On the morning of the 6th, at daylight, the enemy made a furious attack on Gen. Prentiss' Division. The enemy moved forward in echelon by Divisions, point foremost, the evident intention being to break, by a furious attack, the centre of our line. But in this they did not succeed. Gen. Prentiss was compelled, however, to fall back a short distance to his supports. Here he gallantly maintained his position for a long time.
But my object in this sketch, is not to give an account of this terrible battle, but of the part the 9th Illinois took in it.
Our Division was held in reserve, and consequently did not reach the field of action until after noon. Col. McArthur had been released from arrest, and resumed command of his Brigade. Brig. Gen. W. H. L. Wallace relieved Major General Smith of the command of our Division, the latter being too unwell to do duty on the field. We were moved to the left of Prentiss' Division. On the way the Regiment met with hundreds of stragglers hastening in confusion to the sheltering cover of the river bank for protection. About fifty of these were pressed into our Regiment. Nearly all of them were killed or wounded during the day.
The Regiment held its place in the line for two hours, against a vastly superior force of the enemy. The 41st Ill. Inft. was on our right, and the 12th Ill. Inft. on our left. The latter Regiment fell back three hundred yards, after being exposed to the fire of the enemy for over an hour. Thus our left flank was exposed to a flank movement of the enemy. Of this they soon took advantage, and poured a murderous fire down the ravine which we occupied. After holding this position until a new line was formed, three hundred yards in the rear, the Regiment fell back hastily behind it. It was not long, however, until this line was broken by the terrible assault of the overwhelming forces of the enemy. A new line, of immense strength, was finally formed one-half mile from the landing. All the available artillery was gathered to this point; the victorious advance of the enemy was checked, and their masses for the first time during the day recoiled before the murderous discharges of grape and canister from one hundred iron throats.
Gen. Prentiss' Division not falling back soon enough to this new line, were completely surrounded, and compelled to surrender to the enemy. The Division numbered about 3,000 men.
After the repulse of the enemy at this point, no further attack was made, and night soon closed the conflict of the day. During the night the gunboats kept up a constant firing of 64-pound shells among the enemy, and finally compelled them to fall back six hundred yards. This gave our forces a fine chance to operate in the morning. During the night also, some 20,000 fresh troops from Buell's army were ferried across the river. Maj. Gen. Wallace's Division, from Crumpt's Landing, came up on the left flank of the enemy. So that on the morning of the 7th we had 20,000 fresh troops on the front of the enemy, our gunboats on their right, and Gen. Wallace's Division of 6,000 fresh troops on their left flank. The contest was not long. The enemy soon gave way. Then began a retreat which finally, at 3, P. M., became a perfect rout, as they fled in wild dismay toward their works at Corinth. The miserable condition of the roads prevented pursuit for more than half of the distance. Hence, we succeeded in capturing only 1,000 prisoners.
The entire Union loss in this engagement was, 1,700 killed, 9,000 wounded, and 3,800 taken prisoners. The rebel loss was about 2,300 killed, 12,000 wounded, and 1,000 taken prisoners. Total Union loss, 14,500. Total rebel loss, 15,800.
Here, in this one battle, were 4,000 American citizens left dead upon the battle-field, and 21,000 more wounded. By whom was this terrible destruction of life? Had some savage foe invaded our once happy and peaceful land? Ah, no! It was the hand of brother against brother; fellow-citizen against fellow-citizen! It arose on the one hand, from a determination to rivet tighter and tighter the chains of human bondage, even at the cost of the overthrow of that government under which our country has been so highly prospered; and on the other hand, from a determination that so good a government should not be overthrown to support any such unhallowed cause. Oh, the sadness of human strife, and especially when it arises from a family quarrel!
The loss of the 9th Ill. Inft. in this battle, was 61 killed on the field and 287 wounded. Among the killed, was Lieut. F. Vogler, of Co. B. Among the wounded, were Col. Mersy, Lieut. Col. Phillips, Adjutant Klock, Assistant Surgeon Gulick, Captains Adam, Kneffner, Beckier, Hawes, Webb, Armstrong and Robinson, and Lieutenants Rollmann, Scheel, Williford, Clements, Purviance, McCleery, (mortally,) Lowe and Krebs. Lieut. Krebs was severely wounded and taken prisoner.
The following is a list of the killed and wounded in the various companies, during this battle: