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Rev. Thomas M.
Stevenson, Chaplain
letter
excerpted from
History Of The 78th Regiment O. V. V. I., From Its
"Muster-In" To Its "Muster-Out;" Comprising Its
Organization, Marches, Campaigns, Battles And Skirmishes, by Rev. Thomas M. Stevenson, Chaplain, Zanesville, Ohio,
1865
transcribed by Thomas
J. Joyce, Long Beach, CA, Sep. 2000
click
here for full text
[pages 126-127]
The gallant army
under General Grant has just obtained a glorious victory – a victory
which fully justifies the confifidence their commander seems to have
felt when he entered upon the daring campaign to Vicksburg by the way
of Grand Gulf and Jackson.
Yesterday morning the position of our army
was briefly this: Part of Sherman's Corps occupied Jackson – the
particulars of the capture of that town you have already learned. The
larger part of McPherson's Corps lay at the same place. McClernand's
was two miles south of Bolton, and sixteen miles west of Jackson,
while Ransom's Brigade of McArthur's Division, (McPherson's Corps) and
Blair's Division of Sherman's Corps were approaching Raymond on their
march from Grand Gulf. The little town of Raymond lies eight miles
south of Bolton, and about twenty south-west from Jackson.
The enemy had massed his forces at Edward's
Station, nineteen miles east of Vicksburg on the railroad, with the
intent to cut our long lines somewhere between Raymond and Bolton, and
thus at once deprive us of supplies and beat us in detail. But his
designs were discovered and splendidly defeated.
Yesterday morning news came to General
McClernand that the enemy were advancing on him from the north-west in
the manner just indicated, and he immediately ordered General A. L.
Lee, who had that moment arrived and reported for duty in the
Thirteenth Army Corps, to reconnoiter the approach. With a squad of
cavalry General Lee galloped off five or six miles toward Edward's
Station, scoured the country to and fro, discovered the enemy's
pickets in that direction, and returned with a map of the ground over
which the battle was next day to be fought.
In the meantime General McPherson's command
moved rapidly down from Jackson and arrived toward nightfall near
Bolton, while Ransom's Brigade and Blair's Division reached Raymond.
Thus our widely extended front was suddenly closed on the center, in
such a way as to be ready for either attack or defense. At the same
time General Sherman moved from Jackson north of the railroad toward
Edward's Station, in such course as to keep within supporting
distance, and to prevent the rebel force under Joe Johnston (driven
northward out of Jackson) from making a junction with their friends at
Edward's Station.
At daylight this morning our movement toward
Edward's Station began. Hovey's Division of McClernand's Corps,
followed by McPherson on the right, and advancing on the road from
Bolton; Osterhaus' Division, followed by General Carr's, on the
center; and Smith's Division, with General Blair's as a reserve, on
the left, by the first road from Raymond to Edward's Station.
The battle opened on the left about 8
o'clock, with artillery directed on Smith's advance. It seemed that
the rebels were attempting to turn our left, and get in our rear in
the direction of Raymond. But Smith held his road firmly, and the
enemy slowly retired, while we slowly advanced.
The enemy next massed his forces on our right
center, where Hovey's Division was coming up, and here the battle
began to rage in deadly earnest. For a time the result seemed
doubtful; the rebels pressed on in the most determined manner, while
Hovey's brave boys returned their attacks with the most persistent
valor. For a moment we gave back at that point, but Hovey, being
reinforced by two Brigades of Crocker's Division, the enemy were
driven, and the day went in our favor. A portion of the rebel force
began their retreat by the Vicksburg road. McPherson swung around his
right, and cut off and captured about fifteen hundred prisoners, and a
battery of ten guns. Our left, McClernand's Corps and Blair's
Division, and Ransom's Brigade now pressed forward, and the complete
defeat and demoralization of the enemy was assured. Our artillery was
hastened forward from point to point, over the numberless hills of
this most rugged country, and poured its deadly fire into the flying
columns of the rebels. At sunset, as we entered Edward's Station, we
found there a great debris of stores abandoned by the enemy in his
flight – among them a train of cars loaded with ammunition and set
on fire, and a depot of provisions also partly consumed. We managed to
save from these ninety thousand rounds of musket ammunition, a large
quantity of fixed ammunition for field pieces, and a good supply of
sugar.
Our captures in this splendid fight foot up
to about two thousand eight hundred prisoners, nineteen guns, and
about ten thousand serviceable Enfield rifles, together with all the
stores I have mentioned.
Rev. Thomas M. Stevenson,
Chaplain of the Regiment; History Of The 78th Regiment O. V. V. I.,
From Its "Muster-In" To Its "Muster-Out;" Comprising
Its Organization, Marches, Campaigns, Battles And Skirmishes; pp
126-127, 133-137; Zanesville, Ohio, 1865
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