| Union City, Tenn. |
| April 1, 1862
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| General Polk (also to General Cheatham and Colonel
Pickett)
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| Gentlemen, |
| Perhaps it may not be amiss for me to
give you some of the particulars of the Lincolnitish advent into
this city. On yesterday morning at early breakfast time, and before
our cavalry had time to finish their morning repast, Mr. Charley
Gibbs came in haste from his house and gave information that the
enemy were in force making their way to our camps. The enemy were so
close upon his heels that neither cavalry nor infantry had time to
make any preparation for battle and a general flight took place, and
many of the cavalry did not have time to saddle their horses and ran
and left them tied. The infantry took to their heels. The flight
became general. The enemy fired many volleys of musketry. They had
but four pieces of light artillery and discharged them several
times. None of our men killed or wounded. Two horses were killed on
the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Tillman deserves a good deal of praise
for his endeavors to rally and form his fleeing soldiers. He three
times formed two companies of American-born soldiers in line of
battle away from the field. The Irish element of his command would
not and did not form in line of battle, but fled precipitately in
such directions as offered the greatest safety to themselves. What
went with the cavalry I cannot tell. One wagon and team was taken by
the enemy, that I know of. I think about thirty horses and mules
fell into their hands. From the best that I could see I think
between thirty and forty of our men fell into their hands. The whole
affray did not last over one hour or one hour and a half before they
all left. The last that I saw of Colonel Pickett he was making speed
to the field of battle. What became of him and Major Woolfolk after
they passed me toward the field I cannot tell. The enemy, I think,
could not have been over 1,500 or 2,000 all told. The enemy first
formed near the railroad in the woods and along the open field on
the left of our entire encampment. They moved their cavalry and
artillery into the field and began their fire on our men. They
advanced and formed in the valley below, between the (our) cavalry
and infantry, and would not (did not) ascend the hill or elevation
on which our infantry were quartered. They moved north in the valley
and field so as to get beyond to the north of our entire encampment.
There they formed in line of battle. Their artillery, as soon as
they found that our soldiers had not formed in line east of our
encampment, moved up to the top of the elevation on which our
cavalry were quartered and opened fire again with their cannon, the
balls and shells whistling overhead. |
| Soon the entire encampment was enveloped
in one sheet of smoke and flame, the soldiers' houses being set on
fire by the enemy. The tents of the cavalry were also nearly all
burnt to the ground. The railroad cars, say some half-dozen, were at
the depot here, and two locomotives, one of which had steam up, the
other not. The one that had steam up backed up to the one near the
depot and hitched to her and put steam [on] and off they went south.
The enemy seeing this turned loose one of their cannon after the
fugitive train, but they had to elevate their gun so high that the
balls did no harm to the train, I think. This brought the enemy down
to the depot. They found two cars there still, one a passenger car,
and the other perhaps not but was reported to contain clothing for
the army. This car was set on fire by the enemy, and after it was
well on fire the enemy left. This burning car was loosened from the
passenger car and run down on the track to the end of the switch and
burnt up and all its contents. After the tents and camps were well
on fire the enemy formed in a large body in the valley near where
the cavalry had been quartered, and, as I think, held a consultation
of some fifteen minutes. Then they all moved off and went back the
road they came to Hickman. ***** |
| Respectfully, yours, |
| A. D. Cutler |
| {Union City was in northwest
Tennessee, on the line of the Mobile & Ohio RR and at the point
where the Nashville & Northwestern RR meets it.} |
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