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Re: Arms of the Kentuckians
Via Amazon, I was able to peek inside the book about the 4th Louisiana. The citation from Butkovich's book about Enfields didn't pan out regarding the type of weapons seized from the battlefield. Since other passages of the book indicate they already had Enfields, the acquisition of more Enfields wouldn't have been as big a deal as if they had possessed and exchanged Lorenz rifle muskets. The relevant page states :
The story about the letter is featured in Butkovich's book.
This book does mention some specifics about timing of the counter attack and when the blue side withdrew. From page 142 :
Timing seems a little different than noted in Butkovich, but I'd trust his work about the battle more than this one about a regiment as he went through many more sources and noted discrepencies in times reported by various people who were there.
Via Amazon, I was able to peek inside the book about the 4th Louisiana. The citation from Butkovich's book about Enfields didn't pan out regarding the type of weapons seized from the battlefield. Since other passages of the book indicate they already had Enfields, the acquisition of more Enfields wouldn't have been as big a deal as if they had possessed and exchanged Lorenz rifle muskets. The relevant page states :
This sharp little engagement cost the 4th LA three killed and seventeen wounded. Private Leon Isaac of the Tirailleurs was wounded. There were ten thousand Rebels involved all along the line. It was a rare event to be able to get at Yankees in the open and that night the Tirailleurs could hear the familiar racket of Yankee axes.
The men stood in their line all night, holding their rifles. They watched as a brilliant Venus rose in the east. It was only at sunrise that they noticed they were standing among dead Yankees. These Yanks were immediately stripped of everything useful. Around their breakfast fire, Portalis Tullier admired a picture of a young womand he had taken from a dead Union soldier. There was also an unfinished letter. He opened it and handed it to Lieutenant Louis Daige. He could not read English. Louis took the letter. It was from a young private in Union General William Hazen's brigade to his wife in Ohio.
"Dearest Darling, Alice, 27th May, 1864 : I take this time to write on a rest. We are maching hard to flank the rebels from Atlanta. I know not where we are in this harsh country. The inhabitants are very poor and ignorant creatures. We expect a fight soon. I suspect we will teach the secesh a lesson. If my life should end, my only wish is that I not be buried in this traitorous land..."
On May 28th, the regiment collected two thousand stands of small arms, giving them a good idea of the size of the force encountered at Pickett's Mill. Quarles Brigade moved back to their original position at New Hope church. At 4 P.M. they marched back to the Pickett's Mill battlefield and their first good night's sleep since leaving Bon Secours. On May 29th, they moved to a position to the right of New Hope church, near the center of Jonston's defenses. There were in reserve and entered the front-line trenches two days later.
The men stood in their line all night, holding their rifles. They watched as a brilliant Venus rose in the east. It was only at sunrise that they noticed they were standing among dead Yankees. These Yanks were immediately stripped of everything useful. Around their breakfast fire, Portalis Tullier admired a picture of a young womand he had taken from a dead Union soldier. There was also an unfinished letter. He opened it and handed it to Lieutenant Louis Daige. He could not read English. Louis took the letter. It was from a young private in Union General William Hazen's brigade to his wife in Ohio.
"Dearest Darling, Alice, 27th May, 1864 : I take this time to write on a rest. We are maching hard to flank the rebels from Atlanta. I know not where we are in this harsh country. The inhabitants are very poor and ignorant creatures. We expect a fight soon. I suspect we will teach the secesh a lesson. If my life should end, my only wish is that I not be buried in this traitorous land..."
On May 28th, the regiment collected two thousand stands of small arms, giving them a good idea of the size of the force encountered at Pickett's Mill. Quarles Brigade moved back to their original position at New Hope church. At 4 P.M. they marched back to the Pickett's Mill battlefield and their first good night's sleep since leaving Bon Secours. On May 29th, they moved to a position to the right of New Hope church, near the center of Jonston's defenses. There were in reserve and entered the front-line trenches two days later.
This book does mention some specifics about timing of the counter attack and when the blue side withdrew. From page 142 :
The men of the 4th LA could hear the uproar when the troopers of Granbury's Texans mad a night charge on the Yankee pickets at 10 P.M. The 4th LA was in this charge. They crossed a cornfield and crashed into Yankee General Scribner's Brigade.
Private "Dick" Richards described the night charge at Pickett's Mill : "With a long crash-fire and that terrible yell, we dashed forward and soon broke into an opening. By the dim light of the stars we saw a perfect see of glittering bayonets moving on before us. The open ground enabled us to increase our speed, and we dashed after the fleeing enemy until the order came, 'Halt.' the enemy had taken cover under brush in a ravine before us." [Footnote 6]. They remained until 2 A.M., when they moved back into the woods. [Footnote 7].
Private "Dick" Richards described the night charge at Pickett's Mill : "With a long crash-fire and that terrible yell, we dashed forward and soon broke into an opening. By the dim light of the stars we saw a perfect see of glittering bayonets moving on before us. The open ground enabled us to increase our speed, and we dashed after the fleeing enemy until the order came, 'Halt.' the enemy had taken cover under brush in a ravine before us." [Footnote 6]. They remained until 2 A.M., when they moved back into the woods. [Footnote 7].
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