No. 178.
Report of Maj. Gen.
James B. Steedman, U.S. Army, commanding Provisional Detachment (District of
the Etowah), of operations November 29, 1864 - January 13, 1865.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT
OF THE ETOWAH,
Chattanooga, January
27, 1865.
GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of
the operations of my command during the recent campaign which resulted in the
defeat of the enemy before Nashville and his retreat to Alabama: In obedience
to the orders of Major-General Thomas, my command—consisting of the Eighteenth
Regiment Ohio Volunteers, Sixty-eighth Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Sixth
Indiana (dismounted) Cavalry; Fourteenth, Sixteenth, and Forty-fourth U.S.
Colored Troops; detachments of the Fourteenth, Twentieth, and Seventeenth Army
Corps, organized into a provisional division and commanded by Brig. Gen.
Charles Cruft; and the Eighteenth Ohio and Twentieth Indiana Batteries;
amounting in the aggregate to about 5,200 men—moved from Chattanooga, by
railroad, on the 29th day of November, and proceeded to Cowan, Tenn., where I
took my command from the cars the next morning at 8 o'clock and placed it in
position. At 6 p.m. of the same day I received an order, by telegraph, from the
major-general commanding to proceed as rapidly as possible with my command and
report to him at Nashville, arriving at that place at 5 p.m. on the 1st day of
December. By an accident to one of the trains the command of Colonel Johnson,
of the Forty-fourth U.S. Colored Troops, was detained until the morning of the
2d of December, when the train conveying his troops was attacked by the cavalry
of the enemy five miles south of Nashville. I herewith submit Colonel Johnson's
report of his encounter with the enemy.
On the 2d day of December I moved my command, by order of
the major-general commanding, into position, and occupied and fortified the
ridge between the Murfreesborough and Nolensville pikes, and crossing the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad on Rains' farm.
December 3, by order of Major-General Thomas, I withdrew my
command from the position occupied the day previous and placed it on a line
indicated near the city of Nashville, on the north side of Brown's Creek,
extending from the Nolensville pike across the Murfreesborough pike, the left
resting near the house of Major Lewis, a short distance from the Lebanon pike.
This position was strongly fortified by my troops, and held until they were
withdrawn to participate in the action on the 15th of December.
December 5 and 7, by order of Major-General Thomas, I
directed a small brigade of colored troops, under the command of Col. T. J.
Morgan, of the Fourteenth U.S. Colored Troops, and the Sixty-eighth Indiana
Volunteers and Sixth Indiana (dismounted) Cavalry, under the command of Colonel
Biddle, to reconnoiter the position of the enemy in my front. This force on
both days drove the enemy from the left of the works constructed by my command
on Rains' farm, which he had taken possession of after my troops abandoned
them. These reconnaissances were conducted by the officers in Command with
prudence, energy, and ability, and were successful in developing the enemy's
position. A detailed account of the result will be found in the report of
Colonel Morgan, herewith forwarded.
December 11, in compliance with the order of Major-General
Thomas, I directed Brigadier-General Cruft to reconnoiter the enemy's position.
This reconnaissance, made by a brigade under the command of Col. J. G.
Mitchell, owing to the whole surface of the country being covered with ice,
rendering it almost impossible for men or animals to move over uneven ground,
and on account of the steep slopes to be ascended in approaching the position
of the enemy, was a difficult duty, but it was accomplished and the position of
the enemy developed.
December 13, in obedience to the orders of Major-General
Thomas, a brigade of General Cruft's troops, under the command of Col. A. G.
Malloy, reconnoitered in front of my position, and felt the enemy's right. The
ground being still covered with smooth ice rendered the movement tedious and
hazardous, but under all the disadvantages was skillfully executed, the enemy
forced into his works, and the object of the reconnaissance accomplished. The
movement was made under the immediate direction of General Cruft.
December 15, the weather having moderated, and the ground
thawed sufficiently to enable men and animals to stand up, in obedience to the
orders of Major-General Thomas, the Provisional Division of troops, under the
command of Brigadier-General Cruft, moved at 4 a.m., and relieved the troops of
the Fourth and Twenty-third Army Corps, occupying their exterior line of works
and picketing the front of this line from the Acklen place to Fort Negley, and
commanding the approaches to the' city by the Granny White, Franklin, and
Nolensville turnpikes. Brig. Gen. J. F. Miller reported his command to me at 4
a.m., and occupied the works from Fort Negley to the Lebanon pike, commanding
the approaches to the city by the Murfreesborough, Chicken, and Lebanon
turnpikes. Brig. Gen. J. L. Donaldson reported his command at 6 o'clock, and
occupied the works from the right of General Cruft's command to the Tennessee
River, commanding the approach to the city by the Hardin and Hillsborough
turnpikes. Having thus disposed the troops as directed for the protection of
the city—fully commanding all its approaches—and rendering the public property
and supplies secure against sudden attack from either flank I moved out at 6.30
a.m., in obedience to the orders of Major-General Thomas—with the Twelfth,
Thirteenth, and One hundredth Regiments of Colored Troops, under the command of
Colonel Thompson, of the Twelfth Colored; the Fourteenth, Seventeenth,
Forty-fourth, and a detachment of the Eighteenth Regiment Colored Troops, under
command of Col. T. J. Morgan, of the Fourteenth Colored; the Sixty-eighth
Indiana Volunteers, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, and the Second Battalion,
Fourteenth Army Corps, under command of Lieut. Col. C. H. Grosvenor; and the
Twentieth Indiana and Eighteenth Ohio Batteries—to attack the enemy's right,
employ his forces at that point, and as far as possible by my movements to
mislead him as to the real point of attack. The fog was very dense, and delayed
somewhat movements on the entire line. A few minutes before 8, when the fog had
partially cleared away and all my dispositions had been made for attack, Brig.
Gen. W. D. Whipple, chief of staff' of the Department of the Cumberland,
instructed me, by order of Major-General Thomas, as to the time of attack. At 8
o'clock, the time designated, the attack was made by the troops of Colonel
Morgan and Lieutenant-Colonel Grosvenor, Colonel Morgan commanding, advancing
from the Murfreesborough turnpike toward Riddle's Hill, rapidly driving in the
pickets of the enemy and assaulting his line of works between the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad and the Murfreesborough turnpike. In this assault the
troops behaved well, carrying a portion of the enemy's works, but as they were
exposed to a destructive fire, the enemy rapidly re-enforcing that part of his
line, and as my object was to deceive the enemy as to the purposes of the
major-general commanding, I withdrew this force, and immediately reformed it
for an attack on a force occupying an earth-work east of and within short
musket range of the Rains house. This attack was made at 11 a.m., and resulted
in my troops getting possession of the Rains house, and other adjacent brick
outbuildings, which were loop-holed and held until the next morning. While
these attacks were being made by the troops under Colonel Morgan, Colonel
Thompson's command moved across Brown's Creek, between the Nolensville and
Murfreesborough turnpikes, and attacked and carried the left of the front line
of works of the enemy resting on the Nolensville pike. This portion of the
enemy's line was held by Colonel Thompson's command until the morn-in, of the
16th.
During the operations of my command against the enemy's
right, General Cruft, holding the exterior line protecting the city, and
watching vigilantly all the movements, saw an opportunity to use his artillery
on a flying column of the enemy's troops, and promptly ordered the
Twenty-fourth [Twenty-fifth?] Indiana Battery, Captain Sturm, to open, which he
did with effect, scattering and demoralizing the force.
Darkness closed the operations of the day; all the orders I
received from Major-General Thomas had been executed—his plans successful, and
victory crowned our efforts. Throughout the day, and until the action closed at
dark, my command behaved nobly, making the several assaults ordered with cool,
steady bravery, retiring only when ordered to do so. A portion of the command
suffered severely; but no troops, behaving as gallantly as they did in assaulting
fortified positions, could have suffered less, or borne their losses more
heroically.
December 16, at 6 a.m., in obedience to the orders of
Major-General Thomas, my command moved on the enemy's works, and found that he
had evacuated the right of his line in my front during the night. Rushing out
my troops on the Nolensville pike, rapidly driving his cavalry, I took up a
position between the Nolensville pike and the left of the Fourth Corps,
commanded by Brig. Gen. T. J. Wood, my right resting on the railroad, my left
refused near the Nolensville pike, and covering the entire left of our line,
engaging and putting to flight a portion of the enemy's cavalry. General Cruft,
as I advanced with the troops under my immediate command, uncovering the approaches
to the city by way of the Murfreesborough and Nolensville turnpikes, promptly
pushed forward a brigade of his troops, under the command of Col. John G.
Mitchell, and occupied Riddle Hill, protecting our rear against any attempt of
the enemy to use his cavalry to annoy us or interfere with our ammunition or
ambulance train. At 1 p.m., in obedience to an order from Major-General Thomas,
my command formed a junction with the command of General Wood, and my troops
united with General Wood's in assaulting the enemy, who was strongly posted and
fortified on Overton's Hill. In this assault, although unsuccessful, the troops
engaged—two brigades of General Wood's, and Colonel Thompson's brigade of
colored troops, and Lieutenant-Colonel Grosvenor's brigade from my command—exhibited
courage and steadiness that challenged the admiration of all who witnessed the
charge. The concentrated fire of musketry and canister from the enemy's works
forced them back, with severe loss They were immediately reformed to renew the
assault, which would have been promptly made, but a division of General Wood's
troops, as I was informed, on the right of the Franklin pike, taking advantage
of the withdrawal by the enemy of a portion of his troops in their front to
re-enforce Overton Hill, made a charge, which caused the entire line of the
enemy to give way and retreat rapidly and in disorder. My troops, in
conjunction with General Wood's, immediately pursued, rapidly, taking a number
of prisoners. The pursuit was continued until after dark, when our exhausted
troops bivouacked for the night near Brentwood.
December 17, my command, in obedience to orders, continued
the pursuit, covering and protecting the left of our line, moving from
Brentwood, on the Wilson pike, to a point four miles south of Brentwood, and
crossing from that point by a southwest road to Franklin, where it bivouacked
for the night, not being able to cross the Harpeth River, which was much
swollen by the heavy rain of the night and day previous, and the bridges
destroyed by the enemy.
December 18, my command moved across the river and proceeded
about three miles beyond Franklin, on the road to Spring Hill, when, in
obedience to orders, I returned with my troops to Franklin and marched to
Murfreesborough, to proceed by rail to Decatur. Moving General Cruft's troops
from Nashville by the Murfreesborough pike, the whole command was concentrated
at Murfreesborough on the evening of the 20th. At Murfreesborough I received
dispatches from Col. A. J. Mackay, chief quartermaster of the department,
informing me that the transportation necessary to move my command by rail to
Decatur was on the way from Chattanooga, and transports conveying supplies
would meet me at such point as I might designate. These orders and dispositions
of Colonel Mackay were all perfect, but the severe cold weather, the injuries
to the road, and the criminal negligence, incompetency, and indifference of a
portion of the railroad employés, occasioned serious delays.
On the morning of the 22d of December my command moved from
Murfreesborough, reaching the mouth of Limestone River on the evening of the
26th, where I found Brig. Gen. R. S. Granger, with his command, with four
gun-boats, one armed transport (the Stone River), and five transports, with rations
and forage forwarded from Chattanooga for my command.
December 27, having constructed the trestles and secured the
plank necessary to bridge a lagoon, on the south side of the Tennessee River,
the night previous, I moved a portion of my command, with the transports,
convoyed by the gun-boats, down the river to a point three miles above Decatur,
where a landing was effected, the lagoon rapidly bridged, the troops crossed,
and pushed out in the direction of Decatur. The enemy attempted to check the crossing
of the troops with artillery, which he posted within half a mile of where we
were crossing the lagoon, but my advance having crossed before this artillery
opened was rapidly pushed out and drove it off. At 3 p.m. the whole of my
infantry had crossed, and at 7 p.m. was in possession of Decatur.
December 28, my artillery and cavalry was crossed; the
command rationed and moved out three miles on the road to Courtland. The
cavalry—the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, Colonel Palmer, and detachments of the
Second Tennessee, Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Indiana, under command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser, amounting in the aggregate to about 650 effective
men, Col. William J. Palmer, of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, commanding—moved
from Decatur at 8 p.m., and pushed rapidly forward, encountering the enemy six
miles from the river, on the Courtland road, and at once attacked and routed
him, capturing his artillery—a section of six-pounder brass guns.
December 29, my command moved at daylight, the cavalry in
advance, and went into camp at 5 o'clock within four miles of Court-land. The
infantry met no opposition. The cavalry skirmished most of the day in advance
of the infantry, driving the enemy rapidly toward Courtland. At Pond Spring,
three miles northeast of Courtland, he made a stand, but was immediately
charged and routed by my cavalry. The report of Colonel Palmer, commanding the
cavalry, herewith forwarded, gives a full account of this affair.
December 30, my infantry moved to Courtland, and went into
camp on the south side of the town on Big Nance Creek, the cavalry pushing on
as far as Leighton, thirteen miles west of Courtland. At 5 p.m. I received a
dispatch from Colonel Palmer, written at Leighton, asking my permission to
pursue, capture, and destroy Hood's pontoon train. I immediately gave him
permission to exercise his own judgment in the matter. He decided to pursue,
and in the most splendid manner not only accomplished all he proposed—the
destruction of the pontoon train—but pursued, captured, and destroyed a supply
train of 110 wagons. Colonel Palmer's command, in this enterprising and daring
expedition, captured and destroyed upward of 300 wagons, nearly 1,000 stand of
arms, a large number of mules and oxen, and captured and turned over 2 pieces
of artillery, 200 prisoners, including 13 commissioned officers, and 170
serviceable mules. To support the movement of Colonel Palmer I advanced two
brigades of infantry, under command of Colonel Thompson, to Town Creek, seven
miles west of Courtland, and one brigade, under command of Colonel Salm, to
Leighton. General Cruft's division, with the artillery, remained at Courtland.
January 3, having learned that Colonel Palmer had been
successful, and receiving an order from Major-general Thomas to return with my
command to Chattanooga, I moved with my infantry and artillery for Decatur,
reaching that place on the evening of the 5th of January.
January 4, at 1 a.m., I moved with the artillery and sick of
the command on board the transports for Chattanooga, leaving Brig. Gen. Cruft
to return with the infantry by rail. General Cruft was delayed several days on
his return by an order from Major-General Thomas directing him to pursue the
rebel General Lyon. This portion of the campaign, owing to the heavy rains swelling
all the streams out of their banks and rendering the roads almost wholly
impassable, was very arduous, but was skillfully and satisfactorily conducted
by General Cruft, resulting in the capture of a part of Lyon's men, and driving
all who escaped out of the country utterly demoralized. The report of General
Cruft, herewith forwarded, gives a detailed history of his operations in
pursuit of General Lyon. January 13 General Cruft returned to Chattanooga with
his command.
The following table will show the casualties of my command
during the entire campaign:
|
Command.
|
Killed.
|
Wounded.
|
Missing.
|
Total.
|
|
O
|
M
|
O
|
M
|
O
|
M
|
O
|
M
|
|
14th U.S. Colored Infantry.1
|
|
4
|
|
41
|
|
20
|
|
65
|
|
44th U.S. Colored Infantry.
|
1
|
2
|
|
27
|
2
|
49
|
3
|
78
|
|
16th U.S. Colored Infantry.
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
18th U.S. Colored Infantry.
|
|
1
|
|
5
|
|
3
|
|
9
|
|
17th U.S. Colored Infantry.
|
2
|
14
|
4
|
64
|
|
|
6
|
78
|
|
12th U.S. Colored Infantry.2
|
3
|
10
|
3
|
99
|
|
|
6
|
109
|
|
13th U. S. Colored Infantry.
|
4
|
51
|
4
|
161
|
|
1
|
8
|
213
|
|
100th U.S. Colored Infantry.
|
|
12
|
5
|
116
|
|
|
5
|
128
|
|
18th Ohio Infantry3
|
2
|
9
|
2
|
38
|
|
9
|
4
|
56
|
|
68th Indiana Infantry
|
|
1
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
Provisional Division, Army of the Cumberland
|
1
|
19
|
3
|
74
|
|
33
|
4
|
126
|
|
20th Indiana Battery4
|
|
|
2
|
6
|
|
|
2
|
6
|
|
Total
|
13
|
124
|
23
|
640
|
2
|
115
|
38
|
879
|
[O = Officers M = Men]
1 Organized as the First Colored Brigade, Col.
T.J. Morgan commanding.
2 Organized as the Second Colored Brigade, Col.
C. R. Thompson commanding.
3 Included
in the Provisional Division, Army of the Cumberland, Brigadier-General Cruft
commanding.
4 Captain Osborne.
The larger portion of these losses, amounting in the
aggregate to fully 25 per cent. of the men under my command who were taken into
action, it will be observed fell upon the colored troops. The severe loss of
this part of my troops was in their brilliant charge on the enemy's works on
Overton Hill on Friday afternoon. I was unable to discover that color made any
difference in the fighting of my troops. All, white and black, nobly did their
duty as soldiers, and evinced cheerfulness and resolution such as I have never
seen excelled in any campaign of the war in which I have borne a part.
In closing this brief report of the operations of my command
during the campaign, I feel that justice compels me to mention several officers
who distinguished themselves by their energy, courage, and unremitting efforts
to secure success.
Brig. Gen. Charles Cruft performed herculean labor in
organizing, arming, and equipping the detachments of recruits, drafted men, and
furloughed soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee to the number of 14,000-10,000
of whom took part in the campaign, in the battles before Nashville and in
guarding the railroad defenses south of the Tennessee River. Six thousand of
these men were commanded by the general in person in the field from the
commencement until the close of the campaign. The general deserves the thanks of
the country for the able and efficient manner in which he has performed this
duty.
Brig. Gen. John F. Miller, commanding post of Nashville,
displayed energy, efficiency, and promptness in placing his troops in position
to hold a portion of the exterior line protecting the city of Nashville.
I am much indebted to Brigadier-General Donaldson, chief
quartermaster of the department, for his efficient and energetic efforts to fit
out my command on its arrival at Nashville, and for the assistance he rendered
with the armed men of his department in protecting the city of Nashville
pending the engagement. My thanks are due Col. A. J. Mackay, chief
quartermaster Army of the Cumberland, for his promptness in furnishing
transportation to convey my command from Mur-freesborough to Decatur, and
forwarding supplies for my troops, by transports, to the mouth of Limestone
River.
Col. Felix Prince Salm, Sixty-eighth New York Veteran
Volunteers, commanded a provisional brigade of my troops, and exhibited high
qualities as a soldier. I respectfully recommend him for promotion.
Col. T. J. Morgan, Fourteenth U.S. Colored Troops, behaved
gallantly. I respectfully recommend him for promotion.
Lieut. Col. C. H. Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers,
behaved nobly in leading a charge on the rebel works, on the Rains place.
The following officers of my staff accompanied me on the
campaign and discharged all the duties that devolved upon them in a most
satisfactory manner: Col. C. S. Cotter, First Ohio Light Artillery, chief of
artillery; Maj. S. B. Moe, assistant adjutant-general; Capt. A. Mills,
Eighteenth U.S. Infantry, inspector; Capt. M. Davis, Fourteenth Ohio
Volunteers, aide-de-camp; Capt. W. B. Steedman, Fourteenth Ohio Volunteers,
aide-de-camp; Lieut. J. G. McAdams, Sixth Kentucky Cavalry, acting commissary
of subsistence. Col. H. B. Banning, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio
Volunteers, served me ably as provost-marshal; Capt. A. R. Keller, assistant
quartermaster, reported to me, and rendered me efficient service as
quartermaster for my command.
I am deeply indebted to Maj. S. B. Moe, my assistant
adjutant-general, for his efficient and gallant services on the field, as well
as for the valuable aid which his large experience as a railroad man enabled
him to render me in pushing through the trains conveying my troops from
Chattanooga to Nashville, and from Murfreesborough to Decatur.
Captain Osborne, Twentieth Indiana Battery, and Captain
Aleshire, Eighteenth Ohio Battery, deserve praise for the effective and gallant
manner in which they handled their respective batteries.
I am pleased to mention Mr. Stevens, superintendent of the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, Mr. Talmadge, master of transportation at
Chattanooga, and Mr. Bryant, assistant superintendent Nashville and Chattanooga
road, as most honorable exceptions among the railroad men who have been
censured by me for neglect of duty. These gentlemen did everything in their
power to aid me in getting over the railroad with my command. I respectfully commend
them for their efforts.
I respectfully recommend Col. William J. Palmer, Fifteenth
Pennsylvania Cavalry, for promotion for distinguished, gallant, and successful
services in pursuing, capturing, and destroying the pontoon and supply train of
the enemy.
I fully concur in all that General Cruft has said in his
report in commendation of the officers of his command.
Mr. James R. Hood, of Chattanooga, accompanied me throughout
the campaign, and rendered me efficient and valuable services as a volunteer aide.
Respectfully
submitted.
JAMES B. STEEDMAN,
Major-General,
Commanding.
[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. 502-9
