Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

[290] opportunely filled this vacant space, thus completing the second line in that quarter, and supporting the assault of Hindman's division upon McClernand and Veatch, who were then striving to hold the position from which Sherman's left brigade had been mostly routed, and was now wholly slipping away.

Still farther to the left, Anderson's brigade formed the second line along the ridge, with Hodgson's battery, which went at once into vigorous action.

Across the ravine, and on the opposite dominating ridge, were General Sherman's remaining brigades, supporting their batteries, with an infantry advance thrown out to the edge of the boggy ravine which here divided the two lines of battle. It was a swamp so overgrown with shrubs, saplings, and vines thickly interwoven, as to require, in many places, the use of the knife to force a passage.¹ As Anderson's regiments went down the slope and forced their way through the swamp thicket, they encountered a severe fire from the enemy's artillery and musketry, and, as they charged up the opposite hill, they were partially broken by some scattering forces from the first line and from the right. All, however, were rallied together and held for a time, under cover of the brow of the hill occupied by General Sherman, while Hodgson's guns threw a destructive fire upon the opposite Federal battery; and the neighboring forces on the right, supported by another battery, moving around the swamp and thicket, poured a flank fire upon General Sherman's left.² What remained of Hildebrand's brigade now wholly gave way, throwing disorder into McClernand's forces, who were driven back, abandoning Waterhouse's six guns; and as Taylor's battery now slackened under Hodgson's fire, Anderson's brigade again ascended the slope with three regiments of Pond's brigade, on the left, supported by two sections of Ketchum's battery. By this front and flank charge, General Sherman was forced to fall back with McDowell's and Buckland's brigades to the Purdy and Hamburg roads; thus, by ten o'clock, abandoning his entire line of camps.³ As the attacking lines vigorously