Today in History:

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

Page 428 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.

check. Three companies of Fifth Indiana Cavalry, under command of Major Woolley, and one section of Colvin's battery, under Captain Colvin, were placed in reserve.

The firing had now become somewhat brisk, and the enemy not only showed his force, but made attempts to flank my position. I could only prevent him from doing so by gradually falling back, which I did, to the point near Yeadon's house, where I brought my command into close order, and under cover of a fence and a log house or barn. The enemy here made a charge in column, which was splendidly met by a portion of each regiment, and which proved decidedly disastrous to the enemy.

My artillery had now been retired, the information of the ground on which it had to pass being unsuited to its use. The enemy being exhausted [exasperated] at their repulse pushed on furiously, but the gallant officers and men of my command were not to be driven back so easily; on the contrary, they manfully contested every foot of ground, falling back slowly to a point about 1 mile from the river, where they were re-enforced by the One hundred and sixteenth and One hundred and eighteenth Indiana Infantry, Colonel Jackson commanding brigade.

These regiments being in position and my men being out of ammunition, I retired my force across the river, thus ending the fight, so far as the Fifth Indiana Cavalry and Sixty-fifth Indiana Mounted Infantry were concerned. Colvin's battery was engaged for some time after in shelling the enemy, and the Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry was also engaged for a short time after on the road leading to Rutledge. I respectfully refer you to the report of Colonel Capron, herewith attached, for an account of the part the Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry took in repelling the attack and advance of the enemy.

I now come to speak of the enemy, his designs and expectations. After hearing reports of prisoners and the citizens along the line of the enemy's march, I am confident that there were five brigades of cavalry and mounted infantry brought against my little force, the whole under command of Major-General Martin. The design was to keep my force engaged at the gap, 4 miles below Maynardville, until a portion of their forces could be moved from Blain's Cross-Roads into the road between me and Walker's Ferry, and at the same time a sufficient force had been sent around my front (Onsley's Ford) to blockade the road to that point. At daylight, on morning of 2nd instant, my entire command was to have been surrounded. The enemy moved on to a consummation of the object he so devoutly wished for, only to find he had surrounded a camp barren of everything save the fires which my [men] had left in good order.

In surrounding my camp he did, however, capture a portion of M Company, Fifth Indiana Cavalry, which had been left to patrol the road back to Maynardville, and were not able to cut their way out. Finding themselves foiled in their first attempts, they next tried to cut my command off at Walker's Ford, and that, too, proved a failure, and at the same time cost them a considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

From all the information I can get, and having made every effort to get at their loss, I am satisfied they lost 25 killed, about 50 wounded, and 28 prisoners.

Major-General Martin was wounded in the wrist. Colonel Dibrell, commanding brigade, was seriously, if not mortally, wounded. His adjutant-general was killed. Captain ----, who led in the charge, was also killed.


Page 428 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.