personal memoirs-1-第23章

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position　in　front　of　a　belt　of　timber　on　my　extreme　left；　where　an

enfilading　fire　could　be　opened　on　that　portion　of　the　enemy

attacking　the　right　of　the　First　Corps；　and　also　on　his　batteries

across　Chaplin　River。　　But　at　this　juncture　he　placed　two　batteries

on　my　right　and　began　to　mass　troops　behind　them；　and　General

Gilbert；　fearing　that　my　intrenched　position　on　the　heights　might　be

carried；　directed　me　to　withdraw　Hescock　and　his　supports　and　return

them　to　the　pits。　　My　recall　was　opportune；　for　I　had　no　sooner　got

back　to　my　original　line　than　the　Confederates　attacked　me　furiously；

advancing　almost　to　my　intrenchments；　notwithstanding　that　a　large

part　of　the　ground　over　which　they　had　to　move　was　swept　by　a　heavy

fire　of　canister　from　both　my　batteries。　　Before　they　had　quite

reached　us；　however；　our　telling　fire　made　them　recoil；　and　as　they

fell　back；　I　directed　an　advance　of　my　whole　division；　bringing　up　my

reserve　regiments　to　occupy　the　crest　of　the　hills；　Colonel　William

P。　Carlin's　brigade　of　Mitchell's　division　meanwhile　moving　forward

on　my　right　to　cover　that　flank。　　This　advance　pressed　the　enemy　to

Perryville；　but　he　retired　in　such　good　order　that　we　gained　nothing

but　some　favorable　ground　that　enabled　me　to　establish　my　batteries

in　positions　where　they　could　again　turn　their　attention　to　the

Confederates　in　front　of　McCook；　whose　critical　condition　was　shortly

after　relieved；　however；　by　a　united　pressure　of　Gilbert's　corps

against　the　flank　of　McCook's　assailants；　compelling　them　to　retire

behind　Chaplin　River。



The　battle　virtually　ended　about　4　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　though

more　or　less　desultory　firing　continued　until　dark。　　Considering　the

severity　of　the　engagement　on　McCook's　front；　and　the　reverses　that

had　befallen　him；　I　question　if；　from　that　part　of　the　line；　much

could　have　been　done　toward　retrieving　the　blunders　of　the　day；　but

it　did　seem　to　me　that；　had　the　commander　of　the　army　been　able　to　be

present　on　the　field；　he　could　have　taken　advantage　of　Bragg's　final

repulse；　and　there　would　have　remained　in　our　hands　more　than　the

barren　field。　　But　no　attempt　was　made　to　do　anything　more　till　next

morning；　and　then　we　secured　little　except　the　enemy's　killed　and

most　severely　wounded。



The　operations　of　my　division　during　the　engagement　pleased。　　General

Gilbert　very　much；　and　he　informed　me　that　he　would　relax　a　rigidly

enforced　order　which　General　Buell　had　issued　some　days　before；

sufficiently　to　permit　my　trains　to　come　to　the　front　and　supply　my

almost　starving　troops　with　rations。　　The　order　in　question　was　one

of　those　issued；　doubtless　with　a　good　intent；　to　secure　generally

the　safety　of　our　trains；　but　General　Gilbert　was　not　elastic；　and　on

the　march　he　had　construed　the　order　so　illiberally　that　it　was　next

to　impossible　to　supply　the　men　with　food；　and　they　were　particularly

short　in　this　respect　on　the　eve　of　the　battle。　　I　had　then

endeavored　to　persuade　him　to　modify　his　iron…clad　interpretation　of

the　order；　but　without　effect；　and　the　only　wagons　we　could　bring　up

from　the　general　parks　in　rear　were　ambulances　and　those　containing

ammunition。　　So　to　gain　access　to　our　trains　was　a　great　boon；　and　at

that　moment　a　more　welcome　result　than　would　have　been　a　complete

victory　minus　this　concession。



When　the　battle　ceased　General　Gilbert　asked　me　to　join　him　at

Buell's　headquarters；　which　were　a　considerable　distance　to　the　rear；

so　after　making　some　dispositions　for　the　evening　I　proceeded　there

as　requested。　　I　arrived　just　as　Buell　was　about　to　sit　down　to　his

supper；　and　noticing　that　he　was　lame；　then　learned　that　he　had　been

severely　injured　by　a　recent　fall　from　his　horse。　　He　kindly　invited

me　to　join　him　at　the　table；　an　invitation　which　I　accepted　with

alacrity；　enjoying　the　meal　with　a　relish　known　only　to　a　very…hungry

man；　for　I　had　eaten　nothing　since　morning。　　Of　course　the　events　of

the　day　were　the　chief　topic　of　discussionas　they　were　during　my

stay　at　headquartersbut　the　conversation　indicated　that　what　had

occurred　was　not　fully　realized；　and　I　returned　to　my　troops

impressed　with　the　belief　that　General　Buell　and　his　staff…officers

were　unconscious　of　the　magnitude　of　the　battle　that　had　just　been

fought。



It　had　been　expected　by　Buell　that　he　would　fight　the　enemy　on　the

9th　of　October；　but　the　Confederates　disposed　of　that　proposition　by

attacking　us　on　the　8th；　thus　disarranging　a　tactical　conception

which；　with　our　superior　numbers；　would　doubtless　have　proved

successful　had　it　not　been　anticipated　by　an　enterprising　foe。

During　the　battle　on　the　8th　the　Second　Corps；　under　General　Thomas

L。　Crittenden；　accompanied　by　General　George　H。　Thomas；　lay　idle　the

whole　day　for　want　of　orders；　although　it　was　near　enough　to　the

field　to　take　an　active　part　in　the　fight；　and；　moreover；　a　large

part　of　Gilbert's　corps　was　unengaged　during　the　pressure　on　McCook。

Had　these　troops　been　put　in　on　the　enemy's　left　at　any　time　after　he

assaulted　McCook；　success　would　have　been　beyond　question；　but　there

was　no　one　on　the　ground　authorized　to　take　advantage　of　the

situation；　and　the　battle　of　Perryville　remains　in　history　an　example

of　lost　opportunities。　　This　was　due　in　some　measure　probably　to

General　Buell's　accident；　but　is　mainly　attributable　to　the　fact　that

he　did　not　clearly　apprehend　Bragg's　aim；　which　was　to　gain　time　to

withdraw　behind　Dick's　River　all　the　troops　he　had　in　Kentucky；　for

the　Confederate　general　had　no　idea　of　risking　the　fate　of　his　army

on　one　general　battle　at　a　place　or　on　a　day　to　be　chosen　by　the

Union　commander。



Considering　the　number　of　troops　actually　engaged；　the　losses　to

Buell　were　severe；　amounting　to　something　over　five　thousand　in

killed；　wounded；　and　missing。　　Among　the　killed　were　two　brigade

commanders　of　much　promiseGeneral　James　S。　Jackson　and　General

William　R。　Terrill。　　McCook's　corps　lost　twelve　guns；　some　of　which

were　recovered　next　day。　　The　enemy's　loss　in　killed　and　wounded　we

never　learned；　but　it　must　have　equalled　ours；　and　about　four

thousand　prisoners；　consisting　principally　of　sick　and　wounded；　fell

into　our　hands。　　In　the　first　report　of　the　battle　sent　North　to　the

newspapers　I　was　reported　among　the　killed；　but　I　was　pleased　to

notice；　when　the　papers　reached　us　a　few　days　later；　that　the　error

had　been　corrected　before　my　obituary　could　be　written。



The　enemy　retired　from　our　front　the　night　of　the　8th；　falling　back

on　Harrodsburg　to　form　a　junction　with　Kirby　Smith；　and　by　taking

this　line　of　retreat　opened　to　us　the　road　to　Danville　and　the　chance

for　a　direct　march　against　his　depot　of　supplies　at　Bryantsville。　　We

did　not　take　advantage　of　this　opening；　however；　and　late　in　the　day…

…on　the　9thmy　division　marched　in　pursuit；　in　the　direction　of

Harrodsburg；　which　was　the　apex　of　a　triangle　having　for　its　base　a

line　from　Perryville　to　Danville。　　The　pursuit　was　slow；　very　slow；

consuming　the　evening　of　the　9th　and　all　of　the　l0th　and　11th。　　By

cutting　across　the　triangle　spoken　of　above；　just　south　of　the　apex；

I　struck　the　Harrodsburg…Danville　road；　near　Cave　Springs；　joining

there　Gilbert's　left　division；　which　had　preceded　me　and　marched

through　Harrodsburg。　　Here　we　again　rested　until　the　intention　of　the

enemy　could　be　divined；　and　we　could　learn　on　which　side　of　Dick's

River　he　would　give　us　battle。　　A　reconnoissance　sent　toward　the

Dickville　crossing　developed　to　a　certainty　that　we　should　not　have

another　engagement；　however；　for　it　disclosed　the　fact　that　Bragg's

army　had　disappeared　toward　Camp　Dick　Robinson；　leaving　only　a　small

rear…guard　at　Danville；　which　in　turn　quickly　fled　in　the　direction

of　Lancaster；　after　exchanging　a　few　shots　with　Hescock's　battery。



While　this　parting　salute　of　deadly　projectiles　was　going　on；　a

little；　daughter　of　Colonel　William　J。　Landram；　whose　home　was　in

Danville；　came　running　out　from　his　house　and　planted　a　small

national　flag　on　one　of　Hescock's　guns。　　The　patriotic　act　was　so

brave　and　touching　that　it　thrilled　all　who　witnessed　the　scene；　and

until　the　close　of　the　war；　when　peace　separated　the　surviving

officers　and　men　of　the　battery；　that　little　flag　was　protected　and

cherished　as　a　memento　of　the　Perryville　campaign。



Pursuit　of　the　enemy　was　not　continued　in　force　beyond　Crab　Orchard；

but　some　portions　of　the　army　kept　at　Bragg's　heels　until　he　crossed

the　Cumberland　River；　a　part　of　his　troops　retiring　to　Tennessee　by

way　of　Cumberland　Gap；　but　the　major　portion　through　Somerset。　　As

the　retreat　of　Bragg　transferred　the　theatre　of　operations　back　to

Tennessee；　orders　were　now　issued　for　a　concentration　of　Buell's　army

at　Bowling　Green；　with　a　view　to　marching　it　to　Nashville；　and　my

division　moved　to　that　point　without　noteworthy　incident。　　I　reached

Bowling　Green　with　a　force　much　reduced　by　the　losses　sustained　in

the　battle　of　Perryville　and　by　sickness。　　I　had　started　from

Louisville　on　October　1　with　twelve　regiments　of　infantryfour　old

and　eight　new　onesand　two　batteries；　but　many　poor　fellows；

overcome　by　fatigue；　and　diseases　induced　by　the　heat；　dust；　and

drought　of　the　season；　had　to　be　left　at　roadside　hospitals。　　This

was　particularly　the　case　with　the　new　regiments；　the　men　of　which；

much　depressed　by　homesickness；　and　not　yet　inured　to　campaigning；

fell　easy　victims　to　the　hardships　of　war。



At　Bowling　Green　General　Buell　was　relieved；　General　W。　S。　Rosecrans

succeeding　him。　　The　army　as　a　whole　did　not　manifest　much　regret　at

the　change　of　commanders；　for　the　campaign　from　Louisville　on　was

looked　upon　generally　as　a　lamentable　failure；　yet　there　were　many

who　still　had　the　utmost　confidence　in　General　Buell；　and　they

repelled　with　some　asperity　the　reflections　cast　upon　him　by　his

critics。　　These　admirers　held　him　blameless　throughout　for　the

blunders　of　the　campaign；　but　the　greater　number　laid　every　error　at

his　door；　and　even　went　to　the　absurdity　of　challenging　his　loyalty

in　a　mild　way；　but　they　particularly　charged　incompetency　at

Perryville；　where　McCook's　corps　was　so　badly　crippled　while　nearly

30；000　Union　troops　were　idle　on　the　field；　or　within　striking

distance。　　With　these　it　was　no　use　to　argue　that　Buell's　accident

stood　in　the　way　of　his　activity；　nor　that　he　did　not　know　that　the

action　had　assumed　the　proportions　of　a　battle。　　The　physical

disability　was　denied　or　contested；　but　even　granting　this；　his

detractors　claimed　that　it　did　not　excuse　his　ignorance　of　the　true

condition　of　the　fight；　and　finally　worsted　his　champions　by　pointing

out　that　Bragg's　retreat　by　way　of　Harrodsburg　beyond　Dick's　River　so

jeopardized　the　Confederate　army；　that　had　a　skillful　and　energetic

advance　of　the　Union　troops　been　made；　instead　of　wasting　precious

time　in　slow　and　unnecessary　tactical　manoeuvres；　the　enemy　could