| Battle of Nashville Dec 15-16, 1864 |
Nashville Campaign HDQRS. TWENTY-SIXTH OHIO VET. VOL. INFANTRY, Near Huntsville, Ala., January 12, 1865. SIR: I have the honor of forwarding the following report of the part taken by this command in the engagements in front of Nashville on the 15th and 16th ultimo: On the morning of the 15th ultimo the regiment, consisting of 116 guns and 6 commissioned officers (l field and staff and 5 line), was ordered to deploy along the works covering the old front of the Second Brigade, and hold them at all hazards. We remained here until the morning of the 16th, at 4 o'clock, nothing of importance occurring, when we were ordered to rejoin our brigade on the Granny White pike, where we found them advancing on the enemy, who had retired to a strong line of works near the Franklin pike. Advanced with the brigade, driving the enemy's skirmishers from their pits, and taking a position within seventy-five yards of their main works; but were forced to retire after a few minutes to the rebel skirmish pits, where we kept up a heavy fire and constructed a line of works. Remained here until the enemy's lines were broken on our right, when we moved forward, driving them from their works, and pursued them about three miles, where we were overtaken by night and went into camp. Lost during the day 1 man wounded and 1 missing. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM CLARK, Captain, Commanding. Lieut. LOUIS L. Cox, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., SECOND DIV., FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Near Huntsville, Ala., January 6, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the operations of this brigade in the battle before Nashville, Tenn., on the 15th and 16th of December last: My brigade was encamped near the outer line of works, the left resting on the Hillsborough turnpike. On the evening of the 14th I received orders from General Elliott in person to have my command in readiness to move at 6 a.m. of the 15th, with three days' rations in haversacks and sixty rounds of ammunition per man. My command consisted of the Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry, Captain Clark; Ninety-sev-enth Ohio Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel Barnes; One hundredth Illinois Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond; Fortieth Indiana Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Learning; Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry, Lieuten-ant-Colonel Blanch; Twenty-eighth Kentucky Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Boone, amounting in all to 73 commissioned officers, 1,242 enlisted men. At 7 o'clock on the morning of the 15th, having deployed one regiment, Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry, before the solid works, I moved my brigade half a mile to the right, and formed order of battle, my right connecting with Colonel Opdycke's (First) brigade. My skirmishers consisted of details from the different regiments, and were commanded by Maj. J. S. McGraw, Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry. At about 10 o'clock I moved my command forward to an eminence within musket-range of the enemy's battery, the skirmishers having driven his pickets within the main line of works. My men being much exposed to the artillery fire of the enemy, I protected them as best I could by the nature of the ground, and remained in this position several hours, a battery having in the meanwhile been placed within my lines, to which I acted as support while it shelled the enemy's works in our front. At about 3 p.m. I again advanced, preserving an alignment on General Grose's brigade, of the First Division of this corps. In our front the enemy occupied a commanding eminence, with a strong line of works, protected from infantry by several lines of excellent abatis. I marched from the ridge which I had occupied for some time across the ravine in front, and halted at the foot of the bill occupied by the enemy. I here readjusted my lines, and charged up the hill simultaneously with the skirmish line and the commands on my right and left. The men comprehended the task before them, and bounded forward with a yell and determined vigor that the enemy could not withstand, and before the line became fairly engaged he gave way, leaving his works in our possession. My skirmish line charged over the parapet in advance of the line of battle, capturing four guns, but pressing on without leaving a guard with them they fell into other hands. The skirmishers continued to drive the enemy for some distance beyond his works, and captured another (Napoleon) gun, which was brought back into my lines. I next moved on a line parallel with the enemy's works, following the interval between Colonel Opdycke's brigade and the Sixteenth Army Corps, about a mile, and bivouacked for the night on the east side of the Granny White pike, on a line between the First and Third Brigades of this division. On the morning of the 16th, at about 7.30 o'clock, I advanced in two lines between the other two brigades in a direction nearly due east until nearing the Franklin pike, when my skirmish line encountered the enemy and drove him into his works. The line was then swung to the right and advanced on a line with the pike, double quicking to within 150 yards of the enemy's main works, where I found him in force, and in obedience to orders halted and constructed a line of rifle-pits. I here remained, occasionally demonstrating against the enemy and keeping up a constant fire, to keep down the sharpsbooters, until about 4 p.m., when, the enemy's line having been broken on the right, a general charge was ordered and the main works carried at the point of the bayonet without serious loss, capturing 83 prisoners. I pursued the enemy for some distance after crossing his works, and then reformed my command and advanced about a mile, going into camp at dark in order of battle. During the two days' engagement I lost 8 officers wounded, 4 men killed 47 wounded, 3 missing; among the former Lieutenant-Colonel Barnes, commanding Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Lieutenant-Colonel Blanch, commanding Fifty-seventh Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry. I will not make special mention of any one where all did their whole duty, executing all my orders and moving against the enemy with a willingness I have never seen excelled. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. Q. LANE, Colonel Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Commanding. Maj. J. B. SAMPLE, Assistant Adjutant-General. ----- HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., SECOND DIV., FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Near Huntsville, Ala., January 5, 1865. MAJOR: I have the honor to report the following captures of trophies by my command. The articles cannot now be obtained, as they are with the regimental baggage, but will be forwarded as soon as possible, together with a statement of the circumstances attending each capture: One battle-flag, captured by Sergt. Alfred Ransbottom, Company K, Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864. Commissioned officer's sword, captured at Nashville, Tenn., December 16, 1864, by First Lieut. S. B. Moody, Company D, One hundredth Illinois Volunteers. Battle-flag, captured by Private James S. O'Riley, Company I, Fortieth Indiana Volunteers, at Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. Q. LANE, Colonel, Commanding. |
| Second Brigade Commander Colonel John Q Lane's Official Report |
| Regiment Commander Captain William Clark's Official Report Source: Official Record, Vol XLV, 1, 93, page 264 |