John Austin


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Austin’s Sharpshooters at the Battle of Perryville

John Austin

On April 21, 1862, in accordance with an act passed by the War Department, Confederate General Daniel Adam’s decided to form a sharpshooter battalion. On August 21, 1862, Adam’s ordered Captain J. E. Austin to pick two hundred men from the Eleventh Louisiana Infantry, which was recently disbanded by the order of Confederate General Braxton Bragg and form his new Battalion. On August 22^nd, Austin was promoted to the rank of Major. On the August 23, Major Austin had formed his Battalion. He had two companies: Company ‘A’ was mostly composed of former members of the Continental Guards. Company ‘B’ was made up with mostly members from Austin’s former company, the Cannon Guards. Only three members of the Dillon Guards were picked to be in the Battalion, one of them was Lt. Andrew T. Martin. The remaining men in the Dillon Guards, Labauve Guards, Pointee Coupee Volunteers, Rosale Guards and Shreveport Rebels would go on to the 20^th Louisiana. The members of the Holmes Light Guards, Cannon Guards, Westbrook Guards, Continental Guards and the Catahoula Greys would transfer on to the 13^th Louisiana. Brigadier-General D. W. Adams’ Louisiana Brigade was now complete and was assigned to the Second Brigade of the Second Division of the Left Wing commanded by General William Hardee. General Adams brigade was comprised of Austin’s Battalion of Sharpshooters, the 13^th, 16^th, 20^th, and 25^th Louisiana regiments and the 5^th Company of Washington Artillery.

John Edward Austin known to his friends as “Ned” was born in 1840 and was the son of Dr. William Austin, a prominent New Orleans physician. Dr. Austin was a prominent member of New Orleans society, friends with Governor Thomas Moore and a strong supporter of Southern rights. When the war broke out John was working as a clerk in a Carondelet Street Office with the hopes of becoming a lawyer. He was a twenty-one- year-old member of the New Orleans upper class and followed in his father's footsteps in supporting his State and Southern rights by enlisting as a private in the prestigious Orleans Cadets. The Orleans Cadets were reported to have the finest young men from the best families in New Orleans.

On April 12th, the day after the Orleans Cadets left New Orleans, Governor Moore issued him a commission as a second lieutenant. John transferred from the Cadets to the 1st Regiment Louisiana Regulars as a second lieutenant in Company K. John served with the First Louisiana at Pensacola. It was here that Lt. Austin was to become familiar with two officers that would have a strong impact on his future and ultimately become his Brigade Commanders: Daniel W. Adams and Randall Lee Gibson. In July Austin was listed on the roll of soldiers stationed at the New Orleans Barracks. On the 25th of July, John would resign his second lieutenant's commission in the 1st Louisiana.

On June 1st, the Daily Picayune carried a notice that a volunteer company was being formed to be known as the Cannon Guards. This company was being named in the honor of Captain John W. Cannon of the steamer General Quitman, “who has done so much to further the Southern cause.” One member who joined the Cannon Guards as a private was Andrew Devilbiss. He worked as a railroad agent and lived in New Orleans with his wife and two young sons. He was born in Maryland, and at an early age moved to Missouri. He tried unsuccessfully to find gold in California and worked at several various jobs, including teaching. He was well known for his poems and songs.

By August 7, Samuel Marks was elected Colonel, Robert Barrow was elected Lt. Colonel, and Edward G. W. Butler, was elected Major. The regiment was designated the 11^th Regiment Louisiana Volunteers. On August 24, 1861, the regiment had 857 men. One of the members was George Austin from the Dillon Guards. By September the regiment was in Columbus, Kentucky and on November 7, 1861, the regiment fought in the battle of Belmont, Missouri. In April of 1862, the regiment would fight at the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. On April 26, 1862, the regiment was transferred to Confederate General Braxton Bragg’s 2^nd Corps. The Second Brigade was comprised of the 11^th, 16^th, 18^th, 19^th Louisiana Infantry, and the Orleans Guards artillery.

On June 27, 1862, General Braxton Bragg, under the orders from President Jefferson Davis, assumed command of the Army of the Mississippi. Bragg divided his army into two wings, the right wing was under Confederate General Leonida Polk and the left wing was under the command of Major General William Hardee. Bragg disbanded the 11^th Louisiana. General Daniel Adams decided to form a sharpshooter battalion. On August 21, 1862, he ordered Captain John E. Austin to pick two hundred men from the former 11st Louisiana and form his battalion. On August 22, Austin was promoted to major. By August 23, Austin formed Austin’s Sharpshooters, 14^th Battalion. General Daniel Adams brigade of the Second Division, Left Wing, commanded by General William Hardee, was comprised of Austin’s battalion of sharpshooters, 13^th, 16^th, 20^th and 25^th Louisiana regiments and the 5^th Company of the Washington Artillery from Louisiana.

On October 7, Major General William Hardee send an urgent message to General Braxton Bragg that the Union army was moving in force against his position and urged him to concentrate his forces at Perryville. General Hardee arranged his wing in a line between Harrodsburg and the Chaplin Turnpike, in a north-south direction. The extreme left of the line was covered by Confederate General Patton Anderson’s Division, which consisted of General Adam’s and Powell’s brigades. The two brigades covered the Springfield Road and protected the line of communication between Harrodsburg and Danville. At noon, Hardee’s wing moved forward. First Lieutenant John Headley, of the 1^st Kentucky Cavalry, wrote: We passed through Harrodsburg about 12 or 1 o’clock, and to my surprise were in sight of Perryville again by sunup. We halted and our company dismounted and rested on the roadside while eating a lunch and napping. I learned that our cavalry, under Colonel Wheeler, had been fighting the enemy beyond Perryville on the Springfield Road in the afternoon before. And this morning there was more or less firing in that direction. It was obvious that our infantry was being formed over the right of the pike in line of battle. The artillery was also leaving the pike on that side. Captain Huey came up the pike from the direction Perryville and notified the company that we had been detailed as an escort for Gen. Patton Anderson, who was in commanding a division, and that a battle was imminent. There was disgust in the company over the arrangement. I went to Captain Huey and told him that I wanted to go and get with Major Austin’s sharpshooters and go into the battle. . . .The Major was delighted to see me. I told him the circumstances that caused me to come to me. I proposed he ride my horse and let me go as a sharpshooter. He promptly installed me in his mess. I was furnished with a rifle and ammunition of one of his men who was too ill for duty.” ^i.

Austin 015-1530 Cropped Troop Annimation

At noon General Daniel Adams was ordered to attack the Union army in thick wooded area in his front and was moving forward across a broken but cleared ground, with Major Austin’s 14^th Battalion occupying the extreme right of his brigade. Adam’s brigade was heading for Doctor’s Creek and beyond that Henry P. Bottom’s house and barn. Austin’s battalion was at the head of the brigade leading the men forward when they were fired on by Federal sharpshooters who were hiding behind trees and stumps. Austin halted his men. The main line of the brigade kept moving forward, then suddenly brass bands started to play and filled the woods with music. First Lieutenant John Headley wrote: “the troops began to cheer and the enemy’s artillery began to roar.” ^ii. Major Austin ordered his men forward, and with a Rebel yell they advanced. The Union troops fired one more shot at them and broke and ran. Austin halted his men and fired one volley, formed his men into a line of battle and moved within one hundred yards of Doctor’s Creek. The battle was raging on the right and left of Austin’s Battalion. Austin ordered his men forward, as they neared the creek the Yankees opened fire. Austin ordered his men to double quick to a rock fence a short distance in their front. Austin’s men reached the rock wall fence under fire. Headley wrote that “a perfect storm of bullets was rained on us, or rather on the fence.”^iii. W. L. Trask, Austin’s Battalion Adjutant, wrote: “At 2:30 we advanced cautiously through a skirt of woods directly in front of us the enemy was discovered drawn up behind a stone fence along a ravine or dry run. On top of s sloping hill beyond a long line of battle could be plainly seen. . . . a tremendous volley from behind the stone wall, completely filling the air with bullets. Their artillery followed suit at once and General Adams who was standing by Captain Slocumb’s side in the act of aiming one of our pieces, when the enemy’s shot came crashing through the woods near his head, exclaimed suddenly: “By God, there are Yankees-Fire!”” Captain Culbert Slocumb’s Washington Artillery was firing on the Federal line and Austin saw a chance to move. He saw an area of ground between the creek and the Union line and hoped to flank them. Major Austin rode his horse to the left and ordered his men to double quick “straight down to the left and right face”^iv. to the Union line. Austin shouted for his men to charge. Austin’s men moved forward yelling while attempting to flank the 3^rd Ohio Infantry at a large barn, but the Union rifle fire was too heavy. Union rifle fire hit Austin’s men from the front and both flanks. Austin had no choice but to fall back to the rock wall fence. Within five minutes, Austin lost several of his men. When Austin reached the rock fence, General Adams was crossing Doctor’s Creek to the left with four regiments. Adams ordered Austin to make another attempt at taking Bottom’s barn. Adams brought his men into line with Austin’s men.

At the same time that Adams brigade was moving in line with Austin’s battalion, Henry Bottom’s large barn was hit with Confederate artillery shells and caught on fire. When Adam’s brigade was in line with Austin’s men, the entire line moved forward firing volley after volley at the Union line. Headley wrote that “we went forward in Adam’s line, all walking and firing as we went. The enemy broke on the left of the barn from us and General Adams pushed his men forward.” The Union line was pushed back. The Union line formed from the barn to Henry Bottom’s house, but Adam’s brigade, along with Austin’s men, was against the Union line. Major Austin turned to the right, in the rear of the line behind an orchard and the 3^rd Ohio Infantry gave way in a disorderly retreat, as did the line to Austin’s left. Headley wrote that they were in a cornfield, but the cornstalks were cut and shocked. A ridge ran in the middle, parallel with the creek of the ridge and about the same time the Union line got over the back of the fence on the field and squatted behind the fence. Austin’s men were about seventy-five yards from the fence in the open. General Adams ordered Austin’s men to lie down and shoot. Adams and Austin were riding up and down the line. Fortunately, Major Austin saw what was happening and changed his front and turned his battalion to the right. He ordered his men to move forward at the double quick. Adams watched Austin’s movements and was shocked and was not aware he was about to the flanked. Adams sent an aide over to Austin to order his men back into line. Before the aide reached Austin, the 14th Battalion fired on the right flank of the 15th Kentucky Union Volunteer Infantry. The 15th Kentucky did not realize that Austin’s men were right on top of them. The entire 15th Kentucky was routed and Union Colonel George Jouett was killed, along with Major William Campbell. Colonel Curan Pope of the 15th Kentucky was severely injured and in November 1862 he wound die from his wounds. The entire Confederate army were driving the Union line to the right and left and General Adams ordered a charge. Austin rode along the line waving his hat. The Union line gave way in disorder, going down fifty yards and up a hill in a wood pasture.

https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/star/51/

Reinforcements came up on the other side of the 14^th Battalion and they ran into another fight in a skirt of woods. The Confederates managed to capture several cannons and some prisoners. The Confederates continued to advance and the 14^th Battalion passed through camps and over the dead and dying. Headley wrote that “loose horses were running in all directions and wounded men were crying for help. There were halts and moves forward, but not hard or hot fighting, except near another house (Russell House) on the lane, after the first two hours, as the enemy continued to give way, leaving a waste of everything behind that a soldier carries in battle.” ^v.

The battle began to wind down at sunset. The 14^th Battalion got mixed in with other men in crossing or going around objects. The 14^th Battalion was given the order to retreat. During the night, Major Austin told his men to march to the Harrodsburg pike, a mile from Perryville, and during the day, the Battalion marched to Harrodsburg. The battle of Perryville was over. According to Adjutant Trask, the 14^th Battalion lost ten or twelve in killed and wounded. Trask captured two horses and gave one of them to Austin, since he had two horses shot out from under him during the battle. Adams’s Brigade lost two hundred killed and wounded.

After the Civil War, in 1866, John Austin married Shaulline Yerger Creath. They had two children: Mary Gibson Austin and Martha Austin. In June of 1878, he won second class race aboard the Xiphias in the Mississippi Coast Regatta. He was in the General Assembly. He died from yellow fever on August 21, 1878 in New Orleans and is buried at the Lafayette Cemetery Number 1, New Orleans.