Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[467] to the right, just in the road, and was put in charge of Lieut. Stackhouse. None of these movements were child's play, and all took place under fire, although as yet at long-range.

After the attack was made upon the One Hundred and First Indiana, Lieut.-Col. Doan gradually extended and retired the right of his line, until he came in communication with the left of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois, so that now both regiments could be made available for supporting the piece of artillery commanded by Capt. Harris, which was doing terrible execution on the rebel ranks, and which from the first they manifested an ardent desire to capture. In order the better to effect this, they now made a desperate effort to turn the left flank of the One Hundred and First Indiana, and were partially successful. Major Steele, of that regiment, immediately applied to Col. Hall for assistance, as his men were now in imminent danger of being assailed in the rear, as well as upon the front and flank. The application was instantly attended to, and a part of the Eightieth Illinois was hurried around the southern base of the hill, to meet and drive back the enemy.

During this time a desperate contest was taking place upon the extreme left, where Col. Doan was gallantly contending with the Second and Fourth Kentucky, (the regiments of Duke and Breckinridge,) and was momentarily in danger of being overwhelmed. Redoubling his fire for a few minutes, and seeing the enemy temporarily repulsed, he instantly ordered the left of his regiment to fall back, so that he could form a new line, facing to the west, and at right angles to the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois. This movement being made hastily and in the face of the enemy, was necessarily attended with some confusion, and caused the right wing of the regiment to be somewhat withdrawn, so as to leave a considerable gap between it and the left of the One Hundred and Twenty-third. This breach was promptly repaired by Col. Monroe, who extended his right, and moved over several companies to the left.

Both regiments were more fully prepared for any effort of the enemy, and resolved at all hazards to prevent Captain Harris's piece of cannon from falling into their hands.

Previous to this, however, Col. Allen, with the Eightieth Illinois, had encountered that column of the rebel cavalry which had passed around to our right, and as soon as it left the foot of the range of hills on that side, and emerged into the open fields, had poured into it a most deadly volley of musket-balls, which had driven it back in utter confusion, with the exception of a small body that galloped past our left flank, passed entirely round the southern base of the hill, and actually joined the column under Breckinridge which was assailing our left. The left of the Eightieth, the extreme right of the One Hundred and Twenty-third, and our other “Napoleon” under Lieut. Stackhouse, had all this time fully held their own against rebel infantry in the centre.

Our line of battle now extended almost entirely around the hill, the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio holding the southern face, in reserve, and behaving with great coolness, although shot and shell from the enemy's cannon frequently came whizzing over the summit of the hill and dropped among them.

It was perhaps two o'clock, when the rebels, enraged beyond bounds at the havoc made among them by Captain Harris's twelve-pound “Napoleon,” determined to capture it, if possible. Concentrating nearly the whole of Morgan's brigade, they rushed forward and made a desperate assault upon the right of the One Hundred and First Indiana and left of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois. Our boys, now advantageously posted, suffered them to come within thirty or forty yards of our line, when they opened upon them with so destructive a fire that in a few minutes the victors of Hartville were retreating in the wildest confusion, leaving many a rebel, rampant and exulting but a moment before, dead, dying, bleeding, upon the ground.

It was the last effort of the enemy. His troops could no more be brought to the charge. On every side a storm of bullets greeted them. It was death all around the hill!

Sullenly withdrawing to the edge of the woods, upon the ground where our troops had first formed in line of battle, they planted three pieces of artillery, and opened a despairing, scattering, and ineffective fire, which did no damage whatever to the brave men who held Vaught's Hill. Nevertheless, Capt. Harris trained his piece upon one of their guns, disabled it after a round or two, and compelled the others to draw off. One of the gunners of the disabled piece was afterward found blown into fragments, with one of his arms hanging to the limb of a tree.

No reenforcements had as yet come up to Col. Hall's assistance; he did not know the extent of the terrible loss he had inflicted upon the enemy, and supposed that they might be preparing to again attack him. To create an impression upon the minds of tlie rebels that his reenforcements had arrived, he ordered his men to raise a shout. This they were in a good humor to do anyhow; and a lusty cheer made Vaught's Hill and all the forests round it fairly ring. At the same time, skirmishers were pushed out right and left. The fire from the rebel artillery redoubled for a moment, and then entirely ceased.

But all this cannonading on the enemy's part, after their terrible repulse upon the left, was only for the purpose of concealing and covering their retract; and when our skirmishers advanced to the town, not a rebel was to be found, except some who were so badly wounded that they could not be carried off.

As the rebels passed through Milton, they told such of the inhabitants as had not run away, that they had entirely beaten Col. Hall, but that the arrival of reenforcements, ten thousand strong, to his assistance, had compelled them to retire. It was, in fact, two hours from the time the last rebel disappeared, until the head of the reenforceing column came in sight of Vaught's Hill.