along the
Purdy road, interfered with the formation of Sherman's new line. Behr's
battery, galloping to the position assigned to it--the centre of the
line--added to the difficulty. This battery was hardly in position and
under fire before Captain Behr was killed, and the men abandoned their
guns, fleeing from the field with the caissons. The line so disordered
and broken was hard pressed by the enemy, and Sherman selected another
line of defence, to his left and rear, connecting with McClernand's
right. McDowell, nearly cut off by the enemy's pressing through the gap
left by Behr's men, brought the remaining gun of this battery from its
position near the bridge, and by a rapid fire pressed back the advance.
His regiments became separated while struggling through dense thickets
to the new position. The Fortieth Illinois found itself marching by the
flank, with a deep ravine along its left, and a confederate regiment
marching in parallel course not far to its right. Thus cut off, the
Fortieth formed with its rear to the ravine, with a desperate effort
drove its dangerous companion out of the way, and, pushing through the
timber, came into a valley in rear of McClernand.

Not all the force engaged in the two hours' fight in front of Sherman's
camp followed him to his new position. Cleburne had difficulty in
reforming his shattered command. The remnant of the Sixth Mississippi
marched to the rear under command of the senior surviving captain,
disabled for further service. The fragment of the Twenty-Third Tennessee
remaining near Cleburne was sent to the rear to hunt up the portions
that had broken from it in the contest. Cleburne, proceeding for his
other regiments, was stopped by General Hardee about noon, and directed
to collect and bring into action the stragglers who were thronging in
the captured camps. With the aid of cavalry he gathered up an
unorganized multitude; but, finding he could do nothing with them, he
resumed the search for his remaining regiments. About two o'clock he
found the Fifth and Twenty-fourth Tennessee and Fifteenth Arkansas
"halted under the brow of an abrupt hill." The Second Tennessee had
moved to the rear, and did not rejoin the brigade during the battle.
Cleburne was not again severely engaged during the day. Colonel Pond
kept his brigade, in pursuance of General Bragg's order, watching the
crossings of Owl Creek.

But the brigades of Anderson and Wood pressed on. Trabue's heavy brigade
of