Today in History:

257 Series I Volume XLV-I Serial 93 - Franklin - Nashville Part I

Page 257 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.

everywhere stimulating the troops to great exertions. Captain William A. Munger, acting commissary of subsistence, and Lieutenant Caleb B. Gell, acting assistant quartermaster, were on duty with the trains. Dr. Hosea Tillson, chief surgeon of the brigade, rendered every possible assistance to the wounded.

At 11 p. m. I withdrew my command from the line of works and resumed the march to Nashville, Tenn., at which place I arrived at 11 o'clock on the morning of the 1st day of December, 1864.

I have the honor to submit herewith a sketch showing the position occupied by my brigade.*

I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN Q. LANE,

Colonel Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteers, Commanding brigade.

Captain E. G. WHITESIDES,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Second Division, Fourth Army Corps.


HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, SECOND DIV., FOURTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Huntsville, Ala., January 6, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the operations of this brigade in the battle before Nashville, Tenn., on the 15th and 16th of December last:

My brigade was encamped near the outer line of works, the left resting on the Hillsborough turnpike. On the evening of the 14th I received orders from General Elliott in person to have my command in readiness to move at 6 a. m. of the 15th, with three days' rations in haversacks and sixty rounds of ammunition per man. My command consisted of the Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry, Captain Clark; Ninety-seventh Ohio Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Barnes; One hundredth Illinois Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond; Fortieth Indiana Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Leaming; Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Blanch; Twenty-eighth Kentucky Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Boone, amounting in all to 73 commissioned officers, 1,242 enlisted men. At 7 o'clock on the morning of the 15th, having deployed one regiment, Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry, before the solid works, I moved my brigade half a mile to the right, and formed order of battle, my right connecting with Colonel Opdycke's (First) brigade. My skirmishers consisted of details from the different regiments, and were commanded by Major J. S. McGraw, Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry. At about 10 o'clock I moved my command forward to an eminence within musket-range of the enemy's battery, the skirmishers having driven his pickets within the main line of works. My men being much exposed to the artillery fire of the enemy, I protected them as best I could by the nature of the ground, and remained in this position several hours, a battery having in the meanwhile been placed within my lines, to which I acted as support while it shelled the enemy's works in our front. At about 3 p. m. I again advanced, preserving an alignment on General Grose's brigade, of the First Division of this corps. In our front the enemy occupied a commanding eminence, with a strong line of works, protected from infantry by several lines of excellent abatis. I marched from the ridge which I had occupied for some time

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* See Plate LXXIII, Map 4 of the Atlas.

17 R R - VOL XLV, PT I

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Page 257 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.