Part Seven: Action in the East
Price's Counterattack
Even as Crittenden was transitioning to the defensive, Price was receiving orders to continue his attack along the pike. It was hoped that the continued pressure on Crittenden would keep him from renewing his advance and to possibly force him back to the north. Brig. Gen. Lewis H. Little’s Division led the attack north on the pike and forced back Palmer’s wavering regiments from the woods north of Cotton Port. Crittenden’s lines regrouped and consolidated around the Federal guns which were unlimbered and prepared to rake any Confederates leaving the protective cover of the woods to continue north.
Price was cautious though and wrote Bragg that, “I will seek to reform my brigades and divisions while throwing up breastworks where possible.” Price did not see any advantage to be gained by continuing the attack northward where the Federal guns were studding the Union’s defensive lines. But Bragg ordered Price to not “allow the enemy to gain an advantageous point of attack anywhere along your line.” This meant Price should continue to apply light pressure on Crittenden to keep him from reforming and driving south on the Lewisburg Pike once again.
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Price's counterattack and the arrival of Preston's Division on the flank.
On the left flank, Preston’s Division of Breckinridge’s Corps drove into the Union cavalrymen guarding Crittenden’s right. With Crittenden’s Wing fully occupied along the pike facing south, this development quickly became a pressing issue for the general. Crittenden scrambled to shift Brig. Gen. Thomas Wood's division to the right to stop the Confederate advance. Even as this was going on a courier arrived from Rosecrans ordering Crittenden to dispatch his cavalry, then engaged with Preston, back to Franklin. Rosecrans was concerned that, since the defeat of Zahm's troopers on the far right, that a Confederate cavalry raid might be heading behind the Union lines. Crittenden replied that “the Rebs have made my right vulnerable and I need the troopers here until I can stabilize things,” he wrote Rosecrans. Crittenden fell back with his right flank and brought up more artillery to support Wood's division. Slowly the cavalry units would be disengaged and sent back to the north to help defend the army's rear against any enemy raids.
With Crittenden ceasing all offensive operations the onus of attack now fell on Price if the action were to be continued. Bragg believed the Federals disengaged because, “the Yanks have forsaken any attempt to move south down the Lewisburg Pike with Crittenden's forces and are content with blocking any advance by Price towards Franklin. Crittenden is also working to limit any more serious casualties in his sector.” Hardee agreed with the assessment and was against any further attack on Crittenden given the lateness of the day. “We've done a good job of hurting the Yankees while minimizing our losses, and I believe we should be looking to reorganize, redeploy, and rest in preparation for the next day's fight. From their point of view, Crittenden has been thrown back with heavy losses. I just don't see a scenario where Crittenden doesn't pull back down the Pike. They've got to hold both Franklin & Winstead Hill so to reinforce Crittenden would be to divide their army further & I'd imagine they'll conclude that one of the big reasons why they're being beaten is their forces have been defeated in detail. I’d look for a push down the Columbia Pike rather than along the Lewisburg Pike.” Bragg agreed and ordered both Preston’s Division and Price’s Corps to stand down and reorganize.
Fighting would sporadically flare up along the lines until nightfall but the general fighting along the Lewisburg Pike had ended for the day.
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The Battle along Lewisburg Pike:
Commentary
The battle along the Lewisburg Pike had begun in the morning and lasted until darkness had brought an end to it. During the day Crittenden's Wing had driven the Confederates back about two miles and reached as far at Cotton Port before being stopped and driven back a quarter mile. Crittenden still had the numerical advantage and might have managed to turn Price's left flank had the division of Brig. Gen. William Preston's not arrived when it did on Confederate left. After Preston's arrival the situation along the pike became static as neither side could attack the other without sustaining heavy losses nor have a high expectation of success.
Altogether roughly 17,819 Confederates were engaged along Lewisburg Pike during the day. This includes the men of Buford’s and Armstrong’s cavalry brigades along with the men of Price’s Corps (minus the detachment left behind along the West Harpeth River) and Preston’s Division. By nightfall 2,460 were casualties (about 14%). This included Brigadier General Louis Hebert who fell wounded early in the fighting. For the Federals the numbers engaged along the pike were roughly 18,382. This included all of Crittenden’s Wing as well as the cavalry brigade of Gorman’s Department of Eastern Arkansas. By nightfall 2,895 men would be casualties (about 16% losses). Crittenden’s Wing suffered only one officer loss when Col. William Grose was captured during the Confederate counterattack along the pike in the woods north of Cotton Port.
Tactically the battle along the Lewisburg Pike must be considered a Draw. But strategically it was a major Confederate victory as they halted the Union advance and fought them to a standstill. Crittenden’s Wing did not have the strength to push Price’s reinforced corps away from the pike and were soon stalemated. The fighting might have turned out better for the Federals had they been reinforced heavily from Gorman’s force or from Thomas’s Wing earlier in the day. Crittenden’s Wing was large enough to damage the Confederates and threaten them, but too small to drive them back and get the job done. For the Confederates the fighting here represents a major achievement as they were badly out of position when the battle began. The Confederate gamble to divert Price's Corps away from Polk's embattled corps and march them through miles of fields and woods to the east, likely saved the day for the Confederate army and protected their flank from being turned. What might have happened had McCook’s attack continued and driven into Polk’s retreating forces is anyone’s guess.
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As night fell on this part of the field the two forces would continue their dance as they would both begin a series of night moves to reposition themselves.