Today in History:

119 Series I Volume XXXI-I Serial 54 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part I

Page 119 Chapter XLIII. REOPENING OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER.

(Candy's) Brigade reported late on the night of October 31, and were placed in position on the line.

Casualties in division: Killed 36; wounded, 174; missing,6; total, 216.

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

JNumbers W. GEARY,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

Major General D. BUTTERFIELD,

Chief of Staff.


HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWELFTH ARMY CORPS,
Wauhatchie, Tennessee, October 30, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to forward herewith a return of casualties in my command in the action at Wauhatchie on the morning of the 29th instant:

The regiment engaged were: Colonel G. A. Cobham's (Second) brigade, Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania, Colonel W. Rickards commanding, picketing (that portion of the pickets of this regiment in our front met the advance of the enemy.); One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania, Captain F. L. Gimber commanding and One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas M. Walker commanding. General G. S. Greene's (third) brigade, One hundred and thirty-seventh New York, Colonel D. Ireland commanding, and Seventy-eighth and One hundred and forty-ninth New York, in line on extreme right, but not much engaged with the enemy, not being assailed. The actual fighting was done, therefore by the one hundred and ninth and One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania and One hundred and thirty-seventh New York.

My First Brigade has not reported from Bridgeport. The Sixtieth New York, of Greene's brigade, was, and still is, guarding the pass between Whiteside's and Trenton. The One hundred and second New York Volunteers, of the same brigade, is acting as escort to the division ambulance train, en route, from Murfreesborough to Bridgeport.

Two sections of Knap's (Pennsylvania) battery, Captain C. A. Atwell, under direction of Major Reynolds, chief of artillery, Twelfth Army Corps, were also engaged and suffered severely. One-third of the men present were killed or disabled, and more than half of the horses killed. The loss of gunners rendered only two of the guns effective for nearly two hours of the engagement. Ammunition expended, 224 rounds.

I forward an approximate return of the enemy's losses: Killed in our hands, from reports of burial parties, 90; wounded in our hands, about 50; wounded, carried off, and walked away, from reports of prisoners brought in some hours after the engagement, from 250 to 300; prisoners taken with arms, about 50; arms captured (Springfield and Enfield rifles), about 300. Some of these have been taken by such of my command as had indifferent arms. A portion of one rebel regiment threw down its arms and refused to advance under the fire we were pouring into them.

I append a list of casualties in commissioned officers:

Division staff: Captain Moses Veale, assistant commissary of musters, slightly, in shoulder; First Lieutenant L. R. Davis, aide-de-camp, severely, in shoulder.


Page 119 Chapter XLIII. REOPENING OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER.