6o 2

BRAGG’S ADVANCE AND RETREAT.

junction with, that officer’, and was greatly relieved when all the Confederateforces in Kentucky were united at Lexington.

Here a brilliant entertainment was given to the two generals by our oldcomrade, General William Preston, in his delightful Kentucky home. But itwas here, also, that General Bragg fully realized that the reported desire ofKentucky to cast her lot with the South had passed away, if indeed such adisposition had ever existed; for not only was Kentucky unprepared to enterthe Confederacy , but her people looked with dread at the prospect of theirState being made a battle-field. Under these circumstances he remarked tome again and again, “ The people here have too many fat cattle and are too welloff to fight.” He was now aware that he had embarked in a campaign thatwas to produce no favorable result, and that he had erred in departing fromhis original plan of taking the offensive in the outset against Buell by anoperation on that general’s communications. He was determined, however,not to expose his army to disaster, nor to take any chances. The informa-tion we were receiving indicated that Buell was being heavily reenforced.

It was now the eve of the battle of Perryville, and Kirby Smith , at Sal visa,twenty miles to the north-east, was calling for reenforcements, as he was con-fident that the feint was against Perryville, and that the main attack wouldsurely fall on him. Thus urged, General Bragg, against his own judgment,yielded, and detached two of his best divisions (Withers’s and Cheatham’s) toSmith ’s aid. The former division could not be recalled in time, and the latterarrived the morning of the battle. Having placed General Polk in commandof the troops, Bragg had gone to Frankfort, the capital of the State of Kentucky ,to witness the inauguration of the secessionist governor, Hawes. The inaugu-ral was being read when the booming of cannon, shortly followed by dispatchesfrom our cavalry outposts, announced the near presence of the enemy. Asthe hall was chiefly filled by the military, who hurried away to their respec-tive commands, the governor was obliged to cut short his inaugural address.

The field of Perryville was an open and beautiful rolling country, and thebattle presented a grand panorama. There was desperate fighting on bothsides. I saw a Federal battery, with the Union flag planted near its guns,repulse six successive Confederate charges before retiring, saving all but onegun, and eliciting praise for their bravery from their desperate foes.

About dark, Polk, convinced that some Confederate troops were firing intoeach other, cantered up to the colonel of the regiment that was firing, andasked him angrily what he meant by shooting his own friends. The colonel, ma tone of surprise, said: u I don’t think there can be any mistake about it. 1am sure they are the enemy.” “ Enemy ! Why, I have just left them myself-Cease firing, sir. What is your name t ” rejoined the Confederate general-

“ I am Colonel-of the-Indiana . And pray, sir, who are you ? ” Thus

made aware that he was with a Federal regiment and that his only escapewas to brazen it out, his dark blouse and the increasing obscurity happilybefriending him, the Confederate general shook his fist in the Federal colonel’sface and promptly said: “ I will show you who I am, sir. Cease firing ; donce!” Then, cantering down the line again, he shouted authoritatively t°