USA > Indiana > History of the Seventy-fifth regiment of Indiana infantry voluteers. its organization, campaigns, and battles (1862-65.) > Part 21
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5Ist and 52d Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. John G. Hall.
Murray's (Tennessee) Battalion, Lieut .- Col. And. D. Gwynne.
WALKER'S DIVISION .*
Maj .- Gen. WILLIAM H. T. WALKER.
Gist's Brigade.
46th Georgia, Lieut .- Col. William A. Daniel.
8th Georgia Battalion, Lieut .- Col. Leroy Napier.
16th South Carolina, Col. James Mc- Cullough.
24th South Carolina, Col. Clement H. Stevens.
Maney's Brigade.
34th Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. Robert N. Lewis.
Ist and 27th Tennessee, Col. Hume R. Feild.
6th and 9th Tennessee, Col. George C. Porter.
4Ist Tennessee, Col. Robert Far- quharson.
50th Tennessee, Col. Cyrus A. Sugg. Maney's Battalion, Maj. Frank Maney.
Wilson's Brigade.
25th Regiment and Ist Georgia Bat- talion, Maj. Arthur Shaaff.
26th Georgia Battalion, Maj. J. W. Nisbet.
29th and 30th Georgia, Maj. Thomas W. Mangham. 66th Georgia, Col. J. Cooper Nisbet.
CLEBURNE'S DIVISION. İ
Maj .- Gen. PATRICK R. CLEBURNE.
Liddell's Brigade
2d and 15th Arkansas, Maj. E. Warfield.
5th and 13th Arkansas, Col. John E. Murray. 6th and 7th Arkansas, Lieut .- Col. Peter Snyder. 8th Arkansas and Ist Louisiana, Maj. Anderson Watkins.
Smith's Brigade.
6th and roth Texas Infantry and 15th Texas (dismounted) Cavalry, Col. Roger Q. Mills. 7th Texas, Col. Hiram B. Gran- bury. 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th Texas Cavalry (dismounted), Maj. William A. Taylor.
* Walker's Division-Brig .- Gen. S. R. Gist. (Transferred from Lookout Mountain on the 23d to the extreme right under Hardee.)
Cleburne's Division-MAJ .- GEN. PATRICK R. CLEBURNE. (Under Hardee, on the ex- treme right.)
262
History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment
Polk's Brigade.
Ist Arkansas, Col. Jolın W. Col- quitt.
3d and 5th Confederate, Lieut .- Col. J. C. Cole.
2d Tennessee, Col. William D. Robison.
35th and 48th Tennessee, Col. Ben- jamin J. Hill.
Lowrey's Brigade.
16th Alabama, Maj. Frederick A. Ashford.
33d Alabama, Col. Samuel Adams. 45th Alabama, Lieut .- Col. H. D. Lampley.
32d and 45th Mississippi, Lieut .- Col. R. Charlton.
15th Mississippi Battalion Sharp- shooters, Capt. Daniel Cole- nia11.
STEVENSON'S DIVISION."
Brown's Brigade.
3d Tennessee, Col. Calvin H.
Walker.
18th and 26th Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. William R. Butler.
32d Tennessee, Capt. Thomas D. Deavenport.
45th Tennessee and 23d Tennessee Battalion, Col. Anderson Searcy.
Cumming's Brigade.
34th Georgia, Col. J. A. W. Johnson. 36th Georgia, Lieut .- Col. Alexander M. Wallace.
39th Georgia, Col. J. T. McConnell. 56th Georgia, Lieut .- Col. J. T. Slaughter.
Pettus' Brigade.
20th Alabama, Capt. John W. Davis. 23d Alabama, Lieut .- Col. J. B. Bibb. 30th Alabama, Col. Charles M. Shelley.
3Ist Alabama, Col. D. R. Hundley. 46th Alabama, Capt. George E. Brewer.
l'aughn's Brigade.
3d Tennessee (Provisional Army). 39th Tennessee. 43d Tennessee. 59th Tennessee.
Reynolds' Brigade.t
58tlı North Carolina. 60th North Carolina. 54th Virginia. 63d Virginia.
Artillery Battalion.
Capt. ROBERT COBB.
Tennessee Battery, Capt. Edmund D. Baxter. Tennessee Battery, Capt. William W. Carnes. Georgia Battery, Capt. Max Van Den Corput. Georgia Battery, Capt. John B. Rowan.
* Stevenson's Division-MAJ .- GEN. C. L. STEVENSON. (After being defeated and driven from Lookout Mountain, it had position on the extreme left, under Breckinridge.)
+ Reynolds' Brigade belonged to Buckner's Division, but seems to have served under Ste- venson.
263
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
BRECKENRIDGE'S CORPS.
Maj. Gen. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE. HINDMAN'S DIVISION.
Anderson's Brigade.
7th Mississippi, Col. William H. 19th Alabama, Col. Samuel K. Mc- Bislıop. Spadden.
9tlı Mississippi, Maj. Thomas H. Lynam.
22d Alabama, Capt. Harry T. Toul- min.
Ioth Mississippi, Capt. Robert A. | 25tl Alabama, Col. George D. Jolin- Bell.
4Ist Mississippi, Col. W. F. Tucker. 44th Mississippi, Lieut .- Col. R. G. Kelsey, 9tlı Mississippi Battalion Sharp- shooters, Capt. W. W. Tucker.
Manigault's Brigade. 24tlı Alabama, Col. N. N. Davis. 28th Alabama, Maj. W. L. Butler. 34th Alabama, Maj. John N. S'augh- ter.
Ioth and 19th South Carolina, Maj. James L. White.
Deas' Brigade.
ston.
39tlı Alabama, Col. Whitfield Clark. 5otlı Alabama, Col. J. G. Coltart. 17th Alabama Battalion Sharpshoot- ers, Capt. James F. Nabers.
l'aughan's Brigade.
LIth Tennessee, Col. George W. Gor- don.
12th and 47th Tennessee, Col. Wil- liam M. Watkins.
13th and 154th Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. R. W. Pitman. 29th Tennessee, Col. Horace Rice.
STEWART'S DIVISION. +
Maj .- Gen. ALEXANDER P. STEWART.
Strahl's Brigade.
4th and 5th Tennessee, Col. Jonathan J. Lamb. Igtlı Tennessee, Col. Francis M. Walker. 24tlı Tennessee, Col. John A. Wilson. 3Ist Tennessee, Col. Egbert E. Tan- sil.
33d Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. Henry C. McNeill.
Adams' Brigade.
13th and 20th Louisiana, Col. Leon von Zinken. 16th and 25th Louisiana, Col. Daniel Gober. 19th Louisiana, Col. W. P. Winans. 14th Louisiana Battalion Sharpshoot- ers, Maj. J. E. Austin.
* Hindman's Division-BRIG .- GEN. PATTON ANDERSON. (Under Breckinridge on Mission Ridge.)
+ Stewart's Division-MAJ .- GEN. ALEXANDER P. STEWART. (Under Breckinridge on Mission Ridge.)
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History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment
Clayton's Brigade.
18th Alabama, Maj. Shep. Ruffin. 36th Alabama, Col. Lewis T. Wood- ruff.
38th Alabamna, Col. Charles T. Ketchum.
32d Alabama, Capt. John W. Bell. 58th Alabama, Lieut .- Col. Jolin W. Inzer.
Stovall's Brigade.
40th Georgia, Col. Abda Johnson. 4Ist Georgia, Col. William E. Cur- tiss.
42d Georgia, Col. R. J. Henderson. 43d Georgia, Col. Hiram P. Bell. 52d Georgia, Major John J. Moore.
BRECKINRIDGE'S DIVISION .*
Lewis' Brigade.
2d Kentucky, Lieut .- Col. James W. Moss.
4th Kentucky, Maj. Thomas W. Thompson. 5th Kentucky, Col. H. Hawkins. 6th Kentucky, Lieut. Col. W. L. Clarke.
9th Kentucky, Lieut .- Col. John C. Wickliffe.
John H. Morgan's dismounted men.
Bate's Brigade.
37th Georgia, Col. A. F. Rudler. 4th Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters, Lieut. Joel Towers.
Ioth Tennessee, Col. William Grace. 15th and 37th Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. R. Dudley Frayser. 20th Tennessee, Maj. W. M. Shy. 30th Tennessee, Lieut .- Col. James J. Turner.
Ist Tennessee Battalion, Maj. Stephen H. Colmis.
Florida Brigade.
Ist and 3d Florida, Capt. W. T. Saxon.
4th Florida, Lieut .- Col. E. Badger. 6th Florida, Col. Jesse J. Finley. 7th Florida, Lieut .- Col. Tillman In- gramı.
Ist Florida Cavalry (dismounted), Col. G. Troup Maxwell.
Quarles' Brigade.t
4th Louisiana, Col. S. E. Hunter. - 30th Louisiana, Lieut .- Col. Thomas Shields. 46th and 55tlı Tennessee, Col. Robert A. Owens. 48th Tennessee, Col. William M. Voorhies.
49th Tennessee, Col. William F. Young.
53d Tennessee, Col. John R. White.
* Breckinridge's Division-MAJ .- GEN. W. B. BATE. (Under Breckinridge on Mission Ridge, in front of Thomas.)
+ Not in the battle.
265
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
RESERVE ARTILLERY.
HARDEE'S. CORPS.
Smith's Battalion.
Carnes' (Tennessee) Battery, Capt. William W. Carnes.
Scogin's (Georgia) Battery, Capt. John Scogin.
Scott's (Tennessee) Battery, Lieut. John Doscher.
Smith's (Mississippi) Battery, Lieut. William B. Turner.
Stanford's (Mississippi) Battery, Capt. T. J. Stanford.
Fowler's Battalion.
Dent's (Alabama) Battery, Capt. S. H. Dent.
Fowler's (Alabama) Battery, Capt. Willianı H. Fowler.
Garrity's (Alabama) Battery, Capt. James Garrity.
Waters' (Alabama) Battery, Lieut. William P. Hamilton.
Williams' Battalion.
Baxter's (Tennessee) Battery, Capt. Edmund D. Baxter. Kolb's (Alabama) Battery, Capt. R. F. Kolb. Jeffress' (Virginia) Battery, Capt. William C. Jeffress. McCants' (Florida) Battery, Capt. Robert P. McCants.
BRECKINRIDGE'S CORPS.
Calvert's (Arkansas) Battery, Lieut. Humphreys' (Arkansas) Battery, Thomas J. Key. Lieut. John W. Rivers.
Cobb's (Kentucky) Battery, Lieut. Frank P. Gracey.
Mebane's (Tennessee) Battery, Capt. John W. Mebañe.
Darden's (Mississippi) Battery, Lieut. Semple's (Alabama) Battery, Lieut. H. W. Bullen. Richard W. Goldthwaite.
Dawson's (Georgia) Battery, Lieut. Slocomb's (Louisiana) Battery, Capt. R. W. Anderson.
C. H. Slocomb.
Douglas' (Texas) Battery, Capt. Swett's (Mississippi) Battery, Lieut. H. Shannon.
James P. Douglas.
Eufaula (Alabama) Battery, Lieut. William J. Mckenzie.
RESERVE.
Barret's (Missouri) Battery, Capt. Overton W. Barret. Havis' (Georgia) Battery, Lieut. James R. Duncan. Lumsden's (Alabama) Battery, Lieut. Harvey H. Cribbs. Massenberg's (Georgia) Battery, Capt. Thomas L. Massenberg. 18
266
History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment Return of Casualties in the Union forces .* [Compiled from the nominal list of casualties, returns, etc.]
Killed.
Wounded.
Captured or! missing.
Command.
Officers.
Enlisted men.
Officers.
Enlisted men.
Officers.
Enlisted men.
Aggregate.
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.
Total Fourth Army Corps . .
27
272
178
2036
I4
2527
Total Eleventh Army Corps .
3
3I
I4
I71
8
103
330
Total Second Division Twelfth Corps
6
49
34
252
341
Total Fourteenth Army Corps . .
13
130
· 55
719
I4
1931
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.
Total Fifteenth Army Corps .
I2
I2I
87
887
4
61
II72
Total Second Division Seventeenth Corps . .
8
8I
25
264
I5
130
523
Total Army of the Cumberland
49
482
28I
3178
8
I3I
4129
Total Army of the Tennessee .
20
202
II2
II5I
19
I9I
1695
Grand total .
69
684
393
4329
27
322
5824
.
* Includes skirmishes at Orchard Knob (or Indian Hill) and Bushy Knob (23d) ; battle of Lookout Mountain and skirmish at foot of Missionary Ridge (24th) ; battle of Missionary Ridge (25th) ; skirmishes at Chickamauga Station, Pea Vine Valley, Pigeon Hills, Tenn., and near Graysville, Ga. (26th), and engagement at Ringgold Gap, Taylor's Ridge, Ga. (27th).
+ In the assault 011 Missionary Ridge (25th) Baird's Division alone lost 565 officers and men.
267
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
Report of Casualties [Bragg's command] in the late engagements before Chattanooga and at Ringgold Gap.
Infantry.
Artillery.
Total.
Command.
Killed.
Wounded.
Missing.
Total.
Killed.
Wounded.
Missing.
Total.
Killed.
Wounded.
Missing.
Aggregate.
HARDEE'S CORPS.
Cheatham's Division
56
371
1,237
1,664
·
7
7
56 62
371 367
I2
44I
Stevenson's Division .
36
282
14
332
.
·
36
282
14
332
Walker's Division.
13
II4
167
294
I
4
23
28
14
I18
190
322
Total .
I61
I,II8
1,430
2,709
7
20
30
57
I68
1,138
1,460
2,766
BRECKINRIDGE'S CORPS.
Hindman's Division
69
463
1,088
1,620
7
13
36
56
76
476
1,124
1,676
Stewart's Division
71
310
960
1,34I
I
6
5
12
72
316
965
1,353
Breckinridge's Division
44
208
581
833
I6
IO
26
44
244
59I
859
Total
184
981
2,629
3,794
8
35
51
94
192
1,036
2,680
3,888
RESERVE ARTILLERY.
Robertson's Battalion
I
4
6
II
Williams' Battalion.
2
2
Total
I
6
6
I3
RECAPITULATION.
161
I,II8
1,430
2,709 3,794
7 8
20
30 51
57 94
I68 192
1,138 1,036
1,460
Breckinridge's Corps.
184
981
2,629
Reserve Artillery. .
.
. .
. .
I
6
6
13
I
6
6
13
Grand total.
345
2,099
4,059
6,503
I6
61
87
I64
361
2,180
4,146
6,667
56
35I
12
419
6
. . I6
I,244
1,67
Cleburne's Division.
22
.
35
2,680
2,766 3,888
Hardee's Corps.
CHAPTER X.
PURSUIT OF CONFEDERATES TO RINGGOLD, GA. - REOCCU- PANCY OF CHATTANOOGA-RELIEF OF BURNSIDE-DE-
MONSTRATION ON DALTON, GA .- RECONNAISSANCE TOWARDS TUNNEL HILL, GA.
(FROM NOVEMBER 26TH, 1863, TO MAY IST, 1864).
LATE in the evening of the 25th of November, 1863, upon the conclusion of the charge up the slope of Missionary Ridge, the Seventy-fifth Indiana Regiment was detailed to perform picket duty for the whole Second Brigade along the crest of the Ridge. Though tired and weary our- selves from the charge in the battle, we stood all night long, as the wakeful sentinels for the brave and slumbering body of heroes of our Brigade. When the glorious morning of the 26th opened, we were relieved with orders to pursue the retreating Confederates. The other Regiments of the Brigade awoke, refreshed for the pursuit, all unconscious of the vigils kept over their slumbers by the Seventy-fifth Regi- ment during the night. With the Brigade, our Regiment pro- ceeded to Ringgold, Ga., where we formned into line of battle at noon, but did not become engaged in the severe fighting on the hills in our front between some of Hooker's men and Pat. Cleburne's Division, which formed the rear guard of the re- treating Confederates. As usual in his retreat, Bragg per- mitted his soldiers to throw away their guns and accoutre- ments, and abandon their provisions, and move like an unor- ganized mob in our front.
We bivouacked here until II o'clock a. m., of the 29th, which was Sunday, when we were ordered to return to Chat- tanooga, and re-occupy our old camp, which we had left
( 268)
269
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
seven days before in order to fight the battle of Missionary Ridge. On our return, we captured many prisoners and much abandoned property of Bragg's Army. Our troops were in the best of spirits, cheering every officer of high rank as he passed. We arrived in Chattanooga at 6 p. in.
Since the victory of our troops at Chattanooga, the great anxiety of Grant seemed to be the relief of Burnside at Knox- ville, Tennessee. In the movement for his relief, Gen. Grant, on the 29th, sent Howard with his Corps, which was immediately followed by three Divisions of the Army of the Tennessee, under Gen. Frank P. Blair, and one Division of the Fourteenth Corps, under General Davis. On the 30th two Divisions of the Fourth Corps, commanded by General Gor- don Granger, were put in motion for the same purpose. A Cavalry force, commanded by Brig .- Gen. Elliott, also ac- companied these troops. All of them were placed under the personal command of General Sherman. This East Tennes- see campaign, made in the winter by troops that were ill- supplied with clothing and food, and so soon after the battles around Chattanooga, which they helped to fight, was very severe. But the object for which they were sent fully com- pensated the Government. The siege of Knoxville was raised on the 5th of December, and the Confederate army under Longstreet was driven from Burnside's front eastward, where it was unable to join Bragg. When these troops under Sher- man for Knoxville moved out of their camps, they made 110 little stir among us, who remained in Chattanooga.
We were left in Chattanooga, but the big "32-pounders" no longer frowned down upon us from the lofty battlements of Lookout Mountain, as of yore; no more boats, laden with rations for our relief, in attempting to pass around the nose of Lookout, were driven back; we experienced no more life of starvation in Chattanooga. During the months of De- cember, 1863, and January, 1864, which were unusually cold and severe that winter, we lay in camp at Chattanooga, per- forming heavy picket, drill and fatigue duty. On January
270
History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment
26th, however, three of the Regiments of our Brigade-the Thirty-fifth and One-hundred and fifth Olio, and our Regi- ment, under the command of Lieut .- Col. William O'Brien- were sent to the little town of Harrison, in Hamilton county, Tenn., along the river on an expedition, returning on the 29tl1.
It was during a reconnoitring expedition of the Regiment on Missionary Ridge about this time, that four men of I Com- pany-Samuel Bock, Samuel Landers, William Evans, and William Stevenson-were captured. The writer was in com- mand of the Company at the time. Bock and Evans died in Andersonville prison, the former on April 17th, and the lat- ter on May 22d, 1864. Landers died in prison on Belle Isle, Richmond, Va., March 5th, 1864, and Stevenson escaped from prison just before the war closed. He found his way to An- napolis, Maryland, where, after he had been discharged, but before he recuperated sufficiently to get home, he died from the effects of his imprisonment. These men were not cap- tured in battle, but were gobbled up after having strayed be- yond our picket lines.
During our re-occupancy of Chattanooga, a few of us were permitted to re-visit the battlefield of Chickamauga. Scenes of the great conflict, which were fresh in our memories, stood out vividly before our eyes. The birds chirped gaily as we walked through the dense forest of trees into the open field near Poe's house, where we had fought. All nature silently smiled, as we stood upon the piles of logs which formed the semi-circle of breastworks around Kelley's farm, where "Pap" Thomas withstood the brunt of Bragg's Army on that awful Sunday. Everything, except the ghastly sight of the unburied Union dead, and the few logs of breastworks, seemed forgetful of the terrible battle waged there only a few months before.
Immediately after the battle, Bragg was willing to ex- change those prisoners who were very badly wounded, but he refused interment to hundreds of our dead that remained
-
27I
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
in his hands. On that portion of the field where Longstreet formed and moved his columns of attack, our dead were buried ; but in Polk's front, hundreds of dead bodies of the National troops lay unburied ever since the battle. Even in times of grim-visaged war, this kind of inhumanity, by the authority of whomsoever, is cruel and barbarous. After the National forces got possession of the field, two Brigades un- der Gen. Cruft were directed to perform the duty of burying the unburied Union dead left there by the Confederates while they held the field.
After the siege of Knoxville had been raised, the troops sent there by Grant, returned except the Fourth Corps under Granger. The Eleventh Corps (Howard's) went into camp at Whitesides; Davis' Division, of the Fourteenth Corps, en- camped near Rossville; and Sherman distributed his troops, which had been in the East Tennessee campaign, along the railroad from Stevenson to Decatur, Alabama, and from thence up to Nashville, Tennessee. With the remainder of the Army of the Tennessee, Sherman entered upon his Meridian campaign against Leonidas Polk.
On the 21st of December, General Grant removed his head- quarters to Nashville, and General Thomas was placed in immediate command of all the troops in and about Chatta- nooga. After Bragg's defeat at Chattanooga, he was relieved of the command of the Confederate armny confronting us, and, on December 27th, General Joseph E. Johnston, a much superior officer, was put in command of these forces about Dalton.
While lying in our camp at Chattanooga, the report came to the headquarters of the Department of the Cumberland, through deserters from the Confederate army, that General Johnston was sending detachments of his troops from Dalton, where his army lay in winter quarters, to reinforce Polk against Sherman. This report happened to be true. Jeff. Davis telegraphed Joe Johnston to detach Hardee's Corps, except Stevenson's Division, to aid Polk in Mississippi
272
History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment
against General Sherman. But General Thomas, to ascer- tain the truth or falsity of this report, would have to make a demonstration in the direction of Dalton, and if the report was true, Johnston would be induced to recall his troops. Accordingly, on February 22d, Cruft's Division of the Fourth Corps, which had not been sent to Knoxville, and Johnson's, Davis' and Baird's Divisions of the Fourteenth Corps, under the personal command of General Palmer, were put in motion in the direction of Dalton. Cruft's Division, accompanied by Long's Cavalry, moved out on the 22d, and proceeded as far as Red Clay. Our Division and that of Johnson, at the same time, moved directly in the vicinity of Ringgold, and took position on a knoll among the hills west of East Chicka- mauga Creek. From here General Palmner sent word to General Thomas that two Divisions of Johnston's army in our front were ordered to Polk, who was retreating before the advancing columns of General Sherman's forces. O11 the supposition that this information was true, General Thomas put in motion all available troops under him to dis- lodge Johnston at Dalton or compel him to recall these Divi- sions. In the morning of the 23d Davis' Division, of our Corps, was sent to Palmer at Ringgold, and six Regiments from Cleveland, under General Mathias, of the Fifteenth Corps, were ordered to reinforce Cruft at Red Clay. The Cavalry under Col. Long advanced within four miles of Dal- ton, on the Spring Place road, driving in the pickets to their reserves, when Long was compelled to withdraw to Russell's Mills. Cruft's Division proceeded along the road from Red Clay to Tunnel Hill, as far as Dr. Lee's house.
On the 23d our Division marched through Ringgold and encamped two miles beyond the Gap near the Stone Church. On the 24th, we moved to Terrill's house and encamped there. In the afternoon of the 25th our Division marched across the country to the left and joined the Division of General Cruft on the Dalton road. The space over which we were com- pelled to march to get into line here consumed considerable
273
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
time. We formed on the left of General Cruft, and ad- vanced down Cox's Valley to the attack. Our battle line was formed with two Brigades in front and one in reserve. Turchin's Brigade was next to Cruft's Division, and our Brigade (Van Derveer's) was in line on the left of Turchin's. The Third Brigade of our Division, under Col. William H. Hays, was in reserve.
Owing to the impracticability for the movement of Artillery in the service which our Division was called upon to perform in the demonstration on Dalton, General Baird, on the even- ing of the 24th, ordered the Battery belonging to our Brigade -the Nineteenth Indiana, under Capt. Harris-to report to General Davis for duty. For this reason, our Brigade Bat- tery, on the 25th, fought with Davis' Division.
Our Division and that of Cruft moved along the east side of Rocky Face Ridge, and the Divisions of Davis and Johnson moved on the west side of the Ridge. Davis and Johnson found the Confederates in force at Buzzard Roost, a gap in Rocky Face Ridge, and on account of its steep acclivity, they were unable to dislodge them. Baird's and Cruft's Divisions met the Confederates as they (Baird and Cruft) advanced down Rocky Face Valley. We were confronted with great resistance by the enemy on one of the hills in the valley. It was deemed necessary by General Palmer to ascertain the strength of the enemy at this point. Turchin's Brigade of our Division was selected to perform this important duty. In his usual way, the gallant Turchin charged the hill and took it, but was unable to hold it, as it fairly swarmed with gray- backs. The enemy's strength was thereby developed,
Simonson's and Harris' Batteries occupied prominent knolls; at the foot of one of these knolls, and in front of Sin- onson's Battery, the Seventy-fifth Indiana Regiment lay. We were completely enveloped with the smoke from this Battery as it fired, and the noise which it made produced the most painful sensation in the writer's ears that he ever felt.
The Confederates who fought us on this reconnaissance
274
History of the Seventy-fifth Regiment
were Hindman's Corps, Granbury's Texas Brigade and Wheeler's Cavalry.
Our Regiment had an experience in this demonstration at Dalton, that was a sort of "April-fool" affair. The "Johnny Rebs" played a "Yankee trick " on us by setting up a battle line of effigies stuffed with straw, and armed with guns of wood and swords of sticks, upon which we made a charge as bloodless as that made upon the wind-mills in the days of knight-errantry.
Our loss in this reconnaissance was over 300, and that of the Confederates was probably over 200. Only parts of the enemy's troops engaged made returns of casualties, and over 150 are counted. Among the killed and wounded on our side were Col. Geza Mihalotzy of the Twenty-fourth Illinois, killed; Lieut .- Col. Paul E. Slocum of the Eighty-second In- diana of Turchin's Brigade, mortally wounded; Capt. Samuel J. Harris, the gallant commander of the Nineteenth Indiana Battery of our Brigade, and Major Watson of the Seventy- fifth Illinois, and Major C. J. McCole of our Regiment sever- ely wounded; and Lieut .- Col. C. J. Dickerson of the Tenth Michigan wounded and taken prisoner. The casualties of our Division were mostly from the First Brigade under Turchin. This Brigade suffered more than any other Brigade that took part in the reconnaissance. The casualties in our Regiment were the wounding of Albert Harrold of E Com- pany, who was shot in the left arm by a minie ball, and Major C. J. McCole who was wounded in the hip. This ex- pedition to Dalton was eminently successful. The Confede- rate troops sent from Dalton to operate against Gen. Sherman were recalled, and the strength of Joe Johnston's position was developed and ascertained by reason of this demonstration. We had to sacrifice many valuable lives to attain these ob- jects; but only in this way could we accomplish the results sought.
275
of Indiana Infantry Volunteers.
Return of casualties of the Union forces in the demonstration on Dalton, Ga., Feb. 22d-25th, 1864, in command of Major Gen. John M. Palmer.
[Compiled from official reports and returns.]
Command.
Killed.
Wounded.
Missing.
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