No. 107.
Report of Lieut. Col. Edward Maynard, Sixth Tennessee
Infantry, of operations December 15-16, 1864.
HDQRS. SIXTH REGT. EAST
TENNESSEE VOL. INFANTRY,
In the Field,
December 22, 1864.
SIR: In obedience to circular just received from
headquarters First Brigade, I beg leave to submit the following as a report of
the operations of this regiment on the 15th and 16th instant:
In accordance with instructions received from
Brigadier-General Cooper, commanding First Brigade, tents were struck at 5 a.m.
on the 15th, and breakfast over, the regiment was formed in order of march at
5.30 a.m. At about 8 a.m. took up the line of march from our encampment on the
Franklin pike near Nashville, following the One hundred and thirtieth Indiana
Volunteers, and crossed to the Hardin pike. We moved out from the defenses of
the city on that pike, and were at once formed in line of battle on left of
First Brigade. From this point we were moved forward to a dirt road
intersecting the Hillsborough and Hardin pikes. In this road we lay until about
1 p.m.; we then moved to the right by the flank until we passed a fort on the
right of the Hillsborough pike about six miles from Nashville, which a portion
of our cavalry force had occupied a few moments before. At this place formed in
order of battle again, and moved across the Hillsborough pike. We had proceeded
nearly half a mile when the enemy opened upon us with artillery from a high
point three-quarters of a mile in front of us. A charge was ordered and we
moved on the rebel artillery at the run. As we approached the hill we
discovered that a body of the enemy's infantry lodged behind a stone wall to
our left was raking that flank. The direction of the movement was changed to
the left, and we conducted our operations against the wall. As the men were
already jaded I ordered them to halt behind a rail fence near the wall and
unsling knapsacks. This having been done, we charged the wall, took it, and
crossed it, where 150 prisoners surrendered to us, and were immediately sent to
the rear. The charge was continued nearly half a mile beyond, resulting in
capturing about fifty rebels, and was stopped because worn down by the race. My
loss in the charge and during the day was 1 man killed and 9 wounded. After we
reformed we took position on a wooded hill between the Hillsborough and Granny
White pikes about seven miles from Nashville, and during the night of the 15th
threw up a temporary line of works. During the night threw out a picket in my
front and held one.third of the regiment under arms. On the 16th instant we lay
at rest in these works until about 4 p.m. At that time we moved out and formed
in a corn-field in rear of the position from which the enemy had just been
dislodged, to the left of the Granny White pike. Moved across that pike and
about half a mile toward the Franklin pike, and bivouacked for the night.
The following is a list of killed and wounded on the 15th
instant.*
I owe it to all the officers and all the men to say that our
success is owed during each day to their courage, coolness, and prompt
obedience.
I am, sir, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
EDWARD MAYNARD,
Lieut. Col., Comdg.
Sixth Regiment East Tennessee Volunteers.
Capt. T. C. HONNELL,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
_______________
* Nominal list (omitted) shows 3 men killed and 8 men
wounded.
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. 377-8
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