No. 136.
Reports of Col. John
S. Casement, One hundred and third Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade,
of
operations November 22-30 and December 15-16, 1864.
HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., THIRD DIV., 23D ARMY CORPS,
Nashville, Tenn.,
December 8, 1864.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of
the operations of this brigade from November 22, the time of leaving Pulaski,
until November 30, the day we arrived at Franklin:
Left Pulaski on the 22d and marched to Lynnville, distance
twelve miles. On the 23d and 24th marched to Columbia, distance seventeen
miles, and went into position on a ridge about one mile south of the town, the
right of the brigade resting on the Mount Pleasant pike, and threw up works. On
the 25th the Sixty-fifth Illinois, Lieut. Col. W. S. Stewart commanding, was
ordered to the front to relieve the Sixteenth Kentucky Infantry, which was
occupying a rail barricade commanding the crossing of a creek near the skirmish
line. The regiment was hardly in position when a brisk skirmish ensued, during
which our skirmish line was driven in, but the enemy finding that they could
not dislodge Colonel Stewart with their infantry fire, got batteries into
position and opened a cross-fire of artillery on him, which obliged him to
retire a short distance. Soon afterward three companies of the same regiment
were sent to occupy the barricade, which they did until the next morning, but
not without considerable loss. At about 12 o'clock on the night of the 25th the
brigade withdrew across Duck River, leaving our skirmish line in its original
position. On the 27th the One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana, commanded by
Col. John M. Orr, was ordered to Rutherford's Creek, with instructions to
picket all roads leading to the east. Colonel Orr afterward received further
orders from General Ruger, for which you are referred to his report. On the
evening of the 29th we withdrew from the vicinity of Columbia, and reached
Franklin at daylight the next morning.
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing is as follows:
Commissioned officers — Capt. Robert S. Montgomery, Capt. Axel F. Ekstrom, and
Lieut. James Miller, Sixty-fifth Illinois Volunteers, wounded. Enlisted men — One
hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana., 1 killed, 9 wounded, 39 missing;
Sixty-fifth Illinois, 3 killed, 15 wounded, 5 missing; Fifth Tennessee, 1
wounded, 3 missing. Total, 4 killed, 25 wounded, and 47 missing.
I inclose herewith the reports of regimental commanders.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
J. S. CASEMENT,
Colonel, Commanding
Brigade.
Capt. THEO. Cox,
Assistant Adjutant-General,
Third Div., 23d Army Corps.
_______________
HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., THIRD DIV., 23D ARMY CORPS,
Nashville, Tenn.,
December 5, 1864.
SIR: In compliance with orders received from headquarters
Third Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, I have the honor to make the following
report of the operations of this brigade during the battle of the 30th ultimo:
The brigade went into position at about 9 a.m., east of the
Columbia pike, forming the center of the division, facing south, in the
following order: Sixty-fifth Indiana, Lieut. Col. J. W. Hammond commanding, on
the right; Sixty-fifth Illinois, Lieut. Col. W. S. Stewart commanding, in the
center; One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana, Col. John M. Orr commanding, on
the left; and the Fifth Tennessee, Maj. D. G. Bowers commanding, in the
reserve; and threw up strong works, with an abatis of Osage orange. The enemy
attacked in force at about 4 p.m., engaging the whole line. The firing was kept
up with great vigor until dark, during which time the enemy made several
distinct charges, but were repulsed each time with terrible slaughter. Soon
after dark the firing ceased and a skirmish line was advanced, when a large
number of the enemy's killed and wounded were found; among the former was
Brigadier-General Adams. During the engagement quite a number of prisoners came
over our works and were passed to the rear, but it is impossible to form any
correct estimate of the number taken by this brigade.
Our loss in killed and wounded was as follows: Sixty-fifth
Indiana, 1 killed, 5 wounded; One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana, 1 killed,
5 wounded; Sixty-fifth Illinois, 1 wounded; Fifth Tennessee, 1 killed, 5
wounded; total, 3 killed and 16 wounded. Among the wounded was Lieut. Amos
Groenendyke, Company F, One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana.
Both officers and men did their whole duty; not a man left
the works unless ordered to do so, which accounts for the small loss.
I am, sir, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. S. CASEMENT,
Colonel, Commanding
Brigade.
Capt. THEO. Cox,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
_______________
HDQRS. SECOND BRIG.,
THIRD DIV., 23D ARMY CORPS,
Spring Hill, Tenn.,
December 22, 1864.
CAPTAIN: In compliance with orders received, I have the
honor to make the following report of the operations of this brigade during the
battles of the 15th and 16th instant:
We withdrew from our line near the Franklin pike at daybreak
on the morning of the 15th and massed out of sight of the enemy, where we
remained until after noon, and then moved to the right of the army and went
into position at dark, east of the Hillsborough pike, the First Brigade of this
division being on our right and the Sixteenth Corps on the left, and during the
night threw up works, which we occupied during the next day, and as our line
was within easy musket-range of the enemy, they annoyed us considerably during
the day with musketry fire; but at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon a portion
of the Sixteenth Corps charged and took a hill in our front, on which the enemy
had a strong line of fortifications, and the First Brigade of this division
charged at about the game time and carried the hill in their front, which
relieved us entirely. We then moved to the right and occupied the works vacated
by the First Brigade, where we remained during the night.
Our loss is as follows: Wounded — One hundred and
twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteers, 3; Fifth Tennessee Volunteers, 1; Sixty-fifth
Illinois Volunteers, 5; total, 9.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
J. S. CASEMENT,
Colonel, Commanding
Brigade.
Capt. THEO. Cox,
Assistant Adjutant-General,
Third Div., 23d Army Corps.
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. 424-5
