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No. 121.-report of Col. Samuel Beatty, Yineteenth Ohio Infantry.

Hdqrs. Nineteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, Camp on Field of Battle, near Pittsburg Landing, Tenn.,
April 9, 1862.

General: I submit the following report of the part taken by the Nineteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteers during the action fought at this place on the 7th of April, 1862: [363]

In accordance with your orders my regiment disembarked from the steamer Planet about midnight of April 6 (Sunday), proceeded about one-quarter of a mile up the road, and formed line of battle in rear of the Fifty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, and stood in that position until daylight of Monday, when the Nineteenth Regiment, taking the right of the brigade, marched about one-quarter mile farther down the road, where I relieved the men of their knapsacks, leaving a few men for their protection. After remaining there for about fifteen minutes the regiment, by order of General Crittenden, was counter-marched, and advanced, marching by the right flank in a direction nearly at right angles with.the main road about three-quarters of a mile, forming column'of company on the route, and forming in line about 200 paces to the rear of the line of battle formed by the Fourteenth Brigade. Here my regiment stood for a short time, and then by your order changed front to the right, and advanced to the brow of a hill to the right of Captain Bartlett's battery. After changing alignment several times my regiment was ordered to maintain position and throw out the flanking companies as skirmishers. This deployment was made, and instructions given the skirmishing party to advance far enough to engage the enemy. They advanced to an open fenced field about one-half mile in front of the line, and were ordered to remain until further orders. A citizen prisoner was taken under suspicious circumstances, and by your order was sent to General McCook.

Our skirmishers were soon discovered, and a heavy fire opened upon them by the enemy's artillery and by sharpshooters hid in a swamp close by, which was returned by them with good effect. The fire pressing them severely, they fell back about half the distance, and Captain Manderson, acting major, was ordered by you to cause them to advance to the old line of deployment. This was done, and they remained in their position until ordered to their battalion. The regiment remained at the brow of the hill under an artillery fire, during which time Major Edwards, acting lieutenant-colonel, was killed, while gallantly doing his duty, by a cannon ball; and then, by your order, I advanced under fire of musketry, by which several were wounded, and delivered welldirected volleys with apparent effect, and then fell back half way up the hill, the enemy having advanced rapidly, to support Captain Bartlett's battery and obtain range on the sharpshooters in the swamp. After a short time we formed by your order on the right of your brigade, and at about 2 o'clock my regiment was by your order temporarily attached to General Nelson's division, to support his position on our left, and under his orders I sent out two companies as skirmishers, who succeeded in capturing 10 or 12 prisoners, and my regiment, with the Twenty-fourth Ohio and Ninth Indiana, supported the balance of his division in an advance, by which the enemy was driven from that part of the field. We bivouacked the ensuing night in advance, where the road crossed a creek. The next morning we were placed on the right of General Nelson's division, which position we occupied until this morning, when by your order we rejoined your brigade.

Our loss, as shown by report herewith sent, is 1 field officer, 1 corporal, and 2 privates killed; 1 lieutenant severely wounded, 16 noncommissioned officers and privates severely wounded, 27 non-commis sioned officers and privates slightly wounded, 8 non-commissioned officers and privates missing.

The actions of my officers and men came under your direct view. I make no comments on their behavior, except I have additional cause [364] for pride and self-congratulation in commanding the Nineteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteers.

Samuel Beatty, Colonel, Comdg. Nineteenth Regt. Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Brigadier-General Boyle, Commanding Eleventh Brigade.

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