USA > Illinois > Military history and reminiscences of the Thirteenth regiment of Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war in the United States,1861-65, pt 1 > Part 21
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The force under my command in this assault consisted of four regi- ments of infantry -- the Thirteenth Illinois, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Gorgas ; the Twenty-ninth Missouri, Col. John S. Cavender; the Thirty-first Missouri, Col. Thos. C. Fletcher, and the Fifty-eightli Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Dister. Two regiments which formed part of my brigade, to-wit, the Thirty-second Missouri, commanded by Col. F. H. Manter, and the Thirtieth Missouri, Lieut. Col. Otto Schadt, has been detached from my command by the order of the day for the 29th, and placed under the immediate command of General Morgan, in the center.
The regiments under my command were drawn up in two lines of battle, about one hundred and fifty feet apart, the Thirteenth Illinois holding the right front, and the Fifty-eighth Ohio in the rear. The Thirty-first Missouri occupied the left front with the Twenty ninth in rear. The right company of the Twenty-ninth Missouri, and the left company of the Fifty-eighth Ohio formed the rear guard.
When the signal of attack was given the brigade rushed with im- . petuosity to the attack and pressed over every obstacle and through a storm of shell and riffe-bullets, and carried the first and second ranges of rifle-pits with an irresistible charge.
At this point I observed the rapidly thinning ranks of that portion
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of my brigade which made the assault under my command, and turned and saw the column from the center of General Morgan coming up over the first range of rifle-pits. Encouraged by this support my gallant troops pushed still further and to within a short distance of the enemy's last intrenchments. Some reached the foot of the formidable works only to pour out their lives at their base, and among them I must not omit to mention the brave Lieutenant-Colonel Dister, of the Fifty- eighth Ohio, who is said to have fallen dead ,upon their breastworks. This gallant officer was conspicuous for his efforts to urge forward and encourage his men through the entire charge. Colonel Fletcher, of the Thirty-first Missouri, it is ascertained, was so badly wounded that he fell into the hands of the enemy. It is useless to apply words to eulogize the lieroism of those who thus shed their blood for their country.
Major Jaensch, of the Thirty-first, was also killed in the assault, and Lieutenant-Colonel Simpson, of the same regiment, whose report of the transaction is herewith transmitted, has omitted (from motives of modesty, which only adds to the lustre of his courage) to allude to a sliglit wound received in his head. Colonel Cavender, of the Twenty- ninth Missouri, proved himself worthy of the soldier's reputation gained by the scars of Wilson's Creek and Shiloli, and retired from the bloody field only when further efforts were unavailing.
Lieutenant Colonel Gorgas, of the Thirteenth Illinois, displayed admirable coolness and courage, and showed himself well worthy to lead the regiment of the lamented Wyman, who fell on the day pre- vious. It is impossible for ine to allude to otlier instances of individual courage.
The list of casualties in the regiments under my command, embrac- ing nearly one-third of the entire number that went into the field, attests the courage and obstinacy with which they struggled for victory, and which natural obstacles alone placed beyond our grasp.
I only feel it necessary to state that in retiring from the field I passed out of the enemy's works at a point opposite to the left of Gen- eral Morgan's center, and found the banks on which the enemy's rifle- pits were situated were approached by a broad and easy road, and that the bayou was bridged precisely at this point, and from thence out to the position of General Morgan was a broad and unobstructed road. It was unfortunate that our reconnoissance had not disclosed this fact be- fore the assault, as it is possible that by taking advantage of it in time and pressing the assault at a point comparatively so accessible with greater numbers, a different result might have been attained.
I am, General, with very great respect,
FRANK P. BLAIR, Brig .- Gen.,
Com'd'g First Brigade Fourth Div.
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HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
IN THE FIELD, December 30, 1862.
Maj. J. H. HAMMOND, Chief of Staff.
MAJOR : The road referred to by General Blair was known to me and was the line of Morgan's attack. It was reconnoitered by me in person the day before and on the morning of the 29th, the day of the final assault.
The pontoon-bridge ordered to be constructed was placed about seven hundred yards to the right, or south of the road, and was designed as auxiliary to enable his division to pass over the bayou at two points at the same instant of time. Blair crossed, in making his attack, about three hundred yards to the left, or north, of the same road. The enemy. in leaving this road partially unobstructed, did so to enable his pickets and advance to fall back into his fortified position, trusting with full and well founded confidence in his batteries and rifle-pits to prevent our using it. ,
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I am, Major, respectfully, W. T. SHERMAN, Maj .- Gen. Com'd'g.
HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, January 4th, IS63. Maj .- Gen. W. T. SHERMAN.
GENERAL : I have the honor to state that the "broad and easy road " spoken of by Brigadier-General Blair is the same road over which the brigade of DeCourcy advanced to the charge, and the same road over which he retired after the repulse of our troops. That road remained in our possession from the afternoon of the 28th ultimo until the night of the Ist instant, when our forces retired to the boats.
I am, General, very respectfully, GEORGE W. MORGAN, Brig .- Gen. Com'd'g.
THAYER'S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, FOURTH DIVISION, RIGHT WING, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, IN THE FIELD, December 31st, 1862.
Brigadier-General GEORGE W. MORGAN.
GENERAL : Brief report of the action of my brigade, being the Third of Steele's division, in conjunction with General Morgan's divis- ion, on the 29th instant.
About 2 p. m. on the 29th, I received an order from General Steele to move my brigade, composed of five Iowa regiments and the First
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Iowa Battery, forward to the support of General Morgan. On reaching General Morgan, he requested me to take my infantry and cross the bayou, enter the enemy's works and take the hill. By advice of Gen- eral Morgan, I dismounted and directed all officers mounted to do the same, as we would be sure to draw the fire of the enemy's sharp-shooters if mounted. The Fourth Iowa, Colonel J. A. Williamson, was on the right. I took my place at the head of the column and moved forward by the right flank. We crossed the bayou and went over the enemy's outside works. I then directed Colonel Williamson to deploy his regi- ment to the right and extend them as skirmishers. We were still ad- vancing in front of the enemy's rifle-pits and batteries, and crossed over a high rail fence. On seeing the ground, I at once formed my plan to move up the hill, when, looking back for my other regiments, to my amazement, none were to be seen and none coming, for I could then see back to the point from which I had started. I could not account for it. I had supposed that five regiments were following me. I found myself in the enemy's works with but one regiment. I then went back to the intrenchments, where I had seen, as we went over, a regiment of our troops lying in the ditch, entirely protected from the rebel fire. I ordered and begged them, but without effect, to come forward and sup- port my regiment, which was now warmly engaged. I do not know what regiment it was. On returning to Colonel Williamson, I observed our forces which had entered the works away to my left retiring, which, of course, added to our extreme peril. The Fourth Iowa was then draw- ing the concentrated fire of all the enemy's batteries and rifle-pits. I directed Colonel Williamson to hold the position, if possible, till I could bring up reinforcements, but if he could not, to retire. Being on foot, and exhausted, and the distance back so great, before regiments could be moved forward, Colonel Williamson was compelled to bring off his regi- ment, which he did in good order. It was nothing but slaughter to remain. During the half hour it was there, seven men were killed and one hundred and four wounded.
On inquiring of Colonel Abbott, of the Thirtieth Iowa, which was next in line to the Fourth Iowa, why he did not follow the Fourth, I found that after I had started lie had been ordered by General Steele in person, to turn off to the right to take another position. I had directed the commander of each regiment to follow the preceding one.
The second regiment of my column being turned aside, it broke my line, cutting off four regiments without my knowledge, leaving the Fourth Iowa going ahead alone. * *
I am, General, with very great respect,
JOHN M. THAYER, Brig-Gen. Com'd'g.
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STEELE'S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH DIVISION, RIGHT WING, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
January 3d, 1863.
MAJOR : I have the honor to report the operations of my Division, from our base on the Yazoo :
My command debarked at Johnson's plantation on the afternoon of December 26th. Pursuant to instructions, Blair's brigade moved for- ward on the Johnson road, drove in the enemy's pickets, and bivouacked for the night about two miles from the landing.
On the morning of the 27th, Blair's brigade was detached, and I embarked with the other two brigades, with orders to land above the mouth of the Chickasaw Bayou and advance between the Chicka- saw Bayou and Thompson's Lake. While we were cutting the road through the timber to the levee, Admiral Porter called for troops to cross the river and disperse about four hundred sharp-shooters that were concealed on the west side of the river, and impeding the progress of the gun1-boats toward Haynes Bluff. I sent the Seventeenth Missouri Infantry.
After having accomplished the work they returned and I proceeded with the whole command, directed by the negro guide whom the Gen- eral sent to conduct me to the bluffs. Our progress was considerably retarded by the timber felled across the levee, on either side of which, the ground was impracticable for artillery. We soon came to deep water on the right side of the levee, which turned out to be Thompson's Lake instead of Chickasaw Bayou. About sunset, General Hovey (Charles E.) whose brigade was in advance, came upon an outpost of the enemy. After a short engagement the enemy retired. It was now dark and we bivouacked for the night without camp-fires.
The march had scarcely been resumed early next morning when our skirmishers became engaged with the enemy's sharp-shooters, concealed in rifle-pits behind the levee. At this point the levee turned to the left and continued in a curve for about eight hundred yards, the Chickasaw Creek on our right and a timbered marsh on our left. The pioneers were sent forward to clear some obstructions on the levee, covered by Landgraeber's battery. They were immediately fired upon by a battery of the enemy established on the bluff about eight hundred yards dis- tant, our skirmishers being at the same time hotly engaged with the enemy's sharp-shooters. Both the battery and the pioneers were sub- jected to a murderous fire, and some of the pioneers were killed and wounded, as also were some of the battery. The axle of one of the pieces was broken, still Captain Landgraeber, nothing daunted in his exposed position, continued to reply to the heavier guns of the enemy.
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At the same time Colonel Hassendeuble, of the Seventeenth Missouri, was trying to drive the sharp-shooters from the rifle-pits to clear the way for our advance. ** * * *
At 4 p. m. I received the General's orders to send him a regiment of infantry if I could not reach the bluffs, and follow with the rest with dis- patch.
My command was occupied all night in re-embarking for Johnson's plantation and getting supplics.
Early on the morning of the 29th I moved forward with Thayer's brigade, leaving orders for Hovey to come up as soon as possible. At the " White House " I met General Morgan, who told me that he was building a bridge across the bayou, which would occupy two hours ; that within thirty minutes thereafter he would have possession of the heights, to a moral certainty.
I received orders from the General commanding to halt the brigade and, subsequently, to render General Morgan any assistance that he might ask for. General Morgan finally told me that he was going to storm the heights without waiting for the bridge to be completed. He requested me to support the storming party with what force I had. On being informed that Thayer's brigade was at hand and that Hovcy's would soon be up, lic gave some orders to Thayer in regard to the route which his brigade should take and sent a guide to lead him. After Thayer had passed with the Fourth Iowa Infantry, Colonel Williamson, General Morgan asked inc how many troops I had ; I told him, Thayer's brigade-one of his regiments, however, the Twenty-sixth Iowa, was detached to cut a road ; but that I did not know whether any of Hovey's had arrived or not. Hc then asked me to turn part of the troops a little farther to the right. I therefore directed Col. Charles H. Abbott, of the Thirtieth Iowa Infantry, a little to the right, supposing the object of this was to facilitate the crossing of the troops over the bayou by pre- venting them from all huddling into the same place.
At the time I did not know that there was any dry crossing, and I presume General Morgan was not aware of the fact. The troops that I directed to the right, it seems, did not get across the bayou, but General Thayer went gallantly on with the Fourth Iowa, and instead of being a support to the storming party, was soon in advance and entered the enemy's second line of rifle-pits nearly as soon as any. I gave no orders on the field that day, except at the suggestion of General Morgan, save that I followed up the movement, encouraging the men while they were advancing, and endeavoring to check them when they fell back.
General Hovey's brigade did not get up to the front in time to take part in the assault, but was up very soon after it was over, and took posi- tion to the left of the bayou, which had been occupied by Blair's brigade
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previous to the assault, awaiting orders to storm the enemy's position, which his whole command, I am told, was anxious to do.
Although Blair was detached from my command, it would, perhaps, not be improper for me to report in regard to the part taken by his bri- gade in the assault. Two of his regiments, Manter's and Schodt's, Thirty-second and Thirtieth Missouri, were detached to support Mor- yan's battery. His line was forined in the woods between Thompson's Lake and Chickasaw Bayou, a short distance behind the bayou that connects these two. Between his line and this bayou was an entangle- ment formed by cutting down sinall cotton-trees, leaving the trees en- twined among the stumps. The bed of the bayou was about one hundred yards wide, quicksand, and about fifteen feet wide, and water three feet deep. The bank on the opposite side was steep and obstructed by abatis, crowned by a line of rifle-pits. On the slope above this was still another line of rifle-pits, and above this on the plateau was the county road, the earth being thrown on the lower side, forming a para- pet which covered batteries and sharp-shooters. Batteries were also placed on the heights to the right and left, which enfiladed the rifle-pits and the road.
General Blair led his brigade with intrepidity in the face of all these obstacles, leaving his horse floundering in the quicksands of the bayou, and passing over two lines of rifle-pits, he nearly reached the foot of the parapet. Here he turned and saw the storming party of General Morgan's division coming over the first line of rifle-pits. His troops fell fast around him, and among others was Lieutenant-Colonel P. Dis- ter, of the Fifty-eighth Ohio, whose gallantry had been conspicuous. Colonel F. C. Fletcher, of the Thirty-first Missouri, was wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy. Major Jaensch, of the Thirty-first Missouri, was killed (mistake) Lieutenant-Colonel Simpson, of the same regiment, was wounded. Colonel Cavender, of the Twenty-ninth Mis- souri, and Lieutenant-Colonel Gorgas, of the Thirteenth Illinois, are also mentioned for conspicuous daring in the assault.
Colonel J. B. Wyman, of the Thirteenth Illinois Infantry, was killed the day before while bravely leading his men against the enemy.
Perhaps it would not be inappropriate for me to remark that I saw a part of the assaulting party turn their flank to the enemy in front of the second line of rifle-pits, and move off to the left behind the bank over which Blair's brigade had passed, and there remain until our troops commenced retreating. * * * *
I am, Major, with very great respect,
FREDERICK STEELE,
Brig .- Gen. Commanding.
CHAPTER XX.
AFTER THIRTY YEARS GENERAL THAYER WRITES US A LETTER REITERATING HIS CHARGES THAT MORGAN'S INEFFI- CIENCY LOST THE BATTLE.
AVING given these reports in full, the witnesses will now be recalled for cross-examination. On page 291, of "Sherman's Memoirs," Vol. 1,'he says : "One brigade (DeCourcy's) of Morgan's troops crossed the bayou safely, but took to the cover behind the bank, and could not be moved forward."
Four pages farther on in the same book Sherman adds : "I have ever felt had General Morgan promptly and skillfully sus- tained the lead of Frank Blair's brigade on that day, we should have broken the rebel line, and effected a lodgment on the hills behind Vicksburg."
Comrade Wilson E. Cbapel, of Company.F, Thirteenth Illi- nois, in his diary of that day's work, among many interesting items, says : "Our line was broken up by the Fifteenth Ohio (Sixteenth Ohio) lying in the rifle pits, out of which the enemy had retreated ; and the only way we could do, was to press forward, every man for himself."
General Morgan in his article entitled "The Assault on Chickasaw Bluffs," to be found in " Battles and Leaders of the Civil War," says: "Blair did not refer to the matter (DeCourcy's delinquency) in his report," but eleven lines previously, General Morgan had said : "Shortly after
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DeCourcy had returned to his command, Blair came. Hc said that DeCourcy's brigade had behaved badly."
Then General Morgan quotes Thayer's report to him, as follows : "I found myself in the enemy's works with but one regiment. I then went back to the intrenchments, where I had seen as we went over a regiment of our troops lying in the ditch, entirely protected from the rebel fire. I ordered and begged them, but without effect, to come forward and support my regiment, which was now warmly engaged. I do not know what regiment it was."
This last paragraph quoted from General Thayer, General Morgan has put in Italics.
General Morgan, in the above-named article, adds with great circumstantiality, that : "On August 30th, 1887, twenty-four years and eight months after the date of his report, General Thayer in a letter to me, says : 'DeCourcy and his brigade on that day made no assault whatever, unless against the outside rifle-pits, and were not repulsed. They got into the enemy's rifle-pits and there remaincd.' "
If General Morgan introduced this letter from General Thayer, for the opportunity which he seems to think he sees in it of proof to refute General Thayer's charges against DeCourcy, by parading the reported losses of DeCourcy as being greater, as he says, than those of Blair and Thayer together, then Thayer's letter proves too much.
It proves that whatever losses DeCourcy met with, must have been sustained before reaching the first line of rifle-pits, or, between the corduroy bridge and the first line of the enemy's works ; for, beyond that, General Thayer declares that DeCourcy did not go ; and in so much, General Morgan's statement that DeCourcy's loss was greater than that of Blair and Thayer together, while it may be technically true, is evasive and misleading. The enemy, no doubt, poured their concen- trated, and most destructive fire on the advancing column of DeCourcy, whose men, as General Morgan says, "were jammed together," and afforded a better mark for his bat-
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BRIDGE OVER PEARL RIVER.
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teries, than would the comparatively scattered men of Blair, advancing in line of battle.
It proves that the regiment which General Thayer saw in the ditch as he went over, and found still there when he went back, was one of DeCourcy's regiments ; for, all of Blair's regiments, and General Thayer's one regiment were at that very moment away up in front fighting desperately ; while the four other regiments of Thayer never crossed the bayou at all.
It proves that if General Steele was not mistaken when he says, "I say a part of the assaulting party turn their flank to the enemy in front of the second line of rifle-pits, and move off to the left behind the bank over which Blair's brigade had passed, and there remain until our troops commenced retreat- ing," that those troops must have been DeCourcy's.
It is worthy of notice, that General Morgan nowhere and never, explicitly declares that any of his troops, except those two brigades which he had borrowed from Steele for the occa- sion, were on the field that day except, as he tells General Sherman, in his report, " The Sixteenth Ohio Infantry was peerless on the field," which seem a somewhat invidious dis- tinction as against Blair's four regiments, and General Thayer's one regiment, and if that distinction by General Morgan is merited, then the party that General Steele saw "turn the flank to the enemy in front of the second line of rifle-pits and move off to the left behind the bank over which Blair's brigade had passed, and there remain until our troops commenced retreating," could not have been the Sixteenth Ohio ; but still, must have been one of DeCourcy's regi- ments.
It is difficult to see just how General Morgan could have known whether or not, " the Sixteenth Ohio was peerless on the field," as General Morgan was at no time on the field himself, and any such report from Colonel DeCourcy would hardly be accepted as quite accurate, considering that General Thayer declares that " DeCourcy never got beyond the first line of rifle- pits." It seems, therefore, as if the regiment itself must have
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made a report, virtually saying that, " We were peerless on the field that day."
Having arrived at this stage of the work of this history, an interesting coincidence brings in the day's mail, a letter from Governor Thayer of Nebraska, in reply to one asking him for certain points in this Chickasaw Bayou affair. The Governor's great kindness has furnished an exceedingly in- teresting and valuable historical letter which will enrich our history, and will locate both praise and blame where they belong. The letter is as follows :
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, September 18th, 1891.
MY DEAR SIR AND COMRADE : I take the first opportunity of a little leisure to reply to your favor of the 31st of August, asking me for information in regard to the assault of Chickasaw Bluffs. I can not speak accurately in regard to Blair's brigade except to make this gen- eral statement :
On the morning of the day when the assaults were to be made, my brigade was formed in a column of four ready for marching, and were stretched back from right to left into slightly timbered land and await- ing orders. My position was to the right. My brigade was the assault- ing column of the right. DeCourcy's was to be the central assaulting column, and Blair's position was over to the left, corresponding with mine on the right.
I received orders fromn General Morgan in person to move my col- umu forward, he saying to me, "I want you to take those heights," pointing to the Vicksburg Bluffs. I inoved my men forward in a column of four to cross the dry bed of Chickasaw Bayou.
Upon the inside of the bayou, the rebels had a line of rifle-pits. across which they had left a roadway. As I passed over this roadway, I saw soldiers in their uniform down in the rifle-pits. Why they were there I could not understand. I kept forward till I reached a fence which crossed a corn-field, if I recollect aright, forming a line parallel with the bluffs at which I was aiming. We passed over this fence, tearing it down, and when I reached a point where I thought it best to bring my column into line parallel with the rifle pits in our front along the bluffs, I stationed Colonel Williamson, of the Fourth Iowa at a certain point, saying : "Bring your regiment into line, and I will go back along the line and bring the whole of my force of five regi- ments into a parallel line with the view of making an assault to gain the heights." When I turned back, to my dismay and horror, I found
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