No. 254.
Report of Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers, C. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Division,
of operations November 17-December 27, 1864.1
MAJOR: Your order directing me to forward a report of the
operations of this division in the recent campaign in Middle Tennessee has been
received and shall be complied with as well as it is possible for me to do in
the absence of reports from subordinate commanders, which have not yet come in.
On the 17th of November we crossed the Tennessee River at
Florence and remained on Shoal Creek until the 21st of November, during which
time we had several skirmishes with the enemy, and a part of our wagon train
was taken by them, but was afterward recaptured and about forty of the enemy
made prisoners. On the morning of the 21st the forward movement of the army
commenced, my division taking the road by West Point, Kelly's Forge, and
Henryville to Mount Pleasant and Columbia. On the 23d instant Rucker's brigade
met Capron's brigade of the enemy's cavalry near Henryville and captured
forty-five prisoners. After retreating for about five miles the enemy made a
stand and a sharp skirmish ensued, but Major-General Forrest, having got in
their rear with his escort, charged them so vigorously that they fell back,
leaving about twenty additional prisoners in our hands. Our loss in this affair
was slight.
On the morning of the 24th Colonel Rucker pursued the enemy
to within seven miles of Columbia, when he again encountered and routed them,
following them into the edge of the town, capturing about thirty prisoners. I
regret to say that in this pursuit Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson, commanding
Fifteenth Tennessee Cavalry, was killed while gallantly leading his regiment in
a charge. He had discharged all the loads from his revolver and was endeavoring
to wrest one of the enemy's flags from its bearer when he was shot.
During the afternoon of the 24th and on the three following
days (25th, 26th, and 27th) we skirmished heavily with the enemy in front of
Columbia, driving them from their temporary fortifications into their regular
works and obtaining possession of a valuable flouring mill within less than
three miles of the town.
On the 28th Columbia was evacuated by the enemy, who took a
strong position on the north side of Duck River, covering the crossing at the
town. This division was moved seven miles up the river, where we forded it, and
after riding for the remainder of the day and the greater part of the following
night, we struck the enemy on the morning of the 29th near Hurt's Cross-Roads.
Here we were joined by Generals Buford's and Jackson's divisions of cavalry,
and after driving the enemy's cavalry for some distance in the direction of
Franklin we turned toward Spring Hill, where we met the head of the enemy's
infantry column about 11 a.m., and held it in check until about 4 p.m., when
Cleburne's division, of Cheatham's corps, came to our assistance. The cavalry
alone had driven the advance line of the enemy for more than a mile across open
fields, and with the assistance of Cleburne's division, which formed on our
left, drove them from some temporary breastworks which had been erected about
two miles from Spring Hill on the Davis Ferry road. It was then dark, and
Stewart and Cheatham's corps of infantry having come up, this division was
relieved.
During the night I was ordered to move south of Spring Hill
across to the Carter's Creek pike to intercept a column of the enemy which was
supposed to be cut off between Spring Hill and Columbia, and hold them in
check, or if they had passed, to pursue them rapidly. When I crossed the
Columbia pike I learned, to my great astonishment, that the enemy's whole
column had passed up that pike, and within a very short distance of our
infantry lines, during the night, and on reaching the Carter's Creek pike I
found that no enemy had passed along it. I followed the latter pike to Franklin
and saw nothing of the enemy until I arrived within two miles of that place,
when I found them drawn up in two lines of battle behind a double line of
intrenchments before it. I was joined here by Col. J. B. Biffle with a part of
Colonel Dibrell's brigade of cavalry, which had been ordered to report to me.
The infantry having come up, this division was formed on the extreme left of
the line, and at 4.30 p.m. the whole line advanced, driving in the enemy's
skirmishers easily, and this division drove back double its number of the
enemy, who were strongly posted behind a stone wall, and pushed them back
rapidly for one mile until they reached their permanent fortifications at
Franklin. My line was pressed forward until the skirmishers were within sixty
yards of the fortifications, but my force was too small to justify an attempt
to storm them, and I could only hold my position, which we did during the night
and until an early hour in the morning, when the skirmish line was pushed
forward and was the first to enter the town, capturing some 20 prisoners. Our loss
up to this time, 116 killed and wounded.
On the 1st of December we moved across to the Hillsborough
pike, fording Harpeth River below Franklin, and up that road to a point
opposite to Brentwood, where we crossed over to the Franklin pike, expecting to
be able to intercept a part of the enemy's force on their retreat from
Franklin; but finding that they had passed, we moved up the pike to within four
miles of Nashville, where we encamped for the night. On the 2d Colonel Biffle's
brigade was sent to cover the Hardin and Hillsborough pikes on the left of the
infantry, and on the 3d Rucker's brigade was moved in the same direction, so
that my division covered the Hillsborough, Hardin, and Charlotte pikes. On the
same day Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley was sent with a detachment of 300 men and
two pieces of artillery to blockade the Cumberland River at a point twelve
miles below Nashville, and on the same day he captured two transports going
down the river laden with horses and mules belonging to the United States
Government. Some of the enemy's gun-boats coming down to the rescue recaptured
the transports and a part of the freight, which had been removed from them to
the shore, but Colonel Kelley succeeded in securing and bringing off 56
prisoners and 197 horses and mules.
On the 5th our line remained unchanged, and we had some
slight skirmishing with the enemy. On the 6th, an infantry force having been
sent to relieve Colonel Rucker on the Hillsborough pike, his whole brigade,
with two additional pieces of artillery, was moved to the Charlotte pike and
the blockade of the Cumberland was effected. On the 7th a monitor appeared in
front of our batteries and attempted to force the passage of the river, but was
badly damaged and driven back, and on several subsequent occasions fleets of
gun-boats repeated the attempt without success. All remained unchanged until
the 12th, when Biffle's brigade was ordered by General Hood to the right wing
of the army, leaving me with Rucker's brigade alone. I wrote to General Hood, showing
the strength of my command and the length of the line which I was expected to
hold, and that it would be impossible for me to maintain my position if
attacked unless supported. On the 14th Ector's brigade of infantry was sent to
relieve my force on the Hardin pike, and my line then extended from the left of
that pike across the Charlotte pike to the river, a distance of about four
miles, to defend which and to support the batteries on the river I had a force
of 900 aggregate present, the Seventh Alabama Cavalry being between Ector's
brigade and the left of the main line of infantry.
On the morning of the 15th the enemy made a general attack
along the whole line, and Ector's brigade, being forced back by the force in
front of it, swung around to rejoin the infantry on its right without giving me
any notice of their movement. The Hardin pike being thus left open the enemy
moved down it, and the first intelligence I had of their presence on that pike
they were already two miles in my rear on it. The wagons of my headquarters and
division ordnance train had for greater security been left on the Hardin pike
in rear of the infantry, and the commanding officer of the infantry having
failed to give any notice of the approach of the enemy or of his intended
movement, they were overtaken and captured before they could be removed. The
attack on Rucker's brigade commenced in the morning by the gunboats on the
river, which were repulsed, and was followed by an attack in front along the
Charlotte pike by Johnson's division of cavalry, supported by a force of
infantry. We held our position until I learned that the enemy were two miles in
our rear on the Hardin pike, when we fell back two miles to a cross-road
leading from that pike, where we remained until night, when I ordered Colonel
Rucker to move across to the Hillsborough pike, leaving the Seventh Alabama
Cavalry to hold the position on the Charlotte pike until daylight, which was
done. I had attempted several times during the day to communicate with General
Hood, but my couriers were either killed or captured and failed to reach him.
Before daylight on the morning of the 16th I received an order from him to put
myself in communication with his left wing and to hold the Hillsborough pike,
which order I had already given. Before daylight I had taken position on that
pike, with Rucker's brigade at the point where the road leading from Brentwood
intersects it, and was soon engaged in skirmishing with the enemy. The force
opposed to me was Hatch's division of cavalry, and their object was evidently
to move down the cross-road to Brentwood, which would have placed them entirely
in rear of our army, and put them in possession of the road by which it
afterward retreated. Finding some hindrance in their way on this line of march,
a brigade was sent rapidly across to the Granny White pike to move down it. I
moved across the latter pike with my escort and Twenty-sixth (Forrest's)
Regiment of Cavalry, and placing them in a strong position, held the enemy in
check for more than three hours and saved Cheatham's ambulances. In the
meantime Johnson's division of the enemy's cavalry had moved across from the
Charlotte pike, following our path, and attacked Colonel Rucker in the flank,
while the remainder of Hatch's division engaged him in front. Colonel Kelley
having been forced back from his position, Colonel Rucker was withdrawn from
the Hillsborough pike as soon as possible to support him, and the whole brigade
(excepting the Seventh Tennessee Cavalry) was formed in front of Brentwood, to
protect the wagons and ambulances which were collected there. The Seventh
Tennessee was sent down the Hillsborough pike (by General Hood's order) to
report at Franklin and aid in guarding the wagon trains at that place. About
4.30 p.m. I received an order from General Hood directing me to "hold the
Granny White pike at all hazards," and Rucker's brigade was moved back
upon it and placed in position in rear of that from which Colonel Kelley had
been driven. It was attacked at once, front and flank, by Hatch's and Johnson's
divisions, and, after a sharp struggle, was forced back in some disorder. By
this time it was so dark that it was impossible to reform the men, or indeed to
distinguish friend from foe, so closely were they mingled together, but an
irregular firing was kept up for some time until we were compelled to retreat
toward the Franklin pike. After we had retreated for some distance, Colonel
Rucker having been wounded and captured and Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley having
moved with his regiment to Brentwood, [Lieut. Col.] R. R. White, Fourteenth
Tennessee Cavalry, the senior officer present, collected and reformed as many
of the men as possible, and leaving the Fourteenth Tennessee on picket in front
of the enemy, moved with the remainder to the Franklin pike, where they were
halted until the infantry and artillery column had passed, and encamped for the
night with the rear guard of the army, when we were joined by Colonel Biffle
and his brigade, which had come up from the right in rear of the infantry. The
enemy's cavalry encamped on the field where we had last fought them, and made
no attempt to follow us, though our picket fires were within sight of them
during the night.
In the engagements of these two days this division lost many
valuable officers and men, the first of whom was Colonel Rucker, who was
wounded and captured in the last fight while fighting hand to hand with the
enemy. Many others were killed or captured at the same time, and others availed
themselves of the opportunity desert and scatter through the country; some of
these have now returned to their commands, but no accurate report can yet be
made of our loss.
On the morning of the 17th we moved to Franklin, when, in
obedience to orders from General Hood, I was placed in command of the cavalry,
and reported to Lieutenant-General Lee for duty in assisting to protect the
rear of the army, consisting of this and General Buford's division. During the
day we were almost constantly engaged with the enemy, who followed us vigorously
with a strong force, often in close encounters, and held them in check until
nearly night-fall, when by a series of bold charges they broke the lines of our
infantry and cavalry, but were severely punished and driven back by the second
line of infantry. On the 18th, Brigadier-General Armstrong having come up with
his brigade, and General Cheatham's corps having taken the place of General
Lee's as the rear guard of the army, we moved down the turnpike from Spring
Hill toward Columbia and crossed Rutherford's Creek, the infantry being on the
pike and the cavalry in the rear and On the flanks. The enemy did not press us,
and we had no fighting beyond a little skirmishing. On the 19th, Major-General
Forrest having come up, I resumed command of my division, which was posted on
the left of Cheatham's corps to guard the crossings on Rutherford's Creek.
During the day we had some skirmishing with the enemy, but held our position
until 4 p.m., when, they having succeeded in crossing a force in front of our infantry
pickets, our whole force was withdrawn to the south side of Duck River. On the
22d, the enemy having effected a crossing of Duck River, and the rear guard,
under Major-General Forrest, having commenced its retreat, this division (which
had been consolidated into a brigade) moved down the Campbellsville pike, on
the left flank of the infantry, and on the following day moved still farther
down that pike without molestation from the enemy. On the 24th we moved back
toward Columbia, so as to occupy a position on the left flank of our infantry,
which had moved back as far as Lynnville. While here we were attacked by a
superior force of the enemy and forced back to the main body on the turnpike,
when we crossed Richland Creek and moved on to Pulaski. After this we moved on the right flank of the
infantry, until we reached the Tennessee River, which we crossed on the evening
of the 27th, without having been again engaged with the enemy.
During the engagements on the march to Nashville, and until
after the fight on the Granny White pike on the evening of the 16th of
December, the officers and men of this division behaved with great gallantry;
but after that time, while there were many who continued to exhibit the same
courage and constancy, I regret to say that there were some who so far forgot
their duty as to desert their comrades and seek an ignominious safety in
flight; some of these have since returned to their colors, but others are still
absent.
Under these circumstances It gives me great pleasure to
render deserved honor to all those who remained faithful to their duty. The
Seventh Alabama Cavalry having, when it was ordered to this division, rested
under some imputation of a lack of courage, I am gratified to say that since it
has been under my command, and especially in the engagements of the 15th and
16th, that regiment * * *
ADDENDA.
Casualties in
Rucker's brigade from November 25 to December 6, 1864.
Regiment.
|
Killed.
|
Wounded.
|
Missing.
|
Aggregate.
|
Officers.
|
Men.
|
Officers.
|
Men.
|
Officers.
|
Men.
|
7th Alabama
|
....
|
2
|
6
|
30
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
5th Mississippi
|
....
|
2
|
....
|
8
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
7th Tennessee
|
....
|
1
|
3
|
9
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
12th Tennessee
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
1
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
14th Tennessee
|
....
|
2
|
2
|
15
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
15th Tennessee
|
2
|
3
|
....
|
10
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
Forrest's Regiment
Tennessee Cavalry
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
14
|
....
|
....
|
....
|
Total
|
3
|
13
|
13
|
87
|
....
|
....
|
116
|
_______________
1 Original, incomplete and unsigned, found among
General Chalmer’s military papers.
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. 763-7