Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/398

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

Headquarters Army Tennessee, Lafayette, Ga., 6 P. M., Sept. 12, 1863. Lieutenant- General Polk, Comtnand- itig Corps:

General, — I enclose you a dis- patch marked "A," and I now give you the orders of the commanding General, viz: to attack at day-dawn to-morrow the infantry column re- ported in said dispatch, at three quarters of a mile beyond Peavine Church, on the road to GraysviUe from Lafayette.

I am. General, etc., George W. Brent, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Headquarters Army Tennessee,

Lafayette, Ga., Sept. 12, 1863. Lieut- General Polk, Commanding Corps :

General. — The enemy is approach- ing from the South, and it is highly important that your attack in the morning should be quick and de- cided. Let no time be lost. I am, General, etc.,

George W. Brent, Assistant Adjutant-General.

At eleven P. M., a dispatch was re- ceived from the General stating that he had taken a strong position for de fence, and requesting that he should be heavily reinforced. He was promptly ordered not to defer his attack, his force being already numerically su- perior to the enemy, and was re- minded that his success depended upon the promptness and rapidity of his movements, He was further in- formed that Buckner's corps would be moved within supporting distance the next morning.

Early on the thirteenth I proceeded to the front, ahead of Buckner's com- mand, to find that no advance had been made on the enemy, and that

objects : First to support General Thomas, in case the enemy is in force in the vicinity of Lafayette; or sec- ond, to move eastward and south- ward toward Rome, in case he has con- tinued his retreat. Other verbal in- structions received by my staff-officer urged upon me the importance of keeping my separate divisions in sup- porting distance of one another. At half-past eight A. M. I received your dispatch of half-past three P. M., in- forming me that the enemy was in heavy force in the valley of Chat- tanooga, and instructing me to move my whole force across by the most available route, and as quickly as possible, to the Ro.ssville and La" fayette road, to some defensible point between Gordon's Mills and Shield's House, and to close Wood up with me or myself to him. I at once called my general officers together, and after a long consultation and diligent inquiry of citizens as to the nature of the roads and country, gave orders to move the command in the direction ordered at five in the morn- ing.

September 12. Sent word early this morning to Colonel Wilder, who was in the ad- vance and near Tunnel Hill, to return to Ringgold with his command, and to follow on my line of march, cover- ing my left flank. He moved promptly and met me at Ringgold, and reported that the enemy was in force in his front last night, and that he learned from deserters that For- rest was to leave to-day to flank and cut off this command, and Wharton in an opposite direction to the same purpose. General Van Cleve with the train, moved to Peeler's and met no enemy ; General Palmer to Gilbert's, where he met some squads of the enemy, and skirmished with