Today in History:

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

Page 345 Chapter XLIII. THE KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE,CAMPAIGN.


No. 13.

Report of Captain Jacob Roemer, Battery L, Second New York Light Artillery.

HDQRS. BATTERY L, SECOND NEW YORK ARTILLERY, East Tennessee, College, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 5, 1863.

SIR: The battery left Lenoir's Station November 14, at 11 a.m., marched to opposite Loudon; bivouacked the night under heavy rain and storm in the woods.

The 15th, at 4 a.m., marched back to near Lenoir's Station and took position on the left of the road at 11 a.m. At 9 p.m. a charge was made on the battery, but repulsed; fired 5 rounds.

The 16th, fell back to Campbell's Station; received a detail of 13 men from the Twentieth Michigan Volunteers to assist the left section, which was ordered to cover the retreat; lost 1 horse killed, 1 wounded; fired 12 rounds. The other section took position at Campbell's Station, where the left section soon joined and a general engagement ensued. The battery was under fire from 11 a.m. till 4.30 p.m.; fired 429 rounds.

The road from Lenoir's Station to Campbell's Station was very muddy and interrupted with deep holes, and we had to hitch on sufficient mule teams to bring the pieces and caissons along. One baggage wagon, disabled on the road, was burned by order of General Burnside, with all its contents and 21 Enfield rifles.

One man, Private William Markland, was slightly wounded, bruised in the back a piece of a shell. One teamster of the Twenty-third Army Corps (name not known), detailed to the battery with a pair of mules, was severely wounded in the back by a piece of a shell. One horse killed, 2 wounded.

During the night marched to Knoxville, distant 15 miles. Arrived at Knoxville November 17, at 5 a.m., and took position in the breastworks at Tennessee College. The cannoneers commenced to strengthen and widen the breastworks, and worked every day till December 1, when they finished it.

November 18, fired 2 rounds. The 19th, fired 11 rounds. The 20th, had 1 horse killed by the enemy's shell; the left section took position in Fort Sanders. The 23d, fired 3 rounds. The 24th, fired 5 rounds. The 25th, fired 9 rounds; the left section fired 5 rounds. The 26th, fired 5 rounds. The 27th, fired 5 rounds; the left section fired 2 rounds. The 28th,fired 12 rounds. From 10.30 the 28th till 7 a.m. the 29th, fired 169 rounds, both sections together, the left section if Fort Sanders. Participated in repulsing the enemy's charge on the fort at 6 a.m. The 29th, 1 horse killed, 1 wounded. The detailed 13 men from the Twentieth Michigan Regiment returned to their regiment by order of General Ferrero. The 30th, fired 5 rounds. December 1, fired 4 rounds. The 2nd, fired 2 rounds; the left section fired 2 rounds. The 3rd, fired 3 rounds. The 4th, fired 16 rounds; the left section fired 7 rounds. December 1 the axle of the first piece gave way; repaired the 4th in the shop at Knoxville. The battery is in position as follows: The left section commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Heasley in Fort Sanders. The right section is in position in the breastworks at Tennessee College, which we named Sybilla.

Officers and men behaved themselves in the fight, as well as on the very severe marches, alike good, and though they were all the time


Page 345 Chapter XLIII. THE KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE,CAMPAIGN.