Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/80

 74 Southern Historical Society Papers.

which were naturally protected, the rest of the line occupied an open field with the woods in front and in point-blank range.

General Polk criticised General Pillow's disposition of his troops with some severity. He said that General Pillow might have had strong natural defenses in the rear of his line, afforded by woods, abattis and ravines, which ran parallel to the line of the enemy's advance. Instead of taking advantage of these, said General Polk, he threw his line into an open field, and, what was worse, gave the enemy the advantage of the cover of the woods in his front. Colonel Freeman says that one of his officers remarked to him that it was like fighting a duel with your antagonist behind a tree and yourself in an open space. Colonel Freeman further gives it as his opinion that the battery was placed so far to the left that it was not available, and says that he does not believe five persons were touched by its shot. Lieutenant-Colonel Beltzhoover, commanding the battery, makes a very meagre report. His command distinguished itself by its courage and endurance, but its commander does not even express his opinion that it rendered any efficient service. The substance of his report is, after stating his position : "There we stood, doing our best, until the whole line retreated to the river." Colonel J. V. Wright says, in his report of the battle, that the enemy opened upon him at a distance of about eighty yards from under such a dense cover that they were invisible.

But it must be said, in justice to General Pillow, that he was unac- quainted with the ground, that he had not over an hour to choose his position, and that he had to form almost in the face of the enemy. He behaved well on the field and did the best that his position would allow him to do.

Colonel Bell's regiment remained in position nearly an hour, when the enemy attacked in strong force. Colonel Russell, commanding the brigade, then gave the order to charge. The order was promptly obeyed and the enemy was driven back thirty or forty yards. Find- ing that the new position was not a good one, the regiment fell back to its original position, which it held for three or four hours afterward.

Colonel Tappan's regiment was engaged over an hour and a half, being subjected to and returning the fire of an overpowering force of the enemy when, Colonel Russell's regiment getting out of ammuni- tion, it gradually and in good order, without any confusion, retired through the timber, recently cut down by the command, to the bank of the river where it again formed. The regiment suffered more during the above period than at any other time during the day.