No. 101.
Reports of Brig.
Gen. Joseph A. Cooper, U.S. Army, commanding First Brigade, of operations
November 24 — December 8 and December 15-16, 1864.
HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., SECOND DIV., 23D ARMY CORPS,
Near Waynesborough,
Tenn., January 7, 1865.
LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report
of the operations of the First Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third Army
Corps, from the 24th day of November, 1864, to the 8th day of December, 1864,
inclusive:
On the evening of November 23 I received orders from
Major-General Thomas to march my brigade and the Sixth Michigan Battery to
Centerville, and guard the ford at that place and Beard's Ferry, five or ten
miles above. I procured transportation from Captain Howland, assistant
quartermaster, at Johnsonville, and marched on the morning of the 24th via
Waverly and arrived at Centerville on the evening of the 27th, when I left two
regiments — One hundred and thirtieth Indiana and Ninety-ninth Ohio — to guard
the fords at Centerville, and moved with the remainder of my command to Beard's
Ferry, which I found to be fifteen miles distant, the nearest road I could go.
I found the country infested with guerrillas, who hung upon my flanks and
advance and rear guard. I reached Beard's Ferry on the evening of the 28th, and
immediately reported to General Ruger, commanding Second Division. I remained
at Beard's Ferry until the morning of the 30th, when I received orders from
General Ruger (dated November 29) to march to Franklin. I immediately sent
orders to the two regiments at Centreville to join me at Killough's, five miles
from Beard's Ferry. I marched to Killough's on the 30th and awaited the
remainder of the brigade.
At 2 o'clock on the 1st of December I received a dispatch
from General Thomas to march on the Nashville and Centerville road, and cross
the Harpeth River at the Widow De Moss'. I immediately moved forward and
crossed the Harpeth River over the iron bridge on the Hardin pike on the
evening of December 2. I learned during the day from rebel deserters that our
forces had fallen back from Franklin and Hood's army was probably on the road
between me and Nashville, but I moved forward toward Nashville until I reached
a high hill eight miles from the city, where I could distinctly see the enemy's
camp-fires on both sides of the road between me and Nashville. I then reversed
the order of march and moved across to the Charlotte pike, marching all night,
and recrossed the Harpeth River at daylight on the morning of the 3d. I reached
Clarksville on the evening of the 5th, and remained there until the morning of
the 7th, when I moved on the dirt road toward Nashville, and arrived there on
the evening of the 8th, making in all a distance of 210 miles.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
JOSEPH A. COOPER,
Brigadier-General of Volunteers.
Lieut. S. H. HUBBELL,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second
Division, 23d Army Corps.
_______________
HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., SECOND DIV., 23D ARMY CORPS,
Near Columbia,
Tenn., December 23, 1864.
SIR: In obedience to orders from division headquarters I
have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the First
Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, in the engagement near
Nashville, on the 15th and 16th instant:
In obedience to orders the brigade was in line ready to
march at 5.30 a.m. of the 15th, but did not move until 8 a.m. I moved out in
advance of the division on the Hardin pike, and formed line of battle on the
left of that pike at right angles with the pike, facing west of south. I then
moved forward in line of battle about three-quarters of a mile, throwing
forward the right until the brigade faced east of south. Nothing of importance
occurred until 1 p.m., when I was ordered to form on the right of General Smith,
commanding Sixteenth Corps. I moved by the right flank until I passed General
Smith's right, and then moved briskly forward to support the dismounted
cavalry, who gallantly charged a strong position of the rebels in our front,
and captured a number of prisoners and some artillery. I continued to move
forward directly across the Hillsborough pike, until in passing through an open
field the enemy opened with artillery and musketry from a high hill in our
immediate front. As soon as the rebel battery opened the men, without waiting
for orders, commenced cheering and rushed forward, charging up the hill at
double-quick. The lines were necessarily much broken, owing to the extreme
difficulty of climbing the hill, but the men rushed forward as best they could
and soon gained the top of the hill, and captured three pieces of artillery and
a number of prisoners. As we charged up the hill the enemy opened on us with
musketry from a stone wall on our left flank, which enfiladed our entire line,
and the Sixth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry changed direction to the left, and
charged the wall and captured about 150 prisoners, who were sent to the rear.
The brigade took position on the crest of a hill, connecting with Colonel
Moore, commanding Second Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, on
the left, but without any connection on the right. The enemy still occupied a
high hill on my right, and I refused the right of the brigade to protect that
flank, and put out skirmishers and commenced building a line of works. Colonel
Mehringer, commanding Third Brigade, joined on my right during the night, and
connected his line of works with mine. In obedience to orders I sent two
regiments — One hundred and thirtieth Indiana and Ninety-ninth Ohio — to build
a line of works on the right of Colonel Mehringer's brigade, and sent a detail
of 100 men to build a fort on the right of my brigade. I kept strengthening my
works during the night, and kept one-third of the command in line all of the
time.
On the morning of the 16th I found the enemy strongly
intrenched on a hill in my immediate front. Shots were exchanged between my
skirmishers and those of the enemy, but without loss to us. The brigade was not
otherwise engaged during this day. After the charge made by the Sixteenth Corps
I moved forward in line of battle, as ordered, until I crossed the Granny White
pike, where I camped for the night.
The officers, without exception, and the men, with few
exceptions, behaved gallantly.
The following are the casualties of each regiment in the
brigade:
Command.
|
Killed.
|
Wounded.
|
26th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
|
2
|
44
|
6th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
|
1
|
9
|
3d Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
|
3
|
8
|
99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
|
7
|
|
130th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
|
1
|
9
|
25th Michigan Volunteer Infantry
|
5
|
|
Total
|
7
|
82
|
All of which is respectfully submitted.
JOSEPH A. COOPER,
Brigadier-General of
Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.
Lieut. S. H. HUBBELL,
Acting Assistant
Adjutant-General.
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. 370-2
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