No. 117.
Report of Capt. James A. Sexton, Seventy-second Illinois Infantry, of
operations November 25 — December 2, 1864.
HDQRS. SEVENTY-SECOND
REGT. ILLINOIS VOL. INFTY.,
Near Nashville,
Tenn., December 9, 1864.
LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report herewith the history
of this command from the date of its joining the Third Brigade, November 26,
1864, to the date of its assignment to the command of Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith,
December 2, 1864.
On the night of the 25th ultimo the regiment moved with the
brigade from Columbia across Duck River and bivouacked. On the morning of the
26th ultimo we commenced throwing up works and kept at it all day during a
heavy rain. During the day of the 27th ultimo the command lay idle. At night
the brigade recrossed Duck River. The Fiftieth Ohio Infantry commenced throwing
up works, this regiment acting as a support and to cover the evacuation of
Columbia by our forces. At 2 a.m. of the 28th ultimo this regiment again
crossed the river, occupying the same works which had been thrown up on the
26th; during the forenoon of the 28th, changed the front of our works; some
skirmishing during the day between our pickets and those of the enemy on the
opposite bank of the river. Pontoon and railroad bridges were also burned on
that day. At 10 a.m. of the 29th of November Lieut. R. H. Mason and twenty men
of Company A started with dispatches from General Schofield to the commanding
officer post of Williamsport, distant about nineteen miles. He accomplished his
errand successfully, passing several parties of rebels during the journey, and
returning to his command at Nashville on the 1st of December, without losing a
single man. At noon on the 29th ultimo the regiment, with the balance of the
brigade, abandoned their works at the river and moved across to the Franklin
pike; thence took up their line of march to Franklin. Just before dark, when
within three miles of Spring Hill, the brigade passed the wagon train, already
halted, and filed to the right of the road. Two companies of this regiment were
deployed as skirmishers, the regiment moving forward as their support, forming
the right of the advance line of the brigade; constant skirmishing until within
half a mile of Spring Hill, when the brigade halted; the skirmishers having
moved too far to the right, lost the support of the regiment. In this skirmish
the regiment had 4 men wounded. At about 10 a.m. the brigade resumed its march
through Spring Hill, and halted about 1.30 a.m., and rested until 3 a.m. of the
30th, at which time the march was again resumed. At about 7 a.m. reached
Franklin, the brigade taking position on the right of the road and commenced
fortifying, the left of the Fiftieth Ohio resting on the Franklin pike, the Seventy-second
Illinois being on the right of the Fiftieth Ohio. Were at work on the
fortifications at the time the enemy made their first assault. About 4 p.m.,
two divisions of the Fourth Corps, being in front of the works, gave way on the
approach of the enemy and rushed pell mell into our works. At the same time the
support on our left gave way, and the flank of our regiment being turned, the
four left companies fell back, and as our right flank also became exposed to
the enemy, the remaining companies were also ordered to retire to the second
line of works, which was done. At that time, all of our field officers being
wounded, I, being the senior captain, took command of the regiment, and a
charge was ordered to recover our first position. In the charge all of our
color guard, consisting of 1 sergeant and 8 corporals, were shot down, and the
night being so dark it was not perceived that our colors, which had been shot
to shreds, were missing. An attempt was made to regain the colors, which was
unsuccessful. The regiment was ordered to retire by Colonel Strickland,
commanding brigade, at about midnight. The regiment then crossed the Harpeth
River, and the next morning joined the brigade while on the march to Nashville,
at which place we arrived about 3 p.m. on the 1st instant, and camped near Fort
Negley. The regiment remained in camp until the 2d instant, when it was
assigned to the corps commanded by General A. J. Smith.
The regiment lost in killed, wounded, and missing during the
time which we belonged to the brigade, 9 officers and 142 enlisted men. I
append a list of casualties.*
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
J. A. SEXTON,
Captain, Seventy-second Illinois Volunteers,
Comdg. Regiment.
Lieut. JOHN B. McLOE,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., 3d Brig., 2d Div., 23d Army
Corps.
_______________
* Nominal list (omitted) shows 10 men killed, 9 officers and
57 men wounded, and 75 men missing.
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. 392-3
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