Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/289

 288 Southern Historical Society Papers.

General Ord to surrender. General Ord stated in his letter that recent information showed that McClellan had destroyed Lee's army at Antietam ; that, therefore, the rebellion must soon terminate, and that in order to spare the useless effusion of blood, he gave Price this opportunity to lay down his arms. Price replied to Ord that he was glad to be able to inform him that we had late and reliable information which justified the belief that the results of the battle of Sharpsburg had been highly satisfactory to us; that the Army of Northern Virginia was still in the field, and that as for himself, while duly sensible of the kindness of feeling which had inspired General Ord's invitation, he would lay down his arms whenever Mr. Lincoln should acknowledge the independence of the Southern Confederacy, and not sooner. On the same day Price received another urgent request from Van Dorn to come with all his forces, meet him at Ripley, and move their combined forces against Grant in Corinth.

On this same day, Little and I were occupying with both our divisions a line of battle about two miles west of luka. We faced Burnsville, our left resting on the Memphis and Charleston road. About 10 A. M. we were called by General Price to a council of war. He then disclosed to us Ord's and Van Dorn's letters, with other important information, and it was evident to us all that the enemy was not moving over the Tennessee at all, but still lay in heavy force on our immediate left, and in position to cut us off entirely from our line and base of supplies on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. He de- cided to march back next morning toward Baldwin, and thence to unite with Van Dorn in a combined attack on Corinth. Orders were at once issued for the trains, to be packed and the whole army to move at dawn in the morning on the road back to Baldwin. Since an early hour on this day our cavalry pickets had been sending re- ports of a heavy force moving on us by the Jacinto road.

Little moved soon after midday away from the line facing Burns- ville, and took position to command the approach by the Jacinto road. And he was just in good time, for about four o'clock P. M. Rosecrantz came upon him with a sudden and heavy attack, striking our advanced line, which was composed of new troops, most of whom were now in their first battle; he forced them back and came triumphantly onward without a check. He had advanced almost within sight of luka when Little met him with his glorious Missouri brigade; the Third Louisiana Infantry and Whitfield's Texas Legion were there too. And then they rolled back the victorious tide of battle. The Federals were driven before them, our first line of bat-