Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/308

 302 Southern Historical Society Papers.

ral Ruggles's staff directed me to retire to the enemy's camp beyond the range of his floating guns. In filing off from this position several men were killed and many wounded by the exploding shells of the enemy. It was now twilight. As soon as we had placed a hill between us and the gunboats the troops moved slowly, and apparently with reluctance, from the direction of the river. It was eight o'clock at night before we had reached a bivouac near General Bragg' s headquarters, and in the darkness of the night the Twen- tieth Louisiana and portions of the Seventeenth Louisiana and Con- federate Guards got separated from that portion of the command with which I was encamped on other ground. By the assistance of my staff the whereabouts of the whole command was ascertained before we slept." (Ibid, page 499.)

Colonel Randall Lee Gibson is very meagre in his report as to what his brigade did after 3 P. M.; but here is all that he says of what was done after Prentiss' surrender :

" In obedience to orders, we moved with the main body of the army towards the river. I was given command by Brigadier-General Ruggles to retire my command from the fire of the gunboats. In this movement considerable disorder ensued, owing to the fact that all the troops were closely massed. My whole command was kept together for the night, except the Nineteenth Louisiana volun- teers, Colonel B. L. Hodge, who, in spite of exertion of his own, did not succeed in reporting to me until after the battle of the 7th." (Ibid, page 480.)

As for Colonel Pond, commanding the Third brigade of Ruggles' s division of Bragg' s corps, touching his operations after 4 P. M , relating a charge made by his forces pursuant to an order from Gene- ral Hardee, he says :

" This brought my troops under the fire of the enemy's batteries and three of his regiments in an oblique column instead of line of battle, and the fire became so destructive that the troops recoiled under it. (Hurlbut's division, see Rebellion Records, Volume X, Part I, page 205.) The Eighteenth Louisiana (Monton's) suffered severely in this charge, also the Orleans Guards; the Sixteenth Louisiana less than either, being on the right, and consequently in what might be called the rear of the column. As my troops were advancing to this charge, we again received a severe fire from our own troops on the right, which, added to the fire from the enemy, almost disorganized the command. In order to reform, we were compelled to fall back about one hundred and fifty yards to the