Breaking the Line, Hand-to-Hand Combat

Breaking the Line, Hand-to-Hand Combat. Honey Springs Battlefield. An artillery barrage that lasted more than an hour dismounted one of the four Confederate cannons and killed most of the gun crew. After this initial bombardment, the Federal soldiers advanced upon the Confederate positions. As the Confederate right and left wings collapsed, the Confederate center broke causing a general retreat toward the Elk Creek bridge. The three remaining Confederate cannons withdrew over Elk Creek. Some Confederate forces rallied on the banks of Elk Creek in an attempt to hold the Federals. , The Rebels knew that we were coming and were located in the brush and tall grass on a hillside. We skirmished around some time before we got them fairly located, our Colonel was badly wounded soon after the fighting begun, Tom Moonlight was put in command of our regiment. Our main line marched within 52 yards (I stepped the ground afterward) of where their main line lay concealed in the brush. Then both ranks fired apparently precisely at the same time, both armies then stood firm and fired at each other at that distance for 20 minutes, then the enemy broke, us after them. , Capt. Ben VanHorn, Company I, , 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry, USA, [I] discovered our men in small parties giving way. These increased until the retreat became general, Col. Bass' regiment and Capt. Lee's battery, after a most gallant defense of their position, were compelled to fall back; Col. DeMorse's regiment and Col. Martin's on the left, also retiring, except a few who were cut off from the main body. , Brig. Gen. Douglas Cooper, CSA, A constant fire was kept up by the skirmishers on both sides. The enemy advanced in line of battle along our entire front, keeping up a very rapid and constant fire of small arms. We saved our fire until the ememy had approached within 20 yards, and the poured a galling fire upon them; in the mean time the whole right had given away and were fast being flanked. We fell back to a small branch directly in our rear: where we made a stand. , Lt. Col. Otis Welch, , 29th Texas Cavalry, CSA , (Letter to the Clarksville Standard, September 12, 1863)