| Spring Hill & Franklin, TN Battles |
| 4th Corps, 2nd Division CommanderBrigadier General George D Wagner's Official Report Source: Official Record, Vol XLV, I, 93 |
| HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Nashville, Tenn., December 2, 1864. SIR: The following is respectfully submitted as the official report of the operations of this division in the recent movement from Pulaski, Tenn., to this place: Pursuant to orders from Major-General Stanley, commanding the corps, the division marched from Pulaski at 8 a.m. on the 22d day of November, 1864, and reached the village of Lynnville, about thirteen miles distant, early in the afternoon. The division remained at Lynnville till 2 a.m. of the 24th, when orders were received directing the command to march, with all possible haste, to Columbia, as the enemy was reported to be marching upon that place. The division was on the road by 3 o'clock and arrived at Columbia by 10 a.m., having marched eighteen miles. When we reached the town we found the enemy had already attacked and driven in our cavalry outposts on the Mount Pleasant road and was already seriously threatening the garrison. Our infantry advance, General Cox's division, of the Twenty-third Army Corps, coming up in the nick of time, the advance of the enemy was effectually checked. The division was at once put in position on a range of hills southwest of the town and every precaution taken to put the place in a defensible condition. Friday, November 25, was spent in constructing an interior line of defenses, and after night-fall the troops were withdrawn from the outer line and took position on the new line, the right of the division resting on Duck River, about three-quarters of a mile below the railroad bridge. This line was at once put in a good state of defense. On the 26th we received orders from General Stanley to get ready for crossing Duck River that night, but owing to a break in the pontoon bridge the movement was postponed. On the 27th the trains again commenced crossing the river, and before night all wagons were across except five ammunition wagons and ten ambulances to the division. The troops of the corps began crossing the river soon after dark, and by 1 o'clock on the morning of the 28th this division was safely over the river and in camp on the railroad about half a mile from the railroad bridge. In the forenoon of the 28th I received orders from General Stanley to move up the river about two miles and go into position on the north side of Duck River opposite to Columbia. The command remained here over night, constant skirmishing being kept up on the lines. On the morning of the 29th I was ordered by General Stanley to put the division on the road and march at once, in advance of the train, to Spring Hill. I was notified that General Kimball's division would follow the train. At 9 a.m. the command was on the road and marching toward Spring Hill, which place we reached early in the afternoon. Our timely arrival saved the place from falling into the hands of the enemy, who had turned the left flank of our army and reached Spring Hill with his cavalry before we arrived there. Learning from citizens who were leaving the village that the enemy was threatening the place, I gave directions to Colonel Opdycke, commanding my leading brigade, to hurry up, and galloped forward with my staff and escort. Coming into the village I found the skirmishers of the enemy in full view and moving upon the place from the east and not over half a mile distant. The garrison being encouraged with the hope of immediate succor, the troops stood their ground till Opdycke's brigade came up on the double-quick to their support. A heavy line of skirmishers was deployed and thrown forward, which checked the enemy's advance. In the mean time Colonel Lane's brigade came up and I formed it on the right of Colonel Opdycke, causing Colonel Lane to throw forward a heavy line of skirmishers, connecting with the one already out on his left. The enemy's cavalry charged this line, but was repulsed with loss. General Stanley directed a brigade to be put into position on the east side of the road, about two miles south of Spring Hill, to protect our flank at that point till the artillery should get past. General Bradley's brigade, having been assigned to that duty, did not reach Spring Hill till the first attack of the enemy had been repulsed. Finding the enemy's cavalry posted on the crest of a ridge overlooking the town, and enabling them to overlook our whole movement, I directed Colonel Lane to advance his brigade and drive off the enemy and occupy the ridge, which order was promptly obeyed and the enemy driven off behind the ridge more than a mile from the town. General Bradley's brigade having by this time come up, General Stanley directed me to place it in position in a point of woods to the right of and somewhat detached from Colonel Lane's brigade, and about half a mile from the turnpike along which our train was passing. This brigade had been but a short time in position before the enemy's cavalry appeared in its front and assaulted his line, but was promptly repulsed. It was near sundown when the enemy again appeared in General Bradley's front, but this time with infantry, and in very strong force. Seeing that his right flank was in danger, I placed two pieces of artillery and my only reserve regiment, the Thirty-sixth Illinois Veteran Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Olson, well out on his right flank. These dispositions were scarcely completed before the enemy was upon us in heavy force, his lines outflanking ours by great odds, which compelled General Bradley's right to fall back after a hard fight. His left flank being also turned was giving, seeing which he went in person to that flank to assist in checking the enemy in that direction, but while so doing was so severely wounded by a musket-ball in the left arm near the shoulder that he had to be carried from the field. General Bradley's brigade being now flanked and outnumbered, retired and reformed at the edge of the village, taking such position as to protect our wagon train, part of which had reached Spring Hill just before the last attack commenced. Seeing that General Bradley's brigade must come back as far as the town, I directed Colonel Lane to move two regiments of his brigade to the right to act as a support, and enable Colonel Conrad, Fifteenth Missouri Volunteers, who succeeded to the command when General Bradley was wounded, to reform his lines. Darkness had now set in and no further movements of the enemy were apprehended before daylight next morning. After affairs had become quieted down I sent the Thirty-sixth Illinois and Captain Chickering, an officer of my staff, back on the Columbia pike to open communication with the forces in the rear. They succeeded in getting through without difficulty, and at about -- p.m. General Whitaker's brigade, of General Kimball's division, came into the town and took position on my right. The Twenty-sixth Ohio Veteran Volunteers, under Captain Clark, having been detached from Colonel Lane's brigade to guard a road about a mile south of Spring Hill, was attacked by the enemy in the evening with much superior force, but succeeded in coming off after a stubborn fight, and reached the main body with a loss of 3 killed, 3 wounded, and 1 missing. At 4 o'clock a.m. November 30, by direction of General Stanley, the division took up the line of march for Franklin, and was charged with the duty of protecting the rear of the army. For this purpose I caused the Second and Third Brigades to march in parallel columns along the road and directed Colonel Opdycke to move in line of battle to bring up the rear, and in doing so to bring forward all stragglers belonging to the army. The command moved off in good order. The enemy began skirmishing with the rear of Colonel Opdycke early in the morning, but we reached the vicinity of Franklin without accident or loss. When the rear of the division reached Stevens' Hill, two miles south of Franklin, General Stanley sent me an order to halt and allow the troops to get breakfast. I placed Colonel Opdycke's brigade in position in the gap and on the high point east of the pike, with a section of artillery, to check the advance of the enemy, who was pursuing us at this time--Colonel Lane's brigade being put in position on Colonel Opdycke's left, and Colonel Conrad going into line to the left of Colonel Lane, General Whitaker's brigade, of the First Division, occupying the heights on the right of the pike. The enemy soon appeared in our front in heavy force, and the command was put under arms to be ready to repel an attack. Soon after these dispositions were made I observed the troops of the corps moving toward Franklin, and I withdrew my command from its advanced position on the heights and followed on toward town. When within half a mile of town I met a staff officer from General Stanley, with written orders directing me to reoccupy the heights and hold them unless too severely pressed. In obedience to this order I returned to the position from which I had just withdrawn my command, except that I now detached one regiment from Colonel Lane's brigade and directed it to be placed on the heights to the right of the pike, from which General Whitaker had just withdrawn his brigade. These dispositions were scarcely completed when Colonel Opdycke sent a messenger to report to me that the enemy was moving two heavy columns of infantry against our line, one by each of the two pikes leading into Franklin, one column turning my left flank. I thereupon again withdrew my command and retired toward the main line of our troops, which surrounded the town, and sent an officer of my staff' to notify General Stanley of my movement. I directed Colonel Lane's brigade and a section of artillery to go into position on the hill to the right of the pike, about one mile north of Stevens' Hill, where he remained skirmishing with the enemy till his right flank was about to be turned, when I directed him to leave a heavy line of skirmishers to hold the hill as long as possible, and to withdraw his brigade and go into position on the right of the Third Brigade, which had been formed on the left of the pike about 400 yards in advance of our main line, at the same time placing a section of artillery on the pike between these two brigades. The commanders of the Second and Third Brigades, Colonels Lane and Conrad, were now directed to hold their position long enough to develop the force of the enemy, but not to attempt to fight if threatened by the enemy in too strong a force. The skirmishers in Colonel Lane's front held their ground so persistently that the advance of the enemy was checked from that quarter and did not reach his lines till after they had made their attack upon Colonel Conrad. At about 4 p.m. the enemy had driven in our skirmishers and began the attack in heavy columns; their onset was so sudden that Colonel Conrad found his brigade heavily engaged and about to be flanked before he could withdraw his line. His men fought gallantly, refusing to retire till completely flanked and driven out of their hastily thrown up barricades, when they retired on the main line. On reaching the main line of works the officers rallied their men as best they could and placed them in position to support the works which were give up [sic] their position at the approach of the enemy, who followed close on the steps of our retiring lines. When the command retired from Stevens' Hill I directed Colonel Opdycke to form in the rear of Carter's house to the right in rear of the main line of works, to act as a reserve, and when the troops occupying the main line of works at Carter's house gave way, Colonel Opdycke, who had orders to re-enforce any portion of the line which might need his assistance, rushed forward with his brigade and retook the works. He came so close to our line that the fight became a hand-to-hand conflict across the parapet, which was kept up for hours, many of the enemy rushing over our works only to be killed or captured by our men. The ground in front of our lines was open and level, which afforded the best possible range for our musketry fire, which mowed the enemy down in heaps. Judging from the number of battle-flags which fell into our hands, whole organizations of the enemy must have been annihilated. The division alone captured 12 battle-flags, and, according to the reports from brigade commanders, 70 officers and 683 enlisted men. The fight raged for about four hours with great fury, the main attacks being directed against the line at Carter's house. After the firing had ceased I received orders from General Stanley directing me to withdraw my command across the river at midnight, and move toward Nashville as far as Brentwood. About midnight, finding the troops which were to follow me across the river already crossing, I directed my brigade commanders to get ready and cross the river at once and march out on the Nashville pike. On reaching the village of Brentwood the division was put in advance of the army and reached Nashville about 10 o'clock on the morning of the 1st instant. The loss of the division, as reported by brigade commanders, was as follows: Killed, officers, 5; enlisted men, 47. Wounded, officers, 31; enlisted men, 488. Captured and missing, 670. These were mainly from those regiments that had a large number of recruits, many of whom had been armed but a few days. I cannot speak of all the gallant deeds, but must be allowed to lament the death of so gallant and accomplished an officer as Lieutenant-Colonel Olson, Thirty-sixth Illinois Veteran Volunteers, who charged the enemy at the head of his regiment and materially aided in saving the day. Each of the brigade commanders, General Bradley, Colonels Lane and Opdycke, and Colonel Conrad, who succeeded General Bradley in the command of the Third Brigade after the former received his wound at Spring Hill, acted most gallantly and efficiently in every particular during the action at Spring Hill and Franklin; so did their staff officers and the officers commanding their regiments, but particularly may be named Colonel Lane's assistant adjutant-general, Capt. Henry C. Tinney, who had three horses shot under him during the engagement. Your attention is respectfully called to the reports of subordinate commanders for particulars in regard to the gallant conduct of the officers and men of their commands and for the details of the action, which are given more fully by them than would be proper in this report.. I desire to bear testimony to the gallantry and fitness of Col. Emerson Opdycke, One hundred and twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteers, for his position, and he should by all means be promoted at once. There is no man in the army more worthy to be a brigadier-general. My staff acted with great gallantry and efficiency. Lieutenants Royse and Moore, my aides-de-camp, did me great service. Lieutenant Royse's term of service has just expired. His last duty at Franklin was characteristic of his whole term, and proves him to be one of the best officers in the army and a great loss to the Government. I am under special obligations to Capt. E.G. Whitesides, One hundred and twenty-fifth Ohio, acting assistant adjutant-general, Capt. J. L. Morgan, Seventy-third Illinois Volunteers, division inspector, Capt. J. W. Chickering, Eighty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, assistant commissary of musters, who are worthy officers hi every respect. Capt. George Lee, the assistant adjutant-general of the division, was not on duty in the action on account of physical disability for field duty, but he is a very efficient, worthy, and accomplished officer. I am also indebted to Lieutenant Balding, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Volunteers, acting ordnance officer of the division, for efficient services rendered on the field during the action. Captain Sibley, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin, acting provost-marshal, was on duty with the train. Of Dr. E. B. Glick, chief surgeon of the division, too much cannot be said in his praise as an accomplished officer and a skillful surgeon. His constant attention to business and proficiency as a surgeon render him one of the most valuable medical officers in the army. Lieut. A. J. Douglass, Seventy-first Ohio Volunteers, ordnance officer of the division, is a most worthy officer, but was not present on account of sickness. Capt. Charles Fouke, commissary of subsistence, U.S. Volunteers, was with the command during the movement and always performed his duty well. Respectfully, your obedient servant, G. D. WAGNER, Brigadier-General of Volunteers. Maj. WILLIAM H. SINCLAIR, Assistant Adjutant-General. ----- HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Nashville, Tenn., December 3, 1864. Maj. W. H. SINCLAIR, Assistant Adjutant-General, Fourth Army Corps: MAJOR: In compliance with circular from corps headquarters I have the honor to report prisoners, flags, &c., captured in recent engagement, as follows: ---Prisoners.--- Command. Officers. Men. Flags. First Brigade, Col. E. Opdycke 19 375 9 Second Brigade, Col. J. Q. Lane 45 239 2 Third Brigade, Col. Joseph Conrad 6 69 1 Total 70 683 12 The following are the names of the captors of the flags: First Lieut. Sylvester Clement, Company A, Seventy-fourth Illinois, one; Private Peter M. Woolf, Company A, Eighty-eighth Illinois, one; Corpl. James K. Merrifield, Company C, Eighty-eighth Illinois, two; Corpl. Benjamin Newman, Company G, Eighty-eighth Illinois, one; Corpl. Samuel Bittles, Company H, Eighty-eighth Illinois, one; Private William C. Roberts, Company I, One hundred and twenty-fifth Ohio, one; Private Theophile Ducquet, Company D, One hundred and twenty-fifth Ohio, one; Corpl. John Miller, Company B, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin, one; Sergt. Alfred Ransbottom, Company K, Ninety-seventh Ohio, one; Private James S. O'Riley, Company I, Fortieth Indiana, one; Sergt. A. Clark Copeland, Company [H], Sixty-fifth Ohio, one. Respectfully submitted. G. D. WAGNER, Brigadier-General, Commanding. The above is the report of brigade commanders. Only about 400 prisoners (officers and men) passed through the hands of my provost marshal. G. D. WAGNER. |
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| Spring Hill Location Photos |
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| Franklin Location Photos |