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The 85th Illinois formed on the right of the Perryville Road and the 52nd on the left of the road, with skirmishers to the front. The skirmishers had barely moved forward when a “severe and galling fire” opened on advancing Union line. As soon as the ground was gained to the front, McCook deployed the 125th Illinois on both sides of the road as a reserve. The Union troops moved steadily up the hill pushing back the Confederates, who fought every step of ground and occupied the heights, which McCook a commanding view of the surrounding area. McCook halted his battalions and kept the 125th Illinois in reserve, under the crest of the hill and advanced skirmishers to keep the Confederate sharpshooters at bay. Captain Barnett’s battery arrived and put into position on the left of the road. Two of his pieces could not be deployed to the inexperience of the artillery crew. He deployed four cannons. The Confederates reenforced and advanced to try and retake the hill. The Confederates opened a battery on the 85th Illinois, with spherical case. McCook ordered a section of Barnett’s battery on the extreme right and ordered the right of the 125th Illinois to take a position to the right of the battery to support the battery. The Confederates fired for about fifty minutes. Captain Barnett had to change position three times and drove him off the field. The 125th Illinois and 85th Illinois took a considerable number of wounded from the Confederate fire. The firing stopped. General Phil Sheridan arrived on the scene.
Confederate General Simeon Buckner’s men began massing his troops in some woods. General Ebenezer Gay’s cavalry brigade came up and tried to ride towards Perryville when his advance was stopped by the Confederates in the woods. He dismounted a portion of his cavalry, and supported by the skirmishers of the 52nd Ohio, advanced into the woods, where two Confederate brigades were located.
The 2nd Missouri Infantry, and the 44th Illinois, were ordered into the woods and drove the Confederates across the open fields in the front. The Union troops managed to take possession of a wooded hill beyond the Bottom house, where the Confederates planted their batteries. In the meantime, McCook watched Union General Lovell Rousseau’s division marching into the field to McCook’s left from the Mackville road. At the same time, the 2nd Missouri attacked the woods. The 86th Illinois was ordered to advance over the open fields to the left and seize the extreme left of the woods. At the double quick, the 2nd Missouri and 86th Illinois pushed back the Confederates and one private was killed and eleven wounded. One of them being private Henry Trauernicht. General Sheridan ordered the 52nd Ohio to move forward to relieve the 2nd Missouri. The 52nd Ohio was halted in the woods where heavy fighting had erupted. Sheridan ordered McCook’s brigade forward to form a line of battle on the farther edge of the woods. Captain Hescock’s battery, supported by the 86th Illinois, enfiladed a Confederate battery planted on a hill abandoned by the 2nd Missouri and was firing on General Rousseau’s division that was starting to get into position.
The last regiment of McCook’s brigade was getting into position and the Confederate batteries began to fire on General Rousseau’s division on the Union left, when the Union force under Sheridan were ordered to fall back at least a half mile, leaving Rousseau without support on his right, exposing his flank. The Confederate batteries were no longer harassed by Sheridan’s forces, so the Confederate batteries turned their attention to Rousseau. The Confederates began to advance on form on McCook’s right. McCook’s line formed with the 36th Illinois on the left; the 52nd Ohio on their right; supporting a part of Captain Barnett’s and Hescock’s batteries. The 85th Illinois was on the right of the batteries. The 86th Illinois was ordered to watch the woods on the left and resist any attempt to turn the Union flank. The Confederates made two determined attacks to take the Union position, and at one point the Confederates were pushed back by a bayonet charge, in which the 85th Illinois and 125th Illinois took part in the charge. The 36th Illinois ran out of ammunition and replaced with the 52nd Ohio and engaged the Confederate forces for thirty minutes and the Rebels were driven off the field.
After the battle, General Sheridan praised the conduct of his brigade commanders, including Colonel Laiboldt, “who behaved with great gallantry, leading their troops at all times.” Sheridan reported casualties for his division at forty-four killed, 274 wounded, and twelve missing. The 2nd Missouri lost eighteen killed, fifty-one wounded, and one missing. Trauernicht had to have his right leg amputated above the knee. He was honorably discharged from the Union army and retired to St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained until 1865, when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Both Henry and his brother Thomas published the Nashville Demokrat. He was the editor and publisher of the German newspaper The Tennessee Post from 1873 until 1877. On April 17, 1882, he was appointed by Adam Wolf, who was the surveyor of customs, as janitor and clerk of the customs-house. On February 10, 1888, he retired. He died at the age of forty-seven on May 2, 1889 in Nashville, Tennessee. He had thirteen children. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, General George Thomas Post Number One, of Nashville; the Knights of Honor. He was buried in the Nashville National Cemetery.
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