Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 2 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the warStephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
History
Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 2 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the war
Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Major Rosengarten and Major Ward were both killed, during a cavalry
charge: General Rousseau at the head of his splendid division, was
wounded, after having made two bayonet charges, and fought during five
hours. General Stanley and General Palmer were also wounded.
At dawn of the following morning, General Rosecrans opened fire
furiously upon the enemy, with his left endeavoring to beat him back
from the right. The enemy met the attack bravely, holding their ground;
and the battle continued in that direction for several hours. Matters
did not look favorable for the National army; but at twelve o’clock new
supplies of ammunition were received, the batteries were replenished and
massed, and a murderous fire was opened upon the rebel line. It began to
give way: and, with General Thomas pressing on its centre, and General
Crittenden on its left, was handsomely repulsed.
For the remainder of the day, the battle changing from one point to
another, continued to rage with varied success—now the Unionists were
victors, and now the rebels; till night again closed the conflict, and
no decisive victory had been gained on either side.
The next day, Friday, began quiet along both lines: the dead lay
unburied on the field, already become objects of loathing and horror,
nor could their comrades of yesterday spare the time to lay them beneath
the moist, and blood-stained earth. The day wore slowly away, both
Unionists and Confederates making preparations for more fighting but up
to three o’clock in the afternoon there seemed no prospect of the battle
being resumed during that day. At half past three the rebels made a
furious and sudden attack upon the left wing of the National army,
Colonel Beatty’s division, (in command since General Van Clere had been
wounded) with the evident intention of cutting it off from the rest of
the line. But Beatty was not wholly unprepared, and met the overwhelming
force hurled against him, with skill and gallantry. The rebels were
three columns deep, and consisted of the divisions of Breckinridge,
Claiborne, and Anderson. Beatty’s three brigades defended themselves
with desperate bravery; and in return for the flood of shot, shell, and
Minnie sent into their ranks, they sent back a perfect storm of lead
that caused the first rebel column Breckinridge’s division, to fall back
instantly, mowed down by the fierce fire of the Union brigades. The
place of the retreating column was instantly filled by another formed of
Claiborne’s division; which met with better success than its
predecessor; as Beatty’s division, after the severe treatment it had
just received could not hope to stand before an entirely fresh column of
the enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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