Escaping Champion's Hill with Stephen D. Lee's Brigade
The anguish is palpable as one reads the words of James
Powers of the 20th Alabama in this short letter he wrote home to his
brother in Greensboro, Alabama. His regiment, the senior one assigned to
General Stephen D. Lee’s brigade, collapsed under a heavy enfilade fire and
scattered to the winds. “My impression is that the whole brigade is captured
with the exception of a few who were cut off and fell in with Loring’s command,”
he commented. “The last account we had from our company, it was scattered
everywhere.”
Lieutenant
Stephen Underhill, serving as aide-de-camp to General Stephen D. Lee, was in a
slightly better position to describe the impact of the battle on Lee’s brigade,
but likewise was cut off from his commander and despaired of the result. “When I got up to the road I caught and mounted a loose horse, I saw
several aides riding about who all told me the day was lost,” Underhill wrote
to his mother back home in England. “Barton’s brigade had been demolished and
Green’s wild Missourians, after having completely routed one Yankee division,
retaken all our artillery and made 560 Yankees prisoners, had been surrounded
by two other divisions and had only cut its way out with frightful loss.
General Tilghman had been killed by a chance shot and General Pemberton had
ordered a retreat to Big Black Bridge. I tried to get back to General Lee but
the Yankees intervened. I tried to get around them, lost myself in a wood, got
fired at again, and finally escaped by swimming Baker’s Creek. I was so hot,
hungry, and tired to death that life was hardly endurable, but I rode sadly on
with the tide of wagons and fugitives that poured along the road.”
Private Powers’ letter reached home and was published in the May 29, 1863, edition of the Alabama Beacon. Lieutenant Underhill’s letter, however, was captured by a Federal officer and eventually printed in the August 20, 1863, edition of the Guernsey Times published in Cambridge, Ohio.
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| Corporal Rutherford Hayes Woolley, Co. H, 20th Alabama Infantry |
Near Jackson, Mississippi
May 21, 1863
My dear brother,
We had a
desperate fight at Edward’s Station on Saturday the 16th instant.
Our loss was heavy. We were compelled to retreat and, in the retreat, I was cut
off from my command in company with Lieutenant Noah H. Gewin, John A. Martin,
and A. Pickens May. We escaped being captured by hiding in a swamp under cover
of night. We succeeded in making our way to Major General Loring’s division
where we are still. We marched 40 miles in 24 hours and had nothing to eat for
four days.
The day of the engagement our company with three others was detailed for skirmishing. We were cut off three times, having to pass under the enemy’s guns to make our way out. My impression is that the whole brigade is captured with the exception of a few who were cut off and fell in with Loring’s command. The last account we had from our company, it was scattered everywhere.
Private James P. Powers
Headquarters, Second Brigade, Stevenson’s Division, Trenches,
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Sunday, June 28, 1863, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the 42nd day
of the siege
It is with feelings of great
doubt and uncertainty that I sit down to write this. To give you some idea of
how matters have turned out as they have, I must go back until, say, the middle
of April. General [Stephen D.] Lee and staff and troops had returned from the
Deer Creek Expedition. The enemy, as usual, lay in force on the side of the
river seven miles away and all was going on quietly and well, when one dark
night six iron clad gunboats and as many transports well protected with cotton
bales started to run down the river and past our guns. All were at their posts
and all men could do was done. One iron gunboat was sunk, two others rendered
disabled and helpless and two transports burned. The remainder, through
frequently struck, got past.
A few days after the enemy
landed simultaneously at Snyder’s ten miles above us and at Bruinsburg 40 miles
below. General Stephen D. Lee was sent to Snyder’s; he pronounced the landing a
mere feint and returned to his own command. Next morning troops were dispatched
to meet the enemy: Generals [John S.] Bowen and [Brigadier General Martin E.]
Green’s Missouri brigades and General [Edward D.] Tracey’s Alabama brigade,
numbering in all 6,000 men.
On the 1st of May our army
6,000 strong encountered that of the enemy which numbered some 30,000. This
force had marched across the peninsula, had embarked opposite Warrenton to
disembark at Bruinsburg on the opposite side from their point of embarkation
and some 30 miles further down the Mississippi. The 1st of May, as I said
above, saw a bloody fight at the small town of Port Gibson on a small creek
called Bayou Pierre, where notwithstanding the overwhelming superiority of the
enemy, they were held in check all that day. Our loss was frightfully heavy and
included the death of General [Edward D.]Tracey, a young, brave, and able
soldier whose loss is mourned universally.
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| Lieutenant Stephen E.M. Underhill later served as colonel of the 65th Alabama Infantry as depicted in the CDV above. |
On the night of the 1st of
May, our forces retreated meeting [Brigadier General William E.]
Baldwin’s and [Colonel Alexander W.] Reynolds’ brigades, say 3,000
men, coming to reinforce them, burning the bridges, and took up a strong position
near Grand Gulf on this side of Bayou Pierre (General Lee was not with this
army but I had ridden down to see the fight and General Lee had given me a
letter to General Bowen, the senior brigadier in command).
On the evening of the 2nd of May, General [William W.]
Loring arrived and took command and so did General [Lloyd] Tilghman with part
of his brigade. General Loring, learning that the enemy had by means of a
pontoon bridge crossed Bayou Pierre and flanked us, ordered a retreat which
commenced at 1 a.m. on Sunday May 3rd. Our heavy batteries at Grand Gulf on the
Mississippi River which had several times repulsed the Federal ironclads were
blown up and abandoned and with the enemy only a short distance in our rear, we
marched toward Big Black, a stream crossed by the railroad at Big Black Bridge,
some 12 miles from Vicksburg. We met other reinforcements (Taylor’s and
Barton’s brigades) and we then headed for Hankerson’s Ferry over the same
stream but lower down and some 20 miles from Vicksburg.
General Lee had been ordered out
to take command of Tracey’s Alabamians, a fine brigade some 2,500 strong,
consisting of five regiments and a battery (20th, 23rd, 30th, 31st, and
46th Alabama Infantry regiments, Waddell’s six-gun Alabama Battery). To
our brigade, which I of course rejoined, was entrusted the duty of guarding the
rear. We skirmished heavily with the enemy all the way and succeeded in
procuring time for the passage of all wagons, stores, etc. when our brigade
itself crossed over and destroyed the bridge all under the enemy’s fire.
From this time until the
10th the armies lay on either side of the river, the Federals constantly
getting large reinforcements from below, while we, whose disparity of numbers
was daily on the increase, were only able to hold the various fords and ferries
and were quite unable to redress or avenge upon the enemy the destruction and
devastation with which they visited the country they occupied. The enemy
remained quietly opposite us recruiting their numbers and the health of the
troops until on the 10th they moved off in the direction of Jackson, the
capital of this state. We now heard that reinforcements were on their way from
Charleston, South Carolina and Port Hudson, Mississippi to our relief and that
General Joe Johnston himself was about to command us in person.
We at once moved up on this side of the Big Black and crossed at the railroad bridge, following in the enemy’s track. On the 11th, the enemy tapped the railroad and cut the telegraph wires thereby cutting off all our communication. On the 12th they came across Gregg’s brigade on its way up from Port Hudson at Raymond. It made a gallant resistance but after losing one half of its number, had to retreat to Jackson. The two days we lay in line of battle in strong position near Edward’s Depot awaiting the enemy. On the evening of the 15th, we started toward Clinton where we heard the enemy had last been seen. Our division being in advance, General Loring’s division (Buford and Tilghman’s brigades) 5,000 strong came next, and then came Bowen’s and Green’s Missouri brigades. Smith’s division remained behind to guard.
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| General Stephen D. Lee |
Lieutenant General [John C.]
Pemberton now took command and we brought our forced march of Friday evening
May 15th to a close on Saturday about 2 a.m. when we bivouacked in an open
field. We had no wagons with us, but the men were so exhausted that they soon
forgot their hunger in sleep. By 4:30 next morning, a courier arrived from
General [Joseph E.] Johnston directing us at once to make a junction with him
and immediately afterward a scout came in to say the enemy was making a forced
march to get in our rear and between us and Vicksburg. General Pemberton at
once ordered a retreat. Our wagons, ordnance, hospital, trains, etc. were all
sent off on the Vicksburg road while the troops after a five-mile march formed
line of battle on a strong position near Baker’s Creek and Edward’s Depot on
the Raymond and Clinton road, and there awaited the approach of the enemy.
It was now about 7 a.m. The men
were completely broken down by hard marching and none had had anything to eat
for nearly 36 hours. Under these auspices we awaited battle on a glorious May
morning. General Loring’s division was on the right; Stevenson’s on the left
extending nearly to Baker’s Creek and our brigade (Lee’s) was on the extreme
left of our division (Stevenson’s). General Bowen’s division was in reserve and
General Pemberton commanded in person. The battle commenced about 7:30 with
heavy skirmishing on the right. It gradually rolled round to the left, however,
and came to us, ceasing on the right entirely. By 9 o’clock the enemy had
massed large bodies of troops in our front and Cumming’s on our right.
General Lee had, six different
times, moved his brigade that it might not be outflanked by the overwhelming
numbers of the enemy. Five separate times did I gallop at top speed upward of a
mile and back bearing the same message from General Lee to General [Carter L.]
Stevenson to the effect the enemy were outflanking him. Five times did I bring
the reply, “Tell General Lee I know it and am moving my division accordingly.”
Five times did we take a new position on our left, but the cry was “still they
come.”
At this time the enemy seemed to
have completed their arrangements for they made a simultaneous and vigorous
attack along our lines. They advanced in three lines and to each of our little
brigades they opposed at least a division. We could only bring two brigades
into the fight at this time for the others were guarding and holding important
positions. At first our men stood up the work gallantly and vigorously returned
the deadly fire than thinned their ranks. They went down by dozens before the
Yankee artillery and musketry, but many a Yankee bit the dust.
There were two distinct lines
respectively of blue and brown, marking where the dead of either army lay where
they had fallen when the fray began. This unequal contest lasted several hours
but though wearied almost to death and though pressed by overwhelming odds, the
Second Brigade still held out, patiently awaiting the arrival and aid of our
other two brigades or those of Loring or Bowen. It did not come, however, and
one of Cumming’s Georgia regiments being hard pushed broke and took shelter in
the woods. It was like a bank crumbling away before the action of a torrent to
watch our lines at this juncture. The panic seemed contagious and as it ran
down the lines, regiment after regiment caught it till both brigades were in
full retreat, leaving all their artillery and all dead and wounded in the
enemy’s hands.
With some trouble the fugitives
were rallied on the crest of a hill and again faced the now victoriously
advancing enemy. Once more the men from Alabama and Georgia sent their missiles
into the ranks of Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio, and the death yell of
the Western men rang loudly out under the luxuriant magnolia groves in which
they fought. Again, the Southern troops showed signs of wavering and General
Lee, seizing the banner of the 30th Alabama and followed by his staff,
rode down the line and led it to the charge. New life seemed to have been
infused into the Southern troops. They rushed on with leveled bayonets,
cheering wildly.
The Northerners rapidly though
steadily retiring and pouring volley after volley into their pursuers. At
length a shout announced some triumph for the enemy who in a moment rallied and
halted, as did also our men, and sure enough there lay General Lee upon the
ground. Before any of us could reach him he had disengaged himself from his
dead horse and mounting another once more led the charge. We were now passing
over our old position when once more did Lee’s horse fall dead, amidst a
triumphant shout from the enemy. This time our troops fairly broke and ran
notwithstanding every effort and all example. General Lee stood for a moment in
despair. A ball, and then a second, both fortunately spent, struck his left
sleeve, penetrating it and bruising his arm but doing no further damage.
Captain Elliott of our staff had his horse shot and a ball broke his sword. I
escaped.
General Lee now mounted a third
horse and followed his brigade which was once more formed in the magnolia wood
upon the hill. He sent me to General Barton to ask for reinforcements. I took a
short cut and the first thing I knew I was amongst a number of Yankee
sharpshooters who demanded my surrender. I declined, and spurring my horse in
another direction, some of them fired and killed my horse. I then jumped into a
ravine. At the bottom I met a wounded Federal officer who when I wouldn’t
yield, fired three shots of his Colt at me but would not face me with his
sword. I got into a rye field and ran up it. Some of our men were at the top
and fired several shots at me ere they discovered their mistake.
When I got up to the road I
caught and mounted a loose horse (which by the way died last week of the sixth
shot, five balls having failed even to maim him), saw several aides riding
about who all told me the day was lost. Barton’s brigade had been demolished
and Green’s wild Missourians, after having completely routed one Yankee
division, retaken all our artillery and made 560 Yankees prisoners, had been
surrounded by two other divisions and had only cut its way out with frightful
loss. General Tilghman had been killed by a chance shot and General Pemberton
had ordered a retreat to Big Black Bridge. I tried to get back to General Lee
but the Yankees intervened. I tried to get around them, lost myself in a wood,
got fired at again, and finally escaped by swimming Baker’s Creek.
I was so hot, hungry, and tired
to death that life was hardly endurable, but I rode sadly on with the tide of
wagons and fugitives that poured along the road. At last, I came up with our
headquarters wagon, hauled it on one side, and enjoyed a wash and some flour
scorees and a drink of water. I now asked if it was near noon and was
thunderstruck to find it was past six. At Big Black Bridge I saw General
Pemberton, but he could tell me nothing. I heard General Lee was killed and his
brigade taken and was in despair. From a gentle eminence I could see Edwards’
Depot and the fine plantations and country seats in a blaze, showing too
plainly the advance of the pursuing foe. I had nothing to do at the bridge, so
I rode on to Vicksburg, got there at midnight, and put up at our own
headquarters. So ended the battle day.
Our army was thoroughly beaten.
Our junction with Johnston was prevented and we lost 18 guns and several
thousand stand of small arms and some 5,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. Our
own brigade suffered frightfully. Naturally Vicksburg was in great alarm. I
heard that General Lee had been surrounded, lost one regiment, and had cut his
way out with the remainder of his brigade; that our whole army, except Loring’s
division, had crossed to this side and we held the Yankees at bay at our
breastworks on the other side until 8 o’clock, though there was some very
severe fighting when Vaughn’s brigade broke and run. Upwards of 2,000 of them
were taken as well as a number of Missourians who could not get away. The enemy
took 21 more guns, making our two days’ loss in artillery amount to some 39
pieces. We were obliged to burn the bridge, a very fine one, which with its
trestlework extended nearly a mile.
I wrote you on Friday by a
Federal prisoner going out and I hope you will get it soon. I will write you as
soon as I can. I am naturally down spirited, so you must not expect me to say
more. Before this reaches you the papers will have told you whether my hopes or
fears will have been realized. Give my love to dear father. I was going to
write him separately, but feel too sick and tired.
Love to dear Emily, Sarah, and Joe, and believe me my dear, dear mama, ever your affectionate son, S.M. Underhill, Lt. and A.D.C. to Gen. S.D. Lee, Second Brigade, Stevenson’s Div., Dept. Miss. & E. La.
Sources:
Letter from Private James P. Powers, Company I, 20th
Alabama Infantry, Alabama Beacon (Alabama), May 29, 1863, pg. 3
Letter from Lieutenant Stephen Edward Monaghan Underhill, aide-de-camp
on the staff of General Stephen D. Lee, Guernsey Times (Ohio), August
20, 1863, pg. 1
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