This was published in another paper on October 31, 1862.
“The Great Battle of Perryville.
A Correspondent of the Mobile Register and Advertiser gives the following interesting particulars of the great fight at Perryville:
The force opposed to us at Perryville consisted of the right wing of the “army of the Ohio, composed of Buell’s veteran army, with Maj. Gen. Geo. W. Thomas as Commander in Chief of the field, (Buell being in command of the Department of the Ohio at Louisville) and Gen. Alex McCook commanding the first corps. We fought three divisions of 15,000 men against nine divisions of the abolition army, composed of at least 5,000 each making 45,000 men. Gens. Rousseau, J. S. Jackson and Sill were among the division commanders. Our forces consisted of Brig. Gen Patton’s and Anderson’s divisions, composed of Col. Powell’s brigade, of the 24th Mississippi, 1st Arkansas, 45th Alabama, 29th Tennessee and Barret’s battery; Gen. Adams’ brigade, of the 13th, 16th, 20th, 25th Louisiana, and Slocumb’s battery of Washington Artillery, who took position on our left; Col. Jones’ brigade, of the 27th, 30th, 37th Mississippi, and Lumsden’s battery; and Gen. Brown’s brigade, of the 1st and 3d Florida, 41st Mississippi, and Palmer’s battery, formed our center. Gen. Buckner’s division, which was posted on our extreme right, with Anderson’s divisions, formed the “left wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Maj. Gen. Hardee. Cheatham’s and Withers’ divisions formed the “right wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Maj. Gen. Polk. Withers’ division was absent, being with Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith—thus we had but three divisions in the field. Before the battle commenced, Gen. Cheatham, who had been in position on our extreme left, was ordered to our rear, between Perryville and Harrodsburg, Gen. Bragg having anticipated that the greatest force of the enemy was pressing on our right to cut us off from connection with Harrodsburg. The reverse, unfortunately, proved the case, as the greatest force of the enemy was on our left. As I have stated, the lion-hearted Liddell opened the fight on our right, the supposition being that we were fighting the right wing only of Buell’s army. Gens. Jones and Brown, on the centre, acted with Gen. Liddell, and Gen. Brown being wounded early in the action, the command of his brigade, devolved on Col. W. Miller, of the 1st Florida Regiment, who fought most gallantly, being the last to leave the ground on the next morning towards 2 o’clock.
The engagement on our left did not commence until about noon, and then it was only skirmishing for a considerable time. Col. Powell’s brigade holding the extreme left of our lines, and gallantly driving the enemy back for about a mile, against superior forces. It was about this time, towards 4 P.M., when Gen. Smith’s brigade, belonging to Cheatham’s division, was ordered back to our assistance, that Gen. Adams, with his brave Louisianians, was holding the enemy in check against fearful odds, when he was forced to fall back from his position. Gen. Hardee, seeing the importance of holding the point, ordered Gen. Adams to retake it, telling him he would be supported by reinforcements. It was while advancing again, and anxiously looking for the reinforcements that General Adams, seeing that the gallant young Major Austin, (commanding a battalion of sharpshooters) was picking off, behind a stone fence, what Adams supposed to be our own men, ordered him to cease firing. “I tell you, sir, they are Yankees,” cried the excited Austin. “I think they are not, and you had better go forward first and ascertain,” replied Adams. “I go, sir, but I don’t think it necessary, for I know they are Yankees,” insisted Austin. “Well,” said Adams, “I’ll go myself,” and dashing forward on his charger, he had not proceeded one hundred yards when a furious storm of Minie balls whizzed by his ears from the enemy, who were shooting from a rest at him from behind a stone wall! The General turned immediately, and riding up, cried out, “You’re right, Major—they are Yankees, and you may give them goss.” Austin then poured in a deadly fire, the Washington artillery, Slocumb’s battery also, doing terrible execution, driving the enemy back with fearful slaughter. Towards six o’clock as I have said the firing became incessant on both sides. There stood Adams, with his little brigade, holding back a division of the enemy, as it were alone to his fate, until, seeing no chance of being reinforced, he gradually fell back, in most excellent order, but not without considerable loss.
It was at this time the cheering was head on the part of the enemy, in the centre, and which was returned by our troops, which led us to believe that the enemy was being routed, when they opened up a battery and shelled us from the Schoolhouse ridge. Soon after this, night came on and closed the scene of strife, our troops sleeping on and remaining victors of the battlefield, besides capturing over 500 prisoners.
Our loss is estimated at between two and three thousand killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss, at a low estimate, is between five and six thousand. Among the killed is Major General J. S. Jackson; Brigadier Generals Ratcliff and Terrill wounded. We took eleven pieces of the enemy’s cannon, destroyed four, and brought seven off the field. It was another battle of Shiloh, without any decisive results. Had we have had five thousand more men, or had Withers been with us, we would have completely routed and annihilated the enemy, leaving us the way clear to Louisville. No troops in the world ever fought with such desperate courage as ours. Whole regiments of our men went into that fight barefooted, fought barefooted, and had marched barefooted from Chattanooga! The First Tennessee, Col. Field, formerly Gen. Harney’s old regiment, went into the fight with 380 men, and lost all but 90! Lieut. Col. Patterson was killed, and eight captains out of ten.
… On Friday, the 10th, it commenced raining, and has continued nearly ever since, making it almost impossible for officers to write out their reports of the battle, or to get the casualties. All of Hardee’s division has come up here, and I suppose our whole army will concentrate at this point."