Today in History:

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

Page 221 THE MOBILE CAMPAIGN.

the Thirty-fifth Wisconsin was temporarily detached, by order of the commanding general of the corps, for the purpose of doing some engineer work in front of the whole corps. The balance of my command retained their camps during the whole siege, although our skirmish line was changed twice. The approaches and parallels which were placed under my charge were worked at by the men day and night, and just before the evacuation of the fort we had approached to within a very few yards of the enemy's works. The officers and men of all the regiments in my command deserve great credit for the energy and zeal they displayed in pushing forward the work allotted to them. Most of them worked and skirmished four nights in succession without any sleep or rest, and it seemed to be the determination of all to take the works of the enemy at all hazards. Colonel Ord and Lieutenant-Colonels Reid, Brown, and Ritter, of the Thirty-fifth Wisconsin, Seventy-seventh Illinois, Ninety-sixth Ohio, and Twenty-eighth Illinois, deserve special mention for their untiring energy, as they all personally superintended the works under the charge of their regiments, and could be found in the front works both day and night. On the night of the 8th of April the enemy evacuated his works, and the pickets belonging to my command were in the fort before all the troops of the enemy had vacated it. On the 9th, about 1 p.m., my command moved out on the Blakely road and arrived here at 5.30, just in time to form line and be in readiness to support the assaulting column on Blakely. Our services, however, were not needed, as the troops already here gallantly carried the enemy's works by assault. I am indebted to my staff officers-Lieutenant H. P. Ayres, Seventy-seventh Illinois, acting assistant adjutant-general; Captain Durell, Twenty-eighth Illinois, acting assistant quartermaster, and Lieutenant McClurg, Ninety-sixth Ohio, acting aide-de-camp-for valuable services during the march and siege. Inclosed you will find a complete list of the casualties of the different regiments in my command from the 17th of March to the 9th of April.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. P. GRIER,

Colonel 77th Illinois Vols., Commanding 1st Brigadier, 3rd Div., 13th Army Corps.

Captain JOHN D. ROUSE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, Thirteenth Army Corps.


No. 37. Reports of Colonel Henry M. Day, Ninety-first Illinois Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of operations March 17-April 15.


HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, THIRD DIV., 13TH ARMY CORPS,
Near Blakely, Ala., April 10, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade since leaving Navy Cove, Ala.:

In compliance with orders from division headquarters the brigade left Navy Cove on the morning of the 17th of March, 1865, and, after a march rendered slow and toilsome by the bad condition of the roads, went into camp on the 23f on the right bank of the North Branch of Fish River, where it remained until the First Division, Thirteenth Army Corps, and the supply train came up. The brigade broke camp and moved forward

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*Embodied in table, p.111.

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Page 221 THE MOBILE CAMPAIGN.