Abatis In the Civil War of Truman

It's a statement from William L. Truman during the civil war. About daylight we received the news, that the enemy had left the town and were on their way to Nashville. I told Lt Murphy, that I was going forward to look over the battle field on our front, and he made no objection. I walked straight to the point where our line of battle made the hault, I wanted to settle the question in my mind, why they came back and never returned to the assault again. We battery boys who were looking on and saw the whole performance, had all concluded that there was something else besides the enemy's bullets, that had turned them back, before they reached the breastworks of the enemy, and great was my surprise when I came to the place and found an obstruction, that no body of men, however brave and determined they might be, could pass, and for them to remain there in the face of a murderous fire, by a concealed foe, not more than twenty yards distant, would have been simply suicidal, so they acted wisely by firing a volley and then getting back as soon as possible. But it is reasonable for me to assume, knowing those men to be veterans and thoroughly disciplined, that they were ordered to return, just as soon as their officers saw the situation. Well, the impassable barrier was a brush fence made out of osage hedge, and every man knows that ever saw an osage hedge, that no sensible man would would dare take hold of the brush, with his bare hands as the sharp thorns are very poisonous. This thorny brush fence or abatis was well knit together, and I would call it impassable, and gave our officers and men credit for their wise course, in retreating as quickly as possible. What a pity so many brave men were sacrificed before this matter was discovered. It is a clear demonstration to every officer and private of a complete and inexcusable want of reconnaissance before the attack was ordered. I walked down the brush fence toward the river, hunting for an opening to get on the inside, at last I found one, wide enough for one man to go in and out, made for their pickets to go out and in.