Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, Tuesday, May 20, 1862

Camp On Flat Top Mountain,

May 20, (Tuesday), 1862.

Dearest: — Here we are “back again” — fifty or sixty miles in rear of the advanced position we had taken. The short of it is, since the Rebel disasters in eastern Virginia they have thrown by the railroad a heavy force into this region, forcing us back day by day, until we have gained a strong position which they are not likely, I think, to approach. I do not think there is any blame on the part of our leaders. We were strong enough to go ahead until recent events changed the plans of the enemy, and made it impossible [for us] to reinforce sufficiently. I was much vexed at first, but I suspect it is all right. We have had a great deal of severe fighting — fragmentary — in small detachments, but very severe. We have had narrow escapes. My whole command was nearly caught once; the Twenty-eighth barely escaped. General Cox and staff got off by the merest chance. Colonel Scammon's brigade was in close quarters, etc., etc. And yet by good luck, we have had no serious disaster. We have lost tents and some small quartermaster stores, but nothing important. In the fighting we have had the best of it usually. The total loss of General Cox's command is perhaps two hundred to three hundred, including killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing. The enemy has suffered far more. In my fight at Giles, the enemy had thirty-one killed and many wounded; our total casualties and missing, about fifteen. We shall remain here until reinforced or new events make it possible to move.

I see the Thirty-third, not the Twenty-third, gets the credit of taking Giles. Such is fame. No Thirty-third in this country. [The papers also said] Major Cowley not Comly, and so on. Well, all right. General Fremont complimented me for “energy and courage” and the Twenty-third for “gallantry” to this division. So it is all right.

Jim is here in our brigade (the Twelfth Regiment) looking very well. Dr. Joe well. Adjutant Avery is to take this to Raleigh only twenty miles off. We are connected by telegraph with you too, so we are near again for a season.

Affectionately,

R.

Show this to Steve [Stephenson].

Mrs. Hayes.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 274-5

Edward M. Hempleman: Private, Co. B, 33rd Ohio Infantry

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

33rd Ohio Infantry

Organized at Portsmouth, Ohio, August 5 to September 13, 1861. Left State for Kentucky September 13 and Joined Gen. Nelson at Maysville, Ky. Attached to 9th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, October to December, 1861. 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Center 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE. – Capture of Hazel Green, Ky., October 23, 1861. Operations against Williams' invasion of the Blue Grass Region, Ky., November-December. Action at Ivy Mountain November 8. Piketon, Ky., November 8-9. Duty at Bacon Creek till February, 1862. Advance on Bowling Green, Ky., February 10-15, and on Nashville, Tenn., February 22-25. Occupation of Nashville February 25 to March 17. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., March 17-19. Occupation of Shelbyville and Fayetteville and advance on Huntsville, Ala., March 29-April 11. Capture of Huntsville April 11. (Pittinger's Raid on Georgia Central Railroad April 7-12, Detachment.) Advance to Decatur, Ala., April 11-14. Duty along Memphis & Charleston Railroad till August. Action at Battle Creek June 21. Moved to Bridgeport and occupy Fort McCook at mouth of Battle Creek. Action at Battle Creek August 27 (6 Cos.), and at Bridgeport August 27 (4 Cos.). March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg, August 28-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-15. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Hoover's Gap June 24-26. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Davis Cross Roads or Dug Gap September 11. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-21. Rossville Gap September 21. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Brown's Ferry October 27 (Detachment). Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23. Lookout Mountain November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Ringgold Gap, Taylor's Ridge, November 27. Demonstration on Dalton, Ga., February 22-27, 1864. Tunnel Hill, Buzzard's Roost Gap and Rocky Faced Ridge February 23-25. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap or Mill Creek May 9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Advance on Dallas May 18-26. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Pickett's Mill May 27. 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. Buckhead, Nancy's Creek, July 18. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 6-7. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Red Oak August 29. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Cassville November 7. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Taylor's Hole Creek, Averysboro, 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 20-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 6. Mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 12, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 130 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 192 Enlisted men by disease. Total 332.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1512

Samuel R. Sullivan

Private, Co. I, 33rd Ohio Infantry

Died August 3, 1863, Cowan, Tennessee

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Robert B. Wartenbe, Private, Co. D, 33rd Ohio Infantry: Pension Index Card

SOURCE: Civil War And Later Veterans Pension Index at Fold3.com

Operations in Northern Alabama

BRIDGEPORT, Ala., April 30, 1862

Gen. Mitchell has finished his campaign, by the complete victory which he gained over the forces of Gen. E. Kirby Smith, at this place yesterday afternoon, and which you have doubtless had by telegraph. I left the force of Gen. Turchin evacuating Decatur, and came to Stevenson, knowing that important movements were in contemplation in these quarters.

I found that Col. Sill had on Sunday managed to cross Widow Creek, and was marching on Bridgeport on Monday. On the latter day his brigade was joined by the 3d Ohio, Col. Beatty, and it was understood that Col. Lyttle’s brigade was in the rear, acting as a reserve. On Tuesday, the march began, under command of Gen. Mitchell, who had come up, and we pushed eastward along the line of the railroad, dragging two pieces of artillery by hand for a distance of 20 miles, at the least.

It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon of yesterday – Sunday – that we came upon the enemy’s pickets, three miles from Bridgeport. They were stationed on the side of a small stream, the bridge across it having been burned, and we soon found they were supported by an infantry and two cavalry regiments, the former of which came up and engaged our advance, the 33d Ohio. This regiment was the only one which appeared to the sight of the rebels, and after half an hour’s work they fell back unpursued, as no means were had by the rebels for crossing the stream.

General Mitchell in the meantime made a detour to the left with his whole force, and after marching a mile came upon a road which led to Bridgeport. He immediately started for this point, and after an hour’s weary march approached the rebel fortifications on the bank of the Tennessee. This march was one of incredible difficulty and danger. Gen. Mitchell was placing himself with five regiments of infantry, two companies of cavalry and two pieces of artillery, between two divisions of an enemy much stronger combined than himself. Had he been defeated he could not have managed to retreat – it would have been an utter impossibility.

We halted at 6 o’clock at the foot of a hill, and the column deployed right and left and formed into line of battle where they stood hidden from the enemy by the hill. The artillery stood in the centre, the 33d and 2nd Ohio on the right, with the 10th Wisconsin and 21st Ohio on the left. As soon as formed in line, the whole column advanced, and reaching the crest of the hill, looked down upon the enemy. Again they came to a halt. Peering above the top of the hill, I saw the whole of the rebel force below the hill, in their entrenchments. The setting sun glistened on thousands of stacked guns, and two pieces of brass cannon. The men had evidently been drawn up in line of battle at the first alarm, but when it had ceased they stacked arms and were now engaged in eating supper. Captain Loomis, when the force halted, stepped forward, saw the enemy, calculated the distance and stepped back undiscovered. In a moment he had given his orders, the cannon were charged with canister and moved to a position in which they were brought to bear on the main body. This evidently consisted of four full or parts of regiments of infantry. The first warning which the rebels had of their danger, or of our near approach, was the discharge of our artillery and the launching of the terrible death-dealing missiles in their very midst. They spring instantly to their guns, hundreds, however, flying in every direction. The main body evidently intended standing, but a second discharge added to the panic, and the whole force fled as our columns in line marched to the top and began the descend of the hill on a charge bayonets. – They frightened, without a single general discharge, broke for the river and quickly crossed the bridge. When we reached the works of the rebels they were deserted, a few dead and wounded alone remaining. The rebels fired with precipitancy, their speed increasing as they went, followed by the shells of Capt. Loomis. – They managed to fire the bridge and a good portion of it was destroyed, but the half west of the island was saved by Gen. Mitchell’s personal exertions. Having reached the other shore the rebels abandoned their camp and stores on that side, and by the whistling of a locomotive, I imagine went off at railroad speed. Capt. Loomis continued to throw shells after them for several rounds, when by order of Gen. Mitchell he ran his two pieces down the hill and placed them in position to receive the body on the railroad, whom it was anticipated would come to the aid of their friends now already and completely defeated. A second line of battle was formed in the works of the rebels, and we awaited for the rest of the rebels to attack us.

We had not long to wait. In a short time we saw the infantry on a double-quick, coming through the woods, along the line of the railroad, and the cavalry right and left. They came into the open fields and forward in splendid line of battle. The cavalry looked Magnificent and came dashing along in splendid style. They got within 300 years of us before they discovered their mistake, and then the artillery told them of it. The canister was poured into them and away they went in every imaginable direction – infantry and cavalry mixed in one conglomerated mass of frightened and flying humanity. The cavalry was sent in pursuit when they had got out of artillery range, and the prisoners were being sent in every hour until I laid down to try to sleep.

This morning I find we have killed and wounded 72 and taken 350 prisoners and two pieces of artillery.

General Mitchell has entire possession of the railroads from Bridgeport, ten miles east of Stevenson, west to Huntsville, thence south to Decatur, north to Athens, and in a month will have the railroad lines running to Nashville via Columbia from Decatur and via Murfreesboro from Stevenson.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 10, 1862, p. 2

Gen. Sill

This gallant young officer who fell at Murfreesboro on Friday was a resident of Chillicothe at the time the war broke out. His original regiment, the 33d Ohio, was organized at Camp Portsmouth. – General Sill was a graduate in the Ordnance Corps at West Point in the class of 1853 – He continued in the regular army till the winter of 1860 and ’61, when he retired. At that time, we believe, he was on duty at Fort Leavenworth. His age was about thirty-one years. A commission as Colonel of Volunteers was issued to him on July 26th, 1861. He was appointed Brigadier General about eight months before his death. We are informed that he has a brother and father living in Chilicothe. He was a man of small stature but very active. Ohio loses in him an ornament in her military chaplet.

– Published in the Zanesville Daily Courier, Zanesville, Ohio, Monday, January 5, 1863