Chapter Thirteen
Duck! The Battle of Duck River
Part IV
From “The Battle of Shelbyville” by Jones N. Keegan
Osprey 1998
“James Jackson’s attack went in at Three Forks Mill Ford. The mill itself was built on a slight eminence and so Jackson was able to get a couple of batteries into position to pepper Cheatham’s line with shot. Under the cover of this barrage Colonel Walker’s Brigade went in. The Ohioans, with a handful of Indianans, stormed across the ford with alacrity. Cheatham’s forward line, which was effectively only a skirmish line, quickly fell back. It was then that Walker’s men ran into the Cobb Farm complex, that was known to the Rebels as Fort Creighton. Without artillery Walker could not make any breaches in its, all be it rudimentary, defences. Fort Creighton was to be an uncrackable nut for Jackson’s Division until artillery could be brought across the ford…
Thomas' Batteries at Sulphur Bluff
Negley’s attack, against Paines and Good Fords, too seemed to falter. Wither’s defensive line in this sector was right on the riverside, in dug in positions. However as the afternoon progressed, Wither’s casualties mounted, not as the result of Negley’s attempts to cross, but as a result of Thomas’ artillery which had been ranged on Sulphur Bluff, exactly as Withers had feared. Nonetheless his lines were holding…
General Rousseau was becoming agitated. There seemed little prospect of his division coming into action in support of either Jackson or Negley. The fords were simply too narrow and too well defended. He therefore left a surprised Col. John C Starkweather in charge of the division while he personally reconnoitred the river beyond Negley’s left. It was on this reconnaissance that he discovered the Deep Ford. It took perhaps 40 minutes to get his first brigade into position, but its attack on Wither’s right flank was devastating – Wither’s had stripped Col. Maingault of two regiments to reinforce his defence against Negley’s attack. Starkweather, whose brigade led the attack, quickly rolled by Wither’s line. Polk’s attempts to blunt the assault with an attack by Wharton’s dismounted cavalry was a nuisance that Rousseau seemed happy to ignore. Polk’s attempts to remedy the breach were curtailed by a shell from the Sulphur Bluff batteries, which took his left leg off below the knee. Wharton’s cavalrymen quickly rushed Polk from the field…The Rebel right had been beheaded at its most critical moment…
Rousseau realised he had secured the planned breakthrough and was quick to send messages to Negley to redouble his attack as Withers faltered, and to Thomas to reinforce both attacks. Thomas seized the moment, and the division of General Philip Sheridan, which was unemployed in the rear of McCook’s attacks. Furthermore Rosecrans was quick to detach Jeff Davis’ Division on his right and send it marching to support Thomas. Thomas might soon have control of 5 Union divisions to bring against the Rebels collapsing right wing…”
From “The Battle of Duck River” by C. M. Townsend
LSU
“As the Federals pushed Withers back through Rowesville, he had the good sense to send a galloper to Cheatham to warn him of the breakthrough. Cheatham would quickly be in serious difficult as Withers withdrew. In his current position he risked having Thomas attack his open right flank. Such an attack, while still fending off Jackson’s assaults on Fort Creighton, could roll up his line.
In the absence of Polk, Cheatham took the risky decision of abandoning the line of the river. Leaving the garrison of the farm to slow the pursuing Federals in his rear, he would retreat towards his reserves on the line of Tompson’s Creek. He advised Withers to maintain contact with his troops and retreat along the Kunze Farm and Jenkins Farm tracks to the creek. Hardee’s rides along the south bank with his generals were paying dividends in the midst of this crisis…
It was Robertson from his barn top vantage point who first spotted the breakthrough, quickly alerting Hardee and Breckinridge who were together on the high ground near Davidson’s farm. A message sent by Cheatham quickly followed. “The enemy has forced a lodgement and is advancing in large numbers, at least two divisions. Withers is falling back on my flank. Intend to retire to the line of Tompson’s Creek. Request assistance and artillery upmost…”...
Hardee’s first action was to order McNair’s Brigade to the support of Cheatham. He then authorised the redeployment of two of Robertson’s batteries, but their removal from the fortified heights would take time. Hardee’s concern increased as all on the heights observed Federal troops marching east (the divisions of Sheridan and Davis)…
It was then that a messenger from Wharton brought news explaining the silence of General Polk on the right. Hardee resolved to take more decisive action. He summoned Generals Churchill and Cleburne to join him on the ridge. It was approaching 3pm…
Could General Churchill hold his current position as well as spare troops to cover the Scullcamp Ford? Churchill confirmed he could. He still had a full brigade in reserve. Could General Cleburne redeploy his division quickly to the right? Cleburne confirmed that he could. Only one of his brigades, Liddell's, had seen any fighting that morning and their success had only given them “more of a spirit to fight”. The rest of his brigades were fresh and ready to move. They could use the dirt road running parallel to river all the way to Tompson’s Creek. General McCown’s front had stabilised and he could hold his own against Palmer, Cleburne felt…
So Hardee left Breckinridge on the left to manage McCown, Churchill and Wheeler, and rode with Cleburne and his division to the relief of the right…”
From “The Irish Corporal – The Life and Battles of Patrick Ronayne Cleburne” by James Fitzgerald Maguire
Trinity Press
“Thomas had crossed the river in person and had organised the deployment of Rousseau and Negley. Negley advanced over a front from Paines Ford, through Rowesville, half way to the Kunze farmhouse, Rousseau formed his troops on Negley’s left fanning out to the south. It was about this time that Jackson’s men manhandled some artillery across Three Forks Mill Ford and pounded the Cobb Farmhouse. The remains of that command surrendered, under Lieutenant Creighton, about 4.30pm. Having removed the main obstacle to his advance Jackson pressed on with the intention of linking up with Negley’s right as he advanced…
Cleburne arrived with the leading brigade of his division near the Jules Farm. As one soldier observed “Look at General Cleburne, don’t you see war in his eyes?”. Cleburne quickly deployed his division into line, keeping Liddell in reserve, between Cheatham and Withers hastily formed line along the creek. Hardee had already inspected the position. “Tell Cleburne we are to fight,” Hardee said to a staff officer and “that his division will undoubtedly be heavily attacked, and that he must do his best”…
Col. John Beatty of Rousseau’s Division observed “
with the exception of the narrow dirt tracks running directly to the rebel lines, the intervening ground was some of the roughest broken ground it has ever been my misfortune to fight over”. Rousseau’s attack on Withers and on Cleburne’s right was, as a result of the broken nature of the ground, piecemeal and disorganised. The ground was easier to Negley’s front. Negley launched his three brigades at Cleburne’s line, to be repulsed. A second attacked was launched, with Brigadier General Sill’s Brigade of Sheridan’s Division in support…
"Time after time, line after line of Federals charged over that ground against Cleburne’s lines,” a soldier of Cheatham’s Division observed “only to be shattered and hurled back into the hollows”…
The light of the day was fading. Rousseau’s and Negley’s Divisions were exhausted and only one brigade of Sheridan’s troops had arrived as he had been ordered to cross by the Deep Ford. Cleburne resolved on a bold move. If Cheatham could cover his flank to prevent flanking fire from Jackson, Cleburne would lead the brigades of McNair, Polk, Johnson and Liddell, once again, in an attack. (Wood faced off against Rousseau and Withers requested he remain on his flank). Hardee approved the move...The last things Negley’s Federals expected was a counterattack…
“
We all believed Cleburne, that the success of this counterattack would compel the Federals to give up their assault altogether” General St.John R. Liddell…
Negley's troops flee in the face of Cleburne's counterattack
Sweeping in an arc, with its hinge on the Jules farm, Cleburne’s brigades attacked. Negley’s forces did not stand. Some made for Paines Ford; some held up in Rowesville; some made for Rousseau’s line. Sheridan, however, personally steadied Sill’s brigade and withdrew in fine order towards the railroad, Deep Ford, and the brigade of Col. Roberts just crossing. Feeling the ground unfit for an attack and with night descending, Rousseau drew off with Thomas’ reluctant approval towards the railroad and the village of Normandy…
Jackson’s troops drew back to the farmhouse which had been the focus of their endeavours all day…
From “The Battle of Duck River” by C. M. Townsend
LSU
“Cleburne’s was not the last counterattack. Churchill saw an opportunity to raise a little hell on the left. With the Federals having missed Scullcamp Ford, within sight of the town, Churchill proposed to his corps commander that he lead two regiments across the ford. He would attack the town and Palmer’s flank. Having “
raised a commotion” he would withdraw across the ford. Breckinridge was concerned this “
diversion” would naturally highlight to the Federals the existence of the ford. Churchill suggested that, under the cover of night, this might not be so, but that in any event if the Federals made any efforts to question the remaining inhabitants of Shelbyville, they could expect to know about the ford soon enough. Breckinridge authorised the attack and Churchill personally led the 3rd and 9th Georgia Battalions across the river as soon as night fell…
Churchill led in person as the attack would require fine judgment in keeping the men in hand and in withdrawing in good time, safely across the river... “
With fires in the town, many thought we were under a serious counterattack by at least a brigade. We did not known if the rebels had forced our pontoons at Shelbyville, which I thought unlikely, or crossed at some unknown point. Rosecrans arrived with his staff in great alarm, the burning buildings making a great spectacle on the horizon. It was an impressive shambles.”(Col. William B. Hazen)…
Churchill withdrew safely across the ford with only a handful of casualties. The diversion was to have an impact out of all proportion to the numbers involved…