Showing posts with label 121st OH INF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 121st OH INF. Show all posts

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Official Reports of the Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, November 14, 1864 — January 23, 1865: No. 182. Report of Lieut. Col. Charles H. Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, of operations December 15-20, 1864.

No. 182.

Report of Lieut. Col. Charles H. Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Infantry,
commanding Third Brigade, of operations December 15-20, 1864.

HDQRS. THIRD BRIGADE, PROVISIONAL DIVISION,                     
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND, 
Stevenson, Ala., December 23, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my brigade during the recent campaign in front of Nashville:

On the evening of December 14 I received your orders to report with my command “in trim for fighting” to Col. Thomas J. Morgan, on the Murfreesborough turnpike, the next morning at daylight. I at once communicated in writing with that officer, and by his direction met him at his headquarters and was advised of plans, and received definite orders at 5 a.m. December 15. My command was as follows: Sixty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, Lieut. Col. H. J. Espy commanding; Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, Capt. Ebenezer Grosvenor commanding, and the Second Battalion, Fourteenth Army Corps, Capt. D, H, Henderson, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio Volunteers, commanding. I moved on the left of Colonel Morgan's brigade, and formed in rear of, and in support of, his line of battle, on the Murfreesborough road, left in front, resting at the picket-line. Shortly afterward I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Espy with the Sixty-eighth Indiana to protect the left flank and guard against a sudden movement of the enemy to turn Colonel Morgan's left, should any be attempted, and I pushed that regiment well out to the left of Rains' house to such a distance as to insure the safety of the skirmishers of the Fourteenth U.S. Colored Troops, then pressing rapidly forward. By order of Colonel Morgan I followed the movements of his line of battle, pushing my two remaining regiments well up to the enemy's works near Rains' house, and protected them under the slope of the hill. The skirmish line of Colonel Morgan's command now met with strong resistance, and his first line of battle being checked in its movements by the fire of the enemy posted behind his line of intrenchments, Colonel Morgan ordered me to assault with the Eighteenth Ohio and the Second Battalion the works in my front. He at the same time indicated, by pointing to certain trees in the woods, the earth-work I was to strike and carry if possible. I communicated the order to my command and went forward myself to assist in the execution. Before arriving at the works we had to pass over a corn-field completely covered and enfiladed by the enemy's work. Two picket fences also stood right in our path, and these we had to remove. This accomplished, Captain Grosvenor moved rapidly with his command, by the right flank, at double-quick across the field, striking the salient of the enemy's work. The regiment charged gallantly over the palisade defense in front of the angle of the work, and succeeded in gaining with near 100 men the interior of the work. The testimony of all the men and officers in sight shows that Captain Grosvenor led the head of his regiment full upon the enemy's work, discharged his pistol in the very face of the enemy, and while springing over the embankment he fell forward dead, shot by two balls. Lieut. Samuel W. Thomas fell instantly killed while removing the palisades so as to admit his men. His body lay within ten feet of the works. In the meantime I led the Second Battalion in person to the assault of the right and southern angle of the work. In this I was ably assisted by Captains Henderson, Brown, and other officers of the battalion, and all that could be was done to bring the line to an assault of the work. But the troops were mostly new conscripts, convalescents, and bounty jumpers, and on this occasion, with but few honorable exceptions, behaved in the most cowardly and disgraceful manner. The enemy, seeing the men hesitating and wavering, fired a heavy volley and stampeded the whole line. In vain the officers tried to rally the men; in vain the old soldiers rushed forward themselves; the line broke, and nearly all the men fled from the field. This great misfortune left the enemy free to converge his whole fire upon the Eighteenth Ohio, which he did, and finally drove it, stubbornly fighting its way, off the ground. Captain Benedict, second in rank in the Eighteenth, was wounded soon after the death of Captain Grosvenor, and, being temporarily disabled, was succeeded in command by Lieut. Charles Grant. Capt. D. H. Henderson, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio Volunteers, Second Battalion, while heroically endeavoring to rally his disordered men, was severely wounded, and after the retreat left the field.

I withdrew my command by order of Colonel Morgan and reformed my lines, my right resting at the orphan asylum, and again advanced, throwing forward a strong line of skirmishers. Later, the enemy opened heavily with a battery against Colonel Thompson, on the west of the railroad, and I deployed the Sixty-eighth Indiana, supported by the Eighteenth Ohio, and pressed back the enemy's skirmishers on the flank of his battery. My skirmishers of the Sixty-eighth Indiana advanced skillfully and rapidly, opened so effective a fire upon the enemy's flank as to totally silence the fire of his battery for the balance of the day.

Friday, December 16, I moved at 7 a.m., the Eighteenth U.S. Colored Troops, Major Joy commanding, being added to my command. We moved over the battle-field of the day before and found our dead all stripped of their clothing and left exposed upon the open field. After crossing the Nolensville road we came in sight of the enemy, strongly posted on the Overton Hill, near the Franklin road, and at about noon joined the left of the Fourth Army Corps, in line facing south in front of the position. Here we remained until about 4 p.m., the enemy annoying our position by a constant fire upon us. We then formed to assault Overton Hill. I formed my brigade on the left of that of Colonel Thompson, as follows: Eighteenth U.S. Colored Troops and Second Battalion, Captain Brown commanding, in the first line; Eighteenth Ohio and Sixty-eighth Indiana in the second line. We advanced through a small thicket and crossed rapidly over a wide, open cornfield under a sharp fire of grape and canister. While crossing this field the brigade of Colonel Thompson (or several regiments of it) moved by left oblique so rapidly as to throw a portion of my command into confusion, and finally crossed my front and came out on my left. The inexperience of the men of the Second Battalion, the wounding of the brave Captain Brown, commanding, as also the absence of the next officer in rank, Captain Riggs, Twenty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, threw that organization in such confusion that it could not be rallied, and I saw it no more during the campaign until I arrived at Murfreesborough. The remainder of the brigade pushed promptly forward, crossed the field, and pushed their skirmishers up to the base of the hill under the enemy's works. But the first assault of the Fourth Corps had failed, my line had become too weak to accomplish much without support, and none was at hand. I halted my line in the timber, and held my ground until ordered to retire. I reformed at nearly right angles and easterly from my original position, and on the right of Colonel Thompson. Here we threw up barricades. But we again moved forward, my right closing on the left of the Fourth Corps, and the enemy fled in great confusion from the hill, and the whole line pressed forward in pursuit and encamped for the night near Brentwood.

Saturday, 17th, we moved forward, generally deployed in line of battle, on the east of the Franklin road, reaching Franklin at dark. We did no fighting. Sunday, 18th, after marching three miles south of Franklin, the command was ordered to Murfreesborough, where it arrived Tuesday, the 20th instant.

I have the honor to forward lists of killed, wounded, and missing herewith.*

We captured about 60 prisoners, a portion of whom were turned over and receipted for, and others were informally transferred to the Fourth Corps and other commands.

Permit me to speak briefly of the great gallantry and high qualities of Captain Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who died so gallantly at the head of his command. He was a true, efficient, and chivalrous soldier. Always prompt in the discharge of duty, courteous, truthful, and honest in his official associations, pure in heart, simple and unostentatious in life, brave and dashing in action, the service and the country have sustained an irreparable loss.

Lieutenant Thomas, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, also killed, was a brave, gallant, and faithful soldier, and gave promise for the future.

The Sixty-eighth Indiana Volunteers behaved with great gallantry and true soldierly endurance throughout. Its men are well drilled, its officers brave and efficient. Lieutenant-Colonel Espy rendered me most invaluable services, both as regimental commander, staff officer, and brigade commander during my illness from the 19th till the 23d of December. I recommend Lieutenant-Colonel Espy as a first-rate soldier and worthy man.

Captain Benedict, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was wounded in each battle, and finally disabled and carried from the field. He is a most thoroughly reliable and efficient officer, and long ago deserved promotion.

Captains Henderson and Brown, of the Second Battalion, behaved well, as did also without exception all the officers of that unfortunate command on the two fields. It was not from want of gallantry on their part that their battalion failed.

The Eighteenth Ohio gives promise to sustain fully the good names of the organizations from which it was formed.

My thanks are due to Lieut. E. P. Johnson, Sixty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, acting assistant adjutant-general on my staff, for his courage, perseverance, and faithfulness in the discharge of his duty in camp and field, as also Lieut. Joseph E. Chapman, acting commissary of subsistence and aide-de-camp, for his efficient aid on the field.

Lieut. T. A. Beaton, Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, reported to me on the field each day, and, although not on duty within this department, volunteered his efficient assistance in many ways.

Surgeon Jenner, Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, brigade surgeon, although without proper supplies or facilities, distinguished himself by his devotion to the sick and the wounded during the whole of the arduous campaign. I owe him especial thanks for his care and skillful attention to myself.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. H. GROSVENOR,                       
Lieut. Col. Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Comdg. Brigade.
Capt. JOHN A. WRIGHT,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Division.
_______________

* Embodied in table, p. 102.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 45, Part 1 (Serial No. 93), p. 526-9

Monday, July 28, 2014

121st Ohio Infantry

Organized at Delaware, Ohio, September 11, 1862. Ordered to Cincinnati, Ohio, September 11; thence to Covington, Ky., September 15, and to Louisville, Ky., September 20. Attached to 34th Brigade, 10th Division, Army of the Ohio, September, 1862. 34th Brigade, 10th Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. District of West Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio, to February, 1863. Reed's Brigade, Baird's Division, Army of Kentucky, Dept. of the Cumberland, to June, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Reserve Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to June, 1865.

SERVICE. – Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-15, 1862. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. Moved to Lebanon, Ky., and duty there till November, and at Columbia till December. Operations against Morgan December 22, 1862, to January 3, 1863. Ordered to Louisville, thence moved to Nashville, Tenn., February 9; thence to Franklin, Tenn., February 12, and duty there till June. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23-July 7. Duty at Fayetteville August 25-September 5. Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-21. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24-25. Mission Ridge November 25. Chickamauga Station November 26. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 17. Duty at Rossville, Ga., till May, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Tunnel Hill May 6-7. Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Advance on Dallas May 18-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 5-7. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Operations against Forest and Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Sandersville November 26. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Taylor's Hole Creek, Aversyboro, N. C., March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Mustered out June 8, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 92 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 246 Enlisted men by disease. Total 349.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1547