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White family papers, July 1861-March 1865

1863-01-23-Page 04

Then followed a portion of Sherridan's command. Rossan's Division came up at this time and stopped the panic in a great degree - he also stopped the rebels.  A panic is a fatal thing to an army.  I never had an idea of what one was before.  The woods and fields as far as the eye could reach were filled with the three divisions of Johnson, Davis & Sherridan.  Every battery in Johnson's Division was lost.  Our Division was formed about four miles to the rear of the battle but were not in action any more that day.  The next morning six siege pieces that had just arrived from Ft. Negley opened on the Rebs. and you would have felt good to hear them old 62 pounders bark.  When they opened a general forward movement took place. You have no idea how they inspired the men, for they knew the Rebs as well as they have a "holy abhorrence" for "big guns."  From here we drove the rebels until their evacuation. Of the fight on the left I know but little.  Suppose you have seen official reports of the different battles, and it is useless for me to attempt to describe any more than I seen.

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Then followed a portion of Sherridan's command. Rossan's Division came up at this time and stopped the panic in a great degree - he also stopped the rebels. A panic is a fatal thing to an army. I never had an idea of what one was before. The woods and fields as far as the eye could reach were filled with the three divisions of Johnson, Davis & Sherridan. Every battery in Johnson's Division was lost. Our Division was formed about four miles to the rear of the battle but were not in action any more that day. The next morning six siege pieces that had just arrived from Ft. Negley opened on the Rebs. and you would have felt good to hear them old 62 pounders bark. When they opened a general forward movement took place. You have no idea how they inspired the men, for they knew the Rebs as well as they have a "holy abhorrence" for "big guns." From here we drove the rebels until their evacuation. Of the fight on the left I know but little. Suppose you have seen official reports of the different battles, and it is useless for me to attempt to describe any more than I seen.