Soldier's Letter, Civil War, Red River Battles, April 1864

 Chenango American, Greene, NY, May 12 1864

Letter from W.R. Corbett, NY 114th Infantry - Red River Battles

Grand Ecore, Western La, April 12, 1864

Dear Friend, I take this, the first opportunity to inform you of my safety after having passed through one of the hardest fought battles that has taken place during the war.  We left Natchitoches, four miles distant from this place, on the 6th inst., marched 15 miles and encamped for the night. The next morning resumed our march and reached Pleasant Hill, making twenty miles that day, our Cavalry having driven the enemy from there during the day after a severe skirmish.  On the morning of the 8th inst., the Cavalry and the 13th Army Corps, numbering nearly seven thousand men, commanded by Brig. Gens. Ransom and Lee, advanced at daylight and soon commenced skirmishing with the enemy, the 19th Army Corps consisting of one division or six thousand men followed them, and after marching eight miles went into camp for the night. We had hardly pitched tents when an order came to strike them and fall in with two days' rations of hard bread, it being the only grub that could be provided. The division was soon formed, and in motion to the front at a rapid rate. We had not marched far before we learned that our advance was engaged with the enemy and required reinforcements.  After marching seven miles in one hour and thirty-five minutes, we reached the scene of action, where our advance was overpowered by vastly superior numbers of the enemy and was retreating in the wildest disorder.

The scene beggars description.  The road for more than a mile was completely barricaded with wagons, ambulances, caissons, panic-stricken soldiers and negroes flying to the rear.  The 161st N.Y. Regt. that was on the right of our Brigade was deployed forward to check the advancing enemy while our lines were being formed, which being done, they retreated in good order closely followed by the enemy, who advanced in a splendid line of battle elated with their success and confidently expecting to capture our whole command.  Our Brigade was formed on the edge of a piece of woods with a cleared field in front.  The 2d Brigade was formed to protect our left flank and the 3d our right. The enemy approached unconscious of our position and numbers, and when they came in short range of our line they were saluted by a volley of musketry from our entire Brigade.  They broke in disorder and fled for the woods, but were followed by a second volley before they gained them,.  They then tried to turn our left flank, but with no better success, being repulsed by our left and center.  They next attempted to force our right, but were sent a third time with shattered ranks to the cover of the timber, leaving us in quiet possession of the position. We then raised a yell of defiance which was taken by the enemy in front that the assault on our right was successful, accordingly then sent forward a body of Cavalry to pierce our center. They approached within a rod of our Regiment and took us to be friends, but to their astonishment found us enemies. We ordered them to surrender but they turned to run, and the entire regiment poured a volley into them which emptied most of their saddles, only a few of them escaping unhurt.

The coolness of our Brigade and especially our Regiment, is highly applauded by all who were on the field. and the credit is due them of saving the army from a disaster greater than Bull Run. The engagement lasted two hours from the time our Division was attacked until the enemy withdrew from the field. The loss in our Regiment was comparatively light considering the shower of leaden hail that fell around us.  Our loss was two officers and five privates wounded, including our brave Lieut. Col. who received a musket ball in the right wrist, shattering the bone so badly that it is feared amputation will be necessary.  Private J.S. Smith of Co. E, received a severe wound in the thigh, he being the only one in that company that was injured.  It is thought that all of the wounded will recover. The loss in the other Regiments in our Division is in about the same proportion as our own, but the loss in the 13th Corps and Cavalry was very heavy, being upwards of twenty pieces of artillery, over one hundred wagons and one-half of their men and officers which were captured by the enemy.

Gen. Banks is severely censured by the army here, for if he had kept his forces within supporting distance of each other, the disaster would not have occurred, and we should have been in Shreveport ere this time.

We lay on our arms in line of battle until eleven o'clock at night, when learning that the enemy had received large reinforcements and would renew the battle at daylight, with a force twice our own, the General commanding deemed it prudent to fall back. Accordingly we commenced our retreat and marched back 15 miles to Pleasant Hill where we had eight thousand fresh troops of the 16th Army Corps encamped. As we were closely pursued by the insolent foe, it was thought necessary to teach them a lesson.  Accordingly we took our position, formed our lines of battle, and awaited their approach. Brisk skirmishing commenced about 10 A.M. and was kept up until 4 P.M., when the enemy in front and right advanced in three lines of battle, each line four deep, with borrowed courage from a mixture of run and gunpowder that was served out to them by their commander.  They tried to carry our position, but were greeted with a simultaneous discharge of musketry from our whole lines which sent them back to form again.  A second time they advanced to force our center.  Our two first lines gave way, but the third and last line which was formed of our division, succeeded in checking and driving them back a second time.  Meanwhile the two first lines were rallied and took their former position.  The rebs fought with a desperation worthy of a better cause. The fighting on both sides was mostly done by infantry.  For three hours there was one continuous and deafening roar of musketry, so loud that the report of cannon could scarcely be distinguished. Every available man on each side was engaged.

The enemy's force greatly exceeded our own.  They had at least twenty-five thousand men while our force did not exceed fifteen thousand. About sundown, the rebs commenced falling back, badly whipped and our entire line advanced to the charge, capturing many prisoners. The fighting ceased at 8 o'clock and we had quiet possession of the field.  Our loss through the day was nothing in comparison to that of the enemy, for they left upwards of two thousand killed and wounded on the field, while our loss will not exceed five hundred. The 114th Regt. was particularly fortunate, there being but three killed and five or six slightly wounded.  The courage and bravery of our men and officers could not be surpassed. The Regiment was commanded by Maj. Curtis, who boldly did his duty. Adjt. E.P. Pellet distinguished himself as a brave and efficient officer; Lieut. Rorapaugh, our gallant company commander, as well as all our line officers nobly did their duty and their example was followed by every man.  Chenango may well be proud of her sons she has sent forth to protect her country's honor.

We lay in line of battle until twelve at night, when we received orders to fall back, as our supplies were exhausted. We had been living on hard tack for two days previous, and they had now played out.  Accordingly the infantry withdrew and took up the line of march for this place, a distance of 35 miles where we arrived at 4 P.M. yesterday, thus marching in six days upwards of one hundred miles, and fighting two severe battles. The field at Pleasant hill was held by our cavalry twenty-four hours, as the rebs had retreated from the field in the utmost confusion.  If we had followed them up, as we should have done if our supplies had been sufficient, we would have achieved the greatest victory of the war. The men are impatient to meet them again.  Our position here is a strong one. We have the protection of gunboats, and if necessary we can easily hold it against twice our numbers.

We are ready for an attack and hourly expect one as their available force west of the Mississippi under the command of Kirby Smith, Dick Taylor, Price and Walker, are in our front.  The reb Gen. Greene and Mouton have been killed in the late actions. Gen. Banks is here, as gay and cheerful as ever. We take it as an omen that all is well.  

Yours truly, W.R. Corbett

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Adjutant General's Report, 114th NY Infantry

CORBETT , WILLIAM R.—Age, 19 years. Enlisted, August 11, 1862, at Greene, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. E , August 13, 1862; promoted corporal, September 1, 1864; killed in action, September 19, 1864, at Winchester, Ya . 

Corporal William R. Corbett, killed while manfully discharging his duty at the battle of Opequan.  As a man and comrade he was ever genial and pleasant; as a soldier, none braver ever faced the enemy. [Chenango American, July 6, 1865]