Perryville - Part 4
October 8, 1862
Buckner Joins the Fight
Union troops of Rousseau's division of McCook's corps had moved forward to a position overlooking Doctor's Creek. The region had been suffering under a severe drought, and water was a precious commodity. Believing that the Confederates were withdrawing, the division commander decided to let his regiments go down to Doctor's Creek in order to get much needed drinking water from the small pools still left in the creek bed. The 42nd Indiana would be first, and as it ended up, the last.
At around 11 am, Buckner's division of Cheatham's corps began deploying on the ridge overlooking the creek. Seeing the rebels to their front, the Yankees began preparing their defense, but seemingly forgot the 42nd Indiana. After the sounds of battle indicated that Cheatham's attack had begun, Buckner's division began their attack at around 2:30pm. On their right, Jones's brigade advanced. Beyond the flank of the 42nd Indiana, they crossed the creek and reformed to continue the attack toward the heights beyond. The brigade lost half its men during the battle.
Bushrod Johnson's brigade then advanced. To their left, beyond the old Mackville Road, was Austin's Battalion, acting as skirmishers, then Adams's brigade. As the Confederates approached the creek, there was confusion in their ranks as to whether the troops ahead of them near the creek bed were friendly or not. It became clear soon enough, and after a couple of fires, the outnumbered Yankees fell back.
The Confederates continued across the creek, with Johnson's brigade now advancing along the south side of the Mackville Road. On the far left, Adams's brigade, advancing unseen by friend and foe alike, would figure decisively in the fight beyond the creek.
H.P. Bottom House
In this photo, Doctor's Creek is visible as the treeline on the left, and you can see it curve to the right in the distance. (In this nearly 180 degree photo, the creek is also just off the picture on the right.) Bushrod Johnson's brigade crossed the creek roughly between the curve and the road. Advancing along the axis of the road, they soon met the Federal line near a barn beyond the Bottom House. (The barn visible here is not at the wartime location, which was toward the top of the hill.) A vicious firefight ensued, and the barn, full of wounded, would burn down during the fight. The Confederates halted halfway up slope, and becoming low on ammunition, they withdrew.
Near the curve in the creek, Austin's Battalion, acting as skirmishers, crossed and advanced. Beyond the curve, Adams's brigade, advancing for some time unseen by friend and foe alike, flanked the Union position. This, combined with the arrival of Cleburne's brigade in support of Johnson, forced the Yankees back.
View From Loomis Heights
Here from Loomis Heights, you can see where much of Buckner's attack took place. To review, Donelson's brigade of Cheatham's division had opened the fight, but quickly found that that they were not hitting an exposed Union flank. Perhaps because he was asked for help, or perhaps as part of an en echelon attack, Jones' brigade of Buckner's division crossed Doctor's Creek to continue the attack. What is now called Jones Ridge separated Jones's brigade from Donelson, and because this high ground, Jones' men could not see the enemy to their front on Loomis Heights. To their astonishment, the advancing rebels soon found the enemy deployed on the following ridge, Loomis Heights. Attacking, Jones's brigade lost around half of its men and was repulsed. Brown's brigade, which followed Jones across the creek, would replace Jones's depleted brigade on the line.
Buckner's attack continued down the line. Like the other Confederates of Buckner's division, Bushrod Johnson's brigade had advanced from the Chaplin Hills visible in the left-center of the photo. Pushing back the 42nd Indiana at the creekbed, they then moved across Doctor's Creek. Next, they attacked through the H.P. Bottom farm toward the Union line at a barn, no long existent. The Confederates halted halfway up the slope, and low on ammunition, they withdrew until reinforced by Cleburne. Joined by Adams brigade, which had crossed near the bend in the creek, the Confederates flanked the Yankee position at the barn and forced them back. With Confederates moving into a line parallel to the Mackville Road, the Union flank on Loomis Heights was now vulnerable, and the Yankees withdrew.
Supporting Confederate brigades continued the advance along the axis of the Mackville Road, clashing with Union troops in the fields on the right of the picture. Buell, however, was finally realizing the danger to his army and sent reinforcements to his embattled left flank. Reinforcing Union troops arrived, but they, along with the rallied survivors of McCook's Corps, lost the Dixville Crossroads near nightfall. The battlelines were stabilized, however, and the Confederates stopped their attacks.
Bragg had lost around 3,400 of his 16,000 men. During the evening fight, General Polk nearly became one of casualties as he approached the Union line, thinking that they were his own men. Although the impressive Confederate attack had forced back the Union corps, Bragg began to understand that he faced a much larger army, and he ordered a retreat. He had inflicted 4,200 casualties on the 22,000 Union troops engaged.
The Confederates fell back into Tennessee through Cumberland Gap. Buell didn't pursue vigorously, but instead moved back to Nashville in middle Tennessee. A frustrated administration replaced him with William Rosecrans. When Rosecrans advanced late that year, Bragg would gain, then loose, an excellent chance to smash his army at Stones River, or Murfreesborough, in the final days of 1862.
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