Today in History:

580 Series I Volume XX-I Serial 29 - Murfreesborough Part I

Page 580 KY., MID., AND E. TENN., N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXXII.

January 3 found the battery in the same position. General Negley ordered the battery to open fire upon a line of the enemy's infantry, which did no good, and wounded 1 of my own men by the premature discharge of one of the guns.

During the whole engagement I expended 406 rounds of ammunition; had 1 lieutenant and 7 men wounded; 4 men killed; 4 horses wounded, 1 killed, and 4 missing.

I should have done more firing, but General Rosecrans told me he wanted some ammunition reserved for an emergency.

Respectfully,

G. R. SWALLOW,

Captain Seventh Indiana Battery.


Numbers 146. Report of Lieutenant Alanson J. Stevens, Battery B, Pennsylvania Light Artillery.


HEADQUARTERS PENNSYLVANIA LIGHT ARTILLERY,
January 5, 1863

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken in the recent action by the Pennsylvania battery:

On the morning of December 31 we were ordered to cross the river with the First Brigade, to take position, which we had barely time to do when we were ordered back again. We then followed the First Brigade toward the right wing, where the battle was raging fiercely. We found everything there in confusion and it impossible to follow our brigade, and the battery nearly in the lines of the enemy. You then gave me the permission to fight on my own hook, and do the best in my power. I then countermarched the battery and took position on the rising ground on the left of the old block-house, along the line of the railroad, and opened fire on the enemy, who were advancing through the woods on the right of the pike and in our front. We fired as rapidly as possible with spherical case from our smooth-bores and Schenkl shells from our rifles, when, finding the enemy checked and our infantry advancing, we limbered to the front, advanced a short distance across the pike, where we came in position and fired a few rounds, when the Board of Trade Battery advanced and took position on our left, covering all the intermediate ground in our front.

We changed position by moving by the left flank, and occupied the rising ground in the corn-field to the right of the pike, and covering the woods, out of which General Rousseau's and Negley's troops were retiring. We reserved our fire until our own troops were clear of the woods, and the enemy's lines, with banners flying came in sight on the verge of the timber, within 500 yards of our battery. We opened upon them with spherical case, shell, and canister, and fired briskly for about fifteen minutes, when, seeing no more of the enemy, we ceased firing; some of the enemy's advance fell within 15 or 20 yards of our guns. By General Rousseau's advice, we then fell back on the rising ground between that and the railroad,firing a few shots at the enemy.

By Captain Mendenhall's order, we again advanced to our former position in the corn-field on the right of the pike, and met with a warm reception from the enemy's musketry from the woods in our front, and, the right flank being at the same time under cross-fire from one of the enemy's batteries on our left, we opened fire on the woods in our front


Page 580 KY., MID., AND E. TENN., N.ALA.,AND SW.VA. Chapter XXXII.