personal memoirs-1-第31章

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to　drive　them　in　on　the　main　body。　　This　was　successfully　done　in　a

few　minutes；　but　in　pushing　them　back　to　Chaplin　River；　we　discovered

the　Confederates　forming　a　line　of　battle　on　the　opposite　bank；　with

the　apparent　purpose　of　an　attack　in　force；　so　I　withdrew　the　brigade

to　our　intrenchments　on　the　crest　and　there　awaited　the　assault。



While　this　skirmishing　was　going　on；　General　Gilbertthe　corps

commanderwhose　headquarters　were　located　on　a　hill　about　a　mile

distant　to　the　rear；　kept　sending　me　messages　by　signal　not　to　bring

on　an　engagement。　　I　replied　to　each　message　that　I　was　not　bringing

on　an　engagement；　but　that　the　enemy　evidently　intended　to　do　so；　and

that　I　believed　I　should　shortly　be　attacked。　　Soon　after　returning

to　the　crest　and　getting　snugly　fixed　in　the　rifle…pits；　my　attention

was　called　to　our　left；　the　high　ground　we　occupied　affording　me　in

that　direction　an　unobstructed　view。　　I　then　saw　General　A。　McD。

McCook's　corpsthe　First…advancing　toward　Chaplin　River　by　the

Mackville　road；　apparently　unconscious　that　the　Confederates　were

present　in　force　behind　the　stream。　　I　tried　by　the　use　of　signal

flags　to　get　information　of　the　situation　to　these　troops；　but　my

efforts　failed；　and　the　leading　regiments　seemed　to　approach　the

river　indifferently　prepared　to　meet　the　sudden　attack　that　speedily

followed；　delivered　as　it　was　from　the　chosen　position　of　the　enemy。

The　fury　of　the　Confederate　assault　soon　halted　this　advance　force；

and　in　a　short　time　threw　it　into　confusion；　pushed　it　back　a

considerable　distance；　and　ultimately　inflicted　upon　it　such　loss　of

men　and　guns　as　to　seriously　cripple　McCook's　corps；　and　prevent　for

the　whole　day　further　offensive　movement　on　his　part；　though　he

stoutly　resisted　the　enemy's　assaults　until　4　o'clock　in　the

afternoon。



Seeing　McCook　so　fiercely　attacked；　in　order　to　aid　him　I　advanced

Hescock's　battery；　supported　by　six　regiments；　to　a　very　good

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　recovere