No. 176.
Report of Col. Lyman
M. Ward, Fourteenth Wisconsin Infantry, commanding First Brigade,
of operations
December 15-16, 1864.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST
BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION,
DETACHMENT ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
In the Field,
December 21, 1864.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of
the part taken by my command in the recent battle near Nashville:
On the morning of the 15th instant left camp, on the right
of the line of fortifications at Nashville, and moved out with the division on
the Hardin pike. About 1.30 p.m. I was directed to report with my command to
Brigadier-General McArthur, as support to an assaulting column, which I did at
once, but was unable to reach the position assigned me until just after the
fort assaulted had been carried. By order of General McArthur I moved my
brigade up to the works just carried, to hold them against any attempt the
enemy might make to recapture them. I remained in this position until about 4
o'clock, when I rejoined the Third Division by direction of General McArthur
and was immediately ordered to advance upon a large force of the enemy strongly
posted behind a stone wall on the Hillsborough pike. My command advanced in
good order across an intervening open field. The enemy was apparently much
demoralized, making but feeble resistance to our advance, and breaking and
retreating in confusion before our line had reached his position. My brigade
captured 280 prisoners in this affair.
In this connection I would make special mention of Company A,
Thirty-third Wisconsin Infantry (deployed as skirmishers in front of the
brigade), by whose bravery and rapid movement the number of prisoners captured
was greatly augmented. The Thirty-third Wisconsin Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel
Lovell commanding, on the right, kept a good line while advancing over the
worst of ground, and behaved handsomely, as did the Fourteenth Wisconsin and
Seventy-second Illinois Infantry.
From this time until the close of the battle, on the evening
of the 16th, the operations of my brigade are identical with those of the
division.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
L. M. WARD,
Colonel Fourteenth
Wisconsin Infantry, Commanding.
Capt. J. H. WETMORE, 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. 501
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