USA > Iowa > A history of the Sixth Iowa infantry > Part 17
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noon the pontoon bridge was laid down, when men, horses, artillery, and everything were safely crossed.
The Sixth Towa was deployed as skirmishers covering the front of the division and took position, lying in line until 2 p. m., when the order was given to advance to, and take possession of, a range of hills near Tunnel Hill in front of Missionary Ridge, which was done with but slight resistance. The enemy, some 200 or 300 strong, retired hastily and in some disorder to his batteries on the main ridge. The brigade occupied the hill, brought up the artillery to the top and fortified it. The enemy threw a few shots from his guns on the main ridge, which were soon silenced, and the troops worked all night on the fortifications.
The Second Brigade was designated to lead the advance the next morning and make the assault on the enemy's strong position and main fortifications at Tunnel Hill, and at 7 a. m., General Corse had made all his disposi- tions accordingly. At the first break of day a fierce can- nonade was commenced by both sides and continued until 8 a. m., when the 40th Illinois, Major H. W. Hall com- manding, and 3 companies of the 103rd Illinois, Major A. Willison commanding, advanced as skirmishers with the 46th Ohio, under Colonel C. C. Walcutt, as sup- port, and charged the enemy intrenched on the next ridge. General Corse led the charge in person and the enemy was driven from the position.
When the whole brigade was fully in possession of the captured hill, orders were then given to charge and dis- lodge the enemy in his main batteries and fortifications on Tunnel Hill. The orders for the new disposition were promptly executed, regiments and batteries moving
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to their assigned positions with celerity and precision, though subjected to a galling fire of musketry and ter- rific volleys of artillery.
The prompt and intelligent execution of orders, on the field under fire, by commanding officers, and the well de- fined confidence and steady courage displayed by the men, was very gratifying to those who had laid the sure foun- dation for such splendid results, while drilling at the Big Black River camps.
The assaulting column was formed by General Corse, thus: 40th Illinois under Major Hiram W. Hall, 5 com- panies of the 103rd Illinois under Major A. Willison, and 5 companies of the 46th Ohio under Captain John Ram- sey. Three troops were deployed as skirmishers in three lines, while the two remaining wings of the 103rd and 46th, and the 6th Iowa under Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Miller, composed the reserve for the lines, commanded by Colonel Charles C. Walcutt. The brigade had in line 920 effective men, and was again led by Brigadier-Gen- eral John M. Corse. The bugles sounded the advance, when the brigade rushed forward in the most gallant manner, through a terrific storm of musket balls and canister, shot at short range. The impetuous command- er, gallantly supported by his eager men, made repeated efforts to dislodge the enemy and carry the main works on Tunnel Hill, but the gallant and determined resis- tance made by General Patrick R. Cleburne and his di- vision of veteran soldiers successfully barred the way.
It was while leading his men up the rugged slopes at Tunnel Hill that General Corse was severely wounded and borne from the field. Captain Robert Allison, 6th Iowa, was instantly killed, a musket ball passing through his brain.
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It being impossible to maintain the advance position gained by the brigade, without sustaining serious loss, the order was given to form a few yards back under the crest of the hill. This position was held until 3 p. m., when the enemy came out of his works in large force, marching in heavy masses at close order with bayonets . fixed. Then it was that the men of the Second Brigade took revenge for the punishment they had received from the enemy, while safe under cover of his breastworks. When General Corse was borne from the field Colonel Walcutt assumed command of the brigade and in his re- port of the engagement, said :
In an instant every man was at his post and poured into the enemy volley after volley, that sent him running back to his works. . . . In this fight Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, Sixth Iowa, behaved with marked bravery.
The fighting had been hotly contested by all the com- mands of the corps during the day and continued all along the line until dark, when the brigade was relieved by other troops. The men who had approached so near to the enemy's works in the charge and who had remained concealed on the rugged slope of the ridge during the day, were also enabled to get away under cover of night.
It was well known at sundown, by all the troops en- gaged in the operation at Tunnel Hill and the north end of Missionary Ridge, that a great battle had been fought during the day by the armies commanded by General Grant, and that the Confederate forces under General Bragg, occupying Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge as an investing army, had been assailed with great fury in all their positions. But most of the men, ex- hausted and hungry, slept on the battlefield, chilled to
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the bone by the cold frosty November night, without full knowledge of the great victory won by the Army of the Cumberland.
The enemy evacuated the position at Tunnel Hill dur- ing the night, and at daybreak on the morning of the 26th, the Second Brigade and the Fourth Division at the head of the 15th Army Corps, crossed the East Chicka- mauga Creek in pursuit of General Bragg's fleeing army.
Sixth Iowa officers were mentioned for conspicuous and gallant service, while doing staff duty during the op- erations, as follows: Dr. A. T. Shaw, Division Surgeon, Captain. W. H. Clune, Assistant Adjutant-General [As- sistant Inspector-General], Major Thomas J. Ennis, and Lieutenant John T. Grimes on the staff of General Corse. General Walcutt said that "too much praise cannot be bestowed upon all the officers and men of the Second Brigade for their gallantry during the entire engagement
We had no lurkers; on the contrary, each man endeavored to out do the other."
General Sherman, in his official report of the oper- ations, mentions the part taken by General Corse's bri- gade as follows:
The sun had hardly risen before General Corse had complet- ed his preparations, and his bugle sounded the "forward". . . . The line advanced to within 80 yards of the intrenched position, where General Corse found a secondary crest, which he gained and held. . the enemy's artillery and musket- ry fire swept the approach to his position, giving him great ad- vantage. As soon as General Corse had made his preparations he assaulted, and a close, severe conflict ensued, lasting more than an hour, gaining and losing ground, but never the position first obtained, from which the enemy in vain attempted to drive him. The fight raged furiously about 10 a. m., when
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General Corse received a severe wound, and was brought off the field, and the command of the brigade and of the assault at that key point devolved on that fine, young, gallant officer, Colonel Walcutt. who filled his part manfully.
Denying a mistaken impression had at Chattanooga that his forces had been repulsed, he said :
Not so; the real attacking columns of General Corse, Colonel Loomis, and General Smith were not repulsed. They engaged in a close struggle all day, persistently, stubbornly, and well. When the two reserve brigades of General John E. Smith fell back as described, the enemy made a show of pursuit, but were caught in flank by the well directed fire of one brigade [ Corse's] on the wooded crest, and hastily sought his cover behind the hill. Thus matters stood about 3 p. m.
On the morning of the 25th, before daylight, General Hardee sent this message to General Cleburne :
Tell Cleburne we are to fight, that his division will undoubt- edly be heavily attacked, and that he must do his very best.
A Confederate staff-officer,17 serving with General Cleburne's division at that time, in a communication in the Southern Historical Society Papers, said :
A heavy mist had prevailed throughout the day on the 24th, but the morning of the 25th of November broke bright and clear. Before the sun was fairly up the troops were called to arms by picket firing, followed soon after by the line and artillery, and the conflict soon rose to the dignity of a general engagement. Repeated attempts were made to carry Cleburne's position, and the assaulting columns were repulsed and hurled bleeding down the slope, only to reform and charge again in gallant but vain ef-
17 Captain Irving A. Broek's Cleburne and his Division at Missionary Ridge and Ringgold Gap in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. VIII, pp. 464-475.
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fort. Cleburne's veterans found foemen worthy of their steel in the army commanded by Sherman and led by such lieutenants as Corse, Ewing, Leightburn, and Loomis. Almost the entire day was consumed. The enemy, met at every advance by a plunging and destructive artillery fire, followed, when in range, by a with- ering fire of infantry, were repulsed at all points, and slowly and stubbornly fell back. In some instances squads of them finding shelter behind the obstructions afforded by the rugged sides of the hill, kept up a damaging sharp-shooting until dislodged by stones hurled down upon them by the Texans.
This officer reported :
Cleburne's line, with his left resting near the right of the tunnel, extended over a circular wooded hill occupied by Smith's (Texas), Liddell's (Arkansas), and Polk's (Tennessee) brig- ยท ades. The right flank was protected by Lowry's (Mississippi and Alabama) brigade After nightfall Cleburne was charged by General Hardee with the duty of covering the movements and bringing up the rear of the right wing as it with- drew to Chickamauga station.
Officially reported, the 15th Army Corps sustained losses as follows : killed, 20 officers and 202 men ; wounded, 112 officers and 1151 men; captured, 19 officers and 191 men; total, 1695 men. 18 Loss in the Second Brigade: killed, 3 officers and 31 men; wounded, 16 officers and 194 men ; captured, 2 men; total, 246 men ; aggregate present and in the fight, 920 men.
The losses in the Sixth Iowa, stated in detail, are as follows :
Killed: Captain Robert Allison, Company C; Cor-
18 The official return of casualties for the Fifteenth Corps was 12 officers and 127 men killed, 87 officers and 887 men wounded, and 4 officers and 61 men missing. - War of the Rebellion: Official Records, Series I, Vol. XXXI, Pt. 2, p. 87.
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poral William Kellogg, Sergeant Robert Mitchell, and Private George H. Wightman, Company A; Corporal David Gladfelder, Company D; Private Liberty H. Ken- nedy, Company F; Private Robert B. Davis, Company G; Private George W. Pratt, Company I; Private Alex- ander Dalton, Company K.
Mortally Wounded and Died: Private William A. Jones, Company A, December 24, 1863; Private Thomas J. Barrows, Company F, December 30, 1863; Private William A. Richardson, Company G, December 24, 1863.
Wounded: Major Thomas J. Ennis, severely.
Company A, Corporal Jeremiah Freeman, in the foot severely; Sergeant Charles A. Huston, in the shoulder severely; Private Thomas R. Thompson, in the leg severe ly; Private William H. Vandyke, in the arm severely; Private Eliakin S. Wilson, in the hand; Private Isaac N. Wood, in both legs and in the head severely.
Company B, Corporal Jesse L. Adkins, in the face severely; Corporal Harvey Ford, in the right arm; Pri- vate Isaac R. Plymate, in the leg.
Company C, Private Martin V. Allen, left arm ampu- tated.
Company D, Private Reuben M. Beamer, in the left shoulder severely; Private Elon G. Ashby, in the side severely; Private Uri Hallock, severely in the side and arm; Private Samuel D. Harn, severely in the thigh ; Pri- vate William H. Martin, in the forehead severely ; Private Alexander Maring, in the breast severely ; Private Joseph F. Payton, in the knee severely; Private Lloyd Wailes, in the arm severely.
Company E, Captain Leander C. Allison, in the ear; Private Ira W. Gilbert, in the head slightly; Corporal George W. Hibbard, severely in the right side and
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through the right shoulder; Corporal Harrison Hicken- looper, right arm broken and resection of bone between elbow and shoulder; Sergeant John H. Key, in the shoul- der severely; Sergeant Henry Roberts, in the foot, ankle and back; Sergeant Stephen Gahagan, in the neck, slight- ly.
Company F, Private Edward Chambers, between the shoulders severely by fragment of shell; Private Thomas Carson, in the head slightly; Private Elam Ford, in the head severely; Private Isaac Gregg, in the head and lung severely; Private Frederick B. Johnson, in right thigh severely, bone shattered; First-Sergeant Edwin R. Ken- nedy, in left leg below knee; Captain Calvin Minton, in right arm severely; Private Charles W. Miller, in left knee slightly; Private John Tobin, in the hip severely; Private Charles W. Wright, in the face severely.
Company G, Sergeant John Gardner, in the right hand severely; Sergeant Samuel J. Plymesser, in right leg slightly; Corporal John Ditto, in right hand severely.
Company H, Private Charles L. Allen, in the face se- verely; Captain George R. Nunn, in the leg severely; Private O. C. Snyder, in the face slightly.
Company I, Corporal John Hannum, in the foot; Pri- vate John Sherm, in the shoulder severely ; Private David Silversmith, in shoulder severely; Private Daniel J. Smith, in the face severely; Jacob B. Thomas, in the shoulder severely.
Company K, First-Lieutenant William H. Arnold, in the hand slightly; Private John Berrie, in the face; Pri- vate William H. Barr, in the ankle slightly; Corporal John C. Ferree, in left hand; Private John M. Grim, in the thigh severely and right arm slightly; Corporal Jas- per Ogden, in the groin severely; Private Joseph Poots,
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in right hand slightly; Private Asbury Smith, in the leg slightly; Private William Scott, in the head severely. Total 55 men.
Prisoners: Private William Ayers, Company G, Oc- tober 28, 1863, near Gravelly Springs, Alabama, while scouting; Private Lafayette Antrobus, Company I, Mu- sician James B. Adams, Company K, and Private Thomas F. McEveny, Company H, November 22, 1863, in Wills Valley, near Trenton, Georgia.
The total casualties in the Sixth Iowa were 9 killed, 3 mortally wounded, 55 wounded, and 4 prisoners.
The Confederate army under General Bragg, flushed with the advantage they had gained over the Army of the Cumberland at Chickamauga in September, had main- tained a partial investment of Chattanooga since that time. General Grant's objective was to raise the siege and drive General Bragg's army away. The operations, culminating on the 25th, routed the Confederate army, and the Union army occupied Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The whole north shouted the praises of Grant, Sherman, Thomas, and Hooker. Congress passed a resolution of thanks to General Grant and the armies under his command, for the splendid victory. President Lincoln sent him his "God bless you all", and the whole army was again buoyant and confident.
17
XVI KNOXVILLE AND SCOTTSBORO
Major-General A. E. Burnside had led an expedition into East Tennessee and occupied the city of Knoxville, the principal town and commercial center of that section, with 12,000 troops. During the first week of November, General James Longstreet with his Confederate army corps of 20,000 veteran troops was detached from Gen- eral Bragg's army then investing Chattanooga and sent against General Burnside.
After the defeat of General Bragg's army and the rais- ing of the siege at Chattanooga, a column commanded by General Sherman was at once set in motion by General Grant for the relief of Knoxville, then closely besieged by General Longstreet's army.
At the break of day on Thursday morning, November 26th, the enemy's works on Tunnel Hill - so stubbornly defended the day before - were found unoccupied, save by the dead and severely wounded of both friend and foe, mingled together on the rugged heights where they fell.
A vigorous pursuit of the fleeing enemy was commenced at once. The Second Brigade, in its place with the rest of the Fourth Division at the head of the 15th Army Corps, marched across the Chickamauga Creek on the pontoon bridge near its mouth and pushed forward in the direction of Chickamauga depot. The column travel- ed 10 miles and camped near Boyce Station. In the wake of the retreating enemy scenes were presented that war alone exhibits: corn and meal in hugh piles burning,
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broken wagons, abandoned cannon, camp and garrison equipage, baggage, arms, and great quantities of every kind and description of abandoned property strewed on the wagon road and along the railroad track. In the midst of a cold and disagreeable rain, the regiment was engaged in destroying the railroad, tearing up the track, burning the ties, and bending the rails. The 15th Army Corps effectually destroyed several miles of track and burned the important bridges.
The troops to compose the relieving column for Knox- ville were designated by General Grant, November 28th, while at Graysville, as follows: the 11th Army Corps, Major-General O. O. Howard commanding; Second Divi- sion, 14th Army Corps, Brigadier-General Jefferson C. Davis commanding; Second and Fourth divisions, 15th Army Corps, Major-General Frank P. Blair commanding. General Sherman was placed in command of the whole expedition.
The column started at 8 a. m., on the 29th, and marched all day in cold and freezing rain. It passed through Julian's Gap and camped at the country town of Cleve- land at 9 p. m., tired and hungry. The distance marched was 25 miles. The troops marched 12 miles the next day and camped at Charleston, where it was announced that General Burnside's army was completely invested and had provisions only to include December 3rd. General Sherman determined to make all possible haste with his column to the relief of the 12,000 besieged soldiers in the mountain town of Knoxville, 84 miles distant.
Seven days before, the troops of the 15th Army Corps had left their camps on the west side of the Tennessee River, with three days cooked rations in haversacks, without a change of clothing, stripped for the fight, with
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but a single blanket or coat per man, from private to Gen- eral commanding. After the battle there had been no provisions issued, and none were to be had except what were picked up along the road from the enemy's aban- doned supplies, and what could be gathered from the country, already stripped of everything by the enemy.
On December 1st, the troops were supplied with ra- tions early in the morning. They then marched through Charleston, crossed the Hiawassee River, passed through Riceville, and camped at Athens, a pretty little country town, many of whose inhabitants were loyal to the Union. The distance for the day was 19 miles. The column started at daylight, on December 2nd, passed through Athens and Mouse Creek Station, and after marching 20 miles, camped at Philadelphia at 8 p. m.
General Gordon Granger's column from the Army of the Cumberland joined the expedition during the night, and all moved forward at daylight, December 3rd, and camped at Morganton, on the Little Tennessee River, the distance marched being 15 miles. It was the inten- tion that the troops and wagon trains should ford the river, but it was found to be too deep, and the water freezing cold; its width was 240 yards and its depth from 2 to 5 feet, with a rapid current.
On December 4th, the troops remained camped while the pioneer corps, assisted by large details of men from the commands, were engaged constructing a bridge for crossing the river. The little village of Morganton was demolished to secure material for the construction of the bridge. Tools were scarce, but with the few axes, saws, hammers, picks, shovels, and hatchets, and under the skillful direction of an engineer officer, crib-work and strong trestles were made of the material from the houses,
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and at dark, troops and trains were crossing over the bridge. Under the skillful direction of Lieutenant Ed- win F. Alden, 6th Iowa, Acting Quartermaster on the staff of Colonel Walcutt, the Second Brigade was success- fully ferried across the river late in the evening and camped 2 miles out from the river for the night.
The column marched at 7 a. m., on December 5th, and camped after dark at the country town of Maryville in the midst of a cold drizzling rain, having marched 18 miles. It was announced in the camps that General Long- street's army had assaulted the works at Knoxville, on the 29th of November, and had been repulsed with great slaughter, and, that on December 4th, his army had abandoned the siege and retired in the direction of Vir- ginia. The rapid approach of General Sherman's for- midable column had caused General Longstreet to give up the siege; Knoxville was relieved and the object of the campaign fully accomplished.
General Burnside gracefully acknowledged the service rendered by the relieving army in a letter to General Sherman, dated December 7th, as follows:
I desire to express to you and your command my most hearty thanks and gratitude for your promptness in coming to our re- lief during the siege of Knoxville, and I am satisfied that your approach served to raise the siege.
A majority of the inhabitants of East Tennessee, un- der the leadership of Andrew Johnson and W. G. Brown- low, were strong Unionists. The troops were hailed with great joy by the citizens along the routes of march. The Stars and Stripes were displayed from many houses, and the welcome was as cordial as if the column had been marching across Iowa. The loyal women vied with each
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other as to who should be the most generous in the di- vision of their scant supply of provisions with the hun- gry soldiers. A feast of hot biscuit, honey, and fresh pork, was the usual bill of fare. Every man in the Sixth Iowa, who marched to Maryville in East Tennessee, has the most kindly recollection of the hospitable treatment received at the hands of the Union people in that section, and especially the generous treatment by the loyal women of that "Switzerland" of the United States, the wives and daughters of loyal men who were serving in the Union army.
A ceaseless rain, deep mud, and the cold wintery blasts of December did much to mar the grandeur of the natural scenery and beauty of that wonderful mountain region. Both armies had passed back and forth through the rich valleys, levying tribute upon friend and foe alike, until the country was almost entirely stripped of provisions and stock. The able bodied men were all gone from their homes, some in the Confederate armies, but the larger number in the Union service, and the rest were hiding in the mountains to avoid the Confederate conscripting officers.
At 7 a. m., on December 7th, in a cold chilling rain the return march was commenced over almost impassable roads. After marching 19 miles, the command camped on the Little Tennessee River opposite Morganton.
At an early hour the next morning, in the midst of heavy rain the column crossed the river on the tempor- ary bridge, traveled on the Tellico Plains road, passed through Madisonville, and camped at Athens, on the 10th, having traveled a distance of 37 miles. Here the troops were halted for several days. The rain was incessant and the weather very cold. Every fierce blast of the win-
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tery wind that shrieked and wailed among the leafless branches of the tall oaks brought vividly before the shel- terless soldier the comforts of a far off home. At night the blazing camp-fires gave a roseate hue to the gloomy surroundings, and shonts of laughter and the hum of many voices, mingled with jolly songs, would float away on the chill evening air. With only scant and ragged uniforms, soleless shoes, a single blanket, short rations, the men made their beds on the wet and frozen ground, slept soundly and dreamed of home and comfort.
It would make a book to relate the incidents of personal daring and adventure, to say nothing of the many brisk skirmishes and encounters had with the enemy's cavalry and local partisan bands, while foraging. Bold raids were made into the coves and valleys, far from the column and the camps, where mills were started to grinding, making flour and meal, and other provisions and stock were gathered in large quantities for the use of the army.
Hair-breadth escapes and feats of great personal dar- ing performed during the day were highly interesting camp-fire recitals at night. To mention some, where all displayed such commendable courage and soldierly con- duct, would be an injustice to the rest. Hardly a man in the regiment but what could relate an incident of great personal daring at some time during the campaign. That such freedom and license was permitted without whole- sale rapine and pillage, is a mark of high credit to the manhood of the rank and file and the good discipline in the army.
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