MARCHING AND FIGHTING.
Reminder to the reader--Sherman, Howard, and Thomas in
council--The attack and repulse--The Sixth Kentucky in front
again--In the trenches--Guarding train--Forward march.
I must remind the reader that I did not set out with the intention
of giving a history of the grand campaign in which I took a
humble part--a task of such magnitude and responsibility must be
reserved for the future historian of one of the greatest and most
complicated struggles that the world has witnessed. Indeed, the
thoughtful reader, a thousand miles from the scene of strife, may
have a better conception of a great battle than many of those
engaged in it. The former, by the aid of maps, and the accounts
given by various writers who beheld the different parts of the
great struggle, may get a good general idea of it as a whole; while
he who takes part in it, of necessity, sees only that portion
of the battle in which he is engaged--and that generally is but
a small part. Moreover, he is prone to judge of the result by
the success, or suffering, of the regiment or brigade with which
he is connected; while all are aware that a portion of an army
may meet with great disaster, and yet the general result may be
most glorious; but glorious it certainly does not seem to that
portion of the army which has suffered most severely, although its
suffering may have been the salvation of the rest. For instance,
the celebrated charge made by Marshal Macdonald against the
Austrian center at Wagram; although it turned the day in favor of
the French army, yet it was most disastrous to the charging column,
which is said to have lost in the proportion of ten out of every
eleven men who composed it, not having as many hundreds in its
ranks when the task was achieved as it had thousands when the word
to charge was given. Thus, in some of the battles of this campaign,
a brigade, and even a division, at times suffers terribly, and yet
the battle was not lost, and the enterprise, as a whole, was a
splendid success.
This view of affairs is absolutely necessary with regard to some
matters in the present chapter which it is necessary to mention,
as I am not attempting a general view of the campaign, but the
part played in it by the brigade to which I was attached, and more
particularly by my own regiment; and while not writing a history, I
am preparing materials to be used by others in framing a full and
perfect account of this truly-wonderful march. I write chiefly from
what came under my own notice--those who were in other scenes than
those in which I took part will do the same; and the truth must be
gathered, not from any one account, taken separately, but from
all the accounts in the aggregate. If, then, I speak of a success,
do not think it was one achieved by the whole army; if I mention a
disaster, let no one think that I regard the whole army as involved
in it; for seldom has an expedition of like proportions met fewer
reverses, or more glorious success.
About seven o'clock, on the morning of the 27th of May, a group of
officers were assembled in front of the Sixth Kentucky, engaged in
deep and earnest conversation. Although we could not hear their
words, their looks and manners indicated that matters of grave
import were occupying their attention. One of the group, though
his garb indicated no great rank, had the look of one born to
command; his face lighted up with unmistakable tokens of genius
as he spoke, and his words seemed most convincing. Another had a
calm, quiet face, with a look that showed great goodness of heart;
yet he was evidently a good soldier, as his empty sleeve showed
that he had lost an arm in defense of his country's flag. A third
was a plain, unpretending-looking personage; yet the lines of
determination upon his rugged face showed there was, under that
quiet exterior, an invincible will. They were in the order I have
described them--Sherman, one of the greatest military geniuses of
the age; Howard, the man without fear and without reproach; and
Thomas, who stood up so stoutly at Chickamauga, and many other
well-fought fields. These, with other general officers, were
planning the operations of the day; and having decided upon the
course to be pursued, the interview ended, and each one returned to
his respective command.
I was informed by a member of Gen. Howard's staff that we might
look for hot work, as a general advance would soon be made upon
the rebel works. Our brigade was immediately moved about a mile to
the left, and formed in two lines of battle--the Sixth Kentucky
forming the extreme left of the rear line. At ten o'clock the
advance was sounded. With the belief that we should engage the
enemy at once, my orders were to support the regiment before me in
the front line of battle. Our lines advanced slowly, and we had
not gone far before skirmishing began. But instead of a general
engagement, as was expected, it seemed more like a brigade drill;
for, as we passed over the broken country which was the scene of
operations, every movement was preceded and indicated by Willich's
brigade bugles, which must have intimated to the enemy what we were
about. It was soon whispered that we were searching for the enemy's
right flank. About three o'clock we reached what was thought to be
the desired point; here the column halted till Johnson's Division
moved up and formed in our rear, making four lines of battle. When
we first came up we found a picket-post of the enemy established
at that point, which was fired upon by our advance and driven
back, and no enemy was now in view. The "attention" was sounded,
all were ready in line of battle, and in a moment more the order
"double-quick" rang out. All moved forward; the front line changed
direction to the right, while the second line moved forward, which
soon brought it into the front line of battle--the Sixth Kentucky
being on the extreme left, and in the second line of battle,
with orders to support the front line--which orders had not been
countermanded. I had not been informed that the front line had
been changed; nor could I see, on account of the dense thickets
through which we were moving, that the change had been made; and
the first thing that apprised me of the change was passing over the
skirmish line amid a perfect storm of rebel bullets, and finding
myself and command in the front line of battle. On we pressed till
we came to an open field, on the opposite side of which the rebels
were strongly posted. The right of our brigade was to cross this
field, while part of the Twenty-Third Kentucky, and the right wing
of the Sixth Kentucky was formed diagonally across it, and the
left wing of the Sixth was formed front to rear to meet a flanking
column of the enemy that was moving to our rear. This movement on
the part of the enemy would have been successful had I not at that
moment formed my left wing so as to return the flanking fire he was
already pouring into us. The battle now raged furiously along our
line, and, under a murderous fire, the rebels were pressed back to
their works, our troops following, in some instances, to within
fifteen or twenty paces of the intrenchments; but exposed as they
were in an open field to the deadly volleys of a protected foe, and
a fierce fire upon the flanks--shattered, torn, and bleeding, yet
in spirit unconquered, they fell back to the shelter of the woods.
Taking a position there, the battle was renewed, and an attempt was
made on the part of the enemy to dislodge them, but the failure was
most signal. Some idea of the dreadful carnage may be formed from
the fact, that in a space of time nearly as brief as it has taken
to pen these few lines, our division lost nearly fifteen hundred
men. Our division went into the fight alone, and was not supported
by the division formed in its rear. After reaching the point of
attack the fight was put off two hours; and when it began the enemy
had time to mass three divisions against one of ours. I am of the
opinion that had the attack been made at once the day would have
been ours.
Great as was our loss, it proved but a barren victory to the enemy.
We were repulsed, it is true, and many of our brave men sealed
their devotion to their country with their blood. The enemy also
lost heavily, and their success was due to their greatly-superior
numbers; and whatever advantage they gained that day, it was not
sufficient to check the advance of our army; for they were soon
again on the retreat, and our army on the march to victory.
But I must return to my own command. After our repulse I was at
the extreme left with a few men who were still firing, when Lieut.
Clark, Acting Adjutant, came up and told me that the brigade had
been relieved, and was now assembling at the place where the charge
began. I knew nothing of its withdrawal, and replied that he must
certainly be mistaken. He said there was no mistake about it, that
all the brigade colors were at the place he had mentioned--that
we were relieved beyond a doubt. Still uncertain, I asked, "Where
are the troops to relieve us? I don't see them; but if relieved I
will go down to the left, where I have some men placed; and after
relieving them will go back." Lieut. Clark, who is a brave young
officer, went with me, and told them to go back, as our brigade had
gone to the rear; and on our way we passed the relief, which was
lying down, and had not come to our relief at all--a mere handful
of us had remained on the field, and the wonder is that we were not
captured to a man.
When we reached the brigade we found it formed and ready to march
to the rear, with Gen. Hazen at its head; but O, how changed! In a
few hours it was so cut down as to be not larger than a regiment.
We were moved down to Pumpkin Vine Creek; but were not suffered to
remain there long, being ordered to the front, and to the right of
where the battle had taken place; and though we had been engaged in
skirmish duty nearly two days before the battle, we took our place
in the front, and began building works within rifle range of the
enemy's lines.
At this point we remained till the 6th of June, during which time
nothing took place of interest, save the usual picket duty, of
which our regiment did its full share. Our position, however, was
very unpleasant on account of the heavy rains which fell, and being
compelled to lay close in our trenches to shelter ourselves from
the rebel sharp-shooters, who were always on the alert.
On the night of the 5th of June the rebels evacuated their works in
front of us, Gen. Sherman having executed another flank movement
which rendered it necessary for them to retreat. By sunrise the
next morning we advanced again over roads rendered very bad by
the recent rains, and on the next day were detailed, with the
Twenty-Third Kentucky, to Carterville, to guard a train down to the
army. We were absent till the morning of the 10th, having marched
all the previous night in order to get the supplies through as soon
as possible. When we reached camp we found the army ready to march;
but it was delayed till two, P. M. We then moved forward about
three miles, and halted for the night.