No. 208
Reports of Maj. Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, U. S. Army, commanding District of Tennessee,
of operations December 4-12, 1864.
MURFREESBOROUGH,
TENN., December 8, 1864—12 m.
GENERAL: I beg leave to report that everything is in
first-rate condition here. The railroad south of this is believed to be
uninjured, as well as the railroad between this and Overall's Creek, five miles
north. From a point half a mile beyond that creek the railroad is believed to
be destroyed north beyond La Vergne. The block-houses Nos. 5 and 6 were
abandoned, and the garrisons arrived safely here. These garrisons received
orders from Captain Hake, at La Vergne (who said he acted under the orders of
General Thomas),to abandon the block-houses. They did so, with the enemy all
around them, and, much to my surprise and their own, reached here without loss,
coming though the country. On Sunday [4th] last the block-house at Overall's
Creek was attacked by General Bate's division with a battery of artillery, and
seventy-four shots fired at it, doing it no damage. In the afternoon a force of
three regiments of infantry, four companies of the Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry,
Colonel Johnson, with a section of artillery, went out from here, under General
Milroy. The force of the enemy was unknown to me. This force attacked and
routed the enemy, showing great spirit and courage. Our loss in the affair was
4 killed and 49 wounded. The loss of the enemy was unknown, for although we
took possession of the field night closed in at the end of the fight, and I
ordered our forces to return at once to the fortress, which they did. Colonel
Johnson, Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry, with four companies of his regiment, being
cut off from Nashville by the enemy, joined me here and has rendered very
efficient service. On Monday [5th] the enemy were re-enforced by two brigades
of infantry and 2,500 of Forrest's cavalry, under Forrest in person. On Monday
evening and during Tuesday and Wednesday [7th] the enemy demonstrated against
the fortress at all points as well as against the town. They were very impudent
and skirmished heavily with us, especially on the Nashville pike, coming up to
within a mile of the fortress. On Wednesday the enemy's infantry had moved
around on the Wilkinson pike, about one mile and a quarter northwest of the
fortress. The major-general commanding will not have forgotten the very spot,
being near where Negley's command was formed at the battle of Stone's River, a
little farther south. Not knowing where the main body of the enemy was, I sent
General Milroy, with seven regiments and a battery, on the Salem pike, with
directions to swing around to right, returning parallel to the works along the
line of the woods west and northwest of the fortifications. The enemy was
encountered on the Wilkinson pike behind breast-works made of logs and rails,
and infantry and cavalry utterly routed and driven off in great confusion,
Forrest's cavalry making the finest time, to the right, across and down the
Nashville road, I have seen in many a day.
Our loss was about 30 killed and 175 wounded. The loss of
the enemy unknown, though it largely exceeded ours. Immediately after the fight
I ordered our forces to return to the fortress. In this fight we captured 207
prisoners, including 18 commissioned officers. We captured also 2 guns of the
enemy (12-pounder Napoleons), and have them now in position on the fortress.
Just before General Milroy fell upon the enemy Buford's
division of cavalry attacked Murfreesborough and entered the town, shelling it
fiercely, knocking the houses to pieces. With a regiment of infantry and a
section of artillery I drove the enemy out of the town, and I have not heard
any more of them in any direction since. All is perfectly quiet here to-day,
which doubtless results from the fact that the enemy was badly whipped. In
these fights the troops have behaved with exceeding courage and I am glad to
say that the new troops have not been at all behind the old in the exhibition
of steadiness and courage.
I heard from General Granger on Monday last by telegram and
he was all right at Stevenson, having had great difficulty from high water in
reaching there, going but eight miles a day for three days. The wires in that
direction were cut at 4 p.m. on that day, and I have not heard from him since.
Perhaps you have not heard of the enemy's loss of generals
at the battle of Franklin; I have it definitely from prisoners; it is this:
Killed, Major-General Cleburne, Brigadier-General Gist, Brigadier-General
Strahl, Brigadier-General Adams, Brigadier-General Carter, Brigadier-General
Granbury, and three others wounded. It is reported by citizens here that Bate
was killed on yesterday, and I think the report very probably true.
I shall ask leave to make a more detailed report, calling
attention, amongst other matters, to the deportment of individual officers and
men.
I am, general, very respectfully, &c.,
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,
Major-General.
Brig. Gen. W. D. WHIPPLE,
Chief of Staff._______________
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE,
Murfreesborough, December 12, 1864.
Dispatches from General Thomas of the 5th and 8th instant
received last night. Railroad train to Stevenson for supplies will take this
dispatch to be forwarded. Wires down between this and Stevenson. On the 8th
instant I dispatched by courier by way of Gallatin reporting operations here on
the 4th instant. The enemy attacked the block-house at Overall's Creek, fired
seventy-four shots, doing no damage. I sent three regiments, under General
Milroy, to its relief. The enemy (Bate's division) were routed and driven off.
We took some prisoners, near thirty, but no guns. Loss of the enemy unknown, as
night closed in before the fight was over. Our troops, new and old, behaved
admirably. We withdrew at night. The next evening Bate returned, skirmished
with amid drove in our pickets, and threatened the fortress; pretty heavy
skirmishing till the 7th, when the enemy moved around on the Wilkinson pike,
northwest of the fortress. He was re-enforced by Forrest with 2,500 cavalry and
two divisions of infantry. On the evening of the 6th he made a breast-work of
logs and rails on Wilkinson's pike, from which he was driven on the 7th by
General Milroy with seven regiments of the garrison here; a pretty severe
engagement, lasting perhaps three-quarters of an hour. The rout was complete,
infantry and cavalry running in every direction. The fight was well conducted
by Major-General Milroy, and the troops behaved most gallantly. We took 207
prisoners, including 18 commissioned officers, 2 pieces (12-pounder Napoleons)
of artillery, which were at once placed in position in the fortifications, and
1 stand of colors belonging to the First and Third Florida. Our loss in the
fight at Overall's Creek was 5 killed and 49 wounded, and on Wilkinson's pike
about 175 killed and wounded, 1 missing. I reported these facts a little more
fully in my dispatch of the 8th, which may not have reached you. I am
subsisting off the country, which I think I can do. Before the fight on the
Wilkinson pike, Buford's division of cavalry took possession of about one-half
of the town of Murfreesborough, shelling it vigorously and destroying many of
the houses. With a section of artillery and a small force of infantry, I drove
them, wounding and killing 30 and taking 25 prisoners. A captain of artillery
left his boots, letters, sponges, staff buckets, on the ground. We lost one man
wounded. The enemy's cavalry all around, but I think in small bodies. We forage
without molestation. No enemy near here that! know of. Cheatham reported coming
this way through Triune. All right here, and will endeavor to keep it so.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,
Major-General.
Brig. Gen. W. D. WHIPPLE,
Chief of Staff.
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. 612-5
