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424 Series I Volume XVII-I Serial 24 - Corinth Part I

Page 424 WEST TENN, AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX.

that the position was untenable, capable of being turned on the right and left. A few seconds after General Lovell's return, report reached us from Colonel Jackson, commanding cavalry between us and the enemy, that they were advancing on all three of the roads. We were drawn up in line of battle across the center road; our left and right did not touch either of the others; country was open and comparatively level. General Lovell then ordered us to resume our march in the direction of Ripley in continuation of our retreat. As the brigades filled out on the road we were ordered to push the men up, as the men up, as the enemy were advancing from Rienzi to Ripley and would cut us off. Passing 4 miles beyond the troops were bivouacked, having made a march of about 18 miles in nineteen hours, the men being without rations, considerably worn out, and showing signs of demoralization. The wagons with provisions came into camp about 9 o'clock that night, having been marched and countermarched 16 miles, and finding themselves where first ordered to in the morning. About 11 o'clock my brigade was turned out under arms. I detailed one regiment with a small battalion, to go toward Ripley, where it was deployed as skirmishers, covering the bivouac of the command. The whole command moved at once next morning, my brigade in rear, leaving camp abbot 2 o'clock. We marched thence to Hickory Flat, about 18 or 20 miles by the road we took. The march was about ten hours in duration and no material delays. My brigade remainder under arms at Hicktory Flat until 10 o'clock that night, having been forty-three hours on duty, with two hours' intermission and without rations. I had applied to General Lovell three times during the afternoon to be relieved. He admitted the justness of my claim, and finally gave me permission to apply directly to General Van Dorn, who immediately relieved me and gave the order about 7 o'clock, and I reached camp about 10 o'clock, as above stated. General Price's command was immediately in front of us during the afternoon of the 8th. I saw them march over the same road three times-first moving west, thence took a road to the south, and returning took the same road to the west. General Lovell ordered my wagon train, when in bivouac 4 miles south of Ripley, to proceed across the Tallahatchie at New Albany and go traveled upward of 60 miles and reached me three days afterward at Holly Springs, having twice crossed the Tallahatchie, my men being compelled to subsist on parched corn and potatoes during its absence, with the exception of a few barrels of flour borrowed from General Rust and a half day's beef rations, which was purchased and ussued by my acting commissary.

Question. State all the facts in your knowledge bearing on the second specification of the second charge.

Answer. Lovell's division arrived at Holly Springs on the 10th. I proceeded in advance to procure rations and select an encampment; was notified by General Lovell on my arrival that the post commissary had orders to issue to my men. Having no wagons I could draw nothing that night. The train came up, however, before the morning of the 11th, having with it one or two days' rations left from former issue. From the morning of the 11th to the 13th my commissary repeatedly applied for rations, reporting his failure to get them to me. I renewed my application to General Lovell, and endeavored to borrow rations from Generals Rust and Vilepigue. Finding they had none, General Rust and myself went in person through the neighborhood and succeeded in being a hundred or two bushels of potatoes. My brigade received no bread rations until the morning of the 16th. We then got sufficient corn meal to issue six or eight ounces to the man. I know nothing as to when Rust and Villepigue got theirs, but I know they had none on the morning of the 14th.

Question. State all the facts in your knowledge bearing on the third specification of the second charge.

Answer. I know nothing relative to this specification .

Cross-examined by DEFENDANT:

Question. You say the sketch made by General Van Dorn at Davis' house was shown to you to explain the roads leading to Tuscumbia. Did you find any difficulty in reaching the Tuscumbia, although the sketch was on letter paper and drawn to no particular scale?

Answer. No, not the slightest; but the distance between the Hatchie and the tuscumbia at that point is only 5 miles. There we tow roads, both very plain. Colonel Riley, whom I sent out to build the bridge, found the road without seeing the map.

Question. What force was sent to the Tuscumbia to secure the building of the bridge?


Page 424 WEST TENN, AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX.