Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith to Elizabeth Budd Smith, May 8, 1862

HEADQUARTERS 54TH REGIMENT O. V. INF.,

CAMP NO. 5 1N THE FIE1D, May 8, 1862.

I notice the printers make terrible havoc with my name. They call me Kelly, and Kirby, and F. Kirby, and the Lord only knows what else, but I can generally be identified as the Smith who led the Second Brigade on Monday, and that directly under Sherman's eye, and in conjunction with the celebrated Rousseau Brigade. A good many of the local papers up through the country have complimented both the regiment and myself. These, of course, you do not see, but I would advise you to take all of the Cincinnati papers for a while, and look out for official reports of both Sherman and General Stuart. I have not written full details of the battle to you for two reasons. One that I had very little time and one that I thought you would get fuller details through the newspapers. The battle is getting somewhat stale now anyhow. The next one I will try harder.

While I write there is an incessant roar of artillery, heavy siege guns. We made a sortie this morning and had a brush with the enemy's pickets. My Zouaves killed three of them, wounded five, and brought in four prisoners. Our brigade, the Second of the Fifth Division, consisting now of only Colonel Stuart's regiment and mine, is clear in the advance of the whole army and the nearest to Corinth. We heard for two nights the whistle of the cars very plainly. Cannon are playing all the time, and I think a great battle not far off. General Sherman has been made a Major-General, a promotion he well deserves. You must not believe all the newspapers say of him; he is a splendid officer and a most excellent, good man. I have every confidence in him. I sat by his side on horseback for an hour on Monday of that terrible battle while shot and shell, cannon, cannister, and Minieballs rained and rattled all about us. Scores of horses and men killed, and falling so close that the dead and dying piled all up about our horses, his cheek never blanched. He never for a moment lost his coolness. His hand was badly wounded by a piece of shell. He quietly went on giving his orders as if nothing had happened. A few minutes before I joined him he had three horses killed under him. A braver man I never saw, and I saw him in the thickest of it. If you note the official returns, you will discover that the Sherman Division lost a great many more in killed and wounded than either of the other divisions. I had intended to write mother, but have just received orders to get my regiment in marching trim. We go forward, and this time, I think, no halt till we storm the batteries of Corinth. You must make the latter part of this letter do for her. I think of her always, in the still camp at nightfall, on the march, or in the din of conflict her image is always in my heart. I have written very often to her, it is strange she does not receive my letters. She asks for details of my regiment, these she must get from the newspapers. Even they, or those who have written for them, admit my men fought most gallantly. I took three hundred and ninety into the field, of these one hundred and ninety fell killed or wounded. Ask her to search the papers for detailed report General Sherman, and Colonel Stuart, which ought to accompany it. Part of this has been published in the New York Herald. The Illinois papers publish accounts of the 54th. You know, but must write mother, for she, I suppose, has not heard it, that the regiment stood on Sunday under a murderous fire for four hours and a half; that the 55th Illinois and the 54th Ohio with about eight hundred and fifty men were attacked by an entire division, admitted by intelligent prisoners, surgeons, and others to contain nearly ten thousand, with cavalry and artillery, led by some of their best generals; Hardee among the number; that we stood till our ammunition was all exhausted, and then fell back in good order for more; that while standing, we piled the ground with the enemy's dead; that we made two of their regiments break and run, who in running were received on the bayonets of their own men, who forced them back. On Wednesday one thousand five hundred of their dead were buried in one little ravine where they fell. Towards the last and when ammunition got scarce, my Zouaves never fired a shot without drawing a cool bead; and no shot was fired, for we were within less than one hundred yards of them, that a rebel did not bite the dust. We fell back, were reinforced with ammunition, formed a line, and in the rear of the batteries fought till dark. We lay on our arms in the rain and rose to fight all day Monday, and on Monday evening we were in the advance of the army, and the last to stop under orders in pursuit of the fleeing foe. We lay on our arms Monday night, and were in the line of battle again on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we marched forth to bring in thirty-two prisoners.

Individual acts of heroism were performed by men and officers of my regiment that have never been excelled in song or story. There is none to tell the tale for them, and they are too modest to puff themselves. You will not find details, but you will find the main facts in the reports I have spoken of, and these you must hunt up and read. I am considered by my superior officers to have done my duty, and I have their confidence, God has been good in preserving my life.

SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 201-4

A Slave-Catching General

General Hooker, commanding on the Lower Potomac, is not more addicted to slave-catching than the Gen. McCook at Nashville, referred to by our own correspondent – himself a Kentuckian.  The following corroborating testimony is by the correspondent of the Pittsburgh Gazette, writing from Nashville:

The Jackson Mississippian, in recording the feats of Lieut. Trotter, at Fort Donelson, says that while he was engaged in shooting down five Federals in a pile, with a single revolver, his servant, a negro boy, ran up to assist him, “and while fighting manfully by his side, was shot down by the enemy, when his mater, with one wipe of his bowie-knife, killed the man who slew his servant.”  Terrible monster, and devoted servant, were they not?  Some of our Generals make it a rule to see that none of the negroes become devoted to them in the same style.  When one comes into the camp of Gen. McCook – “a big bellied and profane Brigadier” – he takes particular care to have the man spotted, recorded, guarded, and returned to the man who first applies for him.  Gen. McCook received a lengthy notice in the secesh papers here for his liberality in returning the slaves of individuals who have been engaged in the rebellion.  He swears “he’ll have no G-d d----d Abolitionist in his command.”  He is the individual to whom the correspondent of the New York World lately referred in a letter from this place.  He has long been a disgrace to the army – is a man without sense, modesty or discretion, and is entirely out of place as the commanding and superior officer of such a man as Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, of Kentucky, whose brigade is in his division, or Gen. Negley, whose brigade was in the same deplorable condition.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 2

Recognition of Rebel Officers

The Pittsburg correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, Thus gives the manner in which a couple of distinguished rebel “Johnstons” were recognized:–

HOW SIDNEY JOHNSTON WAS RECOGNIZED:–

Albert Sidney Johnston’s body was not found till Monday evening, was first recognized by Brigadier-General Nelson, who had known him when the one was an honored officer in the old army and the other a lieutenant of the navy. Prisoners had been telling of his death, and describing him as dressed in a velvet suit, and when such a corpse was found inquiries were naturally made as to who knew Johnson [sic]. Gen. Nelson was sent for. He at once declared indeed the dead Commander-in-Chief, and had the body removed to his own tent. Gen. Rousseau was subsequently sent for, and he two [sic] recognized the features. Capt. Chandler, of the regular army did the same; and strangely enough there was a wagon-master there who had been one of Johnston’s teamsters in the famous Utah expedition, who likewise remembered the appearance of the Chief he had followed on that disastrous march to the Rocky Mountains.


FINDING GEORGE W. JOHNSTON [sic].

As a party of our officers were riding over the field on Tuesday, they found a person of more than ordinary intelligence among the wounded. He was dressed in plain citizens’ clothes, but there seemed no reason to doubt that he had been actively engaged in the battle, and that in all probability he was an officer of some rank. The officers were called up to see if he could be identified. Singling out Gen. McD. McCook from the party, the wounded man asked that he might be permitted to see him alone. The rest retired, and a conversation, lasting for some little time, followed between the two. After the interview Gen. McCook explained that the wounded man was George W. Johnston [sic], “Provincial Governor of Kentucky,” who had set in motion at Russellville the bogus Confederacy, and serving as Aid, I believe, on the Generals Staff. He had made some personal requests, the “Governor” was severely wounded in two [places]. He received every surgical attention; but the next day died.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 21, 1862, p. 2

Terrific Battle at Murfreesboro – Rebel Gens. Cheatham and Rains Killed

NEAR MURFREESBORO, Dec. 31 – Our whole line suffered terribly this morning, four regiments of regulars lost half of their men and all their commanding officers. Gen Anderson’s troops suffered terribly. Majors Rosengarten and Ward are killed. Gen. Stanley, Rosseau and Palmer are wounded.

Two o’clock P.M. – Gen. Thomas has just broken the rebel centre and driven the enemy a mile. We are advancing our whole line. Gen. Rosencrans [sic] is personally superintending the movement. One shot killed two of his staff officers. The [15th] Wisconsin lost seven Captains. Gen. Negle’s artillery is still moving the rebels in the centre. Gen. Crittenden – left wing – has taken the entrenchments at Murfreesboro. The rebels Gens. Cheatham and Rains are killed.

NASHVILLE, Jan. 2 – The Federals encountered the rebels on the 30th ult. near Stuart’s Creek, and after heavy skirmishing the rebels were driven back.

We captured 100 prisoners, and killed and wounded a large number of rebels.

Our loss was 70 killed and wounded.

At daybreak on the 31st the fight was renewed with great fury. McCook’s corps was opposed to Hardee. After desperate fighting with heavy loss McCook retreated two miles. He soon rallied, and was again driven back.

At night he was four miles this side of the ground occupied in the morning. The fight continued until 10 o’clock p.m. at which time we had maintained our position.

The Federal loss is very Heavy.

Killed – Brig. Gen. Sill, Lieut. Col. Garesche, Chief of Gen. Rosecrans’ Staff; Brig. Gen. Willeck, of Indiana; Col. Kell of the 2nd Ohio; Col. Straffer, Acting Brigadier General, Col. Farmer of the 15th Kentucky; Col. Jones of the 24th Ohio; Lieut. Col. Cotton of the 6th Kentucky; Lieut. Col. Jones, of the [39th Indiana]; Major Carpenter, of the 19th Regulars; Major Rosengarten of Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2. – The Secretary of War to-day received the following:

Cleveland, O. Jan. 2.

The following has just been received by telegraph from Cincinnati, dated Murfreesboro, Jan. 1:

A terrible battle was fought yesterday. – The latest from the field is up to noon. The rebel center had been broken, and things looked favorable. The losses are reported to be enormous. Stanley, Rosseau and Palmer are wounded, and the rebels Cheatham and Rains are killed.

– Published in the Zanesville Daily Courier, Zanesville, Ohio, Saturday Evening, January 3, 1862