USA > Indiana > Marion County > Cumberland > History of the 11th Indiana battery : connected with an outline history of the army of the Cumberland during the War of the Rebellion, 1861-65 > Part 4
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There was also a fort in process of erection at Orchard Knob, which was to be used against Mission Ridge. In the night of the 4th and 5th the enemy managed to haul guns up the road towards Point Lookout. On the 5th they com- menced firing with these guns (we counted fourteen) into our line; but they dared not depress these guns enough and therefore the projectiles went far over our heads doing us no damage. They fired about 100 rounds, but our side did not respond; the distance we had to haul our ammuni- tion was to great to throw it away without possible result. On the 7th, the writer with first section was relieved from picket. On the 8th, the 10th Indiana Battery fired a few shots at Lookout Point, to see whether it could reach it from its position or not; some proved to be very good shots. On the 7th, a rebel signal officer established himself on Look- out Point; the battery before mentioned were ordered to . send some messengers up to him, ordering him to leave. On the 10th, twentieth and twenty-first corps were consoli- dated, and called henceforth the fourth army corps. On the 15th, the first section with Lieutenant Otto went on picket again; on the 19th, he was ordered by General Bran- non, Chief of Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland, to take command of the 20th Ohio Battery and assumed the same on the 18th. After the writer took command of the 20th Ohio Battery, the IIth Indiana Battery moved their guns and quarters over on to Moccassin Point, preparatory to the final dislodgement of the enemy from Lookout moun- tain and Mission Ridge.
4 4
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A
CHAPTER XI.
SHORT sketch of the doings of the the 20th Ohio Battery, in command of First Lieutenant Otto, from Octo- ber 18th to December 18th, 1863.
This battery came to Nashville in January, 1863, a splendid organization; but the officers of it were jealous of each other and intrigued against each other, which proved very disasterous to the welfare of the battery. On the Chicamauga campaign the Captain had every officer under arrest, a time when there should have been only harmony and unity between them. At the battle of Chicamauga, this officer, having to see to every detail and having to manage the whole battery himself, without any help, became so excited that he did not know what to do, and was therefore requested to resign, and Lieutenant Otto, of the IIth Indiana Battery, put in command provi- sionally. After being in charge of the battery a few days he was apprised of the fact that the same old trickery and conspiracy was to be enacted against him. He therefore assembled the command and made a few practical remarks in regard to being appointed as commander of this battery. He stated to them, that under all circumstances he would obey the orders of his superiors and expected that his orders, so long as in command here, would also be obeyed. He would allow no interference with his duties either from officers or men and would keep strict discipline. He stated that he was long enough in the service to know what his duties were; when the time came for his relieve here he would go back to his own battery. This helped; from that time everything went well, and in a short time the writer
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had the command in good shape. The guns of the battery were put into Fort Negley and every day the gun squads were relieved. .
During October and the forepart of November prepara- tions were in process for the reopening of our "cracker line" and the clearing of our front from the enemy. An order from the War Department, of October 16th, created the Departments of Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee, "the Military Division of the Mississippi," under the command of Major General U. S. Grant. By the same order Rose- crans was relieved and Thomas put in command of the De- partment of the Cumberland. One of Grant's first orders to Thomas was: "Hold Chattanooga at all hazards." To which Thomas replied: "We will hold the town till we starve !" Grant arrived at Stevenson on the 24th of Octo- ber, several days before General Hooker, with the 11th corps, and Geary's Division of the 12th, from the Army of the Potomac, had arrived, and the reopening of our "cracker line" was near at hand. By November Ist the Wauhatchee valley was cleared of the enemy. The boats could now come to Brown's Ferry from Bridgeport. From Brown's to Kelley's Ferry and from there to Chattanooga being only a few miles and out of range of the enemy's guns.
Sherman, with the 15th army corps, arrived at Chatta- nooga on the 15th of November. On the 21st the first movement for the clearing of our front was to come off. Sherman was to move to the north of Chattanooga, cross the Tennessee river opposite the mouth of Chicamauga creek, and carry the heights on the north end of Mission Ridge. Thomas to operate in the center and Hooker on the right.
On the 20th, a section of the 10th Indiana Battery report- ed to me and I was ordered to report with my command to General Wood on the 21st, in the morning; there we were formed in line of battle on the north of Fort Wood.
Owing to the high water in the river the movements were delayed two days. Sherman crossed his troops over the river and got into his position. On the 25th he began his
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operations. On the 24th, in the afternoon and evening, Hooker drove the enemy from Lookout mountain and the next day our whole army made a combined attack, stormed and took the enemy's rifle pits at the foot of Mission Ridge, and after a little rest commenced the storming of the rebel citadel-Mission Ridge. It was a grand sight when our columns stormed the heights; the whole ridge ablaze with guns and muskets. Out of their last riflepits near the top of the ridge the enemy stoned our men as they came up. As there was no halting of our troops, the rebels began to re- treat and the ridge was ours. As we found out afterward, our artillery from Fort Wood had done a great deal of dam- age on Mission Ridge; a number of horses had been killed and wagons destroyed. Hooker and Sherman followed the rebels for some distance, but cold, rain and snow setting in, they returned to Chattanooga and went into winter quarters within a couple of miles from the town.
The trophies captured from the enemy in this fight were hauled to town on the 27th, among which were twenty-five guns and caissons and ten or twelve guns without caissons.
On the 29th we held our common Sunday inspection. After inspection Captain Sutermeister, of the IIth Indiana Battery, came over and told me if I would go to Indiana on recruiting service during the winter he would apply for my relieve from my present command. As I had not been home since December 17, 1861, of course I accepted the pro- position.
The men of the 20th battery tried to persuade me to stay with them-they would procure from their Governor the Captain's commission forthwith if I would say "yes;" but I declined, telling them that as I went out with the IIth Indiana Battery men, I was in duty bound to stay with them and go back home with them at the discharge of the bat- tery, if not killed. I would not take any Captain's commis- sion and leave my own cammand.
On December Ist I turned over to Lieutenant Nitschelm, of the 20th Ohio Battery, my charge, got my marching
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orders from the Department for Indiana, and reported to the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana for orders on the 7th of December. On the 8th I arrived at Fort Wayne, procured an office and established myself as recruiting officer for the IIth Indiana Battery. Sergeant Cook Gil- lock, who was sent with me, I sent to DeKalb County for duty.
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PART III.
CHAPTER XII.
ROM December 10, 1863, till April 13, 1864, the writer enlisted nineteen re- cruits for the battery, and had them mustered in at Indianapolis. Sergeant Gillock had no luck at all; not a single man did he enlist.
During his stay at Fort Wayne, the writer attended two funerals of officers who died at the front and were sent to their homes at Fort Wayne for burial. The first was Captain Aveline, whose body came on the 12th, and was buried on the 14th of December, 1863; the second was Lieutenant Scott, of our own battery, who died on the 5th of January, 1864, and was buried on the 9th.
On March 28th, a number of the boys who had re-enlist- ed, arrived at Fort Wayne on veteran furlough, and of course, we had a good time together. The latter part of February Captain S. also was here on furlough for a short time.
As the time was near at hand to commence preparation for a new campaign, all recruiting officers were ordered to bring their business to an end.
On the IIth the writer received his orders to report at In- dianapolis. On the 14th he left Fort Wayne and arrived at Indianapolis the next morning. Sergeant Gillock was there also. A settlement with the Adjutant General for commuta- tion, and lodging, and subsistence for the recruits was made during the next three days. On the 18th we left Indian- apolis for the front with a large box of "goodies" for the
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boys from their friends at home. On the 22d, 6 a. m .. we arrived at Chattanooga, Sergeant Rank awaiting us at the depot.
After a few days rest we settled down to business again. The battery had just received their new guns: Four 20 pound Parrott guns and two 24 pound Howitzers. On the 28th we received the ammunition for those guns and the harness for the horses; but the horses had not come yet. On the 29th our veterans came back.
While waiting for the horses, the ammunition was packed in the caissons and limbers and everything got in readiness.
On resignation of Lieutenant Williams, on account of the wound received at Chicamauga, Mr. John H. Jacobs, of Fort Wayne, was commissioned and mustered into the service to fill the vacancy of Lieutenant Williams as First Lieutenant; and the vacancy caused by the death of Second Lieutenant Scott was filled by the promotion of First Sergeant John McKinley for Second Lieutenant.
On May 7th the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Army corps went through here enroute for Ringgold. 'On the 8th and gth we received our outfit of horses. Everything being in readiness now-the men rested, the number brought up to its standard again, we were ready for another campaign.
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55
CHAPTER XIII.
ARLY in the morning of the 10th of May, the battery left Chattanooga on its third campaign.
On account of teams being ahead of us and heavy rains setting in, our march was considerably detained. Early in the afternoon we arrived at Ringgold and went into camp there over night. Heavy rains that night nearly drowned us. At 7 a. m., on the IIth, we resumed our march, but under diffi- culties. Little Chickamauga creek, which we had to ford several times, was very much swollen and the shores very muddy; so with this difficulty and new horses that did not pull together yet, we had considerable trouble, We arrived at Tunnel Hill about II a. m., and at 4 p. m. we went into position. On the 12th we bombarded from our position at Tunnel Hill Rocky Face Ridge, where the rebels had some breastworks thrown up and succeeded in dislodging them. The First section was then ordered further south and took up a position on a knoll to fire at a battery at Buzzard Roost; we fired one round every five minutes, and expended until evening 26 rounds. The next morning early we re- sumed our firing till about 6:30 o'clock, when it was discov- ered that the enemy had left their works. The enemy here had a very strong position and it would have been impossi-
ble to drive him out of these positions if it had not been for General Sherman, who commanded our army in this campaign, to commence his "flanking manouvres; the enemy, to keep their communications in tact, had to evacu- ate their positions, Our troops kept on the heels of the rebels, followed them through Dalton to Resacca, where
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they had another line of breastworks thrown up, behind which they made another stand. In the excitement follow- ing the rebels, our battery got no orders to move and we stayed where we were that day; but the next day, the 14th, we followed the army without orders and arrived at Dalton in the afternoon. Here we found Colonel Laipold, of John- son's division, in command, and we concluded to attach ourselves to his brigade till orders came for us to do other- wise; but in the evening late a courier arrived with orders for the battery, and on the 15th early we took up our march to Resacca. On the road there we met a number of ambul- ances with wounded soldiers going to the rear, and other signs of deadly conflicts-cannon and musket firing, etc. We arrived at Resacca in the evening and reported to Gen- eral Thomas, who gave us the order to take a certain posi- tion in the early morning. About midnight, from the 15th to the 16th, the enemy made several attempts at our lines in heavy force with artillery and musket uproars, but were repulsed in every instance. When ready the next morning early to take our position against the enemy's works, they were found vacated. During the night, General Johnson, who commanded the opposing rebel army, being the suc- cessor to Bragg, covered his retreat by attacking our lines. We captured from the enemy four field-pieces, two siege guns, a number of prisoners, and a large quantity of corn and meal at Resacca, where we arrived at I p. m. on the 16th. Here, the rebels after crossing the Oostanaula river, had the railroad and wagon road bridges destroyed, and we had to wait for the pontoon train to throw pontoon bridges over the river before we could cross. On the 17th, in the early morning, the bridges were ready, and at 7 a. m. we crossed and followed up the rebels again. Heavy thunder- showers delayed our march somewhat. We came through Calhoun about 5 p. m., and about 9 p. m. went into camp about two miles this side of Adairsville. During the whole night the rebels were busy with their railroad trains, which we could hear very distinctly going and coming. On the
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18th we were ready to move at 3:30 p. m, but again were greatly delayed on the road. At I p. m. we arrived at Adairsville, where we rested until 4 p. m. From there we marched till about 9 p. m., and going into camp about five or six miles from Kingston, Ga. By 8 a. m. on the 19th we left our camp and took up the march to Kingston, where we arrived at I p. m., just on the heels of the rebels. We followed them up in line of battle, but they retreated over Etowah river and burned the bridge after them. As we could not follow on account of the destroyed bridge, we sent a few complimentaries after them in the shape of shells out of our guns. At Kingston we remained till the 23d. We occupied a beautiful camping place and enjoyed it very much. On the 18th our troops captured Rome, Ga., with engines and a large amount of provisions. On the 21st we received orders to prepare ourselves with twenty days forage and provisions. On the 22d Lieutenant McKinley was sent to Chattanooga for horses.
Before going any further in our narrative, it may be well for the better understanding of the later movements of the two armies, to know the composition and disposition of the same at the starting out on the campaign of 1864.
In October. 1863, General Grant was put in command of the millitary division of the Mississippi, and General Sher- man succeeded him in the command of the department of the army of the Tennessee. In the spring of 1864, Congress had created the office of Lieutenant General, and General Grant was the officer on whom the grade was conferred. General Sherman succeeded him as the commander of the military division of the Mississippi, and General McPherson as the commander of the department of the Mississippi, having two corps under his command, viz: The 15th corps of three divisions, General John A. Logan, commander; and the 16th army corps, of two divisions, General Greenville M. Dodge, commanding. This department constituted the right wing of General Sherman's army.
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The department of the Ohio, commanded by General John M. Scofield, consisting of two divisions from the 9th army corps, General John G. Parks, commanding; and the 23d army corps, General George L. Hartsuff, commanding, constituted the left wing of the army.
The army of the Cumberland, Major General George H. Thomas commanding, consisted of the 4th, 14th and 20th army corps, commanded respectively by Generals O. O. Howard, John M. Palmer and Joseph Hooker.
The confederate army was commanded by General Joseph E. Johnson, who had succeeded General Bragg, and who was, in military circles announced as second only to Lee.
The army of the Cumberland confronted the rebel army in front of Rocky Face Ridge, Buzzard Roost and Mill Creek.
The army of the Ohio joined onto the left of the army of the Cumberland (4th corps) toward Catoosa springs; McCook's division of cavalry covering Varnell station on the East Tennessee Railroad. The army of the Tennessee joining on Hooker's (20th corps) right, at Lee & Gordon's mill, diverging from Hooker's line toward Slip Gap and Villanow. General Garrard Kilpatrick on the extreme right with their cavalry. Sherman entered the campaign with an effective force of 100,000 men and 254 guns. Of these the army of the Cumberland had 60,000 men and 130 guns; the army of the Tennessee, 25,000 men and 96 guns; and the army of the Ohio 14,000 men and 28 guns.
Johnston's confederate army was reported at an effective strength of 75,000 men.
The confederate army consisted of the corps of Polk (right), Hood (center) and Hardee (left); with Wheeler's and Forrest's cavalry, and three brigades of mounted in- fantry.
We have seen that Sherman's first flanking manouvres were executed by the right wing (McPherson's) with Garrard's cavalry. When the rebels made their next stand
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at Resacca, the same wing was sent around the left of the rebel army, but their base at Resacca with the Oostanaula river at their back, and the topography of the country at the west and southwest of Resacca was such that the movements of our right wing naturally were slow. We have seen that on the night of the 15th and 16th, General Johnson getting pressed very hard by the Union army, left his position at Resacca and fell across the Oostanaula river. On his retreat from here into his next intrenchments, he divided his army to mislead Sherman and through this pro- bably would get the advantage over one of the isolated corps of the union army. He very nearly succeeded in his scheme, had his subordinate officers been on the alert; but at the time when they began their assault on the union line the union army was united again. Johnston sent Polk's corps by way of Adairsville to Kingston and Hood's and Hardee's corps to Rome. General Sherman supposed Johnston would cross the Etowah river at Kingston and Rome; but Johnston conferring with his staff of engineers, came to the conclusion that the country around Cassville possessed the topography for him to make a stand and offer battle to the union army. On the 19th the rebels threw up a strong line of intrenchments, as Johnston had issued orders that he had retreated far enough for strategic purposes, and would offer battle here and decide the fate of the two armies.
On the 23d, at 6 a. m., our battery, with the rest of the troops, left Kingston and crossed, about four miles south of Kingston, the Etowah river. As soon as the union army went into position against Johnston's forces here, Hood and Polk protested against the proposed stand, and Johnston not willing to go into battle under protest of his subordinates, ordered the retirement of the rebel army through Carters- ville and there crossing the Etowah river, concluded to make Allatoona and Pumpkin Vine creeks to cover his front and entrench lines across the Dallas and Marietta, and Burnt Hickory to Ackworth roads. The topography of the country is very rugged and hilly, so Johnston could not
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fail to find most anywhere a good position for entrench- ments.
On the 23d, crossing Etowah river, we marched to Euhar- ly, about eight miles from Kingston, and went into camp about I p. m .; on the 24th we came through Stilesboro, and in the afternoon passed Burnt Hickory ridge, eight miles this side of Dallas. For the last two days we marched un- der difficulties, the rebels taking every opportunity to im- pede our forward movement.
On the 25th, we marched with General Williams' Ist division, 20th army corps, on the road to Dallas; but we were hemmed in considerably and did on this day consider- ably marching and counter-marching. In the evening we were about four miles from Dallas. There was a good deal of fighting going on along the whole line, and the enemy pressed closer and closer. The 26th, we remained in the position of the 25th. On the 27th, we left our position at 6 a. m., marched about eight miles in a roundabout way and went into position about two miles north-east of Dallas, at New Hope church. Here the rebels showed a very strong front, cannonading and sharp-shooting went on incessantly during the whole day on both sides of the contending lines. In our immediate front heavy musket firing continued until midnight. During the night we built breastworks for our guns, as without them we were in danger from sharp- shooters every moment. The next morning, after the fog had risen, we commenced firing again. By 6 a. m. there was heavy cannonading and musketry firing on our right and left. The rebels attacked the 5th Indiana (Simonson's ) Battery but were repulsed with heavy loss. During the after- noon the firing quieted down somewhat. On this afternoon we cut out timber for a breastwork for No. 1 and 2 guns, each separate, at a right angle from our present position and during the night we put them up, and early in the morn- ing on the 29th, we moved our guns into them. During the whole day every thing was remarkably quiet, on the whole line until in the evening when the rebels along the whole
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61
line made assaults. On our left they commenced about 10 p . m., and immediately after in our front; we opened with all our guns and they fell back. Between II and 12 p. m., they made a second assault and were repulsed again; some of our infantry, after this second assault, halloed over to the rebels, "come over here again you - rebels and we'll knock - out of you again." On our extreme right the firing was kept up till 2 or 3 a. m. The 30th passed off very quietly, but we anticipated another night attack; on this day Henry Bowers was wounded. On the 31st, between IO and II a. m., the enemy opened on us with their guns in front of us, but the first section, having a very good posi- tion, quieted them with twenty-six rounds out of their Parrott guns and exploded for them a limber or caission chest; in the afternoon they again became unruly and we sent twenty- three more messengers of peace over to them. On June Ist, the guns in our front behaved very admirably, but at our right and left there was considerable cannonading; nothing of any consequence occurred in our immediate front. The first section sent over in the rebel line a few case shot, but everything kept quiet. On the 3d of June, Sergeant Ballard and Private Gardner of the first section were wounded by sharp-shooters (Sergeant Ballard died of this wound later in the hospital at Chattanooga). These sharp-shooters for the last couple of days began to become a nuisance; we did not dare to show our heads unless a whiz was heard the next second. On the 4th, our battery was relieved from its position by Battery H, Ist Ill. Artillery.
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CHAPTER XIV.
S SOON as our army was well entrenched in their positions against the enemy's . line, and a less number therefore could successfully hold the entrenchments, Sherman extended his line on his left wing toward Allatoona. The army of the Ohio already covered the direct road to that place, and he had only to extend his lines by that flank to reopen communica- tion with the railroad again. Johnston was aware of such a movement and therefore guarded Sherman's movements very closely.
On the 29th of May, McPherson was ordered to drop out of his line the next day, and during the afternoon and eve- ning movements of troops were going on. Johnston rightly judged the withdrawal of troops from there. The assault of the rebels on the night of the 29th was to feel the front of McPherson; as it proved, McPherson was there yet. Also the attacks of the enemy during the next two days were made for the same purpose; but Sherman was not foiled in his purpose by the action of Johnston. Troops were re- lieved out of their positions here and there and directed to extend the left wing, and this was the reason why we were relived of our position on June 4th. During the night of the 4th to 5th, we encamped near Thomas' headquarters, and I read in my diary: "Since many nights the first night again when I had a good sleep." The 5th, at night, the rebels left their position. On the 5th, at 10 a. m., we com- menced our march toward Ackworth and about 2 p. m. went into camp near that place.
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