Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/407

 406 Southern Historical Society Papers.

to be one of the guns of Lumsden's battery, captured by the enemy on the i gth, and has been returned to that battery.

Besides the two pieces above named, a six-pounder smooth-bore, and another piece, description not now known, and seven caissons captured. The wagons contained some quartermaster's property, but were mainly loaded with ammunition for artillery and infantry. Two of General Rosencranz's escort, and Captain Hescock, of the First Missouri Federal Light Artillery, Battery G, were captured on the side of the ridge west of Villetoe's house, where many other prisoners were picked up by our skirmishers. My engagements were such at this period as to prevent me from looking after or esti- mating the number or value of articles captured. Many of the wagons were subsequently removed by other commands in rear of mine. I now estimate the wagons captured at about thirty, a few of which had teams attached.

Before making any disposition for a further advance. I found it necessary to replenish our supply of ammunition, and consequently I ordered up a supply from the rear and distributed it to most of the regiments of my command. Subsequently we drew our ammu- nition from the captured train. Lieutenant Black, of my staff, now brought up Dent's battery of Napoleon guns, of Hindman's division, which he found somewhere on our left, and placed three pieces on the ridge in the northwest corner of the field we occupied. No general officer or reinforcements having come up, and seeing no troops in my vicinity, my aids having been long absent in search of support, I became impatient at the delay. Giving orders that our position should be held at all hazards, I galloped off, in person, in search of support. Having swung slightly to the right from our first position, the connection was broken on our left, and I could see no troops in that direction. It subsequently appeared that General Hindman's division gallantly drove back to the west and south the enemy's line in his front and on my left, inflicting a heavy loss on them, and thus relieving us from danger in that direction.

Riding towards our right and rear some half a mile, I came upon Brigadier-General Kershaw advancing with his brigade through the open field upon the eminence, near to which we had captured the battery of nine guns in our advance, and where I saw the United States flag now floating, the position having been re-occupied by the enemy. Here I learned that Major-General Hood had been wounded. Colonel Cunningham, of his staff, informed me that Brigadier-Gen- eral Kershaw's brigade was much needed to attack the position in