Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[112] Toward half-past 1 o'clock, Johnson, who has reached the highroad, appears on the field of Baird's late disaster, and relieves Brannan, who goes with Baird to re-form in the rear near Kelly's farm. Johnson's first two brigades, with Willich to the right and Baldwin to the left, drive Jackson before them. The third, under Dodge, which was in reserve, leaving its position, moves more to the north to aid Hazen, who withstands with difficulty the combined forces directed against him by Cheatham. The latter has brought up Strahl's brigade, which relieves the weary soldiers of Preston Smith. Jackson yields under Johnson's redoubled blows, but the timely arrival of Morrison with Armstrong's second mounted brigade enables Forrest to make a new effort to support Jackson. Hence the fighting is fiercely renewed throughout this field, already marked with blood. The two contending parties seek each other in the wood, where they can come to close quarters, avoiding the openings, where the grapeshot fire from the artillery posted on the edge of the wood renders the offensive equally dangerous to both.

Jackson, pressed on all sides, at last gives way. Fortunately for him, Cheatham, who still has in reserve Maney's brigade, makes it fall in line and checks the victorious march of the Federals. Maney has placed himself in advance of the position which Forrest continues to occupy, partly upon the extremity of the timbered height that forms this position, and, to the left, partly in the meadows near the sawmill. He vigorously attacks Johnson, whose troops upon a rise of ground on the west cover the edge of the wood behind abatis made probably the evening before by the Confederate soldiers. While Maney inaugurates with the Federals a hand-to-hand conflict, their left, making an irruption over his lines, threaten to double his rear. Forrest sends Dibrell's brigade to help him. But the dismounted cavalry on the extreme right, notwithstanding their good position and the support received from a battery, are soon and sharply pressed by the Unionists: they give way, and Maney, constrained to imitate them, deems himself fortunate when he sees his retrograde move covered by Dibrell's comparatively fresh troops. He falls back beyond the sawmill, and Johnson, feeling unsupported on the right, does not dare to follow him up so far.