Today in History:

604 Series I Volume XXIII-I Serial 34 - Tullahoma Campaign Part I

Page 604 Chapter XXXV. KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N ALA., AND SW. VA.

the Forty-fourth, armed with percussion muskets. About 600 yards to the left and rear of the knob occupied by the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment is a piece of woods on the slope of the hill in front of Mr. Robertson's house. This hill was on the prolongation of the enemy's line, and was separated from the woods which they occupied by a clover-field about 500 yards wide. Lieutenant-Colonel floyd very judiciously posted Company H, of his regiment, under its captain ([G. W.] O'Neal), near the Robertson house, to watch the movements of the enemy and check his advance of he attempted to move in that direction. The Seventeenth remained quietly in position during the day and succeeding night, but the skirmishers all along the rest of my line continued to fire at those of the enemy, taking deliberate, and in many cases effective, aim. The enemy in front of the Twenty-fifth were seen carrying away the killed or wounded, which quite excited the marksmen of this regiment.

The Twenty-third lost this day Sergt. A. J. Puryear, of Company A, mortally wounded, and Second Lieutenant A. T. Donaldson and Private A. J. Potter, of Company A, slightly wounded. The Twenty-fifth lost Privates W. J. Barry, of Company D, killed, and Lewis Odle, of Company E, wounded in the leg.

About 5 p. m. Captain Darden received orders from Major-General Stewart to fire 6 rounds, when the battery on Signal Hill, on the right of the Manchester pike, opened fire. The order was complied with, and his shots seemed to be very effective on the battery of the enemy in his front.

In the afternoon of June 25, the Ninth Alabama Regiment, of Bate's brigade, took position on the right of the Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiment and on the left of Darden's battery. At dark the Forty-fourth Tennessee was ordered to the west of the Garrison Fork, and took the position occupied by the Twenty-third, which was moved to a spur of the hill on which the Twenty-fifth and a section of the Eufaula Battery was posted. The firing of skirmishers did not entirely cease during the night, and the enemy commenced the work with much spirit early in the morning my skirmishers duly responding.

Between 10 and 11 a. m. on July 26, a heavy line of the enemy's skirmishers entered the clover-field on the left of the Seventeenth and between the woods occupied by Campaign O'Neal's company and those occupied by the Federals. The line of skirmishers was followed by two lines of infantry, about 200 yards apart, of which I especially noticed one regiment formed in column of divisions. Lieutenant-Colonel Floyd, anticipating this movement of the enemy by aid of the indications furnished by the bursting of caps and other signs of preparation in the enemy's lines, threw his regiment in position, facing to the westward, to meet it, and opened a heavy fire on the left flank of the enemy when it was from 300 to 600 yards distant, passing through the clover-field, and with the aid of a few rounds from the section of the Eufaula Battery checked it, throwing it into some disorder. The enemy's columns were then making quite a circuit around Colonel Floyd's position, and other lines were seen advancing on their left and rear. As the enemy's skirmishers approached the woods near the Robertson house, Captain O'Neal's men, posted behind trees, opened fire on them, and drove them back to the main line.

About this time, a messenger from Major-General Stewart rode up to me on the hill occupied by the Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiment, and told me that General Stewart bade him say to me that he would have to fall back, and that I has as well commence the movement. I also at


Page 604 Chapter XXXV. KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N ALA., AND SW. VA.