Official Reports of the Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, November 14, 1864-January 23, 1865: No. 250. — Report of Col. Charles H. Olmstead, First Volunteer Georgia Infantry, commanding Smith's brigade, of operations December 6, 1864--January 20, 1865.

No. 250.

Report of Col. Charles H. Olmstead, First Volunteer Georgia Infantry,

commanding Smith's brigade, of operations December 6, 1864 –January 20, 1865.

HEADQUARTERS SMITH'S BRIGADE,        

Near Tupelo, Miss., January 20, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade from December 6, 1864, to the present date: On December 6 and 7 the command was busy constructing a second line of works in, front of Nashville, a little to the right of the Nolensville pike. On the morning of the 8th we took up the line of march for Murfreesborough, having been ordered to report to General Forrest near that place. At night-fall went into camp within eleven miles of the place. From that time until December 15 the command did little else than destroy the railroad between Murfreesborough and Nashville. On the 15th marched with Palmer's brigade and a portion of the cavalry to a position considerably to the eastward of Murfreesborough. On the next day, however, we retraced our steps, and (the news of the disaster at Nashville reaching us that night) we immediately started across the country for Pulaski by forced marches. The roads were in horrible condition and the weather intensely cold, so that the sufferings of the men, who were many of them barefooted and all poorly clad, were intense. On arriving at Duck River it was found to be so much swollen by heavy rains as to be impassable. We were accordingly ordered to Columbia, which place we reached late at night on the 18th. Here we remained for three days, receiving orders to report to Major-General Walthall as a portion of the rear guard of the army.

Early on the morning of the 22d the enemy crossed the river in force above Columbia, and [we] commenced our retreat. We retired slowly, forming line of battle occasionally, until we had gotten some six or seven miles on this side of Pulaski, when the enemy pushed us so hard that it was determined to stop and fight them. Accordingly, the line was formed, our position being upon the extreme left of the infantry, with Palmer's brigade upon our right, the cavalry upon our left. The enemy approached boldly, a heavy line of skirmishers preceding them. Upon a given signal our whole line charged, when the enemy retired in confusion after offering but a slight resistance. We captured a number of horses and one piece of artillery, a 12-pounder Napoleon. This was on Christmas day. On the following day the rear guard was again attacked, but this brigade was not engaged in the affair, nor did we again meet the enemy.

On the 28th we recrossed the Tennessee, and on the 1st of January rejoined our division at Corinth, from whence we marched to Tupelo.

The conduct of men and officers in this trying retreat was admirable; they bore the hardships forced upon them unflinchingly, and were ever ready to show a bold front on the approach of the enemy.

I would especially call the attention of the general commanding to the gallant conduct of Private P. Murner, of the First Georgia, and Private A. Vicary, of the Fifty-fourth Georgia. These men carried the colors of their respective regiments, and showed conspicuous bravery in the charge on the 25th.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAS. H. OLMSTEAD,        

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Capt. W. W. HARDY,
        Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

List of casualties: 1 killed, 2 wounded, 70 missing. The missing were most of them men who broke down physically on the other side of Duck River, and are supposed to have fallen into the hands of the enemy.

CHAS. H. OLMSTEAD,        

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

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. 740-1

Official Reports of the Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, November 14, 1864-January 23, 1865: No. 245. — Report of Maj. Gen. William W. Loring, C. S. Army, commanding division, of operations November 29-30, 1864.

No. 245.

Report of Maj. Gen. William W. Loring, C. S. Army, commanding division,

of operations November 29-30, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS LORING'S DIVISION, STEWART'S CORPS,                

ARMY OF TENNESSEE,        

Near Nashville, Tenn., December 9, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In accordance with circular from army headquarters calling for a report of the number of flags lost in the engagements of 29th and 30th of November, I have to report four, those of the Third, Twenty-second, and Thirty-third Mississippi Regiments, Featherston's brigade, and that of the Fifteenth Regiment, of Adams' brigade, and inclose herewith a statement from each brigade commander.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. W. LORING,        

Major-General, Commanding.

Capt. W. D. GALE,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

_______________

[Inclosure No. 1.]

HEADQUARTERS FEATHERSTON'S BRIGADE,        

December 9, 1864.

MAJOR: In obedience to orders from army headquarters I would respectfully report that three stand of colors were captured from my brigade on the 30th of November, belonging to the Third, Twenty-second, and Thirty-third Mississippi Regiments. The color-bearers of the Third and Twenty-second planted their colors on the enemy's works, and were wounded and captured with their colors. The color-bearer of the Thirty-third was killed some fifteen paces from the works, when Lieut. H. C. Shaw, of Company K, carried them forward, and when in the act of planting them on the works was killed, his body falling in the trench, the colors falling in the works.

Very respectfully,

W. S. FEATHERSTON,        

Brigadier-General.

Major ROBINSON,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

_______________

[Inclosure No. 2.]

HEADQUARTERS ADAMS' BRIGADE, LORING'S DIVISION,        

December 9, 1864.

MAJOR: In obedience to orders from army headquarters I have the honor to report that one flag was lost in the engagement of the 30th ultimo of the Fifteenth Mississippi Regiment. Four men were shot down in bearing it.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBERT LOWRY,        

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Maj. HENRY ROBINSON,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

_______________

[Inclosure No. 3.]

BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS,        

December 9, 1864.

I would respectfully report that no flags were lost in this brigade on the 29th and 30th ultimo.

Respectfully,

JOHN SNODGRASS,        

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Maj. H. ROBINSON,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

_______________

ADDENDA.

Report of the killed, wounded, and missing of Loring's division in the engagement of November 30, 1864, near Franklin, Tenn.

Command.	Killed.		Wounded.		Missing.		Aggregate.
	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.
Featherston's brigade	16	60	22	178	4	72	352
Adams' brigade	10	34	39	232	1	21	337
Scott's brigade	2	29	23	125	2	6	187
Total.	28	123	84	535	7	99	876

Respectfully submitted.

Capt. W. D. GALE,        

Assistant Adjutant-General.

W. W. LORING,
        Major-General, Commanding.

_______________

HEADQUARTERS FRENCH'S DIVISION,        

Near Nashville, Tenn., December 10, 1864.

Report of flags lost in engagement November 30, 1864:

Cockrell's brigade: Second and Sixth Missouri Infantry lost one. Ector's and Sears' brigades not in engagement; absent on detached service.

Respectfully submitted.

S. G. FRENCH,        

Major-General, Commanding.

_______________

HEADQUARTERS FRENCH'S DIVISION,        

December 12, 1864.

Capt. W. D. GALE,
        Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that no flags were captured from Sears' brigade November 30, 1864.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. G. FRENCH,        

Major-General, Commanding.

_______________

Return of casualties in French's division at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., November 30,1864.

Command.	Killed.		Wounded.		Missing.		Aggregate.
	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.	Officers.	Men.
Cockrell's brigade1	19	79	31	198	13	79	419
Sears' brigade	5	25	26	142	1	34	233
Total	24	104	57	340	14	113	652

¹ Eighty-two officers and 614 men in fight. The missing from Cockrell’s brigade are known to be prisoners of war (from men who escaped”, captured in the enemy’s works.

The above is the loss from the two brigades, the third one being on duty detached. The loss is over one-third of my troops engaged.

S. G. FRENCH,        

Major-general.

_______________

Report of casualties in French's division December 4, 1864.             

	Killed.	Wounded.	Aggregate.
Cockrell's brigade.
Sears’ Brigade1	2	19	21
Ector's brigade	1	14	15
Total	3	33	26

¹ Colonel Andrews wounded.

Respectfully submitted.

S. G. FRENCH,        

Major-General, Commanding.

_______________

Report of officers and men of Sears' brigade who reached the main line of the enemy's works at Franklin, November 30, 1864.

Names.	Rank.	Co.	Regiment.	Remarks.
James M. Swearingin	Corporal	A	35th Mississippi
C. D. Grady	Private	A	do
E. T. Eldridge	do	A	do
J. L. Conner	First lieutenant	D	do
E. S. Holman	Private	D	do
J. A. Harrison	Captain	E	do
T. B. Walsh	Second lieutenant	E	do
J. F. Walsh	First sergeant	E	do
F. M. Hester	Sergeant	E	do
A.J. Cooper	do	E	do
J. H. Rice	Corporal	E	do
J. R. Barrett	Private	E	do
A. Lowry	do	E	do
J. N. Strait	do	E	do
H. W. White	do	E	do
W. H. Youngblood	Sergeant	F	do
J. M. Robinson	Private	F	do
A. L. Barnett	Sergeant	I	do
J. S. Fox	Private	I	do
W. J. Brown	do	I	do
J. N. McCoy	First lieutenant	A	35th Mississippi	Reached abatis and wounded.
H. B. Hudnall	Second lieutenant	A	do	Do.
W. F. M. Tate	Corporal	D	do	Do
E. H. Parks	Private	D	do	Reached abatis.
J. A. Killingsworth	do	D	do	Do
J. A. Killingsworth.	Second lieutenant	E	do	Do
A. M. Page	Private	K	do	Do
George Dockery	do	K	do	Do
J. F. Green	do	K	do	Do
G. W. Davis	do	K	do	Do
Isaac Carroll	do	K	do	Do
J. D. Harrington	do	K	do	Do
Munroe Watson	do	K	do	Wounded three times near interior works.
J. W. Saunders	do	K	do	Reached abatis.
R. Calvert	do	K	do	Do
W.W. Witherspoon.	Colonel	--	36th Mississippi.	Killed near interior works
G. M. Gallaspy	Captain	C	do
W.J. Smith	do	F	do	Wounded between works.
P. H. Davis	Lieutenant	A	do
J. N. Denson	First sergeant	F	do
H. B. Williams	Sergeant	F	do	Wounded between works.
D. F. Pace	Corporal	F	do
E.J. Pace	Private	F	do
S.S. Braswell	do	F	do
M. N. Sojourner	Sergeant	G	do	Wounded between works.
Nicholas Pace	Captain	A	46th Mississippi
C. L. Nichols	Private	A	do
Isaac Whatley	do	A	do
J.T. Duckworth	Lieutenant	B	do
W. H. Barnett		D	do
J. W. Pennington	Sergeant	D	do
W. Deavers	Private	D	do
J. S. Hill	do	D	do
A. Phillips	do	D	do
J.C. Phillips	do	D	do
J M Ross	do	D	do
R. H. Sewell	do	D	do
D. Hildebrand	Sergeant	E	do
A. Screws	Corporal	E	do	Wounded.
T. P. Wiggins	Captain	F	do
W. M. McElroy	Sergeant	F	do
J. W. Kittrell	Private	F	do
W. W. Harvey	Sergeant	F	do	Wounded severely at main ditch.
J. A. Epting	Lieutenant	G	do
W. Warren	Corporal	G	do
A.M. Anderson	do	G	do
J. M. Eakin	do	G	do
J. Drummond	Private	G	do	Wounded.
S. B. Windham	do	G	do
J. B. White	do	H	do
T. Burgess	Captain	I	do	Wounded twice severely while near main ditch.
T. A. Florence	Private	K	do
M. J. Albritton	Corporal	A	7th Mississippi Battalion.
G. D. Hartfield	Captain	B	do	Wounded near second line.
M. Glover	Private	B	do
H. Steward	do	B	do
W. B. McDonald	do	B	do
W. W. Jordan	Corporal	E	do
A. J. Thompson	Captain	G	do	Wounded near second line.
W. Carter	Private	F	do
J. B. Smith	Sergeant	A	4th Mississippi	Wounded.
W.J. Butler	Private	A	do
W. J. Pearson	do	A	do
W. W. Nations	do	A	do
Isaac McCafferty	do	A	do
G. G. S. Patterson	Corporal	B	do
A. J. Strickland	Private	B	do
J. T. Thornton	Corporal	B	do	Killed.
W. H. Cook	Private	B	do	Do
W. B. Smith	do	C	do
J. J. Graham	do	C	do
W. D. Thompson	do	C	do
J. J. Cowey	Corporal	C	4th Mississippi	Killed
L. O. Paris	Captain	D	do	Do
W. H. Patton	Private	D	do	Do
W. H. Sartain	do	D	do	Do
W. E. Brasher	Sergeant	D	do	Wounded.
C. C. Clements	Corporal	D	do	Do
J. W. Stevens	Private	D	do	Do
Wyatt Brasher	Sergeant	D	do	Do
Henry Counts	Private	D	do	Do
W. Counts	do	D	do	Do
M. J. West	Sergeant	D	do
C. W. McCain	Private	D	do
J.M. Levain	do	D	do
O. E. Townsend	Second lieutenant	E	do
W. H. Lowriman	Private	E	do
John Stafford	do	E	do
John Boland	do	E	do
L. J. King	do	E	do
J. S. Yelington	do	E	do
P.S. Webb	do	E	do
E. P. Holmes	Sergeant	E	do	Wounded.
John A. Pyron	Private	E	do	Do
W. A. Stafford	do	E	do
W. M. Nabors	Sergeant	E	do
S.W. King	Corporal	E	do	Wounded.
Samuel Fox	First lieutenant	F	do
H. L. Bailey	Sergeant	F	do
J. M. Hastings	Private	F	do
G. D. Taylor	Sergeant	H	do	Killed.
G. W. Kerr	Corporal	H	do	Wounded.
J. W. Russell	do	H	do
R. W. Anderson	Private	H	do
W. E. Black	do	H	do
Jesse Riddle	do	H	do
J. B. Minter	do	H	do
H. J. Russell	do	H	do	Wounded.
W. S. Massey	Sergeant	K	do
J. E. Bowie	Corporal	K	do	Wounded.
W. S. Dulin	do	K	do
A. C. McComb	do	K	do	Wounded.
T. T. Bates	Private	K	do	Do
J. P. Garner	do	K	do
W. H. McComb	do	K	do
S. T. L. Ramage	do	K	do
E.G. Liles	Captain commanding	--	39th Mississippi.
J. F. Newsom	Sergeant	A	do
D. J. Drummond	Private	A	do
S. M. Brooks	do	A	do
H. D. McNease	do	A	do
Wm. B. Hemphill	do	A	do
S. A. Farmer.	Do	A	do	Killed.
J. S. Donnell	Corporal	B	do	Wounded.
T. Speaks	Private	B	do	Do
W. W. Thacker	Sergeant	B	do
G. W. Elliott	First lieutenant	C	do	Wounded.
Tom Waters	Private	C	do
D.M. Adams	Sergeant	D	do	Killed.
E. Carleton	Sergeant, acting adjutant	D	do	Slightly wounded twice.
J. S. Ware	Corporal	D	do	Slightly wounded twice.
R. Wilner	Private	D	do	Wounded twice.
J. S. Smith	do	D	do	Do
J. D. Sims	do	D	do	Do
M. Williams	do	D	do	Do
B. Chaney	do	D	do	Do
G. R. Sims	do	D	do
M. C. Nichols	do	D	do
M. Russell	do	D	do
Thomas Parks	do	D	do
J. M. Loper	do	D	do
R. J. Williams	do	E	do	Wounded.
M. Townsend	Captain	F	do	Killed.
D. J. Grubbs	Private	F	do	Do
William Hutson	Corporal	F	do
A. Hutson	Private	F	do
J. B. Mahoffy.	do	F	do
Joseph B. Garrett	do	F	do
E. T. Kersh	Corporal	G	do
Jacob D. Kersh	Private	G	39th Mississippi
J. P. Hodges	Corporal	I	do	Killed.
J. D. Jones	Private	I	do	Do
R. Crisswell	do	I	do
E. Dockery	do	I	do	Killed.
J. T. Hodges	do	I	do
J. Neely	do	I	do
W. D. Coney	Second lieutenant	K	do
B. F. Elzey	Sergeant	K	do

Respectfully submitted.

J. W. BENOIT,        

Assistant Adjutant-General.

NEAR NASHVILLE, TENN., December 14, 1864.

_______________

[ First indorsement.]

Respectfully forwarded.

R. H. SHOTWELL,        

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

_______________

[Second indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS FRENCH'S DIVISION,        

December 14, 1864.

Respectfully transmitted.

These gallant men merit honorable mention; they were foremost amidst the forlorn hope.

C. W. SEARS,        

Brigadier-General Commanding Division.

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. 714-9