The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 105, July 1866: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and PoliticsVarious
General
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 105, July 1866: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics
Various
American periodicals
At length the morning came. It was cloudy as the day before. White's
division of the Twenty-third Corps was now on the road to Knoxville;
and, besides our own brigade, only Humphrey's brigade of our division
remained at Lenoir's. About daybreak, as silently as possible, we
withdrew from our position on the Kingston road, and, falling back
through the village of Lenoir's, moved towards Knoxville, Humphrey's
brigade covering the retreat. Everything which we could not take with us
was destroyed. Even our baggage and books, which, for the want of
transportation, had not been removed, were committed to the flames. The
enemy at once discovered our retreat, but did not press us till within a
mile or two of the village of Campbell's Station. Humphrey, however,
held him in check, and we moved on to the point where the road from
Lenoir's unites with the road from Kingston to Knoxville. It was
evidently Longstreet's intention to cut off our retreat at this place.
For this reason he had not pressed us at Lenoir's, the afternoon
previous, but had moved the main body of his army to our right. But the
mounted infantry, which had been sent to this point during the night,
were able to hold him in check, on the Kingston road, till Hartranft
came up.
On reaching the junction of the roads, we advanced into an open field on
our left, and at once formed our line of battle in rear of a rail fence,
our right resting near the Kingston road. The Eighth Michigan was on our
left. The Forty-fifth Pennsylvania was deployed as skirmishers. The rest
of our troops were now withdrawing to a new position back of the village
of Campbell's Station; and we were left to cover the movement. Unfurling
our colors, we awaited the advance of the enemy. There was an occasional
shot fired in our front, and to our right; but it was soon evident that
the Rebels were moving to our left, in order to gain the cover of the
woods. Moving off by the left flank, therefore, we took a second
position in an adjoining field. Finding now the enemy moving rapidly
through the woods, and threatening our rear, we executed a left
half-wheel; and, advancing on the double-quick to the rail fence which
ran along the edge of the woods, we opened a heavy fire. From this
position the enemy endeavored to force us. His fire was well directed,
but the fence afforded us a slight protection. Lieutenant Fairbank and a
few of the men were here wounded. For a while, we held the enemy in
check, but at length the skirmishers of the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania,
who were watching our right, discovered a body of Rebel infantry pushing
towards our rear from the Kingston road. Colonel Morrison, our brigade
commander, at once ordered the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts and Eighth
Michigan to face about, and establish a new line, in rear of the rail
fence on the opposite side of the field. We advanced on the
double-quick; and, reaching the fence, our men with a shout poured a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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