USA > Indiana > History of the Seventy-fifth regiment of Indiana infantry voluteers. its organization, campaigns, and battles (1862-65.) > Part 14
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HEADQUARTERS, September 20, 10:45 A. M. BRIGADIER-GENERAL WOOD, Commanding Division :
The general commanding directs that you close up on Reynolds as fast as possible and support him.
Respectfully, FRANK S. BOND, Major, and Aide-de-Camp.
Now it unfortunately happened that McCook began to withdraw his wing, and Wood began to move his Division out of line, thereby leaving a gap, and mnarch it in the rear of Reynolds, simultaneous with the advance of Longstreet's wing of the Confederates. Hence when Longstreet moved forward his other Divisions-those to the left of Stewart-the gap had already been formed by the removal of Wood's Divi- sion, which was sent to the support of Reynolds. Into this gap a column of eight Brigades, Bushrod Johnson's, McNair's, Gregg's, Kershaw's, Law's, Humphrey's, Benning's and Robertson's, under the personal command of Hood, entered.
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For a long time Longstreet had matters all his own way. Many brave and skillful Federal commanders were in his front, but their men were in motion, by columns of four, marching to the left. The Divisions of Davis and Sheridan and others were caught in flank, and swept off the field.
The confusion and distress of this rout beggar all descrip- tion. There were the hurry and tumult of artillery trains, wagons and ambulances rushing to the rear with a sort of orderly confusion, as distressing as panic itself. The Con- federates shouting, yelling, running over batteries, wagons and ambulances, rushed on, capturing thousands of prisoners, and killing officers and men, among whom was the hero poet, Brig .- Gen. William H. Lytle, the commander of the First Brigade of Sheridan's Division.
An amusing circumstance-like a silver rift in a storm cloud-happened during this rout, which came under the writer's own personal observation, as well as others of the Regiment. Three pairs of artillery horses were attached to an empty caisson, and the single driver of the rear span sat in his saddle, whilst the drivers of the other two front pairs of horses were shot, and the four riderless horses in his front were unmanageable. In this situation, he was moving to the rear, through the woods, with all the speed of his horses, leaping over logs, and the wheels of the caisson were dash- ing first against the side of one tree and then rebounding against another. As this fellow swept by us like the wind, in his mad dash to the rear, he cried out merrily: "Say, boys, don't you wish you were in my fix?" As frightful as his situation looked, yet, at that time and place, and under the circumstances, some of us, doubtless, did wish we were in his "fix." One of the wheels of this caisson, in passing, ran over two men of the Seventy-fifth Regiment-Lewis Harrold of E Company and William Evans of I Company- knocked them both down and injured them more or less. After Evans had partially recovered himself and had arisen, he looked wistfully in the direction of the fleeing horses and
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their single rider, who were half a mile away to the rear by this time, and said: "You better run over a fellow!" Doubtless this was a part of that Battery which stampeded and ran over Beatty's Brigade, and injured many of his men.
When the crash of the right wing came, the two Brigades of Brannan-Connell's and Croxton's-on the immediate right of our Regiment, being greatly pressed about 12 m. in their front, and subjected also to an enfilade fire from the right flank, were thrown into confusion. The One-hundred and fifth Ohio Regiment of our Brigade, up to this time lying in reserve, was now called forward and ordered to make a bayonet charge upon the advancing enemy in Brannan's front. The execution of this gallant charge, under the com- mand of Major George T. Perkins, was most opportune. It checked the Confederates long enough for Brannan to succeed in rallying remnants of his own broken Brigades and parts of other commands, with which he held the enemy for a consid- erable time. However, when the enemy returned with a greater force, Brannan was compelled to swing his right around. This movement of Brannan exposed the left flank of Major Perkins' Regiment, and he was compelled to with- draw and return to the Brigade. Brannan's Division, with parts of Wood's, Negley's and Palmer's, took position on Snodgrass Hill.
In the charge by the One-hundred and fifth Ohio, which covered the Regiment and its commander all over with glory, the brave Perkins was severely wounded in the left thigh by a minie ball, and carried from the field. The wound disabled him for nearly four months from the performance of his duties. The Regiment captured twenty six prisoners in the charge, and conveyed them from the field, among whom was Brigadier-General Adams, of Breckinridge's Division. It is claimed that the Nineteenth Illinois Regiment had previously captured General Adams, but it is nevertheless a fact that the One-hundred and fifth Ohio came across him in this charge, and brought him badly wounded from the field.
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In his "Ohio in the War," the Hon. Whitelaw Reid writes of the One-hundred and fifth Ohio Regiment in this charge thus:
"The troops of Brannan's Division were flanked and fell back in confu- sion. General Reynolds, seeing that his flank would soon be exposed, and wholly unprotected, ordered Major Perkins to change front with his Regi- ment and charge the rebels on the flank as they advanced. The Regiment was at this time in the second line of battle and lying down. At the word of command the Regiment sprang to its feet, executed the change of front with as much precision as though on a parade, and started forward with deafening yells, on the double quick, to what seemed certain destruction. The suddenness of the movement, the thick-growing underbrush, which prevented the enemy from seeing the comparatively few numbers advancing against them, the unevenness of the ground, which compelled the men to extend their front, all operated favorably. The desired object was produced, and the first line of the enemy was thrown back upon the second, upon reaching which the Regiment halted and opened fire in gallant style, keep- ing it up for several minutes. Major Perkins soon discovered that his left flank was exposed, and he was compelled to withdraw by the right flank in haste. However, the onset of the enemy was checked, and time given to General Reynolds to make such disposition as secured his right flank and prevented further disaster to the army. This prompt movement of the One . hundred and fifth was highly commended by General Reynolds at the time, and afterwards by General Rosecrans."
At I p. m., all our forces had disappeared from the right of our Brigade, leaving thereby the right of our Regiment in air. The firing in our front had ceased. The Confederates soon made their appearance in the road, and, passing around our right flank, took position on the right and rear of our Brigade. Here they planted a Battery, which played merci- lessly upon us from the rear. We therefore changed our position, so as to face this formidable foe in our rear. Our Brigade was formed in echelon on the east side of the Chatta- nooga road to the right and rear of Turchin's. General Reynolds directed that a line of skirmishers be sent out to develop the strength of this rear enemy. This skirmish line consisted of Companies D and I of the Seventy-fifth Regi- ment under command of Captain Floyd. The Companies deployed rapidly, but moved cautiously through the thick
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undergrowth in the woods, which concealed the enemy from view, until a large force was discovered lying down in line of battle. From this force the skirmishers received a murder- ous volley. The strength of the enemy in the rear being as- certained, and our mission ended, we fell back to the Regi- ment .* But we left in that woods several of our skirmishers. Corporal Joseph Criswell, and Byron Kurtz of I Company were severely wounded here. Randolph Blessing and Abra- ham Passwater of I Company and several others of D' Com- pany were here slightly wounded. Blessing was wounded in the left arm and foot, and Passwater in the left thigh and right hand. Though their wounds were quite painful, they both were able to remain with the Company. In this affair, the writer came near being killed or wounded. Three minie balls passed through his uniform, one of which grazed his arm, producing a discoloration without an abrasion of the skin.
Corporal Criswell was shot by a bullet, which shattered his knee. When the two Companies slowly moved back and joined the Regiment at the position they left it, he was left lying upon the field in the hands of the enemy. Shortly after he fell, a shell burst over his prostrate body, and some of the fragments deeply imbedded themselves in his groin and breast. Either from carelessness or inhumanity, the Con-
* The writer has recently been over the battlefield, and the note herewith appended gives the exact time and place of this skirmish line :
The Regiment, on leaving its position near the southwest corner of Poe's field, where it had been fighting all morning, moved a few hundred yards to the left along the west side of the Chattanooga road. This movement oc- curred about I p. m. It was now near the southwest corner of Kelley's field on the west side of the Chattanooga road. Here the Regiment faced west. It was from this point and position, that Companies D and I were deployed as skirmishers. They advanced on the west side of the road through the woods in the direction of the Snodgrass farm. After the companies had been recalled, the Regiment moved to the east side of the road, to a position on the south side of Kelley's field, where the other Regiments and Battery of the Brigade were. We were placed here in the second line facing south, with our right resting on the Chattanooga road.
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federates allowed him to lie where he fell, a period of seven days, before receiving attention of any kind, with three bleeding wounds upon his person. His wounds were consid- ered fatal by the enemy, and he was at once exchanged. Our surgeons in the hospital at Chattanooga wanted to am- putate his leg, but he would not give his consent. His was the severest wound of any man in the Regiment, which did not prove fatal. Years after the war had closed, Corporal Criswell was accustomed to exhibit pieces of that shell, which, after having remained a decade of years in his groin and breast, worked their way out.
Byron Kurtz was wounded in the leg and made a prisoner. He passed through all the horrors of prison life at Richmond, Salisbury and Andersonville, until the end of the war, when he was set free. He found his way to the Regiment at Washington, and was there discharged with the Company.
By reason of the breach in the right wing of our Army, the Confederates at 2 p. m. were formed on three sides of our Di- vision-were in line of battle in shape of a liorseshoe around us. We now called our position "the bull-pen." We had shot away all our ammunition except that which we had gathered from the cartridge-boxes of the dead. As the en- emy had gotten between us and our ammunition train, it was ordered to Chattanooga, to prevent capture. We remained here in "the bull-pen" for a considerable time, not knowing whether we would go to Chattanooga or to Richmond.
Between I p. m. and 5 p. m. there was a lull all along the front of our left wing-from Baird to Reynolds-except the desultory firing of the Confederate sharpshooters, who were busy plying their trade of shooting our field officers. It was during this lull in the battle on our front, about 4 p. m., whilst our Division was in the " bull-pen," that tlie dashing, chivalrous commander of our Brigade, Colonel Edward A. King, lost his life. He was instantly killed in the rear of our Regiment by a minie ball crashing through his brain from the gun of a Confederate sharpshooter. His aide-de-
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camp, Captain Sanford Fortner, and an aide-de-camp of General Thomas, Captain S. C. Kellogg, were with him at the time-Captain Kellogg informed the writer that he was in conversation with the Colonel when the missile passed through his head. *
Colonel Edward A. King was born in Cambridge, Wash- ington county, New York. In early life he emigrated to Ohio with his father, and at the proper time studied law at Columbus and Cincinnati. His tastes, however, were for the military rather than the legal profession. During the struggle of Texas for independence, he raised a Company at New Orleans, La., and with it he served in Texas until her independence was declared. During the Mexican war he was a Captain in the Fifteenth U. S. Infantry. After tlie treaty of peace with Mexico, he was made the postmaster at Dayton, Ohio, in which capacity he served for many years. When Governor Dennison of Ohio called for loyal inen, on April 17th, 1861, to suppress the rebellion, Postmaster King responded, and he was at once placed in command of Camp Jackson at Columbus. Afterwards he was transferred to Camp Chase, when, without solicitation on his part, he was commissioned by President Lincoln a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Nineteenth U. S. Infantry. He was then transferred to Indianapolis, Indiana, where lie was superintending the or- ganization of new troops for the front. While thus employed, in the summer of 1862, General E. Kirby Smith invaded Kentucky with a large force of Confederates, and at the re- quest of Governor Morton, Lieutenant-Colonel King assumed command of the Sixty-eighth Indiana Regiment, and led it into Kentucky. With liis Regiment he was captured at Munfordsville. After parole and exchange, his Regiment
* On a visit to the battlefield, Sept. 16th, 1892, Capt. S. C. Kellogg, U. S. A., Capt. R. L. Leeson, Co. C, 68th Indiana, William Squires, Co. A, 75th Indiana, the writer of this history, and some others, marked the spot where Colonel King fell. It was on the south side of Kelley's field, at the edge of the woods, between Kelley's and Poe's, near the east side of the Chattanooga road.
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was assigned to our Brigade; but the Colonel's health was seriously impaired, and he was forced to remain away for a time from his Regiment. When his health was partly re- stored, he took the field again, and came to his Regiment while we were encamped at University Place, and by seniority was inade the commander of our Brigade in place of Colonel Robinson of our Regiment.
King was an officer of great daring and merit. Accom- plished, gentle, generous and brave, he was regarded with high esteem by all who knew him. The writer has in his mind's eye now how he looked, with his long, black, flowing beard sweeping his breast, as he slowly moved along the battle line of the Seventy-fifth Regiment at Chickamauga during the suc- cession of charges by the Confederates under Wood, Bate, Brown and Clayton, of Stewart's column, encourag- ing the men, and peering through his field-glass at those heavy lines of gray ebbing and flowing in our front like the ocean's tide.
COLONEL EDWARD A. KING, Commanding the Brigade, killed at Chicka- mauga, Sept. 20th, 1863.
Colonel King's body was strapped to the top of a caisson, and thus brought off the field in the rear of our Brigade while charging out of the "bull pen " to open the road to Rossville. It was buried at Ross- ville, and after the battle of Missionary Ridge it was exhumed and taken to Dayton, Ohio, and interred there finally in the Woodland cemetery with military honors. The funeral was said to be the largest ever witnessed in the city of Dayton.
Mrs. General Thomas J. Wood was the Colonel's niece, and
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in a letter to her from Chattanooga, dated September 23d, 1863, the third day after his death, the General thus gives the particulars:
"It is with great grief I have to give you the sad intelligence of the death of your uncle Edward. He was killed in the great battle of Sunday .. I met General J. J. Reynolds on Monday, and learned from him the circumstances of his death. At the time he was killed there was a perfect cessation in the fighting. Your uncle walked to the front to look out for movements of the enemy, when he was shot by a sharpshooter. The ball struck him just above the right eye, passed through his brain, and, of course, killed him instantly. General Reynolds had his body brought away in the retreat Sun- day night, and buried at Rossville, six miles from Chattanooga. The Gen- eral told me that he had the grave distinctly marked, so that when there is an opportunity the body can be removed."
When Colonel King was killed, Colonel Milton S. Robin- son of the Seventy-fifth Indiana Regiment succeeded to the command of the Brigade, which he very skillfully and bravely led in the performance of the last tragic act in the great drama of the battle-the charge of Reynolds' Division in the rear of the left wing, to open the road for the movement of the army to Rossville, and thence to Chattanooga. Captain Samuel Steele of A Company assumed command of our Regiment. Both Lieut. Col. O'Brien and Major McCole were absent, the former wounded in the battle, and the latter sick and at home.
Late in the afternoon of this day's battle, our Field Hos- pitals, on our right and left, located at Crawfish Springs and at Cloud's house, fell into the hands of the enemy under Wheeler and Forrest. While performing his mission of mercy, as a musician in battle, Albert B. Beneway (Al. Wal- ton)-the heroic drummer boy of C Company-was made a prisoner, together with some of the badly wounded of the Regiment, whom he had helped to remove to the Field Hos- pital at Cloud's. The big, burly cavalryman, who took hold of little "Al.," who liad smashed his drum against a tree before his eyes, observing his youthful appearance, tauntingly said in a rough voice: " You ought to be at home
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instead of here, nursing on your mother's breast!" "Al." was a prisoner of war for a long period of fourteen months in the celebrated Confederate prisons at Richmond and Dan- ville in Virginia, at Andersonville in Georgia, and at Charleston and Florence in South Carolina. On November 30th, 1864, he was paroled at the last-mentioned prison, and was sent through the Confederate lines into ours at Port Royal. While in Camp Chase, at Columbus, Ohio, March 27th, 1865, he was exchanged and returned to the Regiment, while we were at Holly Springs, N. C.
When Al. helped James E. Kidden, of C Company, from the field of Chickamauga, wounded, the whole right side of the little drummer's blouse became saturated with Kidden's warm blood, whose left arm was nearly torn from its socket at the shoulder. That side of the blouse, where Kidden's blood had dried on it, was as stiff as a board ; and not being able to wash it out, Al. wore the blouse in that condition during his long imprisonment.
Although the right wing of our army had been routed and scattered, the left was yet in position and confronted by the enemy, who had also sent a force of Infantry-Liddell's Division-around the left flank of our left, as far as the Chattanooga road. This daring force was moving down the road in the rear of our left wing. This left no outlet to us from the "bull pen." To hold this road, upon which Lid- dell was moving, was the only way by which our army could get to Chattanooga. To lose possession of this road now, after fighting desperately for two days to hold it, would be a national calamity. Therefore the road must be held at all hazards, and kept open by clearing it of these Confederates, so that our depleted and decimated army could withdraw from the field to Chattanooga. This very important and responsible duty was delegated to Reynolds' Division. Gen- eral Thomas, in person, directed General Reynolds to deploy his Division for the assault upon Liddell. Just as the sun was sinking behind the hills of Mission Ridge, the signal
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came, and the two Brigades of our Division, led by General Reynolds in person, who was seen everywhere rallying and encouraging his men, leaped to their feet like magic, changed front, and charged the advancing column of Liddell. It was one of the most magnificent assaults of the war. The Division moved to the assault with the accuracy and precision of an evening's dress parade. Our ranks were well closed, our steps elastic, and our faces were lit up with the hope of success, whilst shot and shell ploughed the ground around 11s. The attack was eminently successful. The Confederates were driven away and captured, and the road was opened for the withdrawal of the army. Several hundred Confederates were taken prisoners, among whom were Colonel Scales and Captain Gibbs, of the Thirtieth Mississippi Regiment, and Lieutenant McDonald, of Swett's Mississippi Battery. This charge of Reynolds' Division was successfully and satisfac- torily made in two lines by Brigades with Turchin's in the first line and ours (King's) under Colonel Robinson in the second line. When the prisoners were all taken and the balance of the Confederates was swept out of the road by the two Brigades, General Thomas personally directed Colonel Robinson to move our Brigade on the road leading to McFar- land's Gap via Mullis', so as to protect this road, and to formn line of battle on the elevated ground near the juncture of the roads at Brock's house, facing the battle-field, witli D. Mc- Cook's Brigade of the Reserve Corps on our left and Willich's Brigade of Johnson's Division on our right. Turchin's Brigade, in the meantime, advanced beyond the cross-roads at McDannel's house, and took position in the rear of D. McCook's Brigade on our left. Our army, which had not been previously driven from the field, then withdrew via McFarland's Gap to Rossville.
The results of this charge were so satisfactory to the com- mander of the Federal forces, General Rosecrans, that he complimented the Division in his official report in these con- cise words :
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To save time, the troops of Reynolds were faced by the rear rank and moved with the bayonet at a double-quick, with a shout walked over the rebels, capturing some 500. This closed the battle of the 20th. At nightfall the enemy had been repulsed along the whole line, and sunk into quietude without attempting to renew the combat.
The respective official reports, concerning this charge of both the Corps and Division commanders, are herewith sub- mitted :
In passing through an open woods bordering the State road, and between my last and Reynolds' position, I was cautioned by a couple of soldiers, who had been to hunt water, that there was a large force of the rebels in these woods, drawn up in line and advancing toward me. Just at this time I saw the head of Reynolds' column approaching, and calling to the general him- self, directed him to form line perpendicular to the State road, changing the head of his column to the left, with his right resting on that road, and to charge the enemy, who were then in his immediate front. This movement was made with the utmost promptitude, and facing to the right while on the march, Turchin threw his brigade upon the rebel force, routing then and driving them in utter confusion entirely beyond Baird's left. In this splen- did advance more than 200 prisoners were captured and sent to the rear.
Colonel Robinson, commanding the Second Brigade, Reynolds' division, followed closely upon Turchin, and I posted him on the road leading through the ridge, to hold the ground while the troops on our right and left passed by. In a few moments General Willich, commanding a brigade of Johnson's division, reported to me that his brigade was in position on a commanding piece of ground to the right of the Ridge road. I directed him to report to General Reynolds, and assist in covering the retirement of the troops. Turchin's brigade, after driving the enemy a mile and a half, was re- assembled, and took its position on the Ridge road, with Robinson and Willich.
These dispositions being made, I sent orders to Generals Wood, Brannan, and Granger to withdraw from their positions. Johnson's and Baird's divis- ions were attacked at the moment of retiring, but, by being prepared, retired without confusion or any serious losses. General Palmer was also attacked while retiring. Grose's brigade was thrown into some confusion, but Cruft's brigade came off in good style, both, however, with little loss .- Thomas.
We remained in this position for some time, when orders were received from the corps commander to prepare to change our position, and the divis- ion in a short time received orders to initiate a movement toward Rossville. This was done with the brigades still formed in two lines and moving by flank in parallel columns, thus ready at a moment's notice to face with double line in either of the directions in which firing had lately been heard.
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