Today in History:

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

Page 441 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.

On the evening of the 14th instant I received from the general commanding division instructions to have my command ready to move the following morning at 6 o'clock, with three days' rations in haversack and fifty rounds of ammunition per man. I was ready at the hour designated, but owing to delay on the part of the cavalry did not move until near 9 a.m., taking the Charlotte pike, in the rear of the Second Brigade. Raching the vicinity of Richland Creek, just beyond which the enemy's lines were established, I was directed to deploy, with my right resting on the Charlotte pike near Douglass' house. This was done accordingly, but whilst executing the movement the rebels opened with a battery, unhorsing Colonel D. C. Thomas, Ninety-third Indiana Infantry, and severely wounding several men in the One hundred and fourteenth Illinois Infantry. I brought one section of artillery into action and silenced the guns of the enemy. Soon after this orders were received to move by the left flank, keeping my left close to the right of the Second Brigade. In this movement I described the are of a large circle, and it was continued until we had crossed the Hardin pike, and reached the vicinity of the Hillsborough pike, where the enemy was found strongly posted on the side and summit of a high hill, with a four-gun battery in his lower and a two-gun battery in his upper work. A battery far to our right, belonging, I think, to some cavalry command, was engaging these guns when we came up. Deploying the Seventy-second Ohio Infantry as skirmishers, I advanced my battery to within 400 yards of the enemy's works and opened on them with a rapid and telling fire. Whilst the battery was thus engaged I moved up the balance of the brigade and formed it, the Seventy-second Ohio as skirmishers, the Ninety-fifth Ohio and Tenth Minnesota in the front line, and One hundred and fourteenth Illinois and Ninety-third Indiana in the rear, and made preparations to charge. The Second Brigade formed to my left and one or two regiments of Hatch's division of cavalry on my right. Upon an order from the general commanding division, we advanced upon the works and carried both quickly, capturing the 6 guns, 300 or 400 prisoners, and a lot of small-arms. In this charge I regret to state that the gallant Colonel D. C. Thomas, Ninety-third Indiana Infantry, was severely wounded, and a number of brave men were killed and wounded. The cavalry regiments on my right deserve credit for the dashing part they took in assaulting and capturing these works. After collecting prisoners and guns and placing them in charge of the Seventy-second Ohio to be conveyed to Nashville, my command moved on the Hillsborough pike and took a position on its east side, in the rear of the Second Brigade, where we camped for the night. Two cannon, 2 caissons, 1 army wagon filled with arms and accouterments, 7 commissioned officers and 148 enlisted men were secured and turned over by my command as the fruits of this day's work.

Early on the morning of the 16th I moved out and occupied the temporary works constructed during the night by the Second Brigade, which had already moved forward and become engaged with the enemy. Soon afterward an order to advance and form in two lines on the right of the Second Brigade was received and executed; my first line throwing out skirmishers, who advanced to within a short distance of the enemy's works, which could be plainly seen from a hill in front of a division of the Twenty-third Army Corps, commanded by General Couch, and upon which my battery went into position and did good execution in silencing those batteries of the enemy within range and in covering with a rapid fire an assault made later in the day by my brigade. Throughout the fore part of the day we remained in line, using


Page 441 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.