Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/310

 304 Southern Historical Society Papers.

I was in the saddle till a late hour of the night, endeavoring to find your headquarters, but unable to do so" (Rebellion Records, Volume X, Part I, page 493.)

Captain W. G. Poole, commanding the Florida battalion, as early as April 1 2th reports that, after the successful affair with Prentiss, his battalion, with a portion of the brigade (Patton Anderson's) pro- ceeded forward within range of the heavy guns on the Tennes- see river, where "we were for some time exposed to the enemy's shells. * * * We then fell back to the enemy's camp and bivouacked for the night." (Ibid, page 505).

Colonel Charles Jones (Seventh Louisiana), as early as the nth of April reports that, after taking part in the successful operation against Prentiss, General Anderson, his brigade commander, came up with the Twentieth Louisiana and ordered the line formed:

" At this moment I was wounded in the left arm with a minie-ball and retired. After having my wound dressed, I immediately returned to the field in search of my command. Fell in with General Rug- gles and reported myself to him. He invited me to remain with him, as the action was drawing to a close. The enemy having retired and left us in possession of the field, and being unable to find more than fifty of my command, I, with my adjutant (also wounded), retired with this, small force to the ambulance depot to assist the wounded, and retired for the night." (Ibid, page 506).

Colonel W. A. Stanley (Ninth Texas), of the same brigade and division of Bragg's corps, reported on the i5th of April :

"In the meantime firing continued incessantly on our right; we were then ordered to join the command in that direction, which was reported to have the enemy badly routed and driving them toward their gunboats. After proceeding some distance we found ourselves in the range of shot and shell fired from the boats and vicinity. At this point night put a close to the action of the day of the 6th. We retired from this point to form our encampment for the night, our troops being more or less scattered, some having been completely exhausted by the fatigues of the day. We then formed in two groups, leaving one to encamp on the battlefield and the other near the general hospital." (Ibid, page 509).

Such is the uniform statement made immediately after the battle by all the officers of Bragg's corps, whose reports have been pub- lished, and not a word is to be found to justify Generals Bragg and Withers in the assertion that the forces under them at the time the precautionary order was received to withdraw out of the immediate