No. 156.
Report of Lieut. Col. George Bradley, Seventh Minnesota Infantry,
of operations December 15-16, 1864.
HDQRS. SEVENTH
MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
In the Field,
December 20, 1864.
LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report
of the part taken by the Seventh Regiment Minnesota Infantry in the engagements
of the 15th and 16th instant:
On the morning of the 15th instant the regiment, commanded
by Col. William R. Marshall, moved out from camp near Nashville, with the
brigade to which it belongs, at 6 a.m. They moved out on the Hardin pike about
a mile, when they formed line of battle and halted. During this halt the
extreme right of the army appeared to be quite heavily engaged. Company B of my
regiment, commanded by Capt. A. H. Stevens, was ordered to advance and deploy
as skirmishers in front of the regiment. Soon after the whole line moved
forward, crossing the Hardin pike obliquely to the left, until they arrived in
front of the enemy's works, about three miles from the camp we had left. Here
our line was moved somewhat to the left, which brought my regiment into an open
field, where they were ordered to lie down, while the artillery in our line
opened upon the enemy. The enemy were posted upon a range of high hills, upon
which they had erected strong fortifications, from which it was our business to
dislodge them. The regiment lay in the field before referred to until the first
of the fortifications on the enemy's left were charged and taken by the
brigades of our division upon our right, when our brigade was moved forward to
a hill opposite a fortification still occupied by the enemy, conforming our
movements to those of the troops upon our right. We were shortly moved forward
again to the foot of the hill upon which the fortification last named was
situated, from which point we charged the enemy in his works, driving him in
confusion. The regiment moved rapidly along the enemy's line to a second fortification,
a little distance off, again driving the enemy, and forcing him to abandon
three of his guns and caissons. From this point we poured a most galling fire
upon the retreating enemy. By the death of the gallant officer commanding our
brigade, Colonel Hill, of the Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, who was killed just
as he reached the top of the hill upon which the fortification was situated,
Colonel Marshall was called to the command of the brigade, and the command of
the regiment devolved upon me. It was now dark, and the regiment bivouacked in
its place in brigade for the night.
In this action the regiment lost seventeen men wounded,
whose names appear in my report of casualties herewith furnished. Lieut. A. A.
Rice, of Company B, was severely wounded while in the skirmish line. He is a
gallant officer, and performed his duties up to the time he was wounded with
courage and ability.
In this day's action the regiment captured over fifty
prisoners, who were turned over to the provost-marshal-general, and shared with
the other regiments of the brigade the capture of three guns.
On the morning of the 16th instant we again moved upon the
enemy and took a position on the left of the Twelfth Iowa Infantry, in the
front line of the brigade, behind a fence directly in front of a strongly
fortified position held by the enemy. The right of the Twelfth Iowa rested on
the Granny White pike. The enemy was protected by a high and thick wall of
stone, which was strengthened by earth thrown up against its front along a portion
of the wall and by large rails planted firmly and slanting from the top of the
wall to the ground along the remainder of it. Inside the wall cannon were
planted, and deep pits dug for the protection of the men against our guns.
Outside the walls, and somewhat advanced, were barricades made of rails piled
closely together, with rifle pits behind them, from which the enemy's
sharpshooters continually fired upon our line. Here my regiment remained the
greater part of the day, the left of the line keeping up a fire upon the enemy
the most of the time. We had some men wounded while occupying this line, and
two killed in advancing to it. A heavy cannonading upon the enemy was kept up
the whole day by the batteries upon our right and in our rear. Toward the close
of the day a charge was made upon the enemy's works, commencing upon our right,
the brigades of the First Division moving rapidly, one after the other, until
the whole line was in motion. My regiment moved forward with the line, in the
face of a heavy fire of grape and musketry, passed over the works of the enemy,
who were completely routed, capturing their guns and many prisoners. The ground
over which the regiment passed was soft; a portion of the way was a corn-field,
rendering the rapid movement of the line exceedingly difficult and greatly
adding to the hazard of the movement. We advanced as far as a high hill beyond
the line of works where we charged the enemy, and bivouacked for the night.
In the charge the regiment captured 4 of the enemy's guns
and more than 200 prisoners, making with those taken the day before 250
prisoners taken by them. Major Butt, of my regiment, had charge of the brigade
skirmish line during the day, and discharged his duties with his usual skill
and fidelity. Our losses in this day's fight were 43, 7 killed and 36 wounded,
whose names have been furnished in a previous report. The most of the losses
occurred in the charge. Captain McKelvy, of Company I, and Lieutenant Potter,
of Company E, were both wounded in this charge, the first slightly, the latter
somewhat severely.
In conclusion, I ought not to omit to mention Corporals
Sylvester, of Company I, and Dowling, of Company B, who bore the colors of the
Regiment in both days' fights. Cool and intrepid, they pushed steadily on
through the terrific charges made upon the enemy, unswerved by the “leaden rain
and iron hail” which fell thickly around them, mindful only of the honorable
duty of bearing the colors erect in the van of the fight. Assistant Surgeon
Mattock was constantly with us in the field, fearlessly exposing himself
wherever his presence could benefit the wounded, and faithful and untiring in
the discharge of all his duties. Doctor Ames was on duty at the hospital during
the fight, by order of the division surgeon. Chaplain Edwards was active and
zealous in his ministrations to the wounded, constantly and efficiently
exerting himself in their behalf. Of the officers of the field, staff, and line
of the regiment I can only say that the conduct of all was such that any
distinction would be invidious. It is enough to say that all were earnest,
zealous, and efficient in the discharge of every duty. Lieutenant Potter,
though wounded by a shot through the arm, still pressed on with his company,
and did not fall back till the works had been carried. The conduct of the men present
in the two days' engagement was unexceptional; they were fearless amid the
dangers of the battle, and cheerful and uncomplaining in enduring the hardships
and exposures of the bivouac and the march.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
GEO. BRADLEY,
Lieutenant-Colonel,
Commanding Regiment.
Lieut. HENRY HOOVER,
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. 466-8
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