ADVANCE OF CRITTENDEN’S DIVISION.
Next to Nelson came Crittenden. He, too, swept forward over his ground to the front some distance before finding the foe. Between eight and nine o’clock, however, while keeping Smith’s brigade on his left even with Nelson’s flank, and joining Boyle’s brigade to McCook on the right, in the grand advance, he came upon the enemy with a battery in position, and, well supported, Smith dashed his brigade forward. There was sharp, close work with musketry, and the rebels fled. He took three pieces—a twelve-pound howitzer and two brass six-pounders. But they cost the gallant Thirteenth Ohio dear. Major Ben. Piatt Runkle fell, mortally wounded.
For half an hour, perhaps, the storm raged around these captured guns. Then came the recoiling rebel wave that had hurled Nelson back. Crittenden, too, caught its full force. The rebels swept up to the batteries—around them, and down after the retreating Union column. But the two brigades, like those of Nelson’s to their left, took a fresh position, faced the foe, and held their ground. Mendenhall’s and Bartlett’s batteries now began shelling the infantry that alone opposed them. Before abandoning the guns so briefly held, they had spiked them with mud, and this novel expedient was perfectly successful. From that time till after one o’clock, while the fight raged back and forth over the same ground, the rebels did not succeed in firing a shot from their mud-spiked artillery.
At last the Union brigades began to gain the advantage. Crittenden drove the enemy steadily forward. Captain Mendenhall, with First-Lieutenant Parsons, a Western Reserve West Pointer, with Bartlett, poured in their shell. A rush for the contested battery, and it was taken again. The rebels retreated towards the left. Smith and Boyle holding the infantry well in hand, Mendenhall again got their range and poured in shell on the new position. The fortune of the day was against them, as against their comrades in Nelson’s front, and they were soon in full retreat.
Just then Brigadier-General Thomas J. Woods’ advance brigade from his approaching division came up. It was too late for the fight, but it relieved Crittenden’s weary fellows, and pushed on after the rebels until they were found to have left the most advanced Union camps.