Today in History:

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

Page 620 KY.,MID. AND E. TENN.,N. ALA.,AND SW. VA. Chapter XXXII.

Majors Ward and Rosengarten (Anderson Troop), both deceased, behaved with great bravery in the two affairs with the enemy. In the last one, on the 29th, both these gallant young officers received their death wounds.

Colonel Minty, Fourth Michigan, commanding First Brigade, deserves credit for his management of his command on the march and in several actions.

Captain Otis, Fourth U. S. Cavalry, and Colonel Murray, Third Kentucky Cavalry, with their respective regiments, rendered important and distinguished service, gallantly charging and dispersing the enemy's cavalry in their attack upon our train Wednesday, the 31st. Major John E. Wynkoop was, as always, a model to faithful soldiers.

Colonel Kennett was only a part of the time under my command; he rendered good service. Colonel Zahm, Third Ohio Cavalry, Second Brigade (though unfortunate with a portion of his command on Wednesday morning), contributed greatly, by his personal example, to the restoration of order and confidence in that portion of the Second Brigade stampeded by the enemy's attack.

Inclosed please find subordinate reports. Colonel Zahm, having received an injury, has submitted no report.

Respectfully submitted.

D. S. STANLEY,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Cavalry.

Colonel C. GODDARD,

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.


Numbers 166. Report of Colonel Kennett, Fourth Ohio Cavalry, commanding First Cavalry Division.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION, Camp Stanley, Tenn., January 8, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor of submitting to you the reports of the part taken in the fighting of the two brigades, composing the First Cavalry Division, from December 26, 1862, up to the night of January 5, 1863, from Nashville to Murfreesborough, and 6 miles beyond Murfreesborough, on the Manchester and Shelbyville pikes.

On leaving Nashville, the Second Brigade, under Colonel Zahm, took the road to Franklin; Brigadier General D. S. Stanley, with the First and Second Tennessee Cavalry and Anderson Troop, took the Nolensville pike; the First Brigade, Colonel Minty commanding, under my charge, took the Murfreesborough pike. I reported my command to General Palmer, who placed us in the advance. Our skirmishers drove the enemy some 5 miles. The afternoon was well spent, when General Palmer relieved us with infantry skirmishers, the cavalry forming the reserve on the right and left flanks. The First Brigade marched daily as a reserve to the advanced skirmishers of the army composing the left wing, on their flanks, up to December 30, 1862.

On December 31, 1862, we were posted as reserves on the flanks, throwing out our skirmishers and vedettes, watching the movements of the enemy. We performed a variety of duty, as scouts on the different avenues leading to our camp and connecting with the roads centering


Page 620 KY.,MID. AND E. TENN.,N. ALA.,AND SW. VA. Chapter XXXII.