USA > Kentucky > The Union regiments of Kentucky, Vol. 2 > Part 24
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Company "C."
CAPTAIN-James W. Overstreet. 1st LIEUT .- Joseph Fisher. 2d LIEUT .- Wm. T. Hansford. SERGTS .- Joseph W. Worthington, Jacob B. Davis, Francis M. Howard, Isaac B. Rust, John Davis, Robert L. Sam- uels, Bryant L. Wakelee. CORPLS .- William B. Reed, William J. Van- deveer, David E. Rickard, John Scott,, George W. Ezell, Silas Rickard, Joseph Jones, Daniel Davis.
PRIVATES-Eli Beasley, James Barber, Edward R. Bennett, James A. Cannon, Walter S. Clark, Edmund Carroll, Patrick Carl, George H. Crawford, Calvin A. Carpenter, Aaron V. Crouch, Moses Dawson, Will- iam J. Davis, Columbus G. Davis, James L. Detherage, James G. Dur- ham, Andrew J. Ellmore, William Engleking, Harden Ellis, Edmund Evans, Hugh Fox, Thomas Heddy, Thomas Hogan, William J. Herndon. Presley L. Hooker, Hillory Jackson, William J. Lott, William Martin. Joseph H. Moore, Edward McDoney, Edward Malone, Eugene Newman. David C. Norman, Thomas Pinkston, Harrison Pinkston, Samuel Romine Peter Robine, W. H. F. Rich, Cornelius Ryne, John L. Rickard, James A. Ray, John Stiffen, James Scott, Micajah T. Stinson, Lewis Stewart. Robert Taylor. Charles Vandeveer, John Waters, Robert C. Bishop. Thomas Castello, Levi Davis, John T. Glover, Alexander Hilton, Tobias Hackett, Benjamin Jackson, Doray Jackson, John D. McNeil, Sampson Miracle, Archibald North, Philip Pfau, Benjamin Robertson, James P. Sullivan, John Shanks, James W. Stewart, Robert Scott, Osier Smith. Wm. R. Skeen, George W. Stinson, James C. Thompson, Thomas M. Mc- Roy, James M. Cannon, John H. Durham, James M. Harrison, Steward Hamilton, William Miller, James P. Nall, Ephraim Osborne, John W. Benton, Charles Blakely, John Cornell, W. W. Jones, Thomas Leach, Lewis Lassley, John D. Murray, James Murphy, Henry Smith, Andrew Thomas, William Vanheaver, Edward Vincore.
Company "D."
CAPTAIN-Thomas J. Mershon. 1st LIEUT .- John F. Harvey. 2d LIEUT .- Charles H. Hart. SERGTS .- Joseph A. Bennett, Joshua I). Chapman, Benj. F. Wright, Jacob Tichenor, Philetus S. Givan. COR- PORALS-Martin Mahloski, James H. Mills, Wm. J. Huff, George W. Bennett, Singleton Huff, John W. Carter, Mansel W. Lewis, Willis MI Honerton, Basil M. Bennett.
PRIVATES-John Wesley Bryant, John William Bryant, Prince W. Carter, Joseph W. Chapman, James B. Clark, Louis Earley, James L. Earley, Wm. R. Farley, Wm. Franks. James W. Graves, Albert J Graves, Ulrich H. Graves, Wm. R. Hohmier, James R. Harder, Elihu Higgs, Merideth W. Hamilton. Valentine H. Harlow, Ziba O. King. Al- bert Krans, Lafayette Kennedy, James W. Lurton, Robert M. Low. Thomas Lee, Wm. T. Murphy, Wm. W. Murphy, Geo. W. McCormick. John Neighbors, William Nechisson, Gideon F. Pillow, Elgin Porter.
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Twenty-sixth Kentucky Veteran Infantry.
Oliver P. Richards, Peter Silas, Joseph Smith, Joseph Stidum, Louis H. Stevenson, Joseph Snyder, James H. Smith, William Stephenson, Jona- than B. Wilson, Jourdan W. Bond, David L. Barnett, Joshua W. Benton, Aquilla Boots, Duval Burk, James W. Craig, Levi Dunn, James C. Egner, James K. Ellis, Jacob Freby, Guy Fry, John E. Humpston, Morton L. Harney, Wesley Hays, Isaac Miranda, Adam Pack, Wm. H. Paul, James A. Park, John C. Ramey, William Ramey, Cornelius E. Roe, Samuel Ritter, Charles Starkey, Geo. L. Sherman, Charles A. Searcy, John D. Scholl. James R. Summit, James A. Sloan, Woodberry Tinsley, Wm. E. Ward, Alfred White. Andrew M. Barnett, Perry F. Cox, John W. Ford, Isaac Newton, James P. Smoot, Daniel D. Abbott, William M. Bailey, James N. Dickerson, Crawford Feltz, Samuel Gilvin, Wm. G. Harney, Edward Morrison, Allen Owens, Enos Reed, James Self, Edward Thomas, J. R. White, Uriah Wallace, Jonathan Tupper, Francis M. White.
Company "E."
CAPTAIN-Henry P. Bledsoe. 1st LIEUT .- Wm. Bingham. 2đ LIEUT .- Thomas Richards. SERGTS .- Valentine Wolfe, James T. Rives, Thomas J. Powell, James H. Heltsley, Abraham W. Whittaker, Robert P. Sadler. CORPLS .- Doctor F. Adams, M. C. Cartright, John H. Anderson. James M. Gillum, Benj. F. Deson, Abraham A. Sharp, John D. Brown, Morris McGesson.
PRIVATES-Reuben Austin, Levi Arnold, Jasper Burgett, John W. Boyed, Isaac F. Barrow, George W. Brazil, Jacob Blair, James H. Bag- nell. Thomas P. Brown, Wm. W. Cyrus, John W. Curtis, David C. Crocker, James Cotter, Francis M. Cole, Granville M. Doyle, Baxter C. Doyle, William Frailey, Wm. R. French. Henry N. Fox, Peter Gray, Remus Gipson, William Grass, Thomas Gibbons, Perry Glasebrook, John W. Hannah, Henry H. Hozen, Abraham Hoke, John A. Lee, Joel D. Lee, Johannan E. Lee, Nicholas F. Lindsey, Mathew Leadbetter, Thomas F. Miller, George Miller, Michael Murphy, Wm. H. Nelson, Eli- hue Oxford. David Powers, John W. Phipps, Wm. A. Phipps. Wm. G. Pricket, Michael D. Price, William Shoemaker, John H. Sisk, Thomas Travis, Uriah W. Williams, Albert C. Woods, Wm. R. Woodis, Charles M. Wilton, Thomas Williams, John A. Croley, George Dillmon, James R. Elliott, Wm. W. Gordon, Erastus S. Hawkins, John J. Howard, John Kimes, Luke Long, Lancaster Murcer. Wm. A. O'neal Charles D. Heart, Isham J. Jenkins, Wm. C. Chappell. Oliver Hughes, Clayhorn W. Howard. John Richmond, Henry Billings, John Clute, John Cheek, John Hopkins. James Hendrix, John E. Howard. Edward P. Horn, Bartice A. James. Jackson Lambrus, Francis M. Lowry, James H. Martin, James M. Moore. John W. Moody, John R. McGrew, David Mitchell, James O'Riley, Robert H. Price, John C. Shook, Wm. J. T. Shain.
Company "F."
PRIVATES-Anderson C. Benson, Christopher Borden, Pleasant H. Cotton, Henry C. Cotten, John W. Caplinger, Jno. C. Carroll. John Gar- rison, Luther E. Greathouse, Loyd Goodwin, Joseph E. Grinstead. James A. Hendrick, Henry Hood, Robert L. Harlow, John F. Hargis. Joshua Hawkins, Daniel A. Hicks, Jno. C. Jones, Daniel Keith, John Langston. David E. Moulder, Charles Rector. Thomas Rector, Daniel Rearden. Jason Stone, George Tyree, John Uhls, James Wilson.
Company "G."
CAPTAINS-James H. Ashcraft. Reuben C. Powell. 1st LIEUTS .- Samuel D. Brown, Richard Vance. 2d LIEUT .- Samuel H. Harrison. SERGTS .- Lewis P. Forbis, Thomas Deloss. James E. Draper. Wm. H. Wand, Samuel Seelye. CORPLS .- Wm. C. J. Adams, Edgar T. Booker, Robert Sheffer, Hezekiah Lamastus, Nicholas Basket, Patrick Gibbons. John Galloway. John E. Simpson. Bledsoe Wardrup.
PRIVATES-E. T. Bowers, William Bunce, Wm. Y. Cross, Henry M. Cain, George W. Crabb, Samuel Clary. Joseph Cook, William W. Davis. Thomas Dorsey, John Downey, Thomas Fox. Wm. S. P. Green. Julius Griffle, Cyrus Herrington. Lewis Herman. Jeremiah Jupine, John Jupine, B. Max Lyon, Philip Lochard, Edmund Murphy, Clelland Miller, James
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Union Regiments of Kentucky.
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H. Pendleton, Noah Palmer, John L. Rush, John C. Rose, Clement Streible, Anthony Smith, Travis H. Sisk, William Walton, Jno. M. Wand. William Wimp, George Wolenstager. James W. Bishop, John H. Bryant, Lewis D. Bryant, Daniel Bryant, George P. Benham. Wm. N. Benham, Christopher Burkhart, Isaac Bowles, David Bowles, Ebenezer M. Bartles, Charles Casperke, Wm. H. Corbet, James W. Chappell, Reuben S. Dar- nell, Allen Faxon, Thomas Garrett, Elijah Harbaugh, William Hargan, William S. Hagan, Robert P. Hays, Gabriel Jupine. Wm. R. Johnston, Galsom H. Litsey. Pinckney A. Musgrave, Wm. H. Malin, John P. Padgatt, John B. Popham, Robert Roberson, John Raybold, William Sherlock. Allen Smith, Benj. B. Smith, John F. Warner, Newton Wilker- son, Cuthburt Girdley, James Hicks, Nathan H. Marks, John Powell. James B. Suton, John W. Wall, Lafayette Johnston, Henry Wood.
Company "H."
CORPORALS-Robert L. Butler, Wm. H. Dillingham. MUSICIAN- Henry W. Arnett.
PRIVATES-George T. Clauson, Wm. M. Daffron, John H. Doyle, Henry H. Elkin, Bernhart Elzenhover, John H. Gray, Jacob Gausman, James M. Huffman, James H. Halman, James Herron, Charles Jackson, Wm. P. Jackson, Fidelar L. Kemble, Emel A. Knepper, Columbus Liles, Warner W. Lewis, Abner Long, Thomas H. Miller, Thomas A. Murphy, Benjamin Osborn, Thomas Parker, William A. Patterson, James Perkins, Samuel Pitt, Riley Porter, James Quinn, John M. Stone, James H. Semonds, James H. Suttle, John Snyder, Joseph Sauerheber, Benjamin Taylor, Edmund H. Wheeler, Philander S. Wood, Bird Weaver, John C. Walker.
Company "I."
CORPORAL-James M. Wilkinson.
PRIVATES-William G. Ash, Charles W. Ash, William W. Beatty, Nicholas Bowles, William R. Cleaver, John S. Casewell, James Dennison, John F. Dennison, Zachariah Dennison. James J. Dyre, William A. Fay- ester, William Haslip, George' A. Harvey, William T. Jones, William H. Jaggers, Jesse Long, Squire Lafallett, Mastin C. Manian, James Martian, George W. Miller, Benjamin F. McCrady, Samuel Marifield, Loyd Price, John Randle, Jarel Vanfleet, William H. West, John H. Williams, George W. Williamson. Joseph Young.
Company "K."
PRIVATES-James Bingham, John L. Dickerman, William W. Davis, John H. Engle, Thomas Eaches, Francis M. Hester, Job D. Red- man, Robert Sutherland, Joseph Williams.
Twenty-seventh Kentucky Volunteer Infantry.
BY COL. JOHN H. WARD.
Before Kentucky as a state had called for any soldiers to sustain the Union cause, and perhaps before there was more than one organized regiment at Camp Dick Robin- son on Kentucky soil, Maj. W. T. Ward, Edward II. Hob- son and John H. Ward visited that camp. The night they arrived, Gen. Nelson (then the trusted agent of President Lincoln) sent for Maj. Ward, whom he knew as a former soldier in the war with Mexico. The next day Maj. Ward went to Washington city, and was commissioned as a brigadier-general of volunteers, and given authority to
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553
Twenty-seventh Kentucky Infantry.
raise three regiments of infantry. About the 20th of Sep- tember, 1861, he opened camp for recruits at Greensburg, Ky., within 24 miles of Gen. Buckner's rebel forces at Munfordville, with whom he had many encounters, losing men in killed, wounded and prisoners before we had a regimental organization and often before the company to which the men were attached had been organized. Many of our recruits came from inside the rebel lines, or very near to them, and had to fight on the way to camp. We had no arms except our private ones, and a few Home Guard muskets. We had no countenance from the state, as the governor (Magoffin) was in sympathy with the South, and no money except what we furnished from our own means, and they very limited. The men being with- out money wanted to leave one small month's pay with their families.
So we furnished that much to each recruit as long as we could, thus getting twenty or thirty men for a com- pany, and forming a nucleus. We had no quartermaster nor commissary stores except what we gathered from the country, and for which we gave receipts to the people. I do not see how troops could have greater difficulties to en- counter; certainly the men behaved as well as men could under the circumstances. Afterward, when the military commission was formed, and attempted to furnish some things to us, we thought ourselves well off by contrast. And as recruits were brought in, those who were in camp, and had left the $13.00 of first month's pay with their needy families and received another month's pay for ser- vices, would loan it to their officers to be advanced to other recruits when they came in too fast for the small sums furnished by the military commission for that pur- pose. Here was tried and true patriotism that people and soldiers outside the border states knew nothing about. Under these difficulties, with the name of Gen. Ward to assist, Lieut. Col. John H. Ward and Maj. James Carlisle recruited from the counties of Casey, Green, Taylor, Hart and Nelson, five companies, Col. C. D. Pennebaker with the aid of Col. Alfred Allen, and Mr. Larkin Proctor, re- eruited five other companies in Hardin, Grayson, Breckin- ridge and Meade counties, and also a few men were sent to us from about Covington; some of them coming from Madisonville, Ohio. It will be observed that this regi- ment had only nine companies in service. This will illus- trate some of its difficulties. Capt Lawrence H. Rousseau had written authority from Col. Ward to recruit a com- pany for this regiment ; he did so, and reported for orders and was ordered to come into camp, and perhaps started
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Union Regiments of Kentucky.
to do so. But about that time Gen. Zollicoffer entered Eastern Kentucky, with a rebel army, and Capt. Rousseau found it easier to reach Col. Hoskins' camp then recruiting the 12th Ky. Infantry. He went there and served with him during that crisis. Col. Hoskins wished to retain him. Col. Ward appealed to Gen. Sherman, then in com- mand of the District of Kentucky, and the general said: "You are entitled to the company, but d-n it, neither of you shall have it," yet the company remained with Col. Hoskins and became Company C of the 12th Ky. In- fantry .*
The 27th Ky., rendezvoused at Elizabethtown, Ky., then went into camp at Grayson Springs, for most of the winter, '61-62; part of it was with Gen. Mitchell's forces when Bowling Green was occupied in the spring of 1862. Then it was camped for a time at Mud River Lock on Green river, and went from there to the field of Shiloh, arriving after the battle and assisting in removing the dead. It was attached to the brigade of .Gen. W. B. Hazen in Gen. Nelson's division. We had our first bri- gade drills on the field of Shiloh, with blood dried in pools in many places and after a rain emitting an unpleasant odor. We were with Gen. Nelson's division when it of- cupied Corinth. Then to Iuka and Rienzi, Miss., and to Tuscumbia and Florence and Athens, Ala. And on the march of Buell's army to Louisville, Ky., in the summer of 1862. In September, pursued Bragg out of the state by way of London, Ky. We were at the battle of Perry- ville with Gen. Crittenden's forces, but only engaged in skirmishing as the fight was to our left. After Bragg's retreat, we returned with Buell to the south, via Glasgow, Ky., and Gallatin, Tenn., and with the army to Stone's river. We were sent from here back to Munfordville, Ky., to recruit and were engaged in fights about that
* While the 27th was being organized, a call was made for 32 picked men to go on a scout from Greensburg, Ky., October 10, 1861, they were armed with new Enfield rifles and mounted. They started at 4 p. m. After crossing Green river, the company proceeded into Hart county. Being fired on by a picket, they dismounted and went forward. They soon heard the command "halt." In the darkness the men formed in line and cocked their muskets. Instantly a fire was poured into them from a force of about fifty men concealed along the fence. not four yards away. Tom Burch was killed. Capt. Smith Taylor mortally wounded, six others were wounded. There was but the one volley. when both sides retreated. Among the wounded was L. P. N. Lan- drum, who received six balls in his body, and was left for dead. He slowly recovered. however, and, though crippled from his wounds, he became one of the leading tobacco merchants of Louisville.
The incident is known as the "Cy. Hutchinson affair," and is men- tioned to illustrate the fact that the Kentucky sodiers, even before or- ganization into their regiments, were actively employed against the enemy.
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Twenty-seventh Kentucky Infantry.
place. In September, 1263, we were mounted and sent to join Burnside in East Tennessee. Col. Ward command- ing the regiment and Col. Pennebaker the brigade.
September 25th we joined Gen. Manson at Glasgow, Ky., from whence the march was through Cumberland county, Ky., crossing the Cumberland river at Neelies' Ferry; thence through Albany, Ky., into Fentress county, Tenn. On the 4th of October we crossed Clinch river, and marched to the city of Knoxville. October 7th we passed through Knoxville and went up the Tennessee Valley as far as Rutledge. From thence we moved rapidly back through Knoxville to Loudon, on the south side of Tennessee river.
Our cavalry forces had been repulsed the previous day at Philadelphia. The 27th joined them and other mounted infantry in another attack on that place, and found there a strong force of infantry and artillery, and could make no impression upon them.
Next day all our forces were ordered to cross the Ten- nessee river and fall back upon Knoxville.
On the march, the 27th was ordered to go about three miles east of the main command to Leiper's Ferry, where we were to recross to the south side of the river and hold the enemy in check on that side, and slowly fall back to Knoxville. Arriving at the ferry, I found a small boat, capable of carrying only twelve men and horses. I re- ported this by courier, and that the regiment could not be gotten over that night. I put over Company D, while awaiting the courier's return. I then received orders to leave Company D on that side, and let it hold out as skirmishers as long as it could, and to hasten to Knox- ville, cross there on the pontoon bridge, and come down to join it. We started at once, but had gone only a short dis- tance when a courier from the ferry informed me that Company D had been attacked by a heavy force and would be captured unless reinforced.
We returned as fast as our horses could go, dis- mounted, and were soon firing across the river and had another company under the bank on the south side as quickly as the small boat and a canoe could carry them over, then another company, and then to show our severely pressed men that we were all coming, if neces- sary, I sent Company C with the colors, under Capt. Baily-acting as major-and Adjt. J. B. Speed, with orders for Baily with Company C to charge a hill to their left from which the enemy kept up a fire upon us as we crossed in the boats. Thinking they were skirmishers, we expected to drive them away.
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Union Regiments of Kentucky.
Company C was quickly on the hill, but just over the crest, in place of a skirmish line they found a rebel regi- ment. The company was driven back to the river bank where the other two companies lay, with their flanks pro- tected by the regiment's fire across the stream upon any enemy that might try to reach them by approaching up or down stream under the bluff banks. It had now begun , raining steadily, was cold, and the boat, in taking the last company over, had broken an oar, so there was no retreat. Col. Ward crossed in a canoe, and as he gained the south bank, a force of mounted men, wearing blue over- coats, came down the road. Lieut. Roff and Adjt. Speed, feeling sure it was Company D joining us, rushed toward them throwing up their caps and cheering, when they were startled by an order to surrender. They did not do so, but lost no time in joining us under the river bank. There were two regiments of rebels in front of us, and from the firing on the wooded cliff below us and not one- eighth of a mile off, there was another, no doubt. Our situation was desperate-three companies fronting three regiments, a cold rain falling, the river full, not enough ammunition, and the oar to our only boat broken, and no known means to make another. We believed we were doomed; luckily, the small stream meandering through the meadow in front of us was overflowing, and no line of battle could form across it. The enemy could only - charge us in column. They tried that three times, but our aim was too good, and they had to give it up. Yet, the forces on the hills above and below could see how few had crossed, and, as soon as dark gave them cover, they would doubtless charge and overpower us. The flag must be saved, but the boat with the broken oar was on the opposite side of the rapid and cold stream-could any man swim it without taking cramp and drowning? It was more than doubtful. The color-bearer, Sergt. Jno. T. Defevers, was fully informed, and agreed to try to save the colors as soon as it was dark, as then we expected the attack, and he might hope to escape the enemy's shots as he swam over. He tied the flag to two rails, so it would float even if he sank and at dark, at the word, moved, into the cold water, with many chances against him reaching the other side. We waited in silence for the charge that · must overpower us; soon we heard our brave colorsergeant nearing the other bank-and all right-for he was curs- ing the boatman for not getting some sort of an oar and coming back to us. Soon the boat came, and the canoe. These could not take us all: if the enemy heard part leav- ing, those left were certain to be killed or made prisoners.
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Twenty-seventh Kentucky Infantry.
Col. Ward ordered Adjt. Speed to ask for eight men to volunteer from each of the three companies to remain with the colonel as a body guard while the rest were taken over. The men to recross the river, as they left the line, were to leave every cartridge with the twenty-four volun- teers, as they would need it all, and more. Arrange- ments were soon made, the men were silently in the boat and canoe. In a whisper Col. Ward said: "Adjutant, send back for us at once." Speed said: "Colonel, I am not going to leave you." The colonel replied: "Do you then refuse to obey orders?" "No," said the adjutant, "but in giving orders these twenty-four men who have volunteered to stay with you, if you raise your voice, so they can hear, the enemy will also hear and they will charge; and you will all be killed or captured. We can save them if the boat can return in time. I will go to one end of the line, and you to the other, and we will leave the center to the last-it is their only hope." The colonel said: "There is no time to discuss, take your place, and do as you have said." The boats were gone, and the orders were for each man left to fire at any flash of an enemy's gun. We had spared our shots during the day; now twenty-four shots rang out every time one came from the enemy -- they thought we were being reinforced and did not charge us. The boat and canoe returned, and soon we had the river between us and the enemy, with a loss of seven men prisoners in Company C's hill charge. But our horses had been moved, we could not find them, and it constantly grew colder. Wet, and without food, we were nearly frozen before we could get fires, and daylight was welcome indeed when it came, and we fell back toward Knoxville. As we fell back, however, we had to fight an overwhelming force. In these fights, through three days, we suffered severe loss. In one of them Gen. Sanders, commanding the cavalry. fell, and a most valuable officer was lost to our army.
Again the 27th, with Wolford's division of cavalry was sent to the south side of the river, and this regiment with the 1st Ky. Cavalry, the 12th Ky. Cavalry and artil- lery, occupied the southeastern fort of the line of forts around Knoxville. This fort was known during the siege as Fort Ward, for Col. Ward, who was in command of it, and here his regiment with other troops and artillery sus- tained a charge, the same morning that the rebels met with the famous defeat at the fort just across the river known afterward as Fort Sanders. After the siege, where nearly all of our horses were starved to death, we moved after Longstreet to Bean's Station, East Tennessee, where
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Union Regiments of Kentucky.
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the 27th Ky. Infantry was placed in reserve in the large brick building which had been a hotel, at the crossroads. Gen. Jas. M. Shackelford's cavalry had been pressing Longstreet's cavalry and had a sharp engagement about dark, and it was plain that we should have more fighting next day. Our cavalry was formed and moved forward soon after sunrise, but in place of encountering cavalry as we had expected, we found infantry and artillery in our front, and it was evident that we had more than we could manage. Our line first gave way on our extreme right when Col. Ward was ordered to send five companies to re- enforce it, but there was no withstanding the force in our front; our line was slowly but steadily forced back. After keeping up the fight until in the afternoon, our whole line that had been a fourth of a mile in front of the hotel was driven past it, and the fourcompaniesof the 27th Ky. were left much in advance of all our other forces between the twoarmies. Asection of our artillery was on an eminenceto our rear a short distance, and held the rebel lines in check for sometime, until the rebels placed three sections of ar- tillery so that they could concentrate a fire on the position it held, when it too was forced to retire. For some time the four companies were alone in front of Longstreet's army; yet they received no orders to retreat. They had not fired a shot and no shots had been fired into the building. Soon a regiment with colors flying passed about two hundred yards in front of the hotel. The walls had been pierced with loop holes and the men and officers all placed in position. A few shots were exchanged be- tween this regiment and the four companies of the 27th; and then we could see a second regiment with the rebel colors passing to our left, and yet a third regiment with colors and in fine order moving directly upon our front. This third regiment made a fine appearance as there was no obstruction between it and the hotel except a frame building about one hundred yards nearer it, and in which was Co. A, of the 27th Ky., which was ordered to fire the building when forced to leave it. Col. Ward saw that the object was for the regiment in his front to engage him, while the other two should join in his rear and cut off his retreat; this was understood by the officers and men also. And while there appeared small chance to escape, the com- panies could not leave without orders or overpowering force. The regiment in front of the four companies of the 27th advanced and the artillery in our rear opened upon it, and twice knocked down its colors, yet they were upheld almost instantly. As this regiment came within about two hundred yards and laid down, evidently to
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