Today in History:

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

Page 457 WILSON'S RAID - ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.

enemy's works, and the enemy being in force in our front behind the railroad embankment, and in the interior forts, I moved forward with the regiment, charged, and drove the enemy from their position, and followed them into town so closely that they had no time to rally. On assuming command, the regiment, almost deployed as skirmishers, held all the ground between the Summerfield, road on the left and the enemy's works on the right, and in advancing into town we moved parallel with the western line of defenses of the town and inside of them, driving the enemy from all along the line and taking all the forts from Numbers 18 to the river on the west side of town. We captured four pieces of artillery in the works, also their caissons. We took during the fight about 300 prisoners, including most of the First Mississippi Regiment and a large portion of the Tenth Mississippi Regiment, with the colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and adjutant of the former regiment, Colonel White, of the Eighth [Ninth] Mississippi, and a number of officers of inferior rank. The prisoners were sent to the rear, and were turned over to and picked up by various officers having charge of prisoners. We also captured the ordnance wagons of Armstrong's brigade (two in number), destroyed the ammunition, and retained the wagons. We took into action 17 commissioned officers and 404 enlisted men. We lost as follows: Killed-commissioned officers, none; enlisted men, 12; total killed, 12. Wounded-Commissioned officers, 7; enlisted men, 73; total wounded, 80. Aggregate killed and wounded, 92. To all the officers and men engaged I return my heartfelt thanks for their unflinching gallantry.

Respectfully submitted.

FRANK WHITE,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Seventeenth Indiana Volunteers.

Captain O. F. BANE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, First Brigadier, Second Div., Cavalry Corps.


HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH INDIANA VOL. (MOUNTED) INFTY.,
Macon, Ga., April 21, 1865.

CAPTAIN; I have the honor to make the following report of this regiment, which I commanded on the 20th instant:

On the morning of the 20th the regiment being the advance regiment of the division (Second), the four companies with sabers were sent forward as advance guard of the division under Major Weiler. I had the remaining companies, as the regiment, in the proper order of march in rear of the headquarters. From our camp of the preceding night, from whence we started in the morning, it was forty-five miles to Macon. After marching about twenty-four miles, and when near Spring Hill, the advance guard first met a small force of the enemy and drove them off, capturing a few. I then moved forward with the other companies and assumed command of the advance. We rested near Spring Hill about an hour and then moved on. Near Montpelier Springs we again met the enemy and charged him to up to and through a strong barricade of rails and brush across the road, charging it driving the enemy from it, and capturing about a dozen of them, three officers, and a few horses. Resting a minute, I again moved forward at a fast trot in order to be in time to save the bridge over the Tobesofkee Creek, at Mimm's Mills. Here we found the enemy in line about 300 strong, and attacked them. The advanced charged, mounted, over the burning bridge until stopped by the plank being torn up. They then dismounted, as did also the two advance companies, E and H, and I double-quicked them across


Page 457 WILSON'S RAID - ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.