l B.R. Johnson's brigade could find comparative
protection while moving to their left and gaining distance to their
front. General McArthur found his right flank turned and his ammunition
nearly exhausted, and withdrew his brigade to a new position several
hundred yards to his rear. Oglesby moved the Eighteenth Illinois to the
right, to partially fill the vacated line, and brought up the Thirtieth
Illinois from its position in reserve to take the place left by the
Eighteenth. Colonel Lawler, of the Eighteenth, was wounded early in the
engagement. Captain Brush, who had succeeded to the command, was wounded
while carrying out this movement. The ammunition of the Eighteenth being
now nearly gone, it retired in good order to replenish, leaving 44 of
its number dead, and 170 wounded on the ground where it had stood.

McClernand, when he found his command heavily pressed, sent to Lewis
Wallace, the adjoining division commander, for aid. Wallace sent to
Grant's headquarters for instructions, but the General was away on the
flag-ship, and his staff did not take the responsibility of acting in
his place. Wallace, having been ordered to act on the defensive,
declined to move without first receiving an order. When McArthur fell
back, Oglesby's right became enveloped, McClernand repeated his request,
and Wallace, seeing the affair was serious, took the responsibility, and
ordered Cruft's brigade to advance. The Twenty-fifth Kentucky, on coming
up, by some mistake fired into the Eighth and Twenty-ninth Illinois.
These regiments and the Thirtieth Illinois broke and retired. The Eighth
had lost 55 killed and 188 wounded; the Twenty-ninth, 25 killed and 60
wounded; the Thirtieth, 19 killed and 71 wounded. The wounded had been
taken off to a building in the rear, which was turned into a hospital.
Cruft maintained his position stoutly, receiving and making charges, and
firing steadily from line. His men found the same difficulty that is
mentioned in reports of other commanders, of distinguishing the enemy
except when close at hand, or in motion. Their uniform, of the same
color with the dead leaves of dense scrub-oak, uniforms and foliage at a
short distance were undistinguishable. McArthur drew his brigade back
out of the contest, halted, and obtained ammunition and rations. His
men, who had fasted thirty-six hours, had one good meal before they
moved toward night to the extreme left, in support of the troops there
engaged. Cruft's brig