No. 224.
Report of Col. Thomas Saylor, Twenty-ninth Michigan Infantry, of operations December 13, 1864.
SIR: I have the
honor to report that, in compliance with your order of the 13th instant, I
proceeded with my regiment in charge of a train south on the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad for the purpose of obtaining fuel, and reconnoitering with
the view of preventing the enemy from destroying the road at any point which
time and circumstances would permit me to pass over. About three miles from
town, immediately in the vicinity of the residence of Mr. Russell, we found a
culvert on fire and a few rebels scattered about the premises. I left a
sergeant and fifteen men as a guard to that portion of the road, and proceeded
between eight and nine miles, when, on the suggestion of the conductor, I
stopped to load the train. About 4 p.m., the train being loaded, I moved
cautiously toward town. I had proceeded but a few miles when clouds of smoke
were seen to rise from the track a short distance ahead. On approaching the same
and halting the train, we were greeted with a volley of musketry from the
enemy, who were posted behind a ridge on our left, apparently in large numbers.
I disembarked two companies, deployed them, and threw them rapidly toward the
enemy, who fell back on their approach. In the meantime the fire was removed
from the track and the men lively at work relaying the same, about fifty feet
of which was torn up and thrown aside. About the time the track was in
sufficient repair to pass over they opened upon us with artillery. I then
ordered the train to move forward, when, to my surprise, I found that the
brakemen had decamped and the engineer could not be found. He finally made his
appearance after an absence of about ten minutes, during which time we were exposed
to a galling fire and the engine in great danger of being demolished by the
rapid firing of the enemy. We finally got in motion and moved slowly on, with a
line of skirmishers in rear of the train, who were at times heavily pressed by
the rebels. The water-tank of the engine was rent by a ball and the water
escaped, for the want of which the train was brought to a stand about four
miles from town, from which point we were obliged to push it home by hand.
In our exertions to
repel the enemy and conduct the train safely in we lost in killed, wounded, and
missing as follows:1 man killed; 9 men and 1 officer wounded; 6 men missing;
total loss, 17.
Assistant Adjutant-General.
