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| Official newsletter of the 14th Tennessee Co. B Volunteers | ||||
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| Official newsletter of the 14th Tennessee Co. B Volunteers | ||||
Lt. Colonel P. Wm. Burke Chief of Staff Lenhardt's Brigade Army of Northern Virginia
Sir, I have the honor to report that, on the 20th of July, in compliance with the orders of the Brigade Commander, I assembled that portion of my command which was present and fit for duty, and redevouzed with the balance of Major Rider's Battalion near the crossroads of Duncan's Mills. During the weekend, there were a number of engagements with the Federal forces advancing through the area in which the men of the 14th Tennessee commended themselves nobly and bravely. I must call particular attention to the engagement that occured the afternoon of July 21st.
Upon the morning's roll being taken on the 21st, it was determined to combine the companies present in the campaign division,Captain Sylvester, Co. K, 5th Texas Infantry, commanding, the author, acting as 1st Lt. and commanding the first platoon. Battalion drill was commenced, and we soon found ourselves to be reinforced by Snoden's Battalion of Infantry, Dean's Battalion of Artillery, an additional artillery battalion, and miscelleaneous cavalry detachments.
It was soon found that the reinforcements were well-timed, as Yankee pickets soon made their presence known in such great numbers and upon so broad a front that it became apparent that we were at the center of what was a general Yankee advance. It was to our great fortune, and the Yankee's great misfortune, that our artillery park was so located. It had the effect of maximizing our firepower at the very point of the Federal advance.
As the Federal battalions advanced and their flying artillery was drawn up, our artillery was waiting in a broad arcing line of no fewer than 14 guns, with the infantry waiting in support. The Federals insisting on probing with an advance, and I was ordered to take the first platoon of the combined company and support the artillery and South Carolina Sharpshooters on our right flank, which was the focal point of the current Federal advance.
This advance consisted of two battalions, one facing us directly on the right (their left) flank. I believe that the other battalion was on their right (our left), at an oblique angle, though my view and memory of that detail are have are both obscured. This presented a weaker front on the enemy's right, and Colonel Lenhardt exploited it by advancing Rider's Battalion, ordering me to pressure their left with my platoon while he made the main assault with the balance of the battalion. This succeded in driving the Federals back quickly, though it cost the first platoon dearly in men lost in the charge.
The Brigade reformed on the gun line, and the men settled in for a hasty lunch while cleaning weapons and reloading cartridge boxes. Though the Federals had been thrown back, they were still present in numbers that indicated that a reformed assault was inevitable. The assualt did come, and in it the men of the 14th, together with the men of the 5th Texas, the South Carolina Sharpshooters and one gun of Colonel Snoden's Brigade, held of an entire Federal Brigade for the entire battle.
About midafternoon, Federal scouts and pickets were spotted on our left, beyond a grove of trees that held a commanding position in the morning's battlefield. Our mounted scouts soon reported the bulk of the Federal force advancing quickly in column to our left flank. Rider's Battalion was drawn up in line in a shallow trench at a 90 degree angle to the apex of our artillery line, perpendicular to the grove of trees mentioned above. To counter the weak nature of our battalion's right flank, I changed front for the first platoon to our right flank, to refuse the right flank of the battalion. The South Carolina Sharpshooters had extended our right, and advanced beyond our gun line, which was on the new right flank of the first platoon, or the rear of the battalion. This position was weak. It presented the right flank of the majority of the battalion to an enemy that could shelter in the grove and pour in fire down our line at will whether we adnavced on the right or the left. The presence of numerous craters from previous artillery blasts also indicated that the Federal gunners had already established the range of this particular patch of ground. Finding Colonel Lenhardt inspecting the disposition of troops, I took the liberty of recommending that we take the grove before the Federals did, as failure to do so would unhinge our entire line. Colonel Lenhardt quickly realized the significance of the situation, and ordered the combined company to take the grove.
As we filed into the trees, we formed a line paralelle to, but in advance of , our main line of battle in the trench. The Yankees advanced on a two battalion front, overlapping our companies left flank and the grove, but they were confronted from the trench by the bulk of our infantry force and numerous guns in support behind. Unwilling to cross the open ground towards the trench, the Yankees focused their attention on us. On battalion sheltered behind the trees so as to place us between them and our artillery, and advanced directly on our front while the other battalion sought to pressure our left. I was immediately shot in the right hand, an experience that I can only compare to a severe bee sting.
Our company deployed in an arc along the tree line, and put up a thunderous fire just in time to stem the initial Federal advance into the trees. They were far more numerous than us, having a full battalion against our lone company, but, being uncertain of our numbers due to our concealement, they fell back to reform before pressing the advance. Thus ended their first charge, which was soon eclipsed by the ferocity of their second. As the Yankees fell back, I being flushed with the victory of the initial repulse, again found Colonel Lenhardt, and said to him, "Colonel, they're strong but we drove them back. If we can post some artillery here in the grove, we can hold them!"
"Get me two guns." was his response. Turning to his Brigade Adjutant, he repeated the order to bring up two guns. I returned to my company, assuming that the order would be relayed through brigade staff. I steadied the line, and looked over my shoulder for the imminent arrival of our artillery support. It was not coming.
Looking to our rear, I could see the Adjutant, with great gestures, arguing with an artillery officer as infantry massed to our front. I left the company in charge of the non-commissioned officers and ran back to the gun line where the Adjutant was standing. "Are you the Chief of the Piece?" I inquired of the officer. "Yes," was his response. "Can this gun be moved?" I asked. He replied, "Yes, but we are waiting for..." I quickly, and in a rather discourteous manner, cut him off, stating in a forceful tone, "THEN BY ORDER OF Colonel Lenhardt, I ORDER YOU TO TAKE YOUR GUN INTO THOSE WOODS!" He stood for a second, comprehending, whereupon I said to the two men on the trail, "Move it boys, there's work to be done over there..." They complied, and I set the powder monkeys in motion with the limber chests as well. The officer soon followed. We brought the gun up and rammed the charge home just as the Federal force pressed the tree line. The Federal battalion on our right took the first charge of double cannister at point blank range, which tore their line in two. This was immediately followed by a cheer from our boys, who realized that they had been reinforced. This was, in turn, followed by a volley from the South Carolinians, who had by now extended our line on the right. As their left evaporated under the withering fire, the Yankee advance was broken at a range of inches, and they fell back once more.
We then advanced out of the trees to drive them, when the deployed two large guns to our front. The order to return to the shelter of the grove was given, and we fell back and reformed, once again awaiting their advance.
But once more they pressed their superior numbers against us, and though the remainder of our infantry poured in a supporting fire from our left rear flank, they never advanced in support, and we bore the brunt of the advance, at very close range, for the entire engagement. It is for this reason, and because I consistently found myself absent from my command while assisting with the management of the artillery support, that I must commend the coolness and courage of the non-commisioned officers and men of Company B, 14th Tennessee Infantry, and Company K, 5th Texas infantry, who acted in concert and with minimal supervision or orders from their officers. They nonetheless bravely and steadily managed and maintained their firing line in the presence of overwhelming numbers of the enemy.
As the third charge came upon us, we were reinforced by one company of Soden's Battalion, but the cry for ammunition arose up and down the line, and our boys were truly running low. The Yankees came up, and we gave them what we had. I ran from tree to tree firing my revolver from behind each one, so as to make it appear that there were more rifles on the line. Just as our ammunition ran out, the Yankees fell back.
A cry of"Cease fire" soon rang out from the Federal officers on our extreme right, and someone advanced with a flag of truce. The Yankees collected their dead and wounded, and retired from whence they came, our Company Being too fatigued, thinned out and short of ammunition to pursue or harrass them further.
In my entire experience as an officer of this brigade, this stand by by two conmpanies (the combined 14th/5th and the 1st SCSS) and one small field piece was the most impressive engagement that I have witnessed. This force effectively repulsed to full strength Federal battalions and their artillery support. We were outnumbered no less than four-to-one, and held an inferiority in the immediate presence of artillery as well, yet we prevailed. This truly attested to the superiority of the position, as the control of it stalled the forward progress of Federal skirmishers to our right rear. Of the afternoon engagement, I can remark but little. Our battalion was advanced to an exposed position in advance of the artillery line, and we poured out fire until the majority of us were shot, though we had apparently little effect on the Yankees. Few, if any blue bodies were seen among the carpet of grey and butternut which covered the field. What was left of Rider's Battlion reformed on the gun line and the Yankees fell back to regroup apparently for one last push.
I was hereupon loaded in an ambulance and removed from the field. I trust that my men comported themselves with a comensurate modicum of bravery in my absence, which they have always heretofore done. All of which is,
Most Respectfully Submitted, Captain K.S. Claytor Commanding, Co. B, 14th Tennessee Volunteer Inf'y.
