Today in History:

76 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 76 KY., S. W. VA., TENN., N. & C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.


Numbers 1. Report of Colonel John P. C. Shanks, Seventh Indiana Cavalry, commanding expedition.


HDQRS. CAVALRY DIVISION, DIST. OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., March 22, 1865.

Major W. H. MORGAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

MAJOR: I have the honor to forward report of Colonel J. P. C. Shanks, commanding detachment of division on a recent expedition into Northern Mississippi. Particular attention is called to the part of his report referring to the good conduct of the men of his command during the expedition.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. OSBAND,

Colonel Third U. S. Colored Cav., Commanding Cav. Div., Dist. of West Tenn.


HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, CAV. DIV., DIST. OF WEST TENN.,
Camp Shanks, Memphis, Tenn., March 15, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the following as my action while in command of the recent expedition into North Mississippi:

In pursuance of orders from division headquarters I marched with the serviceable part of the First Brigade at 6 a. m. of the 3rd instant, with two days' rations in haversacks and 100 rounds carbine and twenty-five rounds pistol ammunition, and one mule and pannier for each twenty men to carry five days' rations from point on railroad thereafter to be designated. At 9 a. m. I was ordered by Colonel E. D. Osband, commanding division, to take command of detachments from First, Second, and Third Brigades and move them to Germantown, with orders to leave 100 men from Second Wisconsin at White's Station, and during march to watch all movements in vicinity of Memphis and Charleston Railroad. These orders obeyed, I camped at Germantown at 3 p. m., First Brigade on south, Second Brigade on north, Third Brigade on west of town; posted guards at all the houses inhabited. This and the two days previous it rained without ceasing. Distance marched, fifteen miles. At 4 p. m. Colonel Osband arrived on train with forage.

March 4, called camp at 5 a. m.; remained in camp until 5 p. m., when train arrived with rations and additional forage. At 5 p. m. Lieutenant-Colonel Funke, commanding Third Brigade, was ordered to return to Memphis with detachments Eleventh Illinois and Third U. S. Colored Cavalry. At 6 p. m., one day's forage and ten days' rations having been issued, five of which were in packs and five in haversacks, I marched from Germantown on the Collierville road in command of the expedition. My command consisted of the following detachments: First Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Cameron, Second Arkansas Cavalry - Second Arkansas, Captain O'Brien commanding, 300 men; Fifth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Seley commanding, 348 men; Seventh Indiana, Major Simonson commanding, 370 men. Total, 37 officers and 1,018 men. Second Brigade, Colonel H. Davis, Twelfth Illinois, commanding - Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, 228 men; First Iowa Cavalry, Colonel Thompson commanding, 471 men; Eleventh New York Cavalry, 295 men. Total, 38 officers and 994 men. Third Brigade, Major N. De Forest, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, commanding - Second Wisconsin Cavalry, Major M. W. Wood commanding, 393 men; Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Captain A. T. Search commanding, 267 men. Total, 660 men.


Page 76 KY., S. W. VA., TENN., N. & C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.