HEADQUARTERS 21ST MO. INFANTRY, }
6TH DIVISION, ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, }
APRIL 11TH, 1862. }
SIR:--In pursuance of the order of Brig. Gen. B. M. Prentiss,
commanding 6th Division, Army of West Tennessee, I, on Saturday,
(April 5th,) proceeded to a reconnoisance on the front of the line of
Gen. Prentiss’ division, and on the front of Gen. Sherman’s division.
My command consisted of three companies from the 21st Missouri
Regiment, companies commanded by Capt’s Cox, Harle and Pearce. A
thorough reconnoisance over the extent of three miles failed to
discover the enemy. Being unsuccessful, as stated, I returned to my
encampment about 7 p. m. On Sunday morning, the 6th inst., at about 6
o’clock, being notified that the picket guard of the 1st Brigade, 6th
Division, had been attacked and driven in, by order of Col. Everett
Peabody, commanding the 1st Brigade, 6th Division, I advanced with
five companies of my command a short distance from the outer line
of our encampment. I met the retreating pickets of the 1st Brigade
bringing in their wounded. Those who were able for duty were ordered
and compelled to return to their posts, and learning that the enemy
were advancing in force I advanced with the remaining companies of
my regiment, which companies having joined me I ordered an advance
and attacked the enemy, who was commanded by Brig. Gen. Ruggles, of
the Rebel army. A terrific fire was opened upon us from the whole
front of the four or five regiments forming the advance of the enemy,
which my gallant soldiers withstood during thirty minutes, until I
had communicated the intelligence of the movement against us to my
commanding General. About this time, being myself severely wounded,
the bone of the leg below my knee being shattered, I was compelled to
retire from the field, leaving Lieut. Col. Woodyard in command.
D. MOORE,
Colonel 21st Mo. Volunteers.
To Capt. Henry Binmore,
Act. A. G., 6th Division,
Army of West Tennessee.
HEADQUARTERS 21ST MO. INFANTRY, }
PITTSBURG, TENN., APRIL 12, 1862. }
SIR:--I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 6th
of April, before sunrise, Gen. Prentiss ordered Col. Moore, with
five companies of our regiment, to sustain the pickets of the 12th
Michigan Infantry. The Col. had not proceeded more than half a mile
when he met the pickets coming in with many killed and wounded. Col.
Moore immediately dispatched Lieut. Menn for the remaining five
companies. Gen. Prentiss being in camp, ordered me to join Col.
Moore. We marched some three hundred yards together, after I formed
the junction, in a nearly westerly direction, flank movement, four
ranks, when the head of the column came to the northwest corner (this
should have been the northeast corner.--T. W. H.) of a cotton field.
We were here fired upon and Col. Moore received a severe wound in the
right leg, and Lieut. Menn was wounded in the head. I then assumed
command of the regiment and formed a line of battle on the brow of a
hill, on the cotton field, facing nearly west. I held this position
for some half or three-quarters of an hour and kept the enemy in
check. He fell back and endeavored to outflank me. Discovering this
I moved my line to the north of the field again. I was then joined
by four companies of the 16th Wisconsin Infantry. Having no field
officers with them I ordered them to a position east of the field,
and as soon as this was done joined them with my command. This line
of battle was formed facing south, behind a small incline, enabling
my men to load and be out of range of the enemy’s fire. The position
proved a strong one and we managed to hold it for upward of an hour.
Finding they could not dislodge us the enemy again tried to outflank
us and deal a cross fire. I then fell back in good order, firing
as we did so, to the next hill. Col. Peabody, commanding the 1st
Brigade, here came up with the 25th Missouri Regiment. I requested
him to bring his men up to the hill on our right, as it would afford
protection to his men and be of assistance to my command. He did
so, but the enemy coming by heavy main center and dealing a heavy
cross-fire from our right and left, we could not maintain this
position for over thirty minutes. We gradually began to fall back
and reached our tents, when the ranks got broken in passing through
them. We endeavored to rally our men in the rear of our tents and
formed as well as could be expected, but my men got much scattered, a
great many falling into other regiments, under the immediate command
of Gen. Prentiss. Others divided to other divisions but continued to
fight during the two days.
Falling back to the second hill, Maj. Barnabas B. King received a
mortal wound and died in about thirty minutes. He rendered me great
assistance in the action, cheering on and encouraging my men. His
death is a heavy loss to us. He was ever active, energetic and at his
post of duty, vigilant in attending to the wants of the men. Adjt.
C. C. Tobin, who is now missing, also proved himself very active on
the field. He is supposed to be a prisoner and taken at the same
time with Gen. Prentiss. I cannot too highly praise the conduct of
the officers and men of my command, and of the companies of the 16th
Wisconsin, who acted in concert with me.
Respectfully submitted,
H. M. WOODYARD,
Lieut. Col. Com’d’g 21st Mo. Regt.
To Capt. Henry Binmore,
Act. A. G., 6th Division,
Army of West Tennessee.
To go back to the battle of Shiloh:
It was here that Gen. Prentiss was captured and Gen. Peabody killed.
The 21st, after losing Gen. Prentiss, was under the command of his
successor, Gen. McKean, who then directed the movements of the 6th
Division. The 1st Brigade of the 6th, to which the 21st was attached,
was commanded, after Gen. Peabody, by Gen. McArthur.
The gallant 21st had no time to rest and recuperate after its severe
fight at Shiloh. Under Gen. Halleck, who succeeded Gen. Grant after
the Shiloh engagement, the regiment took an active part in the siege
of Corinth. On the 30th of April began the march on this formidable
Confederate stronghold. It was fighting, advancing and building
breastworks, until the enemy finally evacuated the town and our
victorious soldiers entered, on the 29th day of May, 1862.
The regiment laid around Corinth until about June 10th, when it was
taken to Chewalla, Tennessee, about ten miles away, on the Memphis &
Charleston R. R. Here they did light guard duty and enjoyed a well
deserved rest until August 30th. The country was picturesque and
beautiful and abounded in fruits of all kinds; but even here the 21st
had its troubles and trials. Small pox broke out in the camp. More
than seventy cases were on hand at one time--and those not afflicted
or doing guard duty had to take their turns at nursing their comrades.
But the malady finally run its course, after leaving a death list of
thirty-odd men. On leaving Chewalla, the regiment returned to Corinth
and was ordered, on September 10th, to Kossuth, Mississippi, for
outpost duty; but in a few days was ordered back to Corinth, reaching
there on the morning of the 3d of October.
The regiment had just got settled in its tents, on the morning of the
3d of October, on its return from Kossuth, when the bugle call to arms
summoned the men to rush out and fall into line of battle. The battle
of Corinth began about daylight, and the men of the 21st were in the
midst of it. The report of Col. Moore, here published, shows the part
the 21st took in the engagement: