ften fell back. General Johnston, who had passed on
toward his right, dispatched two brigades, Russell's and Johnson's, from
the third line, commanded by General Polk, to aid the assault. General
Beauregard moved them to his right, beyond Hindman, to attack
McClernand.

Meanwhile, Cleburne, forming the extreme left of Hardee's line, with his
brigade of six regiments and two batteries engaged Buckland. The valley
of Oak Creek is there wider, deeper, and boggy. The slope, crowned by
Buckland's brigade, was steep and bushy. A bend in its course gave some
companies of the Seventieth Ohio an enfilading fire. Cleburne's
regiments, tangled in the morass, struggled with uneven front up the
wooded ascent, only to be driven back by Buckland's steady fire.
Reforming, they charged again, to meet another repulse. The regiments,
broken, disordered, and commingled, persisted in the vain endeavor, only
to encounter heavier losses. The Sixth Mississippi lost 300 killed and
wounded out of a total of 425. More than one-third of the brigade were
killed and wounded. Pond's brigade, of Bragg's corps, came up in
support, but paused on the wooded bank, and did not attempt to cross
this valley of death.

McClernand's other brigades, which were to the left of the Third, after
some very sharp fighting, fell back. The long line of Wood's brigade
then largely outreached Colonel Raith's left flank. Raith refused his
left regiments. Wood's brigade wheeled to their left, confronting
Raith's new line. Waterhouse's battery, being taken on the flank, was
limbering up to withdraw, when Major Taylor ordered it into action
again. Raith's regiments gave way. Wood's brigade charged on
Waterhouse's battery, capturing three of its guns. Captain Waterhouse
and two lieutenants being wounded, Lieutenant Fitch, by order of Major
Taylor, retired to the river with the two pieces that were saved sound.
The Fifty-seventh and Seventy-seventh Ohio being now assailed on the
flank by Wood's advance, fell back in disorder. Anderson's brigade then
gathered itself up, emerged from the wet borders of the creek, and
gained the plateau in front of Hildebrand's camps. Buckland's rear was
now commanded by a hostile battery and threatened by Wood's brigade.
General Sherman at ten o'clock ordered his division to take position to
the rear along the Purdy road. Barrett's battery, moving back by the
Corinth road, came into position with McClernand's division in its
second position. M