He soon met Gen. Forrest, and said to him: 

“Why did you not carry out the plan of attack ?" 

Forrest replied:

“Buford’s right had been rashly thrown forward and repulsed. In the exercise of my discretion I did not move Roddey forward, but I have moved him to the left, and formed a new line.”

Gen. Lee said: 

“In doing as you did, you failed to carry out the plan of battle agreed on.” 

     Gen. Lee replied it was too late then to remedy the matter and he ordered the three brigades of Bell, Mabry and Rucker to withdraw. Under the cover of McCullough’s brigade of Chalmer’s division, these heroes withdrew in order from, in proportion to the number actually engaged in their immediate front, perhaps the bloodiest field of the war. The enemy did not pursue and did not leave their line of battle. The writer wants to say here that he was on many battlefields during the four years, but he never saw greater gallantry or tenacity of purpose shown, than was shown by the troops of the brigades of Rucker, Mabry, Bell and Crossland, and the batteries of Rice, Morton, and Thrall.  He will always esteem it an honor, to have personally commanded such heroes.

     As to the change in the plan of battle by Gen. Forrest, he says in his report:

“Lieutenant General Lee gave the order to advance and directed us to swing the right around upon the enemy’s left. I immediately repaired to Gen. Roddey’s right, with all possible speed, which was nearly, a mile distant, and after giving him the necessary orders in person, I dashed across the field in a gallop for the purpose of selecting a position in which to place his troops (See Roddey’s letter), but on reaching the front I found the Kentucky brigade had been rashly precipitated forward and were retiring under the murderous fire concentrated upon them. I seized their colors and after a short appeal, ordered them to form a new line, where they held their position. The terrific fire which was poured upon the gallant Kentucky brigade, showed that the enemy were supported by overwhelming numbers in an impregnable position. Wishing to save my troops from the unprofitable slaughter I knew would follow any attempt to charge his works, I did not push forward Gen. Roddey’s command when it arrived, knowing it would receive the same concentrated fire which had repulsed the Kentucky brigade. I ordered forward four pieces of artillery and formed a new line on the Tupelo and Verona road. Meantime the troops on my left were hotly engaged, and Mabry’s, Bell’s, and Rucker’s brigades were steadily advancing.”

     Gen. Roddey never made an official report of this battle, but in a letter Gen. Lee has, he says:

"My remembrance of the Battleof Harrisburg is substantially that I was ordered by Gen. Forrest to swing the troops of my command around on the enemy’s left, covering the railroad south of his position, and to advance to the attack. The movement was executed so far that the troops were in line facing the enemy’s left and had sufficiently advanced to drive his skirmish lines on his main force (compare with Forrest’s report), when Gen. Forrest overtook us, and ordered an immediate retreat to the place where the horses were left, saying at the same time, that Buford was badly cut up, and his only reliance for the protection of his stores, lay in keeping my troops in position. to keep the enemy from capturing them, adding, as I remember, that he had no other troops he could spare or rely upon for such purposes."

     Gen. Roddy really got in place in full time, and the negro skirmishers on the extreme left of the Union line were driven in before the Kentuckians made their charge. Gen. Smith says:

“On morning of the 14th the battle opened by the enemy attempting to secure a commanding position on our left. Advancing the third brigade of the third division into line with the remainder of the division and throwing out the brigade of colored troops on the left of the third, but facing nearly to its left flang, we easily drove the enemy from the hill and retained possession of it during the entire battle      At about 7.30 a. m. the enemy advanced in line upon the right of the third division, near the Pontotoc road.”

     There was no fighting on the enemy’s extreme left in the morning, except as described by Roddey—and agrees with Gen. Smith’s report. We see, too, that Roddey had secured a commanding posi tion, an important hill on the field and had to give it up.

     About noon, soon after the withdrawal of the right wing, Gen. Lee ordered Forrest to form a new line of battle near Mrs. Sample’s house. This line was strengthened and the enemy invited by demonstration to attack, but he did not move out of his own chosen position. At night the enemy began burning all the houses at and near Harrisburg, showing preparation for retreat or movement in some direction. He was shelled by artillery during the burning. Gen. Forrest with Rucker’s brigade mounted moved cautiously [sic] to the extreme left of the enemy, approached very near, and about 10 p. m. opened fire on them. in reply, a very loud and most continued infantry fire was provoked, but it overshot Forrest and little or no damage was done. At the same time Buford’s division being moved occupied the road between the enemy and Verona, to oppose any advance in that direction.

     On the morning of July 15th the enemy made no movement apparently in any direction. Gen. Buford was ordered to move up towards Tupelo, and attack the enemy; Gen. Chalmers with a mounted brigade of his division was ordered to move to the enemy’s right and see what he was about, while Gen. Roddey was moved towards Harrisburg to attack the enemy. After severe skirmishing by Gen. Chalmers, he drove the enemy back until he could see the Ellisville and Tupelo road. At 12 o’clock he saw the enemy in retreat on the road and reported the fact to Gen. Lee. At once all the commands closed on Tupelo, and began pressing the enemy. At Harrisburg Gen. Lee and Gen. Forrest met, and Lee ordered Forrest to take immediate charge and pursue and harrass the enemy with his entire command. The retreat of the enemy began at 10 o’clock on July 15th, (Col. David Moore commanding 3rd division 16th army corps).

     The retreat was with the same extreme caution and vigilance that had marked the advance of the enemy and his defensive battie. Gen. Buford came up with the rear of the enemy, going into camp at Old Town Creek, 5 miles from Tupelo, and with Rice’s battery and one thousand men, attacked the rear guard, and shelled their camp. He stampeded the enemy’s cavalry and train, as shown by reports of Gen. Mower and Col. McMillan (Union officers) in their official reports. But several brigades of infantry soon recrossed the creek and drove Buford back. In meantime Gen. Forrest had arrived and in the engagement was wounded. He ordered Gen. Chalmers, who had just arrived with McCullough’s brigade, to withdraw the troops. Gen. Forrest sent word to General Lee of his wound, and the necessity of his relinquishing the command. Gen. Lee at once galloped to the front, assumed command, and ordered the troops not to withdraw. Gen. Chalmers says:

“At the same time that I received this information I received orders from Gen. Forrest to assume command and withdraw the troops, as he was wounded. I returned at once to the rear and found our men falling back, and the enemy pressing up to the position on which I had left my brigade, and Col. McCullough severely wounded. I sent orders to Gen. Buford at once to form his men, and received an answer that he could not form. On repeating my order I was told that he had formed three companies. I drew McCullough’s brigade back about 400 yards in line mounted. We waited about one hour to see if the enemy would advance. As he did not, I ordered the brigade back to its camp in accordance with instructions I had received to withdraw the troops, and went in person in search of Lieutenant Gen. Lee. I found him striving to rally Gen. Buford’s division and determined not to withdraw. Gen. Buford was ordered to picket the position, which we then held and I was ordered to relieve him at 3 o’clock next morning................Gen. Chalmers pursued the enemy two days.”

     Gen. Chalmers in his report says:

“I cannot close this report without mentioning the robbing and desolation which attended the march of the invading army. Not only were non-combatant citizens maltreatetd, their houses rifled of clothing, money and other valuables, besides the theft of every pound of bacon and every Ounce of meal, but the same course of rapine and cruelty was shown towards unprotected widows and orphans, who were stripped of their all, and in many cases turned out of doors, with nothing left save the wearing apparel on their persons. Cows and calves were killed from mere wantonness, and left in private yards and on public thoroughfares.”

     The action at Town Creek about ended the battle of Harrisburg, or Tupelo. For the numbers engaged it was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The Confederates lost 210 killed and 1,116 wounded, making a total of 1,326 killed and wounded. The enemy lost 674 killed, wounded and missing; total on both sides, 2,000 men. The loss to Confederates in valuable field officers was fearful. Three brigade commanders were wounded, Rucker, McCullough and Crossland. Col. Isham Harrison and Lieutenant Colonel T. M. Nelson of the 6th Mississippi were killed, also Lieutenant Colonel J. B. Cage, 14th Tennessee; Lieutenant Colonel Sherrill, 7th Kentucky, and Major Robert McKay, 38th Mississippi, and many others were wounded. The loss of company officers was in like proportion in killed and wounded. Buford’s division, including Marby’s brigade with Bell and Crossland lost 996 men, killed, wounded and missing, over 40 per cent of those engaged, Bell losing 400, Crossland 306 out of 800 engaged, Marby 291. The 38th Mississippi, commanded by Col. J. H. Jones, went into action with 300 men. Every field and line officer except one was killed or wounded, and only 44 men out of the 300 escaped unharmed.

     The enemy left the field and his wounded behind him, and the telegrams and reports show that the expedition did not accomplish what was expected. Gen. Smith did not do, after his fight, as he was required by Sherman,—”persevere and continue to follow Forrest,” but from Pontotoc seemed to have but one idea: viz., to stand on the defensive and get away from him. He never left his lines, but was always on the defensive. His first dispatch, July 18th, says: “We met Lee and Walker (Forrest) at Tupelo, and whipped them badly on three different days. * * * I bring back everything in good order, and nothing lost.” He reports no trophies of victory, no guns, only 6o prisoners (no doubt wounded Confederates). He was met by an order from Gen. Sherman to Gen. Washburn (July 20th): “Order Smith to pursue and keep after Forrest all the time,” and another: “It was Gen. Grant’s special order, that Gen. Smith was required after his fight to pursue and continue to follow Forrest.” These telegrams tell the tale, and show Gen. Smith’s superiors were greatly disappointed in the results, and reflected on him. He had a splendid army of veteran infantry. The only time Gen. Grierson gave Smith’s cavalry a chance was at Town Creek, when one of Grierson’s brigades was stampeded by Gen. Buford with only 1,000 men.

     If ever a commander had a good opportunity to move out of his lines and pursue Forrest, Gen. Smith had on this occasion, after the withdrawal of the Confederate left wing. But the dead Confederates on his lines and at thirty paces from his guns inspired him with prudence and caution even after his claimed success. He ‘claimed his enemy lost 1 ,800 men, and he only 674; certainly he was still strong enough, and the enemy much weaker than before, as he saw it on the field. Smith claimed also he was out of rations and had only 100 rounds per gun for his artillery. He was ordered to take 20 days rations, and they gave out in ten days; 100 rounds to a gun would have fought another battle. He certainly was very long preparing for his expedition and he could have seen that he had no spoiled bread. He was also in a corn region and his troops killed, wantonly, enough cattle to have furnished beef for his command.

     On the Confederate side blunders and mistakes complicated matters. The troops were all of Forrest’s command, and he should have had supreme command, but he insisted on Gen. Lee’s, the department commander, assuming the responsibility and being present. Forrest had just won his splendid victory at Brice’s Cross Roads over Gen. Sturgis, and his troops had confidence in him. Gen. Lee used this argument to insist on his commanding on the field, but he said no; that the responsibility was too great, and that his superior in rank should assume and exercise the command; that he considered the Confederate troops inadequate to defeat Smith. He also said his health was not good and Gen. Lee must take charge. The first unfortunate circumstance was the precipitate charge of the Kentuckians; they drew on themselves the fire of both wings of the Union army before the troops on right and left of them were up. While the conflict was raging on the left wing, Gen. Forrest changed the plan of battle by withdrawing Roddey and forming a new line with Roddey, the dismounted men, and Neely’s brigade. This caused all the artillery in the Federal third division, several batteries in all, and most of the infantry, to fire continuously into the flank of the brigades of the Confederate left wing. Col. Murray, of the 89th Indiana, commanding the 1st brigade, 3rd division on Mower’s left, his right resting on the Pontotoc road, says:

“Enemy formed several lines on right of Pontotoc road, directly in front of Mower’s left brigade. The entire artillery of my line (12 guns), with 122 Ill’s (regiment) occupying my right, opened up and continued most of the time of the action a murderous cross fire on the enemy in that wood field and contributed very much to the glorious results of the day, in driving back and repulsing the enemy from their position.”

     The right wing of the Federals was also reinforced by troops sent from their left wing when Rucker became engaged.

-END-

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