Today in History:

875 Series I Volume X-I Serial 10 - Shiloh Part I

Page 875 Chapter XXII. SKIRMISH NEAR PULASKI, TENN.

come up at their leisure. After going some 4 miles we came up with the enemy. I gave orders to Lieutenant R. S. Chambers, of Second Ohio Regiment, to take some men and deploy on the right of the road as skirmishers. We steadily drove them ahead for some time, when they were heavily re-enforced, and a cessation of firing from both sides took place. I then took up as good a position as I could in the road and along the fence, assisted by Adjutant Neal, Eighteenth; Lieutenant Leonard, Second; Lieutenant Pryor, Twenty-first, and Lieutenant Dyal, of Second Ohio, still keeping Lieutenant Chambers with his squad deployed as skirmishers. I soon found that the enemy was flanking me on both side with large numbers of cavalry, and opened fire upon them, which they briskly returned, and the balls fell thick and fast among us, but all seemed perfectly cool, and both officers and men exhibited personal bravery which was hardly to be expected from men who with but few exceptions never stood under fire before, and especially when they were in such few numbers as to be easily singled out by the enemy,who showed themselves to be excellent marksmen.

After some two and one-half hours' continuous firing, and running short of ammunition, the officers held a consultation as to what should be done, and all agreed to hold out to the last, hoping that we would receive help from a company of cavalry that I knew could not be far behind, and have since learned did come up in seeing distance, and then the captain refused to advance to our assistance. By this time the enemy had begun to prepare to charge from two different ways, one in front and one on my left, and as they did so, seeing that further resistance was useless, as our ammunition was exhausted, I ordered Lieutenant R.s. Chambers to advance and meet them with a flag of truce, which had been prepared some time before,to be used as the last extremity, and surrendered ourselves to Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, of Adams' rebel cavalry, Colonel Morgan coming up across the field a moment after, we having 1 man killed and 1 wounded and killing 6 of the enemy and wounding 3, and killing five of their horses. We were taken to Pulaski, which we found on reaching to be filled with rebel troops,and on our arrival there found some 150 officers and men from various regiments that had been taken prisoners during the day.

After getting us ready to go South, on consultation with Colonels Morgan and Wood they proposed to release us on parole until exchanged, which proposition, on consultation among all the officers who were prisoners, was accepted, and after signing a parole we were released, and give two wagons to carry our baggage in; and here let me say that the treatment of Colonels Morgan and Wood and all their officer was kind and gentlemanly, and everything that we could have asked or expected by any on in our situation was done for us. The men under my command lost most of their clothes and such things as they had.

The whole force of the enemy I should think was some 1,500, although they claim to have had 2,000.

Annexed you will find a list of officers and soldiers under my command who were taken prisoners and released on parole till exchanged; and, further, I would state that I applied for arms for the recruits before leaving Cincinnati and could not get them, and then again at Nashville, to have the whole party armed, and was told that it was not necessary, as the road was perfectly safe.

JOHN JUMPER,

Captain Company F, Eighteenth Regiment, Commanding.


Page 875 Chapter XXII. SKIRMISH NEAR PULASKI, TENN.