Maj. Gen. Geo. H. Thomas then wires Gen. Granger to report his whole strength immediately. Thomas tells him that he could keep Wheeler or any other rebel raider from crossing the Tennessee River with the force he has now, assisted by the gunboats, but Athens must be recovered. To assist him in doing that he will send troops as soon as possible. Granger answered Thomas also on Sept. 28 that he is repairing the road to Athens, and will reoccupy the place as soon as he has a disposable force. Granger then lists the effective force at his command which totaled 2,582 infantry. He indicates his infantry is much diminished by sickness, particularly his best regiments, after service on or near the river. He has infantry garrisons at Decatur, Huntsville, and 25 blockhouses and stations on the railroad to Stevenson. "The abandonment of any would insure the burning of bridge in twenty four hours by Johnson or Mead." Granger then estimates the enemy strength at 5500 and says his estimate is much below everybody else. He says; "I have not the least apprehension but I can hold any position taken, but our difficulty is to know where to hold, when we have only infantry to hold so large a body of cavalry. Our infantry are not only eager, but mad, because they cannot get a fight. Our cavalry force: Second Tennessee, 300; Twelfth Indiana 170; total, 470. Nothing heard from Forrest since 4 o'clock day before yesterday."
Granger then sends Thomas a message that he has sent 300 men to reoccupy Athens. He has remaining 300 cavalry and 500 infantry; this will leave minimum garrisons at stations and blockhouses. Complaining again that General Rousseau has all his available force at the upper end of road, he reiterates that this will not leave a single mounted man at Decatur.
On the 27th of September it had been ascertained that Wheeler with his entire force had withdrawn from the vicinity of Decatur. On the 29th, Granger moved from Decatur to Huntsville along with the 13th Wisconsin and 11th Indiana. He also sent there a section of artillery from Decatur under the escort of a detachment of the 12th Indiana Cavalry. The Twelfth Indiana was also involved in action near Lynchburg, Tennessee on September 29, but it probably was a detachment that had moved to Tullahoma. We have this report to the adjutant from Major-General Milroy: "I learned on the 28th that the rebel forces under Forrest were moving east from Pulaski in the direction of this railroad. I kept cavalry scouting parties well out on the various roads leading west, to ascertain at what point he aimed to strike. On the night of the 28th, a small scouting party of rebels cut the telegraph wire, tore up and burned the railroad track to a small extent three miles north of this place. I sent out a construction train early next morning of the 29th with a guard, and soon repaired the break in the track and wire. In the afternoon of the same day a scouting party of the 12th Indiana Cavalry met Forrest's advance eleven miles out, a short distance from Lynchburg, and had a sharp skirmish with them. Forrest turned back immediately after the skirmish and this railroad has not since been disturbed."
On the 30th of September the following memo was sent under a flag of truce to the post at Huntsville by the Confederate General Buford: COLONEL: I am here in command of the advance of General Forrest's army, with instructions to demand the surrender of the city, the fort and garrison. An answer to this demand must be made before night-fall. If refused, the citizens must leave at once. Certain conditions will attend the surrender, which conditions Colonel Kelley, the bearer, will acquaint you with. I am, colonel, very respectfully, A. BUFORD
To which Granger makes this reply: GENERAL: General Granger directs me to say that he has assumed command of the forces in this city. He also directs me to say that he will not surrender the fort or the city on any terms. You can come and take it as soon as you get ready. The inhabitants of this city are mostly citizens of the Southern Confederacy. He would suppose that you would give them more than a couple of hours to leave. You can, of course, in this act your own pleasure. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SAM. M. KNEELAND
General Granger sent another message about two hours later in which he proposed that both sides agree that neither would occupy the city, confining the battle to the area of the fort, for the protection of the citizens.
To these propositions Major-General Forrest replied in the following communication: GENERAL: Your communication addressed to Brigadier-General Buford, concerning the positions to be assumed by the two belligerent parties, has this moment been referred to me. I respectfully decline acceding to them. I expect to attack you tomorrow morning from every rock, house, tree, and shrub in the vicinity, and feeling confident of my ability to succeed in my anticipated attempt, now bid you prepare yourself for the fray. I, however, cheerfully accept the proposition you made to Brigadier-General Buford, namely, to allow two hours of daylight tomorrow morning for the purpose of allowing non-combatants to remove beyond the lines. At the expiration of the third hour of the coming day I shall commence offensive operations, unless another communication is received from you before that time. I am, general, with great respect, N. B. FORREST
On the morning of October 2, General Buford demanded the surrender of the fort at Athens which this time is refused. After a siege lasting only till 9 a.m. of the same day Buford withdrew. The author Shelby Foote indicates that Buford had orders to return to the Tennessee River by way of Huntsville, which he was to capture, and tear up track on the Memphis & Charleston. He simply states that Buford found Huntsville too stoutly garrisoned to be taken. According to Foote's account both Buford and Forrest crossed to south of the Tennessee River about the same time. According to one account a second attack was made on Huntsville by Buford on October 18 but it was not mentioned in the other histories and is probably erroneous.
September action in other parts of the country centered around the siege at Petersburg Va. and the continued battle of Jonesborough south of Atlanta. John Hunt Morgan, the famed Confederate cavalry raider who had invaded Indiana, was killed during September. He was ambushed by a Federal raiding party who had duplicated Morgan's own tactics. Elsewhere this month there were the battles of Fisher's Hill, Peebles' Farm, Fort Harrison and a third battle of Winchester, all in Virginia. At Atlanta, Sherman ordered the evacuation of civilians amid outcries of inhumanity for making the people homeless. In answer to Hood who made the protest "in the name of God", Sherman replied that "God will judge us in due time whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of women and families at our backs or to remove them to places of safety among their friends."
Another sidelight in September is that President Lincoln urged Sherman to allow the Indiana troops to go home for the coming election as long as they could not vote in the field. Indiana was a pivotal state to Lincoln and the Republicans. Apparently most did not go home to vote according to one of Harper's letters. After the election in November he wrote home that several officers of the regiment were discharged because of politics. (Presumably for too vigorously supporting their former general, McClellan.) John Henderson of Company E, Marshall County was one of those who went home, he states: "Oct 4th (illegible number) of our reg. leave on furlough for home. Oct 9th arrive at Plymouth three cheers for home. We return to our reg. in small squads where we are greeted by cheers & thousands questions of home & friends by those that remained behind."
In northern Alabama we have General Granger's report covering operations from October 12 to the 29th, 1864. General Hood had left General Sherman's front and was moving northward for the purpose of destroying Sherman's communications. Expecting that Hood's crossing of the Tennessee River might be in his district, Granger relates in detail what defensive measures he took in preparation for the attack. In his typical reporting style he emphasizes the huge size of the enemy forces and points out his own meager numbers, using an over abundance of the words "I" and "my". In the listing of his forces he places parts of the 12th Indiana Cavalry as on the line of railroad from Athens to Stevenson. He states: "I was able from these scattered forces to gather only 300 men to reinforce Decatur, giving me here not to exceed 1,800 men. With this small force I was obliged to man a works with a continuous front of 1,600 yards, exclusive of the river." On the 24th of October it was reported that 15,000 of General Hood's army were 20 miles from the river and were intending to cross at different points between Decatur and Paint Rock, Alabama. At this point Granger requests that he immediately be sent strong reinforcements.
The other events of October had not shown much change. The siege at Petersburg wore on. Hood's troops were trying to sever Sherman's lengthy supply line from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Hood hoped to force Sherman to pull his army back to Tennessee. Meanwhile, Forrest kept on operating against the railroads in north Alabama and Tennessee also in an attempt to get Sherman to withdraw troops from Georgia. The Confederate Price was active in Missouri and out east things were quiet in the Shenandoah campaign except for skirmishes. Sherman's troops fought an engagement at Allatoona, Ga. In Indiana Oliver P. Morton was reelected governor. War came to Vermont in the form of a confederate raider who robbed three banks and planned to burn and loot several towns.
In early November election fever occupied the spotlight. The Lincoln and Andrew Johnson ticket received 2,330,552 popular votes to 1,835,985 for McClellan and Pendleton, with the electoral vote at 212 to 21 respectively. On November 16 General William Tecumseh Sherman cut his communication with the rear and began his march to the sea, leaving the desolate and smoking city of Atlanta behind him. Perhaps in retaliation, on November 25th confederate agents attempted to burn New York City and about 10 hotels along with Barnum's museum were fired but with little effect.
At this time during November, 1864, the 12th Indiana Cavalry in northern Alabama was involved in a skirmish of which we have the report of Major Williams: "Marched from this place (Whitesburg) on the 16th instant, with forty men of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry- eighteen from Company D, the remainder from my own company (C)-to Huntsville, where I received a reinforcement" (Part of the Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry) "From thence we marched to Brownsborough, Ala., where we arrived at sunset, and were joined by thirty men of Company H of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry under command of Captain DaHuff." They were also joined by 30 of the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry and 250 men of the Fourth Michigan Infantry, making a total of 390 men. "We remained at Brownsborough until 3 a.m. of the 17th, when, under the command of Colonel Hall (4th Michigan), we marched in the the direction of New Market. When two miles out, and at the small town of Maysville, our advance met rebel pickets and drove them back. After marching six miles farther, and at about 7 a.m., we halted, breakfasted, and fed our horses, after which we started in pursuit of the enemy, meeting them, under command of Russell, Johnson, and Mead, supposed to be 500 strong, all mounted and in line of battle, which we soon broke, driving them from their ground in confusion, our men pursuing them. We followed them until night, driving them nine miles, they rallying five times, but were handsomely repulsed and driven back each time. Night coming on, and our horses and men being considerably fatigued, we ceased fighting in the vicinity of New Market, and encamped at that place for the night. The enemy is known to have lost 9 killed and 3 wounded, while we lost not a man. At 3 a.m. of the following day (Nov 19) the railroad track was torn up six miles east of Brownsborough, and the command sent in pursuit of the marauders, the result of which will be otherwise reported."
Colonel Hall's report of the same action adds detail to that of Major Williams and includes "the pursuit of the marauders" mentioned above. Hall assumed command of the force assembled at Brownsborough which numbered 394 men, including 145 mounted of which 30 were from Company H of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry. After being fired upon by pickets at Maysville, "I then proceeded to within four miles of New Market, and took the road leading over the mountains to Jones Cove, where I was informed the enemy were encamped the day previous. Arrived at Mr. Sandsley's plantation at 8:30 a.m., and being informed that the enemy 500 strong were three miles in advance, I halted the command for dinner. (Breakfast?) I then set the column in motion, and after ten minutes march came upon the enemy (He must have been less than a mile away when they stopped to eat) in line of battle on the side of the mountain, and advanced upon him with a strong line of skirmishers, from which he retreated. It then became a running fight. As fast as the infantry could march I drove him around and over the mountains, up Hurricane Branch five miles beyond New Market, killing 9 and wounding 3 or 4, including 1 commissioned officer, which he took with him or secreted in such a manner that we could not find them. It being dark I returned to New Market in order to have possession of the different roads. The following morning being cloudy and rainy, and the roads becoming bad, and the infantry having marched 21 miles the day before, I decided that it was impossible to keep up with Russell, as he ran too fast even for our mounted force. I then returned to Brownsborough, which I reached before dark."
At Brownsborough Major Williams was sick and received permission to go back to Huntsville. It should be mentioned here that the reluctance of Federals to quickly follow up an offensive advantage was not unusual. On the morning of the 19th Hall learned that the railroad track had been torn up. "A train being at hand I took all the infantry forces then at Brownsborough and proceeded to the place of destruction, leaving orders for Captain Givens to move with the mounted force to that point as soon as possible. The force under him, numbering 124 men, reached there at 11:45 a.m. I then proceeded on Russell's track, coming up with him at dusk at Duckett's plantation, near Paint Rock River. Dismounting all the Enfield rifles I moved on him at a double-quick, using the dismounted men on the mountain on the right and the cavalry on the left of the road which runs along at the foot of the mountain. The enemy here made a more stubborn resistance then at any time previous, and I was in hopes that he would stand long enough for us to get within short range, but I was soon invited to another race, as he showed his heels as usual; it was then dark and impossible to come up with him again."
"I captured his camp, rations for the men and oats and corn for the horses, also several horses, saddles, bridles, forage, and haversacks, blankets, and canteens, which were mostly filled with whisky." Colonel Hall then says about thirty horses were captured in all and eight or ten head of cattle. "Some twenty stand of arms were captured, including rifles, carbines, and shotguns; they were given to the home guards, as they were mostly without arms."
"Much of the property captured at the camp was of considerable loss to the enemy, but of very little use to us. I ordered it burned and otherwise destroyed. I occupied the enemy's camp the night of the 19th, and the next morning at daylight took his track, but soon ascertained that he was too far in advance for me to overtake him, and as it had been raining all night and the streams rising rapidly, I did not think it prudent to follow him, and therefore returned with the command to Brownsborough, where I arrived at dark, that being the only point where I could get to the railroad on account of high water. Two of my command were slightly wounded. I lost 2 horses drowned and 3 or 4 abandoned."
The three mounted companies of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry (C, D, and H) that had defended Huntsville against Forrest in October subsequently joined with the rest of the regiment at Tullahoma between November 20 and November 25. Regimental histories indicate that upon the evacuation of Tullahoma, November 26, 1864 the regiment proceeded to Murfreesboro and took part in the battles of Wilkinson's Pike and Overall's Creek.. (Henderson's diary indicates they left Tullahoma November 30.) Not too far away near Columbia Tennessee the armies of the North and South gathered which would soon culminate in the battles at Spring hill and Franklin Tennessee. On November 30 at Franklin some of the bloodiest fighting occurred in which the confederates lost eight generals. The Federals withdrew to their defense lines around Nashville. Both sides were dug in on December 5th when Hood sent Forrest's cavalry and a division of infantry from Nashville toward Murfreesboro.
Henderson's diary has the following account of events at that time: "Nov 30th we leave Tullahoma for Murfreesboro 29 miles. After a hard & muddy march we arrive Dec 2nd & a fight is expected soon. 4th we can hear the cannonading at Nashville. Dec 6th Forrest & his imps are gathering in close & heavy or sharp skirmishing commences with our picket lines. 7th Skirmishing is renewed early this morning. 2 pm the battle has commenced in earnest. The artillery opens lively. 8 pm the battle is over the rebs drove 10 miles but Cap Sherwood is wounded in the leg & carried off the field."
According to his discharge paper, Malachi Pool participated in the Battle of Wilkinson Pike on December 7, 1864 The Wilkinson Pike leads west from the Nashville Pike a little northwest of Murfreesboro. Describing the action are three reports by officers: That of General R. H. Milroy to the Commander of the District of Tennessee, one from Colonel Edward Anderson, Commanding Second Brigade, and that of Lieut. Col. Reed, Commanding Twelfth Indiana Cavalry.
The following is a summary of those reports: The action began from the post at Murfreesboro, Fortress Rosecrans, and was by order of Major-General Rousseau, commanding District of Tennessee, to "make a reconnaissance and feel the enemy in the vicinity of this post." General Milroy, leading the union troops, divided his force in two brigades with the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry being in the 2nd Brigade. Milroy was no doubt aware of a large enemy force nearby since they left from the fortress with infantry, artillery, and cavalry totaling 3,325 men. The Murfreesboro and Stone's River area was the scene of a large battle two years before on December 30th, 1862 to January 3rd, 1863; which was probably on the minds of the soldiers this day. In that former battle the Confederates were led by General Bragg and the Federals by General Rosecrans after whom the present fort was named. Fortress Rosecrans mounted 57 guns and enclosed 200 acres of the ground where Bragg had come to grief two years earlier.
On the morning of December 7th 1864, Milroy's brigades started down the Salem Pike heading southwest toward Stone's River. Less than a half mile out they had a skirmish with enemy cavalry which fell back rapidly before the Federal advance. Upon arriving at Stone's River two miles out they spotted about 300 rebel cavalry across the river. Artillery was brought up and after a few minutes of shelling the enemy quickly retreated. The union forces crossed the bridge and continued their march. In General Milroy's own words: "Upon arriving at Mr. Spence's fine residence, four miles out, I learned from his accomplished lady that there were two brigades of rebel cavalry, under Generals Jackson and Armstrong, at Salem, a mile farther out, and that Generals Forrest and Bate, with a large force of infantry, artillery, and cavalry, were north of me on the Wilkinson Pike, three miles from Fortress Rosecrans. I deemed it best to turn my attention in that direction, but before doing so I detailed a company and sent them back with a drove of sixty fine, fat hogs, belonging to Mr. Spence." (Perhaps the general was not only a chow hound but he just wanted to keep the pork from falling into the hands of those plundering rebels.)
Milroy's troops proceeded north to within a half mile of Wilkinson Pike when his skirmish line encountered the enemy at Overall's Creek. With in a few minutes the reb's opened rapid fire with an artillery battery of six guns which were located in the edge of a woods on the opposite side of a field to the front of the Federals. Milroy promptly ordered up his own artillery to return the fire but exhausted his supply of shell and solid shot in about 30 minutes. Colonel Anderson remarked about the artillery duel that they were "exposed to a terrible succession of shots from the enemy's battery." The enemy was positioned with the left of his line extending parallel with the Wilkinson Pike and was as near Fortress Rosecrans as the right of the Federal line. Not knowing the full strength of the rebel force and not wanting to engage them without having the fortress in the rear, the feds fell back through the forest until out of sight of the enemy. They then moved by the right flank in a northeasterly direction until their lines were partially across the Wilkinson Pike. After sending the artillery back to the fortress for more ammunition, Milroy formed the troops in two lines of battle. Colonel Thomas' brigade formed the 1st line and the 2nd line was formed by the brigade of Colonel Anderson whose troops included the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry. The two lines then advanced upon the enemy "through brush, cedars, rocks, and logs under a heavy fire of artillery." Without artillery of their own to reply the union troops were under a serious disadvantage, however they continued to advance driving the rebels before them for about one mile. Coming to a cotton field, they found the enemy strongly fortified in a wood on the other side behind a line of works made of logs.
General Milroy reports "The enemy's fire of small arms here became so strong that my skirmishers withdrew to the flanks of my line of battle, opened on the enemy a terrible fire, while it still advanced in good order to the middle of the field, when the line halted and the fire from both sides was most furious and destructive for about ten minutes, when I ordered an advance, and the front line moved forward into the edge of the wood, where for a few minutes the roar and fire of musketry was like the thunder of a volcano, and the line wavered as if moving against a hurricane." At this point Milroy ordered Colonel Anderson to advance the 178th Ohio to the front. The 1st Brigade, seeing themselves supported, rushed with a yell and darted over the rebel's fortifications. They took many prisoners and put the enemy to flight. According to Shelby Foote's account General Forrest rode among his rattled troops, appealing to them to stand and fight, then cursing them for refusing to do so. "He stood in the stirrups, eyes blazing, face gone red with rage" and began whacking the backs of his fleeing troops with the flat of his saber.
Colonel Anderson reported: "Sharp firing along the line showed that the general had not been mistaken in supposing it necessary to protect the right flank. Major-General Milroy took the 178th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and, marching it left in front, led it to the extreme left and conducted it personally into battle." Anderson then relates how he has no doubt of the gallantry of the regiment "as the almost reckless daring of the general cannot be other than infectious." Anderson's report continues: "The Twelfth Indiana Cavalry was pushed forward on the right of the pike over a cotton field, where it lay under a hot musketry fire till it was ordered forward into the woods as the enemy retired." The reb's were pursued for about a half mile resulting in the capture of many more prisoners, a battle flag, and two artillery pieces (12-pounder Napoleons) with their caissons. Milroy's own artillery got back from the fortress with a dispatch that he should return to the fortress since a large enemy force was reported to the north. As the two brigades returned the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry formed the rear guard to ward off any rebel advance.
General Milroy listed his casualties as 208 of whom 22 were killed. The losses of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry in this action were 1 killed and 11 wounded according to Lt. Col. Reed's report. Milroy stated that the number of dead and wounded of the enemy indicated their loss was greater than his based on personal observation. He mentioned seeing among the dead two rebel lieutenant-colonels. They took 197 prisoners including 21 commissioned officers. The rebels were commanded by Generals Forrest and Bates and were about 5,000 strong.
In addition to the battle of Wilkinson Pike, listed on the discharge paper of Malachi Pool is the battle of Shelbyville Pike on December 14 about which no other detail has been located. The Shelbyville Pike ran due south out of Murfreesboro and was a likely place to meet the enemy as it is certain that the Confederates continued to be in the area and harass the town. Also listed on this discharge is the Siege of Murfreesboro, December 1864.
The regimental history shows the Siege of Murfreesboro as Dec. 5 - 12th and other actions near there on the 14th and 15th. John Henderson writes that while out foraging on the 14th, they were attacked by the Rebs in larger numbers. They fought on the defensive until reinforced from the fort when they put the Rebs on the run. According to Chapman's History of St. Joseph County, Emerson Woodbury of Company H, was killed in action at Murfreesboro on December 20.
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