Today in History:

539 Series I Volume XXIII-I Serial 34 - Tullahoma Campaign Part I

Page 539 Chapter XXXV. THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN.

force. After a spirited skirmish, the enemy was driven back upon his infantry force at Guy's Gap, where a battery of artillery opened upon Colonel Patrick's command. He retired at dark, with no loss, to his camp.

June 26, rained nearly all day. Time spent in getting up forage and rations and posting detachments to watch the movements of the enemy.

Next morning, June 27, orders were received from the general commanding the army to dislodge the enemy from Guy's Gap. At 9 o'clock we left Christiana for the gap, General Mitchell's division leading, with orders to take the right-hand road at Old Fosterville, leading by Middleton, and turn the gap. The division turned off the road for this purpose, and Minty's brigade was thus put in advance upon the pike. Skirmishing commenced at Old Fosterville, and an inspection of the enemy's position convincing me that the enemy was not in force of all arms at the gap, I asked General Granger to permit a direct attack upon the pass. He acquiesced in this, and, pushing forward, our forces deployed. The enemy abandoned their position and fled toward Shelbyville, closely pursued by the First Middle Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Galbraith commanding, supported by the Fourth Regular Cavalry, Captain McIntyre commanding.

Immediately afterward I directed Colonel Minty to support this movement with his whole brigade. The enemy in considerable force, consisting of Martin's division and a part of Wharton's, all under command of Wheeler, made a stand at the fortifications 4 miles north of Shelbyville, where they commenced shelling our advance. Colonel Minty immediately sent the Fourth Michigan to the right, dismounted, but, finding the distance they must necessarily travel was very great, they remounted and advanced through the abatis on horseback, and, after a severe skirmish, they succeeded in getting in on the enemy's left flank, when they fled in haste. As the enemy began to mount, the Seventh Pennsylvania charged up the pike, supported by the Fourth Regulars, and, deploying to the right and left as they passed through the earthworks, succeeded in capturing many of the rebels. From this point up to the time that our advance reached the precincts of Shelbyville the whole brigade pursued them closely, but when they again opened with their artillery, our men being much scattered in the long charge, fell back out of range and reformed. General Granger and myself were still at Guy's Gap when the state of affairs came to us by couriers. I immediately wrote an order to Colonel Minty to charge their battery and take it, at the same time General Mitchell being ordered to support the movement with his entire division. A section of the Eighteenth Ohio Battery, Captain Aleshire commanding, preceded Mitchell's division. Shortly afterward General Granger and myself started to Shelbyville, but before arriving at the place, the energy of General Mitchell and Colonel Minty, nobly seconded by the gallant troops under their command, had won for us a decided victory over the rebels. The latter had been dislodged from the stand they made at the line of entrenchments, principally by the gallantry of the Fourth Michigan, Major Mix commanding. Their regiment attacked them with revolving rifles. The rebels fled to the town, where they attempted another stand on the line of the public square and railroad depot, but a part of Colonel Minty's brigade charging them on the pike, in the teeth of their battery, and Colonel Campbell's brigade cutting off their retreat at the upper bridge over Duck River, the enemy was overthrown, routed, his cannon and 591 prisoners captured, including 6 field officers, and a large number, estimated as high as 200, of the enemy killed, wounded, and drowned in


Page 539 Chapter XXXV. THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN.