night, and our forces fell back to this
place. No fight to-day, but will come off to-mor-
rov/. Gen. Smith has this evening formed a junc
tion with Bragg s army ; the enemy within eight
miles of us. Near Lawrenceburgh, on yesterday,
our army captured eight hundred prisoners and
thirty-one loaded wagons, and the balance of a
division got away and has joined the main army.
Hastily yours, J. C. VAUCHX.
MOBILE "REGISTER" ACCOUNT.
A correspondent of the Mobile Register end
Advertiser gives the annexed particulars of the
fight:
The forces opposed to us at Perryville consist
ed of the rteht wing of the " army of the Ohio,"
composed of Bucll s veteran army, Major-General
George W. Thomas as commander-in-chief of the
field, (Buell being in command ,f the Depart
ment of Ohio, at Louisville,) and General Alex
j battery, and unknown numbers and I ander McCook, commanding the first corps
of all descriptions of small arms. I fought three divisions of fifteen thousand
We
men
534
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
against nine divisions of the Abolition army,
composed at least of live thousand each, making
forty-five thousand men. Gens. Rousseau, J. S.
Jackson and Sill were among the division com
manders.
Our forces consisted of Brig. -Gen. Patton x\n-
derson s division, composed of Col. Powell s bri
gade of the Twenty-fourth Mississippi, First Ar
kansas, Forty-fifth Alabama, Twenty-ninth Ten
nessee, and Barrett s battery ; Gen. Adams s bri
gade of the Thirteenth, Sixteenth, Twentieth,
Twenty-fifth Louisiana, and Slocomb s battery
of Washington Artillery, who took position on
our left ; Col. Jones s brigade of the Twenty-sev
enth, Thirtieth, Thirty-seventh Mississippi, and
Lumsden s battery ; and Gen. Brown s brigade
of the First and Third Florida, Forty-first Mis
sissippi, and Palmer s battery, formed our centre.
Gen. Buckner s division, which was posted on our
extreme right, with Anderson s division, formed
the " left wing of the army of the Mississippi,"
under Major-Gen. Hardee. The Cheatham s and
Withers s divisions formed the "right wing of
the army of the Mississippi," under Major-Gen.
Polk ; Withers s division was absent, being with
Major-Gen. Kirby Smith.
Thus we had but three divisions in the field.
Before the battle commenced, Gen. Cheatham,
who had been in position on our extreme left,
was ordered to our rear, between Perryville and
Harrodsburgh, Gen. Bragg having anticipated that
the greatest force of the enemy was pressing on
our right to cut us off from connection with Har
rodsburgh. The reverse, unfortunately, proved
the case, as the greatest force of the enemy was
on our left. As I have stated, the lion-hearted
Liddell opened the fire on our right, the supposi
tion being that we were fighting the right wing-
only of Buell s army. Gens. Jones and Brown,
on the centre, acted with Gen. Liddell, and Gen.
Brown being wounded early in the action, the
command of his brigade, the First, devolved on
Col. W. Miller, of the First Florida regiment,
who fought most gallantly, being the last to leave
the ground on the next morning towards two
o clock.
The engagement on our left did not commence
until about noon, and then it was only skirmish
ing for a considerable time, Col. Powell s brigade
holding the extreme left of our lines, and gal
lantly driving the enemy back for about a mile,
against superior forces. It was about this time,
towards four P.M., when Gen. Smith s brigade,
belonging to Cheatham s division, was ordered
back "to our assistance, that Gen. Adams, with
his brave Louisianians, was holding the enemy
in check against fearful odds, when he was forced
to fall back from his position. Gen. Ilardee, see
ing the importance of holding the point, ordered
Gen. Adams to retake it, telling him he would
be supported by reinforcements. It was while
advancing again, and anxiously looking for the
reentbrcements, that General Adams, seeing that
the gallant young Major Austin (commanding a
battalion of sharp-shooters) was picking off, be
hind a stone fence, what Adams supposed to ba
our own men, ordered him to cease firing.
" I tell you, sir, they are Yankees," cried the
excited Austin. " I think not, and you had better
go forward first and ascertain," replied Adams.
" I go, sir, but I don t think it necessary, for
I know they are Yankees," insisted Austin.
"Well," said Adams, "I will go myself," and
dashing forward on his charger, he had not pro
ceeded one hundred yards when a furious storm
of Minie balls whizzed by his ears from the en
emy, who were shooting from a rest at him from
behind a stone wall ! The General turned im
mediately, and riding up, cried out : " You re
right, M;ijor they are Yankees, and you ma}
give them goss." Austin then poured in a dead
ly fire, the Washington artillery, Slocomb s bat
tery, also, doing terrible execution, driving the
enemy back with fearful slaughter. Towards six
o clock, as I have said, the firing became inces
sant on both sides. There stood Adams, with
his little brigade, holding back a division of the
enemy, left as it were alone to his fate, until,
seeing there was no chance of being reenforced,
he gradually fell back, in most excellent order,
but not without considerable loss.
It was at this time the cheering was heard on
the part of the cnem} r , in the centre, and which
was returned by our troops, which led us to be
lieve that the enemy was being routed, when