The Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, 1862 (Harper's Weekly)

In late 1862 the 5th Confederate Infantry were commanded by Colonel James A. Smith, and formed part of Brigadier-General Bushrod Johnson’s brigade. They entered the fight on the left flank of the brigade line, moving to cross the almost dry bed of Doctor’s Creek and engage the Federals to the west. The advance quickly descended into confusion with units becoming separated before they had even crossed the watercourse. Indeed the first fire the 5th Confederate endured was from a Rebel battery which mistook them for Union troops. Eventually resolving this ‘friendly fire’ incident and getting back on track, the Memphis Irishmen moved across the Creek bed and up the hill on the far side towards the blue-clad lines. Sweeping towards the Squire Bottom Farm, the 5th Confederate were finally about to get the grips with the enemy- including some of their countrymen in the 10th Ohio (1)

The Union brigade that faced the Rebel Irishmen was under the command of Colonel William H. Lytle. Lytle had started the war as Colonel of the 10th Ohio, but for today the regiment was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Burke. He and his men had already been in action for some time, acting as skirmishers and also facing a Confederate threat to their left. Burke watched from high ground as the fresh Rebel attack swept over the Creek and past the Bottom House to his right. He was in a position to enfilade the enemy line, and promptly ordered his men to open fire into the advancing Rebels. Their bullets raked through the soldiers of Bushrod Johnson’s brigade, including many of their countrymen in the 5th Confederate. (2)

Captain C.W. Frazer of the 5th had more worries than just the 10th Ohio. Directly to their front he and his men were encountering the plunging fire of Union troops ensconced behind a stone wall. Frazer remembered that they advanced with ‘a stone fence on the right and a rail fence on the left…when from the stone fence, thirty steps away, a volley…fired into us without note or warning. The shock was terrific- the line swayed as one body, leaving a track of dead and wounded to mark its former position; then with a yell that burst simultaneously from officers and men, [we]charged over dead and dying, drove the enemy from the fence, and held it.’ (3)

The fight now degenerated into an exchange of volleys at close range, as the death toll rose. The killing that engulfed the stone wall and fences of the farm soon took a gruesome twist. Squire Bottom’s Barn stood on the Federal side of the front-line, and was being used by some of the Union wounded for shelter. As the attack reached its crescendo, a Confederate shell arced through the air and exploded in the barn. Filled with tinder-dry materials, the building- and those inside it- were engulfed in flame. Frazer remembered that ‘amid the clash of arms we heard the shrieks of the wounded as they burned…the fight went on.’ (4)

The Squire Bottom House, Perryville. The 5th Confederate and 10th Ohio were engaged near here (Photo: Hal Jespersen)

The high ground held by the 10th Ohio and their comrades in Lytle’s brigade began to tell, and the Confederate attack stalled. The 5th Confederate were nearing the point of collapse when they looked around and saw what appeared to be a Union line advancing on their rear. Colonel Smith turned to Frazer, saying ‘Captain, have you a white handkerchief? I am afraid we will need one.’ Frazer replied that there ‘was not one in the regiment; and you have on the only ‘biled shirt,’ the lower end of which will answer if occasion requires.’ However the men coming up behind them were not Federals, a fact soon made clear when they raised the Rebel yell. These Confederates wore blue as they were decked out in elements of Union uniforms captured earlier in the campaign at the Battle of Richmond. They signalled the arrival of yet another Irishman on the field; the advance was that of Corkman Brigadier-General Patrick Cleburne’s brigade. (5)

Although the arrival of Cleburne meant that the 5th Confederate were almost finished their days fight, the men in the 10th Ohio still had much to endure. As the Union line began to be forced back, they found themselves exposed and almost cut off, with the enemy closing in on both flanks. Charging forward to relive the pressure on their line, they suffered mounting casualties as the situation became desperate and the regiment neared collapse. Knowing that they had to retreat in an orderly fashion to avoid disastrous casualties, Lieutenant-Colonel Burke grabbed a bugle and sounded the halt himself. He formed and dressed the lines, calmly ordered skirmishers to the flanks to cover the retreat, and extracted his command. (6)

The battle would rage until darkness, with the Union I Corps eventually being pushed back more than a mile. Confederate commander Braxton Bragg had not been aware that he faced the entire Army of the Ohio at Perryville, thinking he was just engaging just a portion of his foe’s superior strength. His Federal counterpart Don Carlos Buell remained equally ignorant of events; he was unaware that a battle was even being fought, preventing the other two Union Corps from fully participating in the engagement. Nightfall brought a realisation on Bragg’s part of his precarious position, and he ordered a retreat from the field that ultimately ended in the abandonment of Kentucky by the Confederates. There were many men who would not be part of the Confederate retreat or the Federal pursuit; during the days fighting the 250 men of the 5th Confederate Infantry lost 6 killed, 34 wounded and 5 missing (18.8% of their force) while the 528 soldiers of the 10th Ohio Infantry withstood the staggering losses of 60 killed, 169 wounded and 8 missing (44.9% of their strength). (7)

The 10th Ohio would go on to become the army’s Provost Guard, a role they would perform at the Battle of Stones River. The 5th Confederate became part of Cleburne’s soon to be famous division, fighting all the way to Bentonville, North Carolina in 1865. The Civil War Trust are currently campaigning to save 141 acres of the ground at the Squire Bottom Farm in Perryville, where the lives of many men from both of these regiments were changed forever. They have reached 94% of their target and are closing in on their goal- if would like to contribute towards their efforts click here.

(1) Noe 2001: 220, Frazer 1886: 148; (2) Noe 2001: 226-7; (3) Frazer 1886: 147-8; (4) Noe 2001: 228, Frazer 1886: 148; (5) Frazer 1886: 148; (6) Reid 1868: 79; (7) Noe 2001: 372, 374;

References & Further Reading

Frazer, C.W. 1886. ‘Fifth Confederate’ in Lindsley, John Berrien (ed.) The Military Annals of Tennessee

Noe, Kenneth W. 2001. Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle

Reid, Whitelaw 1868. Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers, Volume II

Perryville Civil War Battlefield

Civil War Trust Battle of Perryville Page

General James Birdseye McPherson (Image via Wikipedia)

The ninety-one men of the Fifth Confederate had started their day early. Their march around their enemy’s flank had taken place during the night, but the difficult terrain they encountered meant it was afternoon before they could attack, finding the gap between McPherson’s two Corps. Captain Richard Beard was amongst them, and describes the scene as the Union General suddenly appeared: ‘He was certainly surprised to find himself suddenly face to face with our line. My own company and possibly others had reached the road when he discovered that he was within a few feet of where we stood. I was on the very verge of the road, and McPherson checked his horse for a second just opposite where I stood. I could have touched him with the point of my sword. Not a word was spoken. I threw up my sword to him as a signal to surrender. He checked his horse slightly, raised his hat as if he were saluting a lady, wheeled his horse’s head to the right, and dashed off to the rear in a full gallop.’

Among the group of Fifth Confederate soldiers who witnessed the incident was one of Beard’s Company, Corporal Robert Coleman. Captain Beard noted that he was as gallant a young soldier as he had ever seen on a battlefield, but very excitable. He describes what happened next: ‘Corporal Coleman, who was standing near me, fired on him, whether some one ordered fire I do not remember. It was his bullet that brought Gen. McPherson down. He was shot as he was passing under the thick branches of a tree, and as he was bending over his horse’s neck, either to avoid coming in contact with the limbs or, more probably, to escape the death dealing bullets that he knew were sure to follow him. A number of shots were also fired at his retreating staff. I ran up immediately to where the dead General lay, just as he had fallen, upon his knees and face. There was not a quiver of his body to be seen, not a sign of life perceptible. The fatal bullet had done its work well……When I got up to the body of the dead General I found a man lying on his back near him, who, if at all hurt, was but slightly wounded. I noticed only a slight spot of blood on his cheek. Pointing to the dead man, I asked him: “Who is this lying here?” He answered, with tears in his eyes : “Sir, it is Gen. McPherson. You have killed the best man in our army.”

Corporal Robert Coleman, Fifth Confederate Infantry: the man who shot General McPherson

The Fifth Confederate’s good fortune in encountering the isolated General would not last, however. As they pressed on with their attack, they succeeded in assaulting and lodging in the enemy’s works, but the difficult ground meant the attack was uncoordinated and many of the men were isolated. A determined Union counterattack took place in which 10 officers and 36 men were captured along with the regimental colors, the latter becoming the prize of the Fifteenth Michigan Infantry. The Fifth Confederate was a broken force. They participated in another attack later in the day in which they could furnish only twenty-two men. Captain Richard Beard was not among them; the by now captured officer instead found himself describing the circumstances of General McPherson’s death to one of the dead commander’s staff.

The actions of July 22nd were Beard’s last of the war, but they were certainly memorable. Writing in 1903, he was able to state: ‘This is the last tragedy that I took part in during the war, and it is as vividly and as distinctly photographed on my memory as if it all had occurred yesterday.’ The fateful day saw not only the death of General McPherson but also the virtual destruction of the Fifth Confederate Regiment. The Rebel attempts to drive back Sherman’s men failed, and Atlanta would fall on the 2nd September. The Fifth would remain with the Army of Tennessee until the bitter end in 1865. James Birdseye McPherson would be the only Union army commander killed during the American Civil War.

References & Further Reading

Beard, R. 1903.  ‘Incident’s of General McPherson’s Death: Account Given By Captain Beard’ in Confederate Veteran

Castel, A. 1992. Decision in the West: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864

Frazer, C.W. 1886. ‘Fifth Confederate’ in Lindsley, John Berrien (ed.) The Military Annals of Tennessee

Warner, Ezra J. 1964. Generals in Blue

Official Records 38, Pt. 3. Report of Captain Aaron A. Cox, Fifth Confederate Infantry, Polk’s brigade, of Operations July 20-22

Official Records 38, Pt. 3. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick S. Hutchinson, Fifteenth Michigan Infantry, of Operations May 6- August 3

Major Person, 5th Confederate Regiment, Roll of Honour, Chickamauga

The 3rd-5th were commanded by Colonel James A. Smith (the majority of regimental officers were non-Irish) and formed part of Polk’s Brigade, Cleburne’s Division of Hill’s Corps at Chickamauga. Cleburne’s troops did not see their first action of the battle until sundown of the first day, when they were ordered to the army’s right with instructions to attack the Federal positions in the vicinity of the Winfrey Field. Colonel Smith takes up the story: ‘The regiment entered the action first on the 19th with the brigade about sundown, passing over the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Regiments, of Liddell’s brigade, which were lying down. We had proceeded but a short distance to the front when the enemy opened fire on our sharpshooters. They were immediately withdrawn. The enemy’s artillery opened destructive fire on our advancing lines, which together with fire from infantry behind temporary works, stopped us for a short time. The right of the brigade, however, meeting with less resistance, pushed on, and getting on his flank he soon retired in  confusion, leaving a 12-pounder James gun and a caisson, having set another on fire. I was here directed by Lieutenant-General Hill to halt my regiment, as it had, by directing itself on Wood’s brigade, become somewhat detached from the remainder of the brigade. This ended the contest for the night, most of the fighting having been done since dark.’ The regiment lost 25 men in the fight, mainly with slight wounds.

Captain Beard, 5th Confederate Regiment, Killed in Action, Chickamauga

The Irishmen faced a tougher challenge on the second day of the battle. They would have to attack well fortified Federal positions, now located around the Kelly Field. In the process they would face a withering fire. Colonel Smith continues: When the attack was renewed [in the late morning] we met the enemy at his works, which were located on the crest of a rise that commanded the space in front of it. The strife at this point was fearful. Such showers of grape, canister, and small-arms I have never before witnessed. We remained here until our supply of ammunition was exhausted without losing or gaining ground. Through the misapprehension of an order, or from some other cause unknown to me, the right of my regiment gave way, and it was with some difficulty that order was restored and the line re-established. Failing as we did to drive the enemy from his position, and our ammunition being exhausted, we were ordered by Brigadier-General Polk to fall back.’ The unit’s losses were heavy, and included Captain W.J. Morris, who was mortally wounded while leading a charge; he was struck by grapeshot in the lungs and died on the field. Lieutenant Ragan also had his leg shattered during the attack (Frazer 1886: 150).

Captain Frazer, 5th Confederate Regiment

The Irish were not finished though, and a final attack was launched 4-500 yards to the right of their original position at around 4pm that evening. According to Colonel Smith the Federal resistance was ‘for long, as obstinate as in the morning; but we finally proved too much for him, and he took refuge behind his second line of works, about 200 yards to the rear of his first. He made but a short stand here and then fled in confusion across the open field in rear, leaving many prisoners in our hands.’ This was where the regiment took their heaviest losses, with Captain George Moore killed by a cannonball and Captain James Beard mortally wounded. Speaking of Beard, his fellow officer C.W. Frazer remarked how he often remembered him singing his favourite tune, ‘It matters little now, Lorena’ (Frazer 1886: 150).

The Federal retreat was final, and the Confederate Army of Tennessee had won its first major victory in the West. However, the 3^rd-5^th Confederate and their Division had paid a heavy price. In the two days of fighting at Chickamauga, Cleburne lost 204 men killed, 1,539 wounded and 6 missing.

Corporal Robert Coleman, 5th Confederate Regiment, Roll of Honour, Chickamauga

Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Hill complimented the regiment after the battle for its service, and later related a story of an encounter he had at Chickamauga: ‘One of Helm’s* wounded men had been overlooked, and was lying alone in the woods, his head partly supported by a tree. He was shockingly injured….I said to him “My poor fellow, you are badly hurt. What regiment do you belong to?” He replied: “The Fifth Confederit, and a dommed good regiment it is.” The answer, though almost ludicrous, touched me as illustrating the esprit de corps of the soldier- his pride in and his affection for his command.’ (Hill 1888: 659-660).  The men from the 3^rd-5^th that were named in the roll of honour, indicating conspicuous gallantry and good conduct during the battle, were as follows:

Major R. J. Person.

Captain James H. Beard, Co. E.

Captain George Moore, Co. H.

Sergt. John Callahan, Co. A.

Sergt. William McNamara, Co. B.

Sergt. Walter Laracy, Co. D.

Sergt. T. F. Brennan, Co. E.

Sergt. Edward Doyle, Co. F.

Sergt. George Cook, Co. G.

Corpl. R. H. Coleman, Co. H.

Private Frederick Taffe, Co. B.

Private Jack Wright, Co. E.

Sergt. E. L. Moore, Co. F.

*Hill mistakenly relates that this Irishman was part of Helm’s Brigade, but he clearly served with the Fifth Confederate Regiment of Polk’s Brigade.

References & Further Reading

Cozzens, Peter 1996. This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga

Frazer, C.W. 1886. ‘Fifth Confederate’ in Lindsley, John Berrien (ed.) The Military Annals of Tennessee

Hill, Daniel Harvey 1888. Chickamauga- The Great Battle of the West in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Volume III

Official Records 30, Pt. 2.  Report of Colonel J. A. Smith, Fifth Confederate Infantry, commanding Third and Fifth Confederate Infantry

Official Records 30, Pt. 2. The Chickamauga Campaign Roll of Honour: Third and Fifth Confederate Infantry

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

HALE AND STRONG AT ONE HUNDRED AND TWO

Sixty odd years ago Dr. John D. Smith, the founder of Henderson, Tenn., took his crop of cotton to Memphis on a Hatchie River boat. One of the deck hands was a red headed Irishman, a cheerful, tireless worker, already approaching middle age. Dr. Smith was so impressed with this man’s capability that he engaged him to return with him and help on his farm. Tommy Campbell, or “Uncle Tommy,” as he was soon called, became a member of the Smith family and one of its strongest adherents.

In 1861 Tommy Campbell enlisted with the 2d Tennessee Infantry, Col. J. Knox Walker, and later the 5th Confederate Regiment. In 1862 he was discharged at Tupelo, Miss., as over age. A year later he joined Captain May’s company, Bell’s Brigade, Forrest’s Cavalry. In 1864 he was wounded in a fight at Athens, Ala. The wound was on top of his head, and “Uncle Tommy” was gratified that he was so low, for if otherwise the bullet would have struck him in the head.

After the war he returned to Tennessee, and that State had no better nor more zealous citizen than the little red headed Irishman who seems to have found the fountain of youth.

In early September of this year Judge G. W. Smith, of Fresno, Cal., who was the youngest son of Dr. John Smith, came back to Henderson to visit the scenes of his boyhood, and “Uncle Tommy Campbell” came from his home in Pinson to see him, hale and hearty, little the worse for the summers and winters of one hundred and two years. The old gentleman and the silver haired judge, whom he regards as a boy, spent happy days together in recalling incidents of the Judge’s youth. This old man was reported in health late in September.

from Confederate Veteran Volume XVII, October 1909, 523