USA > Ohio > The history of Fuller's Ohio brigade, 1861-1865; its great march, with roster, portraits, battle maps and biographies > Part 7
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To provide against the possibility of capture by the enemy, the com- missary department caused all barrels of whiskey to be opened. Into this the surgeons put a quantity of quinine and the troops were allowed to fill
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POSITIONS OCCUPIED BY THE ARMY.
their canteens with the mixture. This was the first and only time that liquor was given to Fuller's Ohio Brigade.
It was about ten o'clock at night before the Brigade filed into position at Battery Robinett. The soldiers dropped upon the ground and slept be- side their muskets completely exhausted from the continued hardships of the last forty-four days, and from marching in hot sultry weather. The lessons taught and the experience which they had had in throwing up earth- works for protection, during the month of May previous, were of no avail in their tired condition. It was physically impossible for them to do more and so no earthworks were built.
General Rosecrans' four divisions faced north and west. Mizner's Cav- alry watched and guarded the flanks and rear from the enemy. Next joining the cavalry on the right was Hamilton's division and Battery l'ow- ell. Next came Davies' Division with Dee's and Richardson's Batteries. To the left was the Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment, joining the Sixty- third Ohio whose left joined Battery Robinett. Next, with their right on Battery Robinett, the Forty-third Ohio was stationed. The Thirty-ninth Oho and the Eleventh Missouri ( the latter detached from the Second Bri- gade) were in the rear as reserves. In the rear of this line of battle was Battery Williams, to the west and rear, Battery Phillips, further to the left and rear was Stanley's Second Brigade and McKean's Division. Still fur- ther to the rear on College Hill were Batteries Tannrath and Lathrop, mounted with siege guns.
As early as September. 1862, the rebel General Van Dorn in his report said :
"The conclusion forced itself upon my mind that the taking of Corinth was a condition precedent to the accomplishment of anything of importance in West Tennessee and it was clear to my mind that if a successful attack could be made upon Corinth from the west and northwest, the forces there would be driven back, on the Tennessee River and cut off and Bolivar and Jackson would easily fall. I determined to attempt Corinth. I had reason- able hopes of success. Field returns as Ripley showed my strength to be about twenty-two thousand men. Rosecrans at Corinth had about fifteen thousand with about eight thousand additional men at outposts, from twelve to fifteen miles distant. I might surprise him and carry the place before these troops could be brought in. It was necessary that this blow should be sudden and decisive."
"The troops were in fine spirits, and the whole army of West Tennessee seemed eager to emulate the Confederate armies of the Potomac and Ken- tucky. No army every marched to battle with prouder step, more hopeful countenances or with more courage, than marched the Army of the West Tennessee out of Ripley on the morning of September 29th, 1862, on its way to Corinth."
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CHAPTER XIII.
THE BATTLE OF CORINTH.
On October 3rd, about daybreak, the enemy consisting of General Price's and General Van Dorn's united forces, had formed in lines facing south, in front of the old outer line of intrenchments, built in May, about three miles from Corinth. Lovell's Division of troops was on the right. Maury's in the center. Hebert's on the left. The Union troops of Davies' and Mckean's Divisions, in front of this line on the 3rd, were only in- tended for developments and about ten o'clock in the morning, were driven into the old intrenchments.
In the afternoon after a hot battle, these two divisions fell back. Gen- eral Hackelman had been killed, General Oglesby wounded. and Hamil- ton's Division was watching on the right for an attack from the north. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Stanley's Second Brigade was sent to the assistance of Mckean and Davies. On the 4th of October at four o'clock in the morning, the enemy shelled the town from a battery which under cover of the darkness, they had with great enterprise, placed on a ridge near the Chewalla Road, which led directly to Battery Robinett. Fuller's Ohio Brigade lay flat on the ground, listening to the roar of flying missels, which passed over them, but the regulars in the Second United States Bat- tery, replying with their guns, soon silenced the enemy. The Brigade picket force from the Sixty-third Ohio, rushed out and brought in part of the enemy's battery with horses attached. One of the enemy's shells struck Corporal Creighton Orr, Company B of the Forty-third Ohio, nearly sever- ing his head from his body. It was supposed that M. M. Smith who stood near to Orr was wounded by being hit by a piece of Orr's, skull. Orr's blood was scattered over several men.
The Union Troops, although without blankets, had not been allowed fires during the night, which was a cold one, and they had no breakfast the next morning, for not a man was allowed to leave the ranks to get rations because of the nearness of the enemy. The day opened clear and hot. It must have been ninety-five degrees. A heavy line of skirmishers from the Brigade under Major McDowell of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, was out all night, fighting a strong battle with the enemy. Companies B and G of the Twenty-seventh fired two hundred rounds of cartridges which were brought out to them by details of men under Sergeant Morgan. Many of the enemy's sharpshooters were located high up in the branches of trees, from which place of vantage they shot our skirmishers. They also had a perfect
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FIGHTING FOR POSITIONS.
range on the Forty-third Regiment. Their fire became so destructive that Colonel Smith ordered one of the guns of Battery Robinett to be fired upon them. The second shot brought them down. This was one of the most trying positions our Brigade was placed in during the war.
When the redoubts were built, the timber was cut down four hundred yards in front. Beyond this the forest was so dense that it covered all the movements of the enemy's troops. About ten o'clock in the morning. the Union skirmishers were driven back. The storm broke. Five brigades. four lines deep, with regimental fronts, burst out of the woods, directly north of the railroad station, and covering Davis' Division, penetrated it and rushed at the town. They captured Battery Powell and turned the guns upon Fuller's Brigade. At this time, the left of Hamilton's Division and the right companies of the Twenty-seventh Ohio Fuller's Ohio Brigade were in position intact. They immediately attacked the great column of the eneniy as they were spreading past.
Two regiments of Davies' Division in reserve, rose from behind the railroad embankment and poured in a volley of musketry. The Con- federates stood but a moment and then broke into great disorder, in their retreat leaving many prisoners, and the ground covered with their dead
CONFEDERATE SHARPSHOOTER AT CORINTII.
86
FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
and wounded. At that moment, another and larger force of Arkansas. Texas, Alabama and Mississippi troops, estimated at twenty thousand strong, their columns five lines deep, emerged from the woods in full view and rushed forward with desperate charge upon Fuller's Ohio Brigade. Their columns moved in almost unbroken lines, their battle flags flaunting in the clear sunlight. No sight like this had ever before grected the eyes of the soldiers.
When the enemy had reached a distance of a few yards from the posi- tion occupied by Fuller's Ohio Brigade, the Twenty-seventh, Forty-third and Sixty-third Regiments rose en masse and simultaneously delivered a tremendous volley of musketry fire and went at them. The guns in the hands of our trained soldiers told with terrible effect upon the ad- vancing foe.
In the meantime the assailants tumbled behind the shelter of stumps and fallen trees and fired point blank into the Union lines, exchanging shot with the brigade at twenty paces. Thus the two contending forces continued murdering each other until the enemy gathering in their number and strength, rushed their columns up to the Union lines. Reaching the muz- zles of the guns in Battery Robinett, the defenders and assailants began clubbing each other with their muskets. Colonel Rogers of the Second Texas rode up to the muzzle of a twenty-four pounder, and in the next instant he and his horse were shot and both fell dead.
After the long practice in the use or arms, the men of the Brigade could load and fire in the shortest possible time, but after each discharge the time necessary to ram the charge down and fire again seemed unusually long. This was especially so when the gun-barrels became so hot after repeated firing that they could hardly be held and the muzzles became so contracted that the paper had to be torn entirely off the cartridge and ball. Yet looking down the line of hostile gun-barrels, right into their muzzles stimulated the work of the defenders.
The Union Batteries were obliged to cease firing because of the close proximity of the contending forces. The fighting was thus desperate and matters looked precarious. The Forty-third Ohio had suffered severely. losing nearly one-fourth of its men. Their Colonel, J. L. Kirby Smith, a young officer of great promise, fell from his horse, mortally wounded. Ad- jutant Charles Heyl and Captain Spangler were dead. Captains H. S. Prophet and Timmons and Lieutenant Howe and others were wounded.
The command of the regiment fell to Lieutenant-Colonel Swayne who changed front under a withering fire that would have tried the metal of any regiment that ever saw a battle field and every rebel who showed his head above the parapet of Battery Robinett or attempted to enter the em- brasure was either killed or wounded.
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SCENES DURING THE ASSAULT.
The Sixty-third Ohio which occupied an exposed position, had suf- fered a loss of forty-eight per cent of all those engaged, all of their officers except three were killed or wounded while the remnant stood to their work with greatest determination. Captain Oscar L. Jackson was severely wounded in this engagement.
The right companies of the Twenty-seventh Ohio were firing in- cessantly. Being screened and protected by fallen trees, they did fearful execution upon the flanks of the enemy. The left of that regiment. not so fortunately protected, was fully exposed, with a road in front upon which the enemy came en masse. Companies B, G, and K had lost half of their number, killed or wounded, including all of the commissioned officers of Company G. The Company was therefore left in command of Charles H. Smith, the Orderly Sergeant. Lieutenant Webb was shot and died while shouting to his men to stand firm. At this period of the conflict, the Twenty-seventh which had moved and closed toward the Sixty-third, now sprang forward in a counter charge upon the enemy. In the melee and hand-to-hand encounter which ensued. Company G of the Twenty-seventh rushed upon the color company of the Ninth Texas Infantry. Corporal Cheek wounded the Confederate colorbearer, who fell upon his flag. stain- ing its folds with his blood. Private Orin B. Gould seized the colors. A Confederate officer shot Gould and shouted to his men to save their colors, then dashed toward Gould to shoot him again but he was met by Orderly- Sergeant Charles H. Smith who rushed forward with his rifle, took the rebel prisoner. marched him to the rear and turned him over to Lieutenant Simpson of Company C. Private Gould took the captured flag to Major Z. S. Spaulding of the Twenty-seventh Ohio who put it into the hands of Colonel Fuller. Meanwhile Gould went to the hospital to be treated.
Among the relics of the Rebellion and other wars in the Relic Room of the Capitol Building in Columbus, Ohio, can be seen this large flag, which has the greatest history of any in the room. The dark spots on it are the blood stains, which gave it the name of the "blood stained flag." It is known as the Ninth Texas battle flag. It has a red ground with blue cross bars and twelve stars. The letter sent with the flag to Governor Todd by Colonel Fuller of the Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment, gives a history of the circumstances attending the capture of the flag.
The entire color guard of the Ninth Texas Regiment threw down their arms and surrendered. On this spot within a circle of a few feet. there fell in this fight around the flag. Gould. Radway, Statten, Thomas, Burnett. Fullerton. Harpel. Jenkins, Wilson. and Bruner wounded and Turner killed. This tragedy is now a part of the history of the war.
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1
BATTLE OF CORINTHI, MISS. Oct. 4th, 1862. 27th O. V. V. I. Capturing the Flag of the 9th Texas,
89
ROSECRANS COMPLIMENTS THE BRIGADE.
General Rosecrans says in describing the battle, "The deadly fire of the Ohio Brigade broke them again. I saw the enemy come upon the ridge, while Battery Robinett was belching its fire at them, after their charge had failed. I saw the Twenty-seventh Ohio and the Eleventh Missouri spring up, rush forward and chase them with bayonets into the woods."
A soldier of Hamilton's Division says, "About nine o'clock on the morning of October 4th, there was suddenly heard something like a distant whirlwind. My regiment rose to its feet and was amazed to see a great column of the enemy like a mighty storm-cloud moving out of the woods and attacking the troops on our left. It was the storming of Battery Robinett defended by Fuller's Ohio Brigade. Twenty thousand rebel troops in the greatest assault made by them during the war, covered the ridge comosito, and commeneed to pour a destructive fire upon the Twenty-seventh, Forty-third, and Sixty-third Ohio Regiments, and then advanced in three columns, climbing over fallen trees, bending their heads against the awful storm of grape and musketry. I saw the Ohio Brigade rise en masse and pour in a perfect blaze of musket fire, mowing them down like grass. I never expect to see a grander sight than this battle field presented. The re- nown of this victory is the common heritage of the American Soldier."
After the battle a wounded rebel Lieutenant, while being given some water to drink, said. "You licked us good today, but we gave you the best we had in the ranch."
The Thirty-ninth Ohio, a fine body of men, splendidly disciplined, was obliged to remain in reserve position during the battle, to be shot at without opportunity to return their fire. But their cheers for us and their close proximity nerved us on to fight with great determination.
This counter-charge nearly ended the battle. The enemy became de- moralized. Many screened themselves behind the fallen timber, waved their hands or handkerchieves in token of surrender, for to rise meant certain death. The great mass of the enemy retreated in the untmost confusion, and in their route and panic, canteens, muskets, blankets, and other articles, were thrown away. Private Philip R. Harpel, though wounded, brought in eight prisoners who were found hiding behind the fallen timber.
After the battle was over, General Rosecrans rode up to the position occupied by Fuller's Ohio Brigade and warmly addressing the men, said, "I know now that I stand in the presence of brave men and I take off my hat to you. I know this from what I have heard and from what I have seen at a distance, and also from these piles of dead along your front, and I thank you in our country's name for your great valor."
About five o'clock in the afternoon, a company from each regiment of the Brigade, forming a strong skirmish line under command of Major
90
FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
McDowell, of the Thirty-ninth Ohio and Sergeant Smith of the Twenty- seventh Ohio moved forward five miles over the battle field of the first day, to reconnoiter. They passed the outer line of breastwork where lay on the ground just as they had fallen, a number of Union dead, having been ex- posed to the rays of the sun for two days. Their bodies were bloated, dis- torted and blackened, they had been stripped of their clothing by the rebels, and presented a hideous sight. The Confederates had moved their dead. A few squads of the enemy who had been hiding in the woods were cap- tured. After this demonstration, which lasted till after dark, the skirmish- ers returned and found a supper waiting for them. It had been furnished them by the sutler in consideration of the hardships and loss of food by the men and also because his stores had been saved.
Great camp fires lighted up the horizon and the tired soldiers lay down and slept on the battle field amid the dead and dying.
The Union loss was three hundred and fifty-five killed, and one thou- sand, eight hundred and forty-nine wounded. Many others were wounded but not reported in the official records, because having their wounds dressed on the field, they immediately returned to their commands, so their names do not appear on the hospital rolls. Thirty-three hundred stand of small arms and fourteen stand of colors were captured.
Rosecrans in his report states that there were one thousand four hundred and twenty-three Confederates buried, five thousand six hundred and ninety-two wounded and two thousand, two hundred and sixty-eight prisoners taken.
This battle was a terrible blow to the Confederacy, from which they never recovered. They advanced to battle with thirty-eight thousand nien who fought for two days a Union force of eighteen thousand. They picked from their number twenty thousand of their bravest men and with fierce determination, charged the Ohio Brigade. They were brave men but they met trained and equally gallant soldiers. The battle of Corinth, Mississippi, on October 4th, 1862, will be classed as one of the decisive battles of the war for the Union. The result was a complete overthrow of a gigantic plan, laid out by the Confederates, which if it had been successful, might have placed the Union armies back on the Ohio River.
Major-General W. S. Rosecrans' Report.
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE.
CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI, OCTOBER 25TH, 1862.
The rumors which followed the battle of Iuka were that Price had moved to the vicinity of Ripley and was being joined by Van Dorn with all
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THE BATTLE BLOODY AND DECISIVE.
the available rebel forces in North Mississippi, for the purpose of capturing Corinth, or breaking up our line of communication and forcing us to retreat toward Columbus. On October 3rd, Colonel Oliver took a strong position with his three regiments and a section of artillery. By nine o'clock, the enemy began to press them sharply and to outflank them. Between Mc- Arthur's and Davies' left there was an interval. The enemy developed his forces along that line. McArthur retired from his position which gave the rebels an opportunity to advance behind Davies' left and forced it after an obstinate resistance to fall back one thousand yards losing two heavy guns. Our troops fought with determined courage, firing very low. The enemy was in full strength and meant mischief. Orders were given for McArthur to fall back to the next ridge to touch on Davies' left, for Stanley ( Second Brigade ) to move northward and eastward to stand in close with Mckean's Division, but nearer town. General Hamilton was to face toward Chewalla.
Tl .. Dichoci nus for the Battle October 4th.
We had now before us as much of the army as the rebels had been able to muster in Northern Mississippi. They were in the angle of the Columbus and Memphis Roads. The plan was to rest our left on the batteries extend- ing from Battery Robinett, our center on the slight ridge and our right on the high ground covering both the Pittsburg and Purdy Roads. Mckean had the extreme left. Stanley with his well-tried Division, Batteries Wil- liam and Robinett, was placed on the Memphis Railroad and the Chewalla Road, extending near to the Columbus Road. Davies' tried Division was placed in the right center. Hamilton's staunch fighting Division was on the right.
The Battle.
This early opening gave promise of a hot day's work. About nine o'clock, our skirmishers in our front by their hot firing proclaimed the presence of their forces preparing for the assault. Soon the heads of col- umns were seen emerging to attack our center on Davies' first, Stanley's next, and Hamilton's last. The drawing shows these positions and is re- ferred to for the sake of brevity. I shall leave to pens dipped in poetic ink to describe the gorgeous protean of the battle and paint in words of fire the heroes of this fight. I can only say that when Price's left bore down on our center in gallant style, their force was so overpowering that our wearied and jaded troops yielded and fell back. I had the personal mortification of witnessing this ontoward and untimely stampede. Riddled and scattered. the ragged forces of Pierce's right storming columns penetrated near to the north side of the square. When it was greeted by a storm of grape from a section of Immel's Battery, soon re-enforced by the Tenth Ohio which sent them whirling back, pursued by the Fifth Minnesota. Davies' right rallied and retook Battery Powell. Hamilton having played upon the rebels on his right, over the open field advanced upon them and they fled. The bat- tle was over on the right. During this time, the skirmishers on the left were twenty minutes after the attack on our right, the enemy advanced in four columns on Battery Robinett, and were treated to grape and cannister until within fifty yards, when the Ohio Brigade arose and gave them a murderous fire of musketry before which they reeled and fell back to the woods. They. however, gallantly reformed and advanced again to the charge led by Colo-
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
nel Rogers of the Second Texas. This time they reached the edge of the ditch but the deadly musketry fire of the Ohio Brigade again broke them, and at the word "Charge," the Eleventh Missouri and Twenty-seventh Ohio, sprang up and forward at them, chasing their broken fragments into the woods. *
# Thus at noon, ended the battle of October 4th. Our skirm- ishers began to advance and found that their skirmishers had gone from the field. * I rode over our lines announcing the result in person, and notified our victorious troops that after two days of fighting, two almost sleepless nights of preparation, and march, I wished them to replenish their cartridge boxes, haversacks, and stomachs, take an early sleep and start in pursuit by daylight. *
The results of this bloody battle are: We fought the combined rebel forces of Mississippi, commanded by Van Dorn and Price, Lovell, Ville- pague, Rust and the remnants of Breckenridge's Corps numbering according to their own authorities, thirty-eight thousand men. We signallv defeated them with a little more than halt their number, and they fled leaving their dead and wounded on the field. The enemy's loss in killed was fourteen hundred and twenty-three and in wounded was five thousand six hundred and ninety-two. We took two thousand, two hundred and sixty-eight prisoners, representing sixty nine regiments, seven Battalions and Thirteen Batteries. Besides separate companies, we took fourteen stands of colors. two pieces of artillery, three thousand, three hundred stand of small arms, forty-five thousand rounds of ammunition and a large lot of accoutrements. The enemy blew up several ammunition wagons and carriages, between Corinth and Chewalla, and the ground was strewn with tents, officers' mess chests, and small arms. We pursued them forty miles in force and sixty miles with calvary. Our loss was only three hundred and fifteen killed, one thousand, eight hundred and twelve wounded and two hundred and thirty- two prisoners. The officers and men who in this battle deserve special men- tion, most conspicuous, number one hundred and sixty-nine.
W. S. ROSECRANS, Major-General.
MAJOR JOHN A. RAWLINS, Assistant Adjutant General.
Report of Colonel John W. Fuller, Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry, Commanding First Brigade.
HEADQUARTERS, FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION. ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI, OCTOBER 13TH, 1862.
LIEUTENANT W. H. SINCLAIR, Acting Assistant Adjutant General,
Second Division, Army of the Mississippi.
I have the honor to submit for the information of the General com- manding the Second Division, the following report of the part taken by my command in the recent battle of Corinth.
At daylight on the morning of the 3rd instant, we moved from the Tuscumbia Creek, where it is crossed by the southerly road leading from
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DEFENSE OF BATTERY ROBINETT BY THE OHIO BRIGADE. BATTLE OF CORINTH, MISS., OCTOBER 4TH, 1862. 43d O. V. I. Sketched by D. Auld, 43d O. V. I. 1 63d O. V. I. Being cut to pieces but holding their line. 39th O. V. I. In reserve.
Changing front forward on 1st Co., crushing the right flank of the Confederate columns.
27th O. V. I. Capturing flag ef 9th Texas.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
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