USA > Mississippi > History of the Seventh Indiana cavalry volunteers, and the expeditions, campaigns, raids, marches, and battles of the armies with which it was connected. with biographical sketches of Brevet Major General John P. C. Shanks, and of Brever Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Browne, and other officers of the regiment; with an account of the burning of the steamer Sultana on the Mississippi river, and of the capture, trial conviction and execution fo Dick Davis, the Guerrilla > Part 9
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rebels, but the efforts of the former, failed to dislodge the enemy.
The 7th Indiana, which was in the extreme rear of the divi- sion, was ordered to the front to the assistance of the 4th Iowa. It moved forward on the trot. the troops in front moving to either side of the road to allow it to pass. On arriving at the bridge, Gen. Grierson, ordered Col. Browne to form his regiment on the left of the road, and carry the hill by assault. The ground, over which the regiment had to pass, was a low creek bottom, cut up by ditches, and covered with logs and fallen timber. It was impossible to advance mounted. Col. Br wne. therefore dismounted the regiment and marched it forward on foot. It was now dark, and the men in advancing. were con- . stantly falling into ditches and -tumbling over logs. They. however. reached the hill. and the rebels, finding themselves Banked, withdrew withont firing a shot Col Browne inforined General Grierson of the fact, and by his order retired, to bear Ripley and went into camp. Ou this day Col. Karge, of the 2d New Jersey cavalry, was ordered to take four hundred men and proceed to Rienzi and destroy the railroad at that point. He encountered the enemy beyond Rucker-ville and was driven on an island in the Hatebie river, and surrounded.
On the morning of the Stb, a courier, who managed to get through the rebel lines, brought inteligence of Col. Karge's critical situation. The 7th Indiana, nader Co! Browne, and the 4th Missouri were immediately dispatchel to his assistance. They mer Col Kurze and me command, a few miles beyond booker-ville, b. having ~feetel bas escape by swiming his com- ruand across the river at a point not guarded. The two com- Lavede returned to Ripley
On the 9th, the march wis continned of the Tupelo road. No enemy was seen by the army on this day. The seruts. however. reported bering seen in the evening, a brigade of rebel cavalry & few miles to the east. From the starting of the expedition up to this time. it rained every day. Some days the water fell in Of roses, The words were a very muddy, tout the artillery and
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baggage trains could advance but slowly. This condition of the roads, undoubtedly contributed, in a measure, to the disasterous defeat on the next day.
The morning of the 10th of June was clear and pleasant. The cavalry division pushed on in advance. The advance guard as a matter of discipline, was watchful, but no one suspected that Forrest, with his entire army, was a few miles ahead on a carefully selected field. awaiting the advance of Sturges' army And no one dreamed that on that day a bloody battle was to he fought. The advance guard arrived at Brices-Cross- Roads. a few miles from Guntown, on the Ohio and Mobile railroad. Here the roads were cut up by fresh tracks, which indicated that a force had recently passed over them. This was all that was seen that would lead one to suspect the presence of the ene- my. The column was halted, and a courier swept to the rear to find Gen. Grierson. The General, a moment afterwards, dash- ed to the front and carefully inspected the road. He immedi- ately dispatched strong scouting parties on the different roads to find the enemy.
A scouting party of fifty men from the 2A New Jersey, went on the road running north, and loand the enemy in position half A mile from the cross-roads.
Captains Shoemaker and Branham with fifty men from the Tth Indiana, wout several miles on the Tupelo road. Hearing in nading at the crossing. they retrrued and took their position " the regiment in line of battle. When within half a mile of 't- crossing. t body of rebels attempted to cut them off, but Popt. Shoem iker ordered a charge, and put them to flight. The attle that ensued is generally known by the name of .Gun- win," a small place on the Mobile and Olvo railroad. three or For miles from the place where the barre occurred. But in the ficial reports it is known as the battle of Ericos-crossroads, the name given to the crossing of the road running south-east warm Ripley to Gunton, and the one laying nearly paralle! In, and to the war of the railroad,
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The ground from the crossing sloped gradually north to a small creek, less than a quarter of a mile distant, that ran nearly par- allel with the Ripley road. Beyond this creek, the ground was low and marshy. The fighting principally occurred on the north side of the Ripley road.
The Ist brigade (cavalry) was formed in front of the enemy, and the 2d to its right to guard the Tupelo road. The 7th In- diana was dismounted and formed in line of battle on the crest of the hill on the right of the road runing north and south pe- hind a rail fence. The hill was covered with timber and a thick undergrowth of shrubs. A skirmish line was advanced to near the middle of the marsh in front of the line, and awaited the at. tack of the enemy. The position occupied by the 7th Indiana Was a strong one. If it had not been, it could not, unaided, have held it as long as it did.
The enemy were formed on an opposite hill in the edge of the woods. For them to advance, they would be obliged to cross the open swamp between the two lines, and be exposed to the fire from the Federal lines concealed in the woods. General Grierson would have had to encounter the same hazard, had he advanced to the attack.
The batteries of the 14th Indiana and 4th Missouri, were placed to the left of the 7th Indiana, and did good execution in the ranks of the rebels. Speaking of the batteries, Col. Browne said: "I passed up to the batteries and watched with delight the effect of the bursting bombs. They made the rebels scatter delightfully."
A brisk fire from the hostile skirmish lines broke out, which lasted some time. A loud cheer rose from the rebels, and al- most immediately massed columns emerged from the woods oc- cupied by the rebels, and began crossing the open space. Col. Browne ordered his men to reserve their fire till the enemy were in close range. When but a few rods distant, the regiment from behind the fence, poured such a well directed fire into them that it caused them to break in confusion, and retreat to the kill. They son rallied, however, and again . nambed to the air.
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tack. They were welcomed in the same manner, and again fell back before a withering fire. They formed in the open space, and opened a terrific musketry fire, which had but little effect on the 7th Indiana as the men were concealed behind the treesand fence. Notwithstanding they had to face a destructive fire not only from the lines, but also from the batteries, yet the rebels steadily advanced till they were almost at the line occupied by the?7th Indiana. Probably there was no braver fighting done during the war, than occurred at this point and at this time. Col. Browne, by orders, was compelled to weaken his line by sending Capt. Moore with his company to reinforce a portion of the line to the left. He had but 280 men with which to hold his position. One-fourth of these were employed in holding horses, leaving but about 200 men to resist the attacks of the enemy. The feats of valor performed by the regiment on this day, will be fully appreciated, when it is remembered that it was dismounted cavalry. drawn up in the single rank formation. to oppose massed columns of infantry, out-numbering it four to one. The muzzle of carbine or musket was placed against the body of the assailants'or the assailed, and discharged. In many instances, the men not having time to re-load their carbine:, used them as clubs over the heads of the rebels, and even clinch- ed and pounded them with their; fists. The rebels on getting over the fence were either shot. and fell on either side of it, or were knocked off either with the butts of the carbines, or with the fist. It was impossible for the regiment to much long -: withstand the assanlt of such overpowering numbers. The fence being carried, the contest was continued from bush to bush and from tree to tree. "" In this mode of fighting, the navy revolvers, of the 7th Indiana, proved formidable weapons. Many a rebel in feeling his way through the heavy toliage of the bushes, found the muzzle of a navy in his face and bid good-bye to the world. This occurred so often, that it made the rebels cautious, and materially abated the vehemence of their attack.
The rebels were moving a force to flank the regiment on the
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right. Col. Browne informed Col. Waring, Commander of the Ist Brigade, of his situation, and asked for reinforcements. Col. Waring sent Lieut. Hansen, with information that every man was disposed of and that reinforcements were out of the question, and ordered Col. Browne to hold his position to the last extremity. The flanking movement of the enemy rendered it necessary for Col. Browne to shift the position of the regiment to the rear and right, to prevent its right dank from being turned. He ordered the men to their horses, a few rods to the rear in an open space in the woods. The rebels, seeing the movement, advanced their line through the brush and halted but a short distance from the 7th Indiana and opened a vigorous fire. The regiment, under this fire at short range, mounted as cooly as if they were on parade. War has its comical as well as serious aspects. The lines being so close that the adversaries could speak to each other, they exchanged language more forcible than elegant.
At this juncture, the gallant Col. Browne, who was always found where the conflict was fiereest, received a painful wonnd in the ankle, and his borse was shot. His orderly was shot dead at his side. Remounting. the Col. retired the regiment a short distance, di-mounted the men. and formed them in line, the lett wing of the regiment resting in a graveyard near the cross roads At last a regiment arrived to reinforce the 7th Indiana, and took position on the right of it. For two hours the 7th Indiana unaided, resisted the attacks of the enemy who overwhelmingly outuumbered it. The rebels having paid dearly for their slight success, made no further attempt to break the line at this point. Hostilities were now confined to the batteries. A knot of officers gathered at the battery at the crossroads, to watch the duel. They smiled with delight to see the rebels scamper from their guns, when a well-directed shell exploded among them. But their serenity was somewhat disturbed, when a shell from the enemy's battery exploded near them, and killed two gunners and wounded three others.
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The infantry by this time began to arrive and take position on the field.
The 7th Indiana was then ordered back on the Ripley road, about half a mile. and formed in line ot battle on the north side of the road, on the extreme left of the federal line.
Col. Browne, owing to his wound, being unable longer to remain with his regiment, turned the command over to Major Simonson.
The ground in front was a field of gentle acclivity. The rebels were formed on its crest, behind a fence at the edge of the woods.
The regiment was dismounted, and advanced half way up the bill, and a skirmish line thrown forward of the regiment. The entire command was ordered to lie down to protect it from the sharp-shooters of the enemy. It occupied this position for some time, no firing occurring except an occasional shot fi the rebels.
When the engagement between the enemy and Grierson's cavalry commenced, the infantry and most of the cavalry were miles in the rear, torling through the mud, under a scorching sun. General Grierson dispatched messenger atter messenge. to Sturges to hurry on the intantry before he was overwhelmed. As his position grew momentarily more precarious, he dashe ! back in person to the infantry to hurry it up. He met Co !. MeMillan two miles and a half from the field, and told him he could nor hold bis position but twenty minutes longer. The gallant Col. told him he would be on the field in twenty
minutes. The Col. started his column on the double quick, which gait it kept till it arrived on the field. Some of his meu dropped from the ranks exhausted, some fell in the road with sun stroke, but still the brave men pushed on, intent on saving from annihilation the cavalry, that had fought so gallantly.
When they arrived on the field, they were almost exhausted. The regiments as they came up, took position wherever needed, without reference to brigade organization. The 934 Indiana
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infantry was formed on the extreme right. The rebels, with their usual perfidy, marched a regiment, bearing the national colors, and dressel in the federal uniform, toward it, and when within a short distance, poured a deadly fire isto its ranks. Six- ty-five men of the 934 fell under that fire, among them Lieut .- Col. Pool and Adjutant Moody. Forrest, as the different ;brigades of infantry arrived, hurled his ma-ved columns against them, and defeated and routed them separately. Everything done by Forrest, showed generalship of the highest order, while Sturge! manifested nothing but treasonable incompetency.
The scene, witnessed by the 7th Indiana, from its position last mentioned, was probably never betore seen on a battle field. Half a mile from the cross roads, was a swamp between two bills and crossed by the road. The baggage train came down the hill nearest Ripley, and occupied nearly all of the road across the swamp. The lines were driven back from the cross roads, and were but a short distance from the train. The artillery that was being moved to the rear, to save it from capture, could not cross the swamp, because the road was completely blockaded with the wagons, and necessarily fell into the hands of the enemy. To make things worse, the officer !u charge of the baggage train, attempted to turn it back, and got a few wagone crosswire with the road, when the rules and the wheels of the wagons on getting out of the narrow road-bed, were inired, and could not be moved.
Maj. Sinonson was now ordered to withdraw the 7th Indiana, all the other cavalry regiments having lett the field. The Mg knew, that the moment the regiment began a backward movement, that the rebel line in his front would charge him. He therefore ordered every other than to stand fast, and deliver a fire at the enemy the moment they crossed the fence on the hill. while the rest retreated a few rods, faced abont, and in like manner fired at the enemy till the front line had taken a new position to the rear, when it would retire. The withdrawal of the 7th When it began, as was expected, presented a splendid picture.
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the rebels were quickly over the fence in pursuit. The two lines were in full view on the open field, one advancing and the other retiring. Blue smoke curled up from the muskets on the one side, and from the carbines on the other.
When within a few rods of their horses, the men of the 7th Indiana made a rush for them, and speedily vaulting into the caddles. wheeled to the left in coluran of fours, and started to leave the field. The regiment had to cross the queen, by jumping the horsea over it. A tolerably good place was found for this purpose, but only one or two men conld cross at a time. . The- caused delay. and compelled a great part of the regiment to ait on their horses in the field. exposed to the fire of the
enemy The rebels were pressing so closely, that there was dan- ger of some of the companies being captured en-masse. Maj. Simonson therefore gave the order for each man to get across the best way he could. The men broke ranks, and dashed through the willows that fringed the banks of the creek, and spurred their horse- into and over it. Some of the horses being too weak to clear the creek. jumped into it and mired, when their riders were compelled to leave them and save themselves on foot, The crossing was done so hurriedly, that the men got separated from their companies, but it was the only thing that Paused confusion in the regiment on that day. But in less than halt an hour, every moin was in his proper place. The entire army was now in toral rout. The infantry was streaming by the wagons in the march, beyond the control of its officers. while shot and shell from the enemy's guns plunged through them. The scene that ensued beggars description. The. tentosters, the inevitable curse of a defeated army. out the mules loose from the wagons, mounted them and dashed madly to the rear, riding down every one in the way.
Gen. Sturges vos on the hill. beside himself with excitement. He ordered Lt. Gleason of company "A." and Lt. Cogley of 'apany "F." of the 7th Indiana. to halt some men and form Hin seress the road, and shoot down ever struggler the
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attempted to pass. These officers, by threats, succeeded momentarily in checking the current, but it soon became 30 large that nothing could restrain it. It broke through the line and rushed to the rear. It was pitiable to see the colored soldiers, who well knew that they would be shot withont. mercy if captured, when compelled to halt, some knelt down and prayed, others threw themselves on the ground, and sobbed in the greatest agony of despair.
After the stranglers had gone by. the 7th Indiana was formed on the crest of the hill facing the enemy, and compelled to stand under a furions cannonad-, directed at the retreating infantry The colored brigade was still in the rear. fighting turion-ly. It saw some of its members shot, after they had surrendered. This neived them with the energy of despair. The repeated vells of the rebels. told of the Jury of the onslaught, and the crashing volleys from the brigade, of the determination of the detence. The poor fellows, atter exhausting their ammunition. ran about the held, to get cartridges from the boxes of their dead comrades, and boarded the ammunition tram and load-d themselves down with cartridges, and renewed the conflict with unabated bravery. It was the division of the rebel general French, celebrated for its hatred for, and barbarous treatment of, the colored troops, that made this attack on the colored brigade. It was a contest of courage between the chivalry of the South and the despised African. The pride of the former was humiliated by the coldienty qualities of the latter.
A body of colored troops covered the retreat of fifteen hundred white soldiers all the way from the battle field to Collierville. Another body of abont 300. that got separated from the array, successfully resisted the attacks of the rebel avairy, and tofied the guerridas, and arrived at Memphis a few lays after the battie.
The 5th In liana was soon ordered to wahdraw from :ho position hast mentioned, and take its pour in the curtain of F
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retreat. At daylight, the army passed through Ripley. At that place some heavy fighting occurred between Forrest : advance and the infantry, in which both sides lost heavily From Ripley. the cavalry took the advance, and was constantly annoyed by the enemy till near Collierville. The retreat was continued night and day. The men were completely exhausted. by the fatigues of the battle, and the want of sleep. Nature will assert her demand -. Notwithstanding the presence of danger, the men went to sleep in the saddle, and tell trom their horses, and were tratapled on by them. Even the animals Fnffered for rost and sleep as much as the men. They staggered against each other, and frequently fell. unhorsing their iders. Many of them nuable to travel further were abandoned. and the unfortunate owners compelled to plod along on toot. Miny of the men thus dismounted laid down by the road-side, to sleep, and awoke to find themselves prisoners Many of them fell into the hands of the meroness Guerrillas and were murdered in cold blood.
The wagon-train, with the supplies of rations, owing to the stupidity ot General Sturges, was captured, and as a consequence the men were ahnost starving. Forrest pursued so vindictively. that there was no time to forrage.
Frequently, when, a soldier in turning his haversack inside out to mapty the crumbs into his hand, dropped a parce of cracker not larger than an inch square, the men in his rear seeing it. would jump from their homes and scrabble for it, and that, too after it had been tramped into the mud by the nor-es feet.
Thise of the wounded who could not ride on their hopes what left behind. Among them, was the brave Capt. Joel H Elismer. who was shot through the shoulder.
General Sturges in the expectation, suffered a disgrace! dogmat lost his entire wagon-train, and supplies beauty als of his artillery, and he's reputation as a soldier.
In the battle of Dices Cross-runs, the 7th Indiana acquirel
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new laurels, and wrung from Col. Waring. commander of the Jet Brigade, the following complimentary recognition of its services :
HEAD QUARTERS FIRST CAVALRY BRIGADE. 16, A. C. ) CAMP AT WHITE STATION, June 13th, 1864. 1 Major:
By my action. proceedings were some time since instituted against several officers of the 7th Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. and they were ordered to appear before a Military Commission for examination. I respectfully but earnestly request that further action in these cases be stopped. and the papers be returned to me The 7th Indiana Cavalry was in action under wy command. on the 10th inst, at Brices-Cross roads, Mississippi, and for two hours fought most gallantly against superior forces. From Lieutenant Colonel Browne commanding to the last private. their ondnet was brilliant and soldierly in the extreme. I am Anre that such brave men can not fail to become. in all respects good officers, if allowed another opportunity under prope. control.
Very Respectfully your Obedient Servant. GEO. E. WARING, JR. Col. 4th Mo. Cav. Com'd g.
In instituting the proceedings referred to in the above comtaunication, Col. Waring www aiming at no less a person than Col Shanks himself. for whom Le bala dislike H. preten ded that Col. Sharks had a kerner eve to his politi al advancement at home, than to ' hy proper discri: line of his regituent. Althonza. Col Shank, was to a certain extent, a politician, and had been in Congress previous to organizing the regiment yet, the chance that he neglected any of his duties as a solcher, and commander? officer. was without any foundation whatever. From the organization of the regiment, till its return to Memphis troio ch- expedition to West Point, Col. Shanks was almost constantly the command of it.
The fact, that the regiment was shifted from front to rear or from rear to the front. or to the Banks, to move' thiratepel darger, shows that not only Gon. Grierson, but Col. Warte Lingelf. regarded it as an efficient military organization, the ..
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could be relied on in any emergency. The brilliant conduct of the regiment on the bed of February, on the retreat frous . Okolona, under the command of Col. Shanka, relieved Geu. Smith's failure, of a portion of the odium attaching to it, and, in brief, saved the greater portion of his army from capture A regiment that could fight so well and accomplish so much, must have had an able commanding officer.
Col. Waring's every act showed that he had more confidence in the 7th Indiana cavalry than he had in his own regiment. He was forcibly reminded of it by a private of the 7th who rode up to him, when he piared the regiment in the rear after Sturges army was routed. and allowed the 4th Missouri to pass to the tront out of danger, and asked him, why. he always placed the 7th in positions of danger. and his own regiment in places of comparative security The Colonel, knowing the truth to be as stated. did not get angry with the soldier or reprove him, but said. as he rode away, that he would send the 4th Missouri back to the rear; but it did not come.
General Grierson recognized the gallant services of the 7th Indiana, in an order, in which the following complimentary lan - guage occurs :
"Your General congratulates you upon your noble conduct during the late expedition. Fighting against overwhelming numbers, under adverse circumstances, vour prompt obedience to orders and unflinching courage, commanding the admiration of all, made even delpat almost a victory. For hours, on foot. you repulsed the charges of the enemy's infantry, and, again in the saddle, you met his cavalry, and turned his assaults into confusion Your heroic perseverance saved hundreds of your fellow soldiers from capture You have been mouthful to your honorable reputation, and have fully justified the confidence and merited the high esteem of your communder."
The following is the official report of the casualties of the 7th luciana cavalry in this expedition and battle.
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CAMP WHITE STATION, NEAR MEMPHIS, TENN., ) June 14, 1864. )
FIELD AND LINE WOUNDED.
T. M. Browne. Lieut. Col., in the ankle.
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