Today in History:

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

Page 517 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.

Thursday, January 12, orders were issued to Colonel Salm to march to the railway at Woodwille by Honey Comb Valley, and to Colonel Mitchell to make the same point by the mountain road from Claysville. They reached Woodwille at dark; abandoned rations sent there for them, and were shipped in the night to their former camps at Bridgeport and Chattanooga. One captain (Murray) and 2 soldiers were captured, in addition to those mentioned heretofore, making a total of 2 captains and 5 soldiers. Friday, January 14, the residue of the troops along the railway were rationed, provided with transportation, and returned to the places indicated in Major-General Steedman's orders.

The total casualties of the division in battle on the desire campaign cannot be given with exact accuracy as to names and regiments at this time. It was impossible to prepare correct lists of the recruits received during the last few days at Nashville before starting upon the march, and in some instances, in the haste of arming and equipping the men, this important matter was improperly neglected. It is probable that a number of worthy men have fallen in battle and by disease of whom there is no record. The following statement is made up from the reports of commanding officers, to wit:

Killed. Wounded.

Command. Offi- Men Total Officers Men

cers

Colonel Malloy's ..... 4 4 ..... 7

brigade

Colonel 3 25 28 5 108

Grosvenor's

brigade

Colonel ..... ...... .... ..... 4

Mitchell's

brigade

Total 3 29 32 5 119

Wounded. Missing.

Command. Total Offi- Men Total Aggrega

cers te

Colonel Malloy's 7 ..... 6 6 17

brigade

Colonel 113 .... 33 33 174

Grosvenor's

brigade

Colonel 4 ..... 3 3 7

Mitchell's

brigade

Total 124 ..... 42 42 198

Among the officers killed was Captain E. Grosvenor and First Lieutenant Samuel W. Thomas, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, They fell gallantly leading their commands on the 15th of December, in the assault upon the enemy's works; they held high characters in the service for manly and soldierly qualities. A lieutenant of Second Battalion, Fourteenth Corps, was also killed, whose name and regiment have not yet been obtained. Among the officers wounded were Captains Benedict, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, Henderson, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio Volunteers, Brown, Twenty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, and J. B. Emery, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers.

The number of men who were left at Nashville by direction of the surgeon and from various points sent to hospitals in rear was large, owing to the material of the command reached 1,100 during the campaign. Those left at Nashville were reported at 500; the number sent back by trains from Lieutenant Creek reached 400, and those from Decatur, by transports, say 200. Several officers were sent back also from these points (and among them some of the best officers in the command), suffering from disease and former wounds. In addition to these a few men were left upon the march at houses, sick and unable to be moved. These were as well cared for as possible, and measures have since been taken to bring them up. The number of deaths from disease among the men since leaving Chattanooga is reported at eleven.

In closing this sketch of the late campaign it is due to the officers and troops of my command to bear unequivocal testimony to the patience, cheerfulness, and pluck with which they endured the fatigue


Page 517 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.