No. 198.
Report of Lieut. Sidney O. Roberts, Acting Provost-Marshal,
of operations December 15-16, 1864.
HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., FIFTH DIV., CAVALRY CORPS,
MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Gravelly Springs, Ala., January 20, 1865.
MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report in
regard to captures, &c., by this brigade:
The redoubts taken by this brigade in a charge December 15,
1864, confirmed four James rifled guns. With these guns, about sixty prisoners were
taken. Lieut. George W. Budd, Second Iowa Cavalry, with a portion of his
company, was the first to enter the fort. At this time the enemy on the right
of our line was on an eminence of 300 feet, about 600 yards distant, protected
by earthworks and two field howitzers. Col. D. E. Coon, commanding Second
Brigade, ordered his command to charge the position. When coming up to the
earth-works a hand-to-hand fight ensued, in which Capt. J. W. Harper,
commanding Ninth Illinois Cavalry, was severely wounded in the arm. Lieut. J.
H. Carpenter, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, was the first man to enter the works, and
killed a captain of a rebel battery standing at his guns. The color-bearer of
the Second Iowa Cavalry, Sergt. John F. Hartman, was mortally wounded after
planting the colors of the brigade on the fort. In this redoubt the brigade
captured two field howitzers, 130 prisoners, 130 small-arms, and 1 wagon loaded
with spades, picks, &c. The command again formed and moved forward. Colonel
Coon seeing that the enemy had brought artillery to bear on the infantry in
position on the left of his brigade, and, at the same time seeing the two
regiments of the First Brigade, Fifth Division, were in an advantageous
position to move, advanced with these two regiments and drove the enemy from
his position on a hill, capturing four pieces of artillery on the left of the
Hillsborough pike.
December 16, in a charge the Seventh Illinois Cavalry took
seventy-three prisoners. Nearly an equal number were made to surrender, when
the enemy received re-enforcements and partially drove the regiment from the
position it had taken, and retook the prisoners that had surrendered. In this
conflict Maj. John M. Graham, commanding the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, was
severely wounded in the arm. The following named officers were also wounded
during this engagement: Capt. William McCausland, mortally, Lieut. Uriah Brant,
and Lieut. John J. Shriner, all of the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, wounded; and
11 enlisted men wounded, and 1 killed in the same engagement. Late in the
afternoon, while pursuing the enemy on the Granny White pike, the enemy made a
stand. We attacked and drove him from the position. The Twelfth Tennessee
Cavalry, in a charge on the right of the pike, rode down the enemy. Capt. J. C.
Boyer, Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, had a hand-to-hand fight with General Rucker,
of Forrest's command. The general struck the captain a severe blow with his
saber; the captain forced the saber from his hand, and the general, at the same
time, acquired possession of the captain's, who drew his pistol and shot the
general in the left arm, causing him to surrender.
The division colors borne on the report as captured by the
Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry were taken by Private B. Watson, Company G, Twelfth
Tennessee Cavalry, who killed the rebel standard-bearer. At this, a rebel
officer rode up to him and said, "Stick to your colors, boys!"
"I'll do it," said Watson; and he did. The standard was given into
the possession of General Hatch, and is now at Nashville, Tenn. One hundred and
fifty prisoners and three stand of colors captured by the Twelfth Tennessee
Cavalry were forced from the sergeant in charge of them by an infantry command.
The facts were reported to General Thomas, and [he] assured the commanding
officer that he should have credit for them. Many prisoners were sent to the
rear and turned over, and no receipt given. The colors of Ross' rebel brigade
were captured by the Second Iowa Cavalry. First Sergeant Coulter, Company K,
Second Iowa Cavalry, brought off the colors after a desperate fight, in which
he was wounded in the shoulder. Around the flag and within a few feet of where
it was captured seven rebels lay dead, as well as two Federal soldiers of the
Second Iowa Cavalry, to attest the desperate nature of the conflict. The Ninth
Illinois Cavalry, on the right of the brigade, closed in on the pike, and
caused the enemy to abandon three pieces of artillery, which were brought off
by the regiment with the assistance of Lieutenant McCastlin [McCartney],
Company I, First Illinois Artillery.
While advancing on Columbia the brigade caused the enemy to
abandon 6 pieces of artillery, 3 caissons, and a number of wagons, ambulances,
&c.; 4 pieces of artillery were taken out of the river by the infantry.
All the property mentioned in the report has been turned
over to the division and corps provost-marshals. The receipts are held by
different parties. Many of the trophies are at the headquarters of this
division at Nashville, Tenn. The saber taken from General Rucker is now in
possession of Captain Boyer, Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry, who will forward it at
the earliest opportunity.
It is proper to state that the Sixth Illinois Cavalry
participated in all the engagements where the entire brigade was engaged.
Officers and men conducted themselves with becoming gallantry on all occasions.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
S. O. ROBERTS,
Lieut. and Provost-Marshal, Second Brig., Fifth Div., Cav. Corps.
Maj. J. M. YOUNG,
Provost-Marshal, Cavalry 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. 594-6
