Official Reports of the Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, November 14, 1864 — January 23, 1865: No. 193. — Report of Col. John A. Hottenstein, Thirteenth U.S. Colored Troops, of operations November 30, 1864-January 15, 1865.

No. 193.

Report of Col. John A. Hottenstein, Thirteenth U.S. Colored Troops, 

of operations November 30, 1864-January 15, 1865 

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH U. S. COLORED INFANTRY, 

Waverly, Tenn., February 19, 1865. 

SIR: In compliance with orders, I have the honor to report the operations of the Thirteenth U.S. Colored Infantry during the recent campaign, commencing with the evacuation of the road and ending with its reoccupancy.

 On the 30th of November the companies stationed at the blockhouses at sections 75 and 78 were drawn into this place, and on the 1st day of December I moved from here with the six companies thus assembled, and at 2 p.m. was joined by the remainder of the regiment, on the road to Nashville, at a place known as the Carmichael place. On the night of the 1st we camped at Williamsville, and on the morning of the 2d joined the troops from Johnsonville, under command of the colonel commanding troops on Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. The regiment then marched to Nashville (without anything of note transpiring on the march), arriving there on the evening of the 7th of December. During the time from the 7th to the 13th this regiment was occupied in throwing up rifle-pits along the line and preparing for a campaign. The men were reclothed and refitted in everything necessary for a long campaign. On the 13th the regiment was ordered out with the rest of the brigade on a reconnaissance near Rains' house, and had a lively skirmish during the afternoon, retiring at dusk. In this skirmish the regiment lost 1 man killed and 4 wounded. On the night of the 14th I received orders to be ready to move at 5 o'clock the following morning. Soon after daylight on the morning of the 15th we moved with the brigade and occupied the works thrown up on the right of the Chattanooga railroad and near the Nolensville pike. During the 15th the regiment lay behind those breastworks, under a severe fire from a battery in our front, without sustaining any loss.

At daylight on the morning of the 16th the regiment was under arms ready to move, and about sunrise I received orders from the colonel commanding to move across the Nolensville pike and feel the enemy in our front. I advanced my skirmishers to a piece of woods in our front, but the enemy had retired. I then received orders to move over to the Nolensville pike, where the remainder of the brigade then was, and to form my regiment as a reserve, in rear of the other two regiments of the brigade, and to regulate my movements by them. The brigade then moved to the right and front, and after considerable maneuvering joined the right to the left of the Third Division, Fourth Corps, where the men were ordered to lie down. In this position we were shelled considerably by the enemy without any material damage. At about 2.30 I received notice that we would assault the works in our front, and in a few minutes afterward the order to advance was given. The regiment advanced with the brigade in good order, but before we arrived near the rebel works the troops in our front began to lie down and skulk to the rear, which, of course, was not calculated to give much courage to men who never before had undergone an ordeal by fire. The fire of the enemy was terrific, but nevertheless the men, led by their officers, continued to advance to the very muzzles of the enemy’s guns, but its numbers were too small, and after a protracted struggle they had to fall back, not for the want of courage or discipline, but because it was impossible to drive the enemy from his works by a direct assault. Before falling back all the troops on our right had given way, and it was useless to continue the struggle any longer. The regiment reformed on the ground occupied just previous to the assault by the One hundredth U.S. Colored Infantry, and was ready to again advance, when a staff officer of the colonel commanding ordered me to take my regiment over to the left, where the remainder of the brigade was formed. I moved to the left, as ordered, and joined the brigade, which moved about three miles to the front and encamped for the night, in the meantime the enemy retiring toward Franklin. The regiment went into action on the morning of the 16th, 556 men and 20 commissioned officers, and lost 4 commissioned officers and 55 enlisted men killed, and 4 commissioned officers and 165 enlisted men wounded; total loss, 220.

On the morning of the 17th we marched in pursuit of the enemy and reached Franklin in the evening. The next day the regiment moved with the brigade toward Murfreesborough and arrived there on the 20th; thence to Stevenson and Decatur, where we arrived on the 25th, and drove the enemy out of the place, Companies I and K being the first troops to enter, they being under the immediate command of Captain Park, of Company K. The regiment moved with the brigade down the river in the direction of Courtland and arrived there on the 30th of December, and from thence to La Grange, Ala., on January 1, 1865. January 2 moved back toward Decatur and arrived there on the 5th. On the 7th we embarked on the cars for Nashville. Arriving at Scottsborough we were ordered in pursuit of the rebel General Lyon, who had been on a raiding tour through Kentucky and Tennessee. The regiment marched in pursuit to ——— Landing, and returned thence to Larkinsville, Ala. Nothing of note occurred on this march, except the suffering of the men for the want of shoes and other clothing, which from the length of the campaign were worn out. Many of the officers and men were barefoot, and never did men display more soldierly qualities than on this march; without shoes and a great time without rations, they performed their duty cheerfully and without murmur. The regiment arrived at Nashville on the 15th of January and lay there until the 29th, when I received orders to move and reoccupy our former stations on the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. The regiment moved by easy marches to its former stations on the road, arriving at this place on the 2d of February, and on the 4th all of the different companies had arrived at the posts assigned them.

Where all did well, it is impossible to particularize, but I cannot close this report without mentioning some of the officers of this regiment. Captains Bensinger, Park, Duncan, Chamberlin, Dougall, and Wallace led their companies up in the most gallant manner. Lieutenants Dickerson, Marble, Ricketts, and Snell behaved with marked gallantry, but all did well, and I do not believe any regiment ever could boast of braver officers. Among the enlisted men there were many that showed great bravery. Sergeants Wilson and Rankin both displayed the greatest gallantry possible in carrying the colors, and sealed their devotion to them with their lives.

Inclosed please find a complete list of killed and wounded.*

All of which is respectfully submitted.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. HOTTENSTEIN,
Colonel, Commanding.

Lieut. THOMAS L. SEXTON, 

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Troops on Nashville and Northwestern R. R.

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* Embodied in table, p. 103.

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. 548-9