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0who had been killed by a single sh'ot.— The top of the head of the first was taken off* the entire head of the second wa3 gone, the breast of the third was torn opD, and the ball passed fchroogh the abdomen of the third. All had fallen in a heap, killed instantly.There was no manceuvriDg of troops in Starkwpafcher’a brigade. The left of the line was never broken. Thi3 brigade was the only one posted on the lino of battle originally chosen by Gen. Bousseau.— Harris and Lytle had to be advanced from Bousseau’s chosen line to sustain Terrill’s brigade, and they had eventually to fall back to the lino which Rousseau had determined upon. But Starkweather’s brigade never moved. The rebels advanced npon him three times, and three times were they repul-ed. Along the whole hue of his brigade he kept up a terrible fire, withering and destructive. In the woods and cornfields in his front the rebels lie thick, and the graves tell that officers have fallen in plenty. The rebels buried most of their officers, bat many of their men It© on the field to-day, and we are in possession of it. I cannot express in gen. era! terms the gallantry of the men and officers on our left. • To say that Starkweather and Hambright and Mnf were bravely at their post in toe beat of the fight, is only to say what ail who knew them will guesa. To say that Stone and Bush were at their guns is only to fay that they did their duty. They all de serve the admiration and thanks of their country.THE BATTLE IN THE CENTRE.The brigade of Len Harris was in the centre and met the shock simultaneously with the left and right. The whole brigade was in the open Helds with the rebels in the woods before them. Long and gallantly did they sustain their exposed positions. The 121st Illinois, flying from the field, lau through this brigade with Urrible cries of defeat and disaster, but the gallant boys of the 2d Ohio aod 38ih Indiana only laughed at them, as lying down they were literally run over by the panic stricken Ilhnoisiacs. Hardly had they disappeared in the woods in Harris’s rear when the rebels appeared in the woods in 1:5a front. At the same time Rousseau came galloping along the Sine, and they received him with cheers udcI the rebels with a terrible fire. Terrible was the shock on this part of the line, but gallant was the resistance. Up the hill came the rebels and made as gallant a ciiarge as ever was met by brave men.— Rut oh! so terrible and bloody was the repulse. Along the line of ’he 2d Ohio and 88th Indiana and Oapt. Harris’s battery I saw a simultaneous cloud of smoke arise. A moment I waited. The cloud arose aod revealed the broken column of rebels flyibg from the field, but in the distance a second rapidly advancing. The about that arose from our men drowned the roar of cannon, and sent dismay into th© retreating and broken column.Ool. Harris, with deliberate and searching eye, watched the rebel movement:-, and disposed his men to receive them. His men enthusiastically obeyed, and officers and men—drigade ana commandant * —are Ibis morning covered with glory. Never did they desert their position until the right wing being flanked, they had to retire, with ail their ammunition shot away, and under a galling fire. They fell back under orders to the ridge in their rear, where Rosseau had originally located his lines. Th© retreating line was in good order, and formed in their second position with rapidity, and held it during the rest of the day under a cross fire from the enemy who had flanked us. Capt. Harris was compelled to abandon three pieces of his battery, but the enemy were unable to take them from the field. The left and centre did glorious fighting.ON THE EIGHT.But on the right we have suftared, ob 1 so terribly! Here the misfortune of having to advance tbe line to suit Terrill’s position fell most severely. Flanked and driven back by overwhelming force, with gallant Lytle wounded and left on the field, with nearly two hundred dead around him, visible this morning lying as the line of battle was formed, on the right we suffered and were diiven back a quar ter ot a mile. The first lino of the rebels —Jones’ and Johnston’s brigades—were terribly repulsed. The Forty-second Indiana and Third Ohio with Simonson, nnd the Tenth Wisconsin and Tenth Ohio met the first and routed them. But the second column of the rebels came up and engaged them. In the ravines and woods and open fields their dead lie in heaps and tell a tale of horror. How desperate was the resistance of Lytle language cannot tell. No more gallant warrior iooght that day, nor did ever ebieftan have more gallant men.The rebels did all their manceivraing iu the battle in the front- of Lytle, and he had no supports with which to counteract their movements. They made a flank movement on him, which could not bo met, and, warned of it by Col. Harris, who saw the movement, though hidden by intervening hills from Lytle, the latter iMit weird t.n Roseau, who had been busvPope’s Fifteenth Kentucky into line at the house on (he left. Oapt. Foreman got bis remnant of a company into a stable near by and did fine work for tbe rest of the day. Here was the last effort of the day. Loomis and the Fifteenth and the stragglers held tbeir positions. Loomis kept np bis fire till night closed in upon the scene and the battle was over. On the left the position was sustained, though the rebels managed to get a position for a battery far to the left. Oapt. Stone, however, succeeded in silencing tbi6 battery. Col. Harris retired his brigade to near the cross roads. The new Hue was formed at dark, bat there was no further advance made by tbe rebeh. In the morning they were gone, and we found ourselves in undisputed possession of tbe field. The enemy had fled in disorder, leaving Parsons’ captured battery on the field, and were nntibSe to take away their wounded.THE REBEL LOSS.I have been over a part of the battlefield, and with Oapt. Williams have counted what rebels I saw dead on the field.— On our left and in front of where Starkweather fought, aud Jlaney and Donelson’erebel brigades attacked, I saw and counted 211 diad. At the hospital, near the cross roads, there are two more who I saw dead aud eight wounded. At General Obeatham’s hospital there are fifty-two dead aud five hundred wounded. In a pen ia front of where Harris fought, there are eighteen dead. I saw no more, but one ot Gen. McGook’e aids reports a largenumber in a ravine on onr right coven lt;3with brush. A gentleman from Harrods-burg reports two thousand wounded at that place. The 1st Tennessee lost two hundred killed and wounded, and on the retreat the 6th, 16th, aDd 31st Tennessee regiments reported themselves cut up entirely. The First Confederate brigade was destroyed, if their own stone.' are to be believed. Brig. Gen. Geo. Maney was killed. A Col. Lewis was killed on our right. I know of no other officers, except a captain and first lieutenant lying unburied on our left.TEE BATTLE OF MRIYILLB, 11, 001. Sill.Casual ties in Wisconsin Regiments,Bispatcli from Col. Starkweather.Headquarters 2Stn Brigade,BAtitE rm», cnAPux mix,Ivy., Oct. 10, vsa Louisville, Oct. 13.To Oor. Edward SaiohoxjThe old First aud Twenty-first Wisconsin, of my Brigade, marched twelve miles ou the 8th iost., going into battle at noon and fighting until 7 P. M,, with losses as follows:1st Wisconsin—58 killed, 127 woumled, aud 13 missing—(taken prisoners while bringing I he wounded from the field at night under a flag of truce).Major Mitchell is wounded severely in the leg, and may lose it. Oapt, Green, of Co. K, is shot through the neck, but is doing well. Lieut. Wise, of Co. F, is shot through the leg. Lieut. Bamhroek, oi Go. E, !■» shot through the shoulder, Lieut. Gallagher, of Co, B, is a prisoner. I will send you a list of killed and wounded as soon as possible.21st Wisconsin—So killed, OS wounded, and 54 missing. Major Schumaker, L’eut. D, W. Mitchell, and Capt. Bentley are dead, Ool. Sweet ilt; severely wounded, but will live, the Surgeon says.The 1st Wisconsin took the colors of tho 1st Tennessee,The 21st Wisconsin, 79th Pennsylvania and 24th Illinois held their position, protecting my two batteries, and finally drove the enemy from the field, piling up the dead in heaps upoa heaps.All did well. The fighting of the 1st is ia every one’s mouth. Ail proclaim it the veteran regiment. It fought some ot the same troops it met at Falling Waters.Gen. McOook claims that tho 28th brigade saved the day aod tamed the tide ofbattle against the enemy.Our loss is fearful, bub all feel nobly and well. There was no flinching, no cowardice shown by any Wisconsin troops. In my brigade (the 28di) the total loss inkilled, wounded and missing will reach8U0, as near as can now be ascertained.The Tenth and Twenty-fourth Wisconsin were in tho fight. Both Colonels are safe. The Tenth suffered severely. The Twenty-iourth lost four only, aa I am told.I am making up my official reports, and will send you a copy when tioiahea.Th© battle was terrible and th© rebels defeated. We now hold the position occupied by them, and will undoubtedly move on.Our wounded need attention and assistance. Any one comiug to Mtickriile, Washington Go., Ky., will soon find them. We buried the dead last night oa th© battle field.All glory to the Wisconsin troops ! All honor to the veteran 1st and the gallant 21st, 1 Yours, oa the field,Ool. J. O. Starkweather, lsb Wis., Commanding 28th Brigade.Killed, Wounded and Missing ot the 10th«*VT . ^77 nr* r
Newspaper Details
Richland County Observer
Richland Center, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Oct 24, 1862
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 21 Nov 2019
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