Today in History:

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

Page 753 Chapter XXXII. THE STONE'S RIVER CAMPAIGN.

mentioned before. The enemy's batteries did not reply. From that time until late that evening we occupied the position quietly.

About 4 o'clock Saturday evening the enemy opened a well-directed fire upon us with three batteries, all of which were beyond our range. The battery fell back inside of our intrenchments and Captain Scott reported to General Cheatham, when he ordered him to bring the battery to his headquarters, where we remained until 2 o'clock that night, when Captain Scott was ordered to cross the river and join the rest of the division, which was on its way to this point.

During the various engagement of the battery we used the pendulum hausses with tolerable satisfaction. The most of our shrapnel and shell did very well. Our friction-primers also did very well. My experience in regard to the table of ranges used by us, which is the one found in the instruction for field artillery, is that is does not answer as well as it should, from the fact that the powder for which it was prepared is so much superior to ours.

During the various engagement of the battery we had 1 man killed, 1 slightly wounded, and 1 man's leg broken by being run over by one of the guns. No horses were lost and the carriages were not damaged. We fired between 200 and 250 rounds, principally spherical case. Killed, Sergt. A. L. Townsend; wounded, W. McRea; missing, none.

Respectfully submitted.

W. M. POLK,

First Lieutenant, Commanding Scott's Battery.

Major M. SMITH.


Numbers 219. Report of Major General Jones M. Withers, C. S. Army, commanding Second Division.


HDQRS. WITHERS' DIV., POLK'S CORPS, ARMY OF TENN.,
Shelbyville, Tenn., May 20, 1863.

MAJOR: This division took position in line of battle in front of Murfreesborough and Stone's River on the morning of December 28, 1862, as directed in "Memoranda for general and staff officers," issued from headquarters of the army. The brigade of Brigadier General James R. Chalmers was placed, with its right resting on Stone's River and extending in a direction west of south, nearly across the open field toward the Wilkinson pike; Walthall's brigade, in command of Brigadier General [J.] Patton Anderson's brigade, under Colonel A. M. Manigault, of the Tenth South Carolina Regiment, was placed next, and on the left of the line then formed. That night Deas' brigade, under Colonel J. Q. Loomis, of the Twenty-fifth Alabama Regiment, arrived from outpost and was placed on Manigault's left, extending the line to the Franklin or Triune road. This was the front center division of the line of battle, the division of Major-General Breckinridge being on the right, its left flank resting on the east bank of the river and to the rear of Chalmers' right, and the division of Major-General McCown being on the west side of the Franklin road, with its right some distance in advance of Loomis' left. The general direction of the line from right to left of the division, the initial being on the river, was west of south, crossing the Nashville rail and pike roads about 1,000 yards from their crossing of the river and near their intersection; thence across the Wilkinson pike,

48 R R-VOL XX, PT I


Page 753 Chapter XXXII. THE STONE'S RIVER CAMPAIGN.