Today in History:

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

Page 910 KY.,MID. AND E.TENN.,N.ALA., AND SW.VA. Chapter XXXII.

enemy's batteries, somewhat in front of Cobb's batteries, we covered ourselves as well as we could under the earthwork, and made no reply until a fierce engagement took place on the opposite of the river when we had an opportunity of firing into the enemy with an enfilading fire at good range. After about 30 rounds fired from each piece at this point, we were ordered to limber up and advanced to the position occupied by Cobb's and Lumsden's batteries, about 500 yards to the right and front. This was about 12 or 1 o'clock, and as soon as we arrived we opened upon a battery of eight or ten riffled guns at about 1,000 yards, which was pouring its fire into our infantry, then advancing on the opposite side of the river, and in a very short time directed their fire to us. Our infantry continued to advance over this hotly contested field, and in about twenty minutes drove the enemy in masses past us at very short range, so that we fired into them several rounds of double-shotted canister at about 550 yards from the eminence above them. The enemy then endeavored to reform their lines under cover of the timber intervening between them and our troops, when we fired into them with spherical case, and caused them to move off farther to the right.

Such was the excellence of the earthwork constructed by Major Graves' orders, and the commanding character of the position, that we did not lose a single man, and had only two horses wounded here. The casualties in Cobb's battery, next to us, were, however, quite serious. We remained in this position until about 4 a.m. on the 1st, when I was ordered to report to you, which I did, at your position on the opposite side of the river, about sunrise. In the march to join you, I met Lieutenant Pollard, who, with one section of my battery, had acted with a part of the Washington Artillery on the opposite side of the river, without any casualty, except the loss of two horses and one man slightly wounded.

Major Hotchkiss, acting chief of artillery in your division, having been wounded on the 31st, I was ordered, on joining you, to act in that capacity.

On the 1st, neither my battery nor any part of the artillery of the division was engaged, except Swett's battery, which advanced on our extreme left with Liddell's brigade, and fired a few rounds into the enemy, who then appeared to be retreating toward and up the Nashville pike.

On the morning of the 2nd, I was ordered by General Bragg to send four pieces of my battery to report to him at the junction of the Wilkinson and Nashville pikes, and accordingly I sent two section (the right and left), under First Lieutenant [E. J.] Fitzpark and Second Lieutenant [J.] Pollard. They were engaged in the extreme advance and right of the artillery which supported the attack made on the afternoon of the 2nd by a part of Breckinridge's division on the enemy's left wing. Captain [F. H.] Robertson, General Polk's chief of artillery, and Major Graves, chief of artillery General Breckinridge's division, expressed themselves as well pleased with the conduct of the battery, but the infantry fell back in such confusion, and the fire of the enemy was so deadly, that when Mr. [Lieutenant] Fitzpatrick attempted, under Major Graves' orders, to draw off the pieces, one of them was left on the field. Mr. [Lieutenant] F[itzpatrick] reports to me that two of the drivers and four of the horses of this piece were killed or wounded; all the cannoneers except two were killed or wounded. Our infantry had passed them in hurried flight, the last at least 150 yards, and the enemy were advancing in front and on the flank not more than 100 yards distant.

In this short engagement (half an hour), of the 45 men and officers taken on the field, 20 [were either] killed or wounded; 10 (including


Page 910 KY.,MID. AND E.TENN.,N.ALA., AND SW.VA. Chapter XXXII.