Today in History:

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

Page 476 KY., SW.VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter LVII.

call your especial attention to Lieutenant Samuel G. Calfee, who was in command of the Ninth Battery, as a most worthy, brave, and efficient officer. About 4 p.m. a charge was ordered, and to bring my brigade into proper position it was necessary to describe a half wheel to the right. This was quickly done-the One hundred and nineteenth Illinois on the right, the Eighty-ninth Indiana in the center, and the One hundred and twenty-second Illinois on the left, and the Twenty-first Missouri in reserve. When the command was given to charge, the men, with a cheer which rent the heavens, precipitated themselves upon the enemy's batteries and entrenchments, receiving a heavy fire of shot and shell from the front and at the same time a heavy cross-fire from the enemy's works on my left. As the brigade neared the line of works the firing for a few moments was very heavy, but the enemy soon broke and fled in wild confusion, leaving behind him his batteries and many of his men in our hands. Colonel Kinney, of the One hundred and nineteenth Illinois, following the retreating enemy, captured prisoners at every step, and finally overtook and captured one 10-pounder Parrott gun, one Rodman, two Napoleons, and two 12-pounder howitzers. The Eighty-ninth Indiana and One hundred and twenty-second Illinois charged to the left after crossing the breast-works, following the stream of fugitives, overtaking and capturing many prisoners, also two Napoleon guns, with horses and equipments complete. Two guns (Napoleons) of the battery which was firing upon our lines front he front were captured by the brigade in the first part of the charge. The brigade captured near the foot of the hill one major-general (E. Johnson). He was captured by Private John Wagner, Company H, and Private H. Daugherty, Company C, One hundred and nineteenth Illinois, and William Cully, Company H, Eighty-ninth Indiana. He was taken to the rear by the two men last named and delivered to Captain Whitaker, of the One hundred and seventeenth Illinois. These men also captured at the same time General Johnson's private papers and headquarters records, as well as the headquarters wagons and ambulances. The brigade captured in this charge, 1 Parrott gun, 1 Rodman, 6 Napoleons, and 2 howitzers, 13 wagons, 3 ambulances, 15 caissons and limbers, and near 400 prisoners, among whom were the major-general above named and Colonel Voorhies, of the Forty-eighth Tennessee, also a large number of other officers.

Colonel Thomas J. Kinney, commanding One hundred and nineteenth Illinois, is a brave and gallant officer, and well deserves the confidence of all. His officers and men acquitted themselves with great credit. Lieutenant Colonel Hervey Craven, commanding Eighty-ninth Indiana, is cool, courageous, and prompt, and, in common with all his officers and men, displayed the greatest gallantry during the engagement. Lieutenant Colonel James F. Drish, commanding the One hundred and twenty-second Illinois, with commendable energy and unflinching courage, led his gallant regiment on to the charge in a style unsurpassed, creditable alike to him and them. Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Moore, commanding Twenty-first Missouri, did not participate in the charge, his regiment being held in reserve. To speak of individual instances of personal bravery would require too much time, or do injustice by naming some and leaving others unnoticed; suffice it to say, all did their duty fearlessly, nobly, and well.

I cannot say precisely how many prisoners were captured by my brigade, for the reason that they were sent back in squads as fast as captured and delivered to the first officer who could be found in charge of


Page 476 KY., SW.VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter LVII.