No. 185.
Reports of Col. Adam G. Malloy, Seventeenth Wisconsin Infantry,
commanding Second Brigade (Army of the Tennessee), of operations November 30-December
27, 1864, and January 8-12, 1865.
HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, PROVISIONAL DIVISION,
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Courtland, Ala.,
January 3, 1865.
In compliance with your circular of this date, I have the
honor to submit the following report:
On the 30th of November, 1864, my brigade was temporarily
bivouacking near Chattanooga, Tenn., when I received orders from General Cruft,
commanding division, to proceed to the railroad and embark at once.
On the evening of December 1, 1864, the command arrived
safely at Nashville, Tenn. On the afternoon of December 2 my brigade was
ordered to the front by the general commanding, and occupied a position about
one mile east of Nashville, its right resting on the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad, and threw up works. These works were occupied until the morning of
the 3d, when I was ordered back to within the limits of the city, where my
command occupied a position between the Lebanon and Murfreesborough pikes, my
right resting about twenty rods to the left of the latter, while my left
reached about the same distance to the right of the former, the line running at
about right angles with the pike, when I was ordered to throw up works. On the
13th of December my brigade was ordered out on a reconnaissance to the east of
the city. I marched out the Murfreesborough pike about one mile, formed line of
battle at right angles with the pike, my left resting upon the same. I
immediately sent out a heavy skirmish line, which soon became engaged and drove
the enemy to his works. The object of the reconnaissance having been attained,
I received orders from General Cruft to return to camp with my command. The
casualties during the reconnaissance were as follows: Killed, 1; wounded, 8;
missing, 1.
On the morning of December 15, 1864, in compliance with
orders received the previous evening from the general commanding, my command
marched at 5 a.m. and occupied the works to the right of Fort Negley. From this
date until the morning of December 19, 1864, the command occupied various
positions in the line of works surrounding Nashville. On the morning of
December 19, 1864, in compliance with orders from the commanding general the
evening previous, my brigade marched at 5 a.m., on the Murfreesborough pike. On
the afternoon of December 20, 1864, the command arrived at and went into camp
near Murfreesborough, Tenn. On the morning of December 21, 1864, I received
orders from General Cruft to march my command to the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad and embark as soon as cars could be procured, which occupied nearly
the whole day. On the morning of December 26, 1864, having arrived at a point
on the Huntsville and Decatur Railroad about ten miles east of the latter
place, I received orders to disembark and march at once. On December 27 I
arrived with my brigade at the Tennessee River about three miles above Decatur,
Ala., and immediately embarked on transports and crossed my command to the
south side, when I received orders from General Cruft to form line of battle
and act as reserve to the brigades of Colonels Harrison and Mitchell in the
advance on Decatur, Ala. From that date until the present time nothing of
interest has transpired in the command.
Yours, with respect,
A. G. MALLOY,
Colonel, Commanding
Brigade.
Capt. JOHN A. WRIGHT,
Assistant Adjutant-General,
Provisional Division.
_______________
HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, PROVISIONAL DIVISION,
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Larkinsville, Ala.,
January 12, 1865.
I have the honor to submit to you the following report of
recent operations of my command:
On the evening of the 8th instant, pursuant to orders from
the general commanding, with a portion of my command, numbering 950 men, I
proceeded by rail from Larkinsville, Ala., to Scottsborough, Ala. When within
one mile of Scottsborough the trains were halted by the officer in charge of
the Scottsborough garrison, who reported that he had been attacked and driven
from the town by an overwhelming force of the enemy, estimated at 1,500 strong,
with three pieces of artillery. I immediately disembarked my command and formed
in line of battle. Having thrown forward a skirmish line, I advanced and moved into
the town, which I found evacuated by the enemy. Before his retreat the enemy
set fire to the depot buildings at Scottsborough; my skirmishers succeeded in
extinguishing the flames and saving the building. I occupied the town of
Scottsborough at 2.30 o'clock on the morning of the 9th instant. At 4 a.m. of
the same day I had my command in readiness to move in pursuit of the enemy, but
my guides having failed to report, I was detained three hours, at the
expiration of which time Lieutenant ———, commanding Independent Scouts,
reported to me, as ordered by General Cruft, with ten men as guides. At 7 a.m.
my brigade moved out from Scottsborough. I had marched but a short distance
when I ascertained that the enemy was moving down on the Guntersville road.
This fact I reported to the general commanding. I pushed my command forward as
rapidly as the weather and bad roads would permit. It rained incessantly, and
the roads were almost impassable. At Scott's Creek I was detained three hours
in constructing a bridge over that stream. The pursuit was kept up until dark,
when the command went into camp near the residence of one Gross. At 5 a.m. on
the 10th instant the march was resumed, my command moving on toward
Guntersville. About 4 p.m. of the same day I arrived at Claysville, where, in
obedience to orders, I encamped my command. By the afternoon of the 10th
instant my command had accomplished a march of thirty miles in sixteen hours,
over roads rendered almost impassable by the heavy rains which fell during the
march.
As my command had no rations it was compelled to subsist on
the country. Foraging parties succeeded in finding very little in the way of
provisions.
On the morning of the 11th instant I received orders from
General Cruft to march my command back to Larkinsville. At 11 a.m. of that day
the command was in motion, and reached Larkinsville the evening of the 12th
instant.
The casualties in my brigade were 2 men killed and 1
mortally wounded.
I am, sir, most
respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. G. MALLOY,
Colonel, Commanding.
Capt. JOHN A. WRIGHT,
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. 532-4
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