No. 180.
Report of Col. Benjamin Harrison, Seventieth Indiana Infantry,
commanding First Brigade,
of operations November 29, 1864--January 12, 1865.
HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, PROVISIONAL DIVISION,
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Chattanooga, Tenn.,
January 12, 1865.
In obedience to your instructions, I have the honor to
submit the following report of the operations of this brigade from the time of
its leaving Chattanooga (November 29) to the present date:
The organization of the brigade, begun about the 20th of
November, had been but partially perfected when orders were received on the
29th of November to take the field. The brigade consisted of three battalions, designated,
respectively, the First, Second, and Third, each composed, as far as possible,
of the officers and men belonging to the corresponding divisions of the
Twentieth Army Corps—the First Battalion, with an effective force of 290, was
commanded by Captain Halbert, Regiment ———; the Second Battalion, with an
effective force of 304, was in command of Major Hoskins, One hundred and
twenty-ninth Illinois Volunteers; the Third Battalion was in command of Lieutenant-Colonel
McManus, One hundred and second Illinois Volunteers, with an effective force of
406 men; making an aggregate effective force of 1,000 men in the brigade. Quite
a large proportion of the men thus designated as effective were, in fact, quite
unfit for duty in the field—many were still suffering from wounds received in
the Georgia campaign; others were fresh from the hospitals and only partly
convalescent from attacks of sickness; while a still larger number were raw
recruits, utterly uninstructed and not inured to hardship. The recruits
represented almost every European nationality, and very many of them were
unable to speak or understand the simplest words of our language.
On the 29th of November, 1864, at 5 p.m., my brigade was
placed upon the cars at Chattanooga, and shortly after started in the direction
of Nashville. (Before starting, however, my First Battalion, Captain Hulbert,
was detached and ordered to report to Colonel Malloy, commanding brigade,
Fifteenth Army Corps.) At 10 a.m. the following day we arrived at Cowan
Station, where the troops were unloaded and placed in position. At 7 p.m. of
the same day orders were received from Brigadier-General Cruft, commanding
Provisional Division, Army of the Cumberland, to put the troops again upon the
cars, which was accomplished by 10 p.m.
At daylight the following day, December 1, the trains were
again started in the direction of Nashville, at which place we arrived about
dusk without incident. The troops were unloaded and put in bivouac for the
night, and the following morning, December 2, were moved and put in position on
a hill near the house of Mr. Rains, my brigade holding the right of the line.
This position was intrenched and held until the following day, December 3, when
we were ordered to retire our line, and were placed in position at right angles
with the Murfreesborough turnpike, facing eastward, my brigade in two lines,
still holding the right, which rested upon the premises of Judge J. Trimble. A
short line of earth-works was here constructed, protected by abatis and picket
work, the Third Battalion occupying the works and the Second being in reserve,
except one company, which was placed in rear of J. Trimble's house, to cover
our right flank. My command continued to occupy this position, without material
change or any important incident, till the 9th day of December, when Captain
Hulbert (First Battalion) was ordered to report to me for duty, and was placed
in position, on the right of Judge Trimble's house, in a line of works, refused
to cover the right flank.
On the evening of the 14th of December orders were received
to have the command ready to march at 4 a.m. the following morning, with sixty
rounds of ammunition to the man and three days' rations. At the hour named the
brigade was in motion, and was conducted to the right and ordered to relieve
Kimball's division, of the Fourth Army Corps, by placing a strong skirmish line
in the works occupied by that division. This was accomplished shortly after
daylight, the right of my line resting on a hill about 300 yards to the right
of the Granny White pike, and the left extending well toward Fort Casino. The
troops were kept in this position, under arms, during this and the following day
while the battle of Nashville was progressing in their front. No demonstration
was made upon the line held by us, nor were any of my troops engaged, though
the artillery in my line opened somewhat effectively.
On the morning of the 19th the brigade was, in obedience to
orders from General Cruft, withdrawn from this position and put in march for
Murfreesborough. The weather and roads were of the very worst description, the
mud being shoe-top deep, and the rain pouring in torrents upon the knapsacks
and blankets gave them an additional weight, which greatly burdened the men,
and not a few were left along the roadside, there not being a single ambulance
for the entire command. We were encamped about dark at La Vergne, having made a
distance of sixteen miles. The next day at 10 o'clock the command was
comfortably encamped at Murfreesborough, on a portion of the old battle-field
of Stone's River. At 8 a.m. of the following day (December 21) orders were
received to put the men upon the cars, and by 10 a.m. the brigade was loaded in
box-cars, about sixty men inside and twenty on top of each car. Soon after the
cars were loaded the weather turned suddenly and severely cold, accompanied by
a piercing wind. Those on top soon found the cold unbearable, and many became
so benumbed with cold that it was with great difficulty they could be got off
the cars. Added to this cause of suffering and complaint the men were without
rations, and none could be procured until we could reach Stevenson. I had great
difficulty in keeping the men to their duty, but most of them endured their
suffering with as much fortitude as could have been expected. Rations were
issued at Stevenson on the evening of the 23d, and, without unloading, the
train proceeded on the road toward Huntsville.
December 25 we arrived at Limestone Creek, fifteen miles
from Decatur, where the troops were unloaded, and on the morning of the 26th we
took up the march for the Tennessee River at the mouth of the creek. On the
march this day the troops were compelled to wade a creek three feet deep, and
on the following morning were called upon to wade a bayou much deeper and
forty-five yards wide. This unusual exposure was endured by the men with even
greater cheerfulness than could have been expected, as it was a severe trial of
the physical constitution and of the patriotism of the men to require them to
wade such streams in midwinter.
On the morning of the 27th of December the Provisional
Division had arrived at a point on the north bank of the Tennessee River about
two miles above Decatur. About this time the transports bearing the colored
troops and the gun-boats came down and landed in fine style on the south bank
opposite. After the disembarkation of those troops my brigade was ferried over
by the transports and landed on the south side. Soon after landing the enemy
opened with a section of artillery and dropped some shells near us, but without
damage. When the whole command had crossed we were moved over the mouth of a
bayou which completely surrounded the place of landing and put in position on a
ridge beyond. Very soon after and while preparing to issue rations received an
order to move my brigade forward and form on the right of Colonel Salm's
brigade, which was advancing toward Decatur. This order was promptly executed,
and having deployed a skirmish line my command advanced in line of battle
through a very dense wood and underbrush toward Decatur. While forming the
enemy burst a few shells over my lines, but, as it appeared afterward, the
enemy on our advance immediately withdrew the artillery and evacuated the
place. We moved from Decatur on the eve of the 28th after dark and marched out
two miles on the Courtland road, when we encamped. This march, though short,
was very trying. The weather was severely cold, the road difficult and muddy,
and at our encampment no sufficient amount of wood could be found to make the
men comfortable. On the 29th the command marched twelve miles and encamped at
Swope's farm.
On the 30th we moved into Courtland and went into camp, and
remained there until the evening of January 4, when we took up the return march
and arrived at Decatur on the morning of the 6th. Having crossed the river on
the pontoon bridge we immediately embarked on the cars for Chattanooga. At
midnight same day we were unloaded and put in camp about two miles out from
Huntsville, and remained there until noon of the following day, when we were
again placed upon the cars and ran as far as Larkinsville, when we were again
unloaded, and remained until the evening of the 8th. At 4 p.m. of this day I
received verbal orders from Brigadier-General Cruft to proceed with my brigade
to Bellefonte Station, ten miles above Larkinsville, to intercept a force of
rebel cavalry under General Lyon, reported to be moving in that direction to
cross the Tennessee River. I at once put my command on the cars and proceeded
toward Bellefonte. In passing I stopped the train at Scottsborough and informed
the lieutenant commanding there that the enemy, 800 strong, with one piece of
artillery, was moving toward the railroad, and that if he was attacked I would
re-enforce him. I arrived at Bellefonte Station just at dusk. The troops were
immediately unloaded, and a detachment of fifteen mounted men from the Eleventh
Indiana and First Alabama Cavalry (which accompanied me) was sent north on the
Winchester road (which crosses the railroad at this point), under the command
of Lieut. S. G. Willets, of my staff, to ascertain the direction in which the
enemy was moving. Infantry scouts were also dispatched to the town of
Bellefonte, one mile and a half south of the railroad, and about one mile from
the river, and a patrol started back on the railroad toward Scottsborough to
gather the earliest information of the presence of the enemy. While awaiting
the report of these parties the troops were put in position near the stockade,
one battalion occupying the work. About 12 p.m., and before any report had been
received from my scouts, some scattering musketry was heard in the direction of
Scottsborough, five miles west on the railroad. The troops were kept in
readiness to move whenever the locality of the enemy might be discovered. While
thus waiting a train going east stopped at Bellefonte Station, and reported to
the sergeant of the guard that Scottsborough had been attacked, and that the
lieutenant commanding there desired a re-enforcement of fifty to seventy-five
men. I at once sent an order to Captain Titus, who had already started with a
patrol of fifty men in that direction, to push rapidly forward, and if possible
to throw himself in to the relief of the garrison, and hold the enemy in check
until I could re-enforce with the brigade. Shortly afterward another train
passed up the road, and they (hailed by me) reported that there was no attack
on Scottsborough, that only a few guerrillas had placed some obstructions on
the track, and that most of the firing had been done by the guard on the train.
This led me to believe that the movement on Scottsborough was only a feint and
that the real crossing could yet be attempted at Bellefonte. In a few minutes
the musketry firing was renewed at Scottsborough, and was soon followed by five
discharges of artillery, after which all firing ceased. The fight certainly did
not last more than half an hour. I was now satisfied that the real attack had
been made at Scottsborough, and concluded that the garrison of colored troops
(fifty-five in number) had been overcome. I felt satisfied that the enemy would
not delay long at Scottsborough, but would probably push on at once for some of
the ferries on the river. My cavalry returned about this time and brought with
them two citizens residing in Maynard's Cove (and one notorious guerrilla), who
had seen Lyon's command nine miles from and going toward Scottsborough one hour
and a half before sunset, and who estimated his force at 800 cavalry and one
light piece of artillery, and that his men said that they intended to attack
Scottsborough. I at once started the cavalry through the town of Bellefonte,
with directions to keep the road running from that point toward Huntsville
parallel to the river, and to feel in to the river at the Bellefonte and McGinn
ferries, to ascertain whether the enemy were attempting either of those
crossings. At 2 a.m. [9th] I started with my entire force (leaving a garrison
of fifty convalescents in the stockade) to follow the road taken by the
cavalry. This part of the night was very dark and the mud and water deep, so
that our progress was very slow. I halted at daylight at Snodgrass' farm, on
Dry Creek, and gave the men time to breakfast while a bridge was built over the
stream. Having definitely learned that the enemy had moved southwest from
Scottsborough, I concluded that he would not strike the river above Larkin's
Landing, but I continued my march parallel to the river toward that landing,
feeling in with my cavalry frequently, so as to be certain that the enemy did
not slip between me and the river.
About 12 m. this day I received an order from General Cruft
directing me to have my command at daylight of the 9th at the Bellefonte Ferry,
and stating that Colonel Malloy's brigade would be at Sublett's Landing, two
miles and a half below. As I had already ascertained that the enemy had moved
farther down the river (a fact not known to the general when the order was
written), I deemed it my duty to disregard it and push on down the river. My
march was miserably slow, and at 4.30 p.m. I found myself at Squire Hodges' farm,
on Rosebury Creek. As my men had been out of rations all day and very much
exhausted, I halted for the night and pressed some teams to send back to
Scottsborough for rations. In the morning Rosebury Creek was so swollen by
rains as to render it impossible to cross with infantry, and having learned
that two brigades had already reached Larkin's Landing I did not deem it best
to push on by the circuitous route I would be obliged to follow, but concluded
to remain where I would be in position to intercept the enemy should he attempt
to push his way back into the mountains. Accordingly I lay in camp during the
10th day of January awaiting orders from General Cruft and keeping my cavalry
out watching for straggling parties of the enemy. On the morning of the 11th
received orders to move my command to the nearest railroad station, and if I
could procure transportation to come on to Chattanooga and report to General
Steedman. Having succeeded in getting a train from Mr. Bryant, military
superintendent railroad, I left Scottsborough about 2 p.m. the 11th instant,
and, taking up my small garrison at Bellefonte, arrived at Chattanooga at 3
a.m. the 12th instant, and reported to General Steedman, as ordered.
In concluding I must say that the campaign, though not characterized
by much fighting, was one of unusual severity and hardship, and considering the
character of the men composing the command, certainly much more was
accomplished and endured by it than could in reason have been expected. My
officers were utterly without baggage and often without blankets, and several
times without rations. They discharged their duties faithfully and cheerfully.
The officers of my staff, who, with me, shared all the privations spoken of
above, are entitled to my thanks and this public acknowledgment for their
energy and intelligence. Two battalion commanders and ten line officers and two
of my staff were returned sick during the campaign, While 240 enlisted men were
sent back exhausted and sick.
Respectfully
submitted.
BENJ. HARRISON,
Colonel, Commanding.
Capt. J. A. WRIGHT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
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. 519-24
