No. 8.
LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to make the following report of
the battle of Murfreesborough, Tenn., on July 13, 1862. Before giving the
particulars of the battle I beg leave to report the strength and condition of
the Ninth Regiment Michigan Infantry at the time of the attack:
This regiment, with the Third Regiment of Minnesota
Infantry, Hewett's Kentucky battery, and a portion of the Seventh
Pennsylvania Cavalry, had been encamped
in one encampment, in the city of Murfreesborough, for some months, under the
command of Colonel Duffield, when, on May 9, he was assigned to command of the
troops of Kentucky, and Colonel Lester, of the Third Minnesota, assumed command
of the forces at Murfreesborough.
On June 26 the force at Murfreesborough was divided and its
strength greatly reduced by the Third Minnesota Regiment and Hewett's battery
being sent 1½ miles north of the city of Murfreesborough, on the Nashville
pike, leaving the Ninth Michigan and a squadron of the Seventh Pennsylvania
Cavalry occupying the old camping ground, and the only troops in the city.
On June 30, agreeably to an order received from Colonel
Lester, this force was further reduced, and Companies D, E, F, and I, of the
Ninth Michigan, were sent to Tullahoma. Company B, Capt. [Oliver C.] Rounds, of
the Ninth Michigan, was occupying the court-house, situated three-fourths of a
mile from camp, and acting as provost guard for the city, leaving only five
companies of my regiment in camp. From these companies heavy details for picket
and other duties were constantly made, so that the force in camp was about 250
strong.
The weakness of my camp and the divided condition of the
forces at Murfreesborough were observed by General Crittenden upon his arrival
and viewing of the camp on the 12th, and the danger to be apprehended in
consequence of such division was remarked upon by both General Crittenden and
Colonel Duffield, who returned to Murfreesborough in company with General
Crittenden, and it was by them determined to reunite the forces at once.
At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 13th I was aroused by the
sentinel at my tent and informed that the enemy was advancing upon the camp. I
at once turned out an[d] gave the alarm in camp. The companies in camp turned
out with alacrity, but before they had time to form square the enemy, mounted
and some 1,200 strong, with terrific yells, dashed upon us from three
directions, armed with double-barreled shot-guns and Colt's navy revolvers.
Some of my men gave way under this charge, but the majority of them stood firm
and returned the first fire with great precision and fatal effect. After
discharging their pieces the enemy retired and dismounted a part of his force
and advanced upon us mounted and on foot. I rallied my force, and, although the
effect of the fire of the enemy was terribly severe, my officers and men stood
their ground with heroic courage and poured a destructive fire into the enemy's
ranks until he began to yield. Seeing this, I took advantage of it and ordered
my force to advance and charge upon him. In obedience to this order my men,
with a yell equal to that of the Texans, made a charge, driving the enemy
before them until he was completely routed from my camp and driven out of and
beyond reach of the camp of the Pennsylvania cavalry and brigade headquarters.
I immediately ordered Company C; Capt. [Charles V.] De Land, to advance in
pursuit, as skirmishers, as far as the second street in our front, which he did
in good style, doing good execution and holding the line I had indicated to him
and driving the enemy still farther in retreat.
Finding an opportunity I immediately occupied my time in
preparing for another attack, and marched my force into a garden in front of
camp, which was inclosed by a cedar-post fence, and made use of such forage as
I had in camp to barricade Maney avenue, which led to our right, and made use
of the transportation wagons for a protection on our left, thus securing quite
a formidable position. After having secured
this position and learning that Colonel Lester had not advanced upon the
enemy I dispatched a courier to Colonel Lester, informing him of the fight and
of the superior force of the enemy and that Colonel Duffield was wounded and
had left the field and that my loss had been very heavy, but that we were then
in a good position and could make a successful defense if we could be
re-enforce, and asked him to send re-enforcements.
The enemy kept up a series of attacks and feints and he was
as often repulsed.
Not hearing from the courier, I dispatched a second courier
with similar information as to our position and urged Colonel Lester to advance
to our relief, informing him that we were receiving frequent attacks from a
vastly superior force, but that we could hold out if he would re-enforce us.
After some four hours’ time I received information that my couriers had been
arrested by order of Colonel Lester as spies and that a courier from Colonel
Lester had come over to ascertain our position. About 9.30 o’clock I sent by
the courier who came from Colonel Lester a written statement of our position
and requesting re-enforcements at once, knowing that if Colonel Lester would
join us with his force we could drive the enemy from the city or capture his
command.
I received no reply from this dispatch nor from any that I
sent to Colonel Lester, though he has since informed me that my couriers as
well as my dispatch through his own courier reached him and that his courier
had no trouble in returning to his camp. I leave Colonel Lester to account in
his report or otherwise for his neglecting my repeated calls upon him for
re-enforcements.
The forces attacking my camp were the First Regiment Texas
Rangers, Colonel Wharton, and a battalion of the First Georgia Rangers, Colonel
Morrison, and a large number of citizens of Rutherford County, many of whom had
recently taken the oath of allegiance to the United States Government. There
were also quite a number of negroes attached to the Texas and Georgia troops,
who were armed and equipped, and took part in the several engagements with my
forces during the day.
Simultaneously with the attack upon my camp Company B,
Captain Rounds, was attacked at their quarters in the court-house by a large
force of Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky cavalry. This company fought nobly
and held their position for two and a half hours, killing and wounding a large
number of the enemy's forces, and until the enemy set fire to the lower part of
the court-house, when they were compelled to surrender.
We maintained our position, despite the frequent attacks and
desperate efforts of the enemy to destroy us, until 11.30 o'clock, when a flag
of truce was sent to us, with a demand for a surrender, of which the following
is a true copy, viz:
MURFREESBOROUGH,
July 13, 1862.
COLONEL: I must demand an unconditional
surrender of your force as prisoners of war or I will have every man put to the
sword. You are aware of the overpowering force I have at my command, and this
demand is made to prevent the effusion of blood.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
N. B. FORREST,
Brigadier-General of Cavalry, C. S. Army.
Col. J. G. PARKHURST.
This communication I forwarded to Colonel Duffield, who had
been wounded in the first charge and removed from the field, asking for his
order or advice in relation thereto. Colonel Duffield returned the
communication with a message that he should leave the matter entirely to my
discretion. Meantime I had ascertained that General Forrest had concentrated
his entire force, save one squadron, which he had stationed on the Nashville
pike, near the camp of the Minnesota regiment, in the immediate vicinity of my
camp, hemming us in on all sides, and was preparing to make a charge upon us
with his entire command, having surrounded us, and evidently intending, with
this overwhelming force, to execute the threat contained in his demand for a
surrender. Seeing our position, and concluding that I had nothing to hope for
from Colonel Lester, having vainly looked for aid from him for seven hours, and
ascertaining from actual count that I had but 134 men, including a few of Major
Seibert's Pennsylvania cavalry, who had retreated to our lines, I called a
meeting of my officers to consider the demand for a surrender. The officers of
the regiment, after considering our position, deemed it rashness to attempt to
withstand the forces now brought against us, numbering over 1,800, and
unanimously voted to surrender, and at 12 o'clock, eight hours after the
commencement of the battle, I surrendered my command as prisoners of war.
My loss in the battle was as follows: Of the five companies
in camp, killed, 11; wounded, 86; missing, 36; total, 133. Of Company B, at the
court-house, wounded, 3; missing, 1; total, 4. Making a total loss of 137. I
append hereto a correct list of the killed, wounded, and missing.*
In the engagement I received a shot below the knee of my
left leg, but no injury resulted from it.
The loss of the enemy was very much greater than mine. Among
their killed is Colonel Anderson, of one of the Georgia regiments, and among
their wounded is Colonel Wharton, of the Texas Rangers. A large portion of
their officers were either killed or wounded.
I cannot speak in too high terms of the conduct of my
officers and men, who, with only one exception, behaved nobly, fought like
heroes, and conducted themselves like veteran soldiers; and where all behaved
so well it would be invidious to attempt to discriminate. The exception I feel
it my duty to mention. Capt. John A. Tanner, of Company K, at the first fire of
the enemy retreated to the woods. This conduct needs no comment. Justice will
overtake him.
Subsequent to the surrender my command, including many of
the wounded and sick from the hospital, were marched to McMinnville, some 40
miles from Murfreesborough, where the non-commissioned officers and privates
were paroled. The commissioned officers were marched to Knoxville, Tenn., and
sent thence to Madison, Ga., where we were confined in an old filthy cotton
factory, which was alive with vermin and we were there compelled to provide
ourselves with food, which was furnished, through the guard at the rate of $2
per diem per man.
I beg leave to further report that, though assured that our
private property would not be taken, everything not worn upon our backs was
taken from us. Our trunks, which we were assured we could take with us, were
broken open and the contents stolen or appropriated by greedy rebels.
While on the march to Knoxville I was ordered to dismount
and surrender my horse, which General Forrest instantly appropriated. Other
officers were deprived of their horses.
I remain, lieutenant, most respectfully, your obedient
servant,
J. G. PARKHURST,
Lieut. Col, Ninth Regiment Michigan Infantry,
Comdg.
Lieut. H. M. DUFFIELD,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Murfreesborough, Tenn.
_______________
* Nominal list omitted.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
16, Part 1 (Serial No. 22), p. 803-7
