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

Page 581 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.

Rained very hard all day. October 5, moved at daylight, passing Scott's Hill and taking Decaturville road, at which place we arrived at 2 p. m.; halted an hour to feed; at sunset reached the Tennessee River, opposite Clifton, where we found the fleet, under command of Major General C. C. Washburn. October 6, steps were taken early for crossing by means of transports. At 2 p. m. all were across; and in accordance with orders from your headquarters moved out on the Nashville pike ten miles, and camped for the night. October 7, marched all day on Nashville pike; passed Waynesborough, county seat of Wayne County, and at 10 p. m. camped for the night on the Nashville pike, within seven miles of Lawrenceburg. October 8, resumed the march at 3 a. m., and owing to the extreme darkness of the morning were misled and marched some five miles out of our way; halted at 9 a. m. for breakfast and to feed; reached Lawrenceburg, the county seat of Lawrence County, at 1.30 p. m. After a short halt moved out on military road leading to Florence, Ala., when three miles out took the road leading down the valley of Shoal Creek and camped ten miles from Lawrenceburg. October 9, left this encampment at daylight, returning to the military road, and moved in the direction of Florence until we reached Bough's Mills, where I received orders to encamp for the night. At this point we learned that Forrest had crossed the Tennessee River and encamped unharmed. October 10, at 4 a. m., were again in motion toward Florence; on arriving at Wilson's Cross-Roads received orders to move toward Waterloo; passing to the north of Florence some six miles reached Waterloo at 4 p. m., and camped for the night. October 11, remained in bivouac until 4 o'clock, when we moved down the river some ten miles, with the hope of finding the gun-boats and fleet and of procuring rations for the men. To make this move certain Major C. C. Horton, Second Iowa Cavalry, had been sent in advance, with his regiment, to the fleet with dispatches; unfortunately, however, the fleet had dropped down the river a few hours previous to their arrival, opposite Eastport, Miss. October 12, reveille at 4.30 a. m. My brigade was on the road for Savannah at daylight. The brigade was snugly encamped one miles below Savannah at 2 p. m. October 13, still in bivouac. There being no visible means of procuring rations for my men, who had now been subsisting on the country at a poor rate some three days, I made application for and obtained permission to gather up corn and wheat and take it to a mill five miles distant, where I supplied my command scantily for the next four days. October 14, 15, and 16, during this time each day was industriously spent at the mill by parties grinding meal into flour, while others rode the country to procure salt, bacon, &c., to make it palatable. It great anxiety we waited of the boats till the evening of the 16th, when orders came to move in the morning. October 17, at 7 a. m. moved on the Waynesborough road a distance of some ten miles, when we turned toward Clifton, at which place we arrived at sunset, having marched some thirty miles over an extremely rough road. October 18, on arriving at Clifton found no bout, went the grand rounds on a large scale (some 150 miles), and returned to the starting point very hungry, ragged, and tired. During the afternoon, while unwelcome feelings were causing ut to cast about for some means of subsistence, the steamer Duke hove in sight to the great satisfaction of the whole command. Our fine hopes were soon blasted, for we learned that it had only short rations of hard bread and meat; these were equally distributed among the different regiments, the balance to be gathered from the country during the absence of the steamer to Johnson's Landing. From the 18th the 27th of the mount the officers and men were


Page 581 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.