Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[520] the battle-field. I also acknowledge my indebtedness to Lieutenants Geo. W. Landman, Second Ohio, William Quinton, Nineteenth Illinois, and James H. Connelly, Thirty-seventh Indiana, the signal corps of the third division, for gallantry and valuable services on the field. They attended me voluntarily, (though not their place to do so,) through the thickest of the fight.

My Orderlies, Sergt. Damos, Emery, and the rest, behaved gallantly during the battle. Col. Buckner Board, of the Second Kentucky cavalry, and his command, rendered efficient service in making reconnoissances to the front and skirmishing with the enemy.

I herewith transmit the reports of Cols. Starkweather, Harris, and Pope, and also a list of casualties in my division, amounting, in all, to one thousand nine hundred and fifty killed and wounded. My division was about seven thousand strong when it went into action. We fought the divisions of Anderson, and Cheatham, and Buckner.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Ninth brigade in the action of the eighth of October at “Chaplin hills.”

At the commencement of the action, the brigade was on the right centre and on the left of the Seventeenth brigade. By direction of the General, Capt. Simonson's Fifth Indiana battery was placed on my right, where Loomis's battery was engaged, and the Tenth Wisconsin regiment directed to support it. The Thirty-third Ohio was on the left, with skirmishers well advanced to the front in the woods, the Second Ohio and Thirty-sixth Indiana in the centre, with the Ninety-fourth as a reserve.

The firing becoming very warm on the right, by direction of Major-Gen. McCook, the Thirty-eighth Indiana was sent to their support. I placed them in the rear of Simonson's battery, Loomis having withdrawn.

The action had now become general along the whole line. Capt. Simonson, with two batteries playing on him and a heavy infantry force advancing in front and firing, nobly fought his battery, until, having lost sixteen horses and fourteen men, in killed and wounded, by direction of Major Cotter, Chief of Artillery, retired his battery. I immediately directed the Thirty-eighth Indiana to take position where the battery had been. This was not done a moment too soon, as the enemy were advancing on us. By a well-directed volley from the Thirty-eighth Indiana (Col. B. F. Scribner commanding) and the Tenth Wisconsin (Col. A. R. Chapin commanding) they were driven behind the crest of the hill. They again advanced, but were driven back.

This was done for the third time, when they took position behind the crest of the hill. At this time the firing was very heavy. I now sent back for the Ninety-fourth Ohio, Colonel Frizell commanding, but was informed that they had been directed by Major-Gen. McCook to support a section of artillery which General Terrell was working. The positions of the other regiments had all been changed. The Second Ohio, Lieut.-Col. John Bell commanding, and the Thirty-third Ohio, Lieut.-Col. O. F. Moore commanding, were fiercely engaged with the enemy, who were making desperate efforts to pierce the centre.

It was at this point that Lieut.-Col. Moore was wounded and taken prisoner. I saw the necessity of holding my position, with or without support, until the right was successful or compelled to retire, and I determined to do so. If I had been driven back, the Seventeenth brigade would have been cut off from the main body, and in my judgment irretrievably lost. During this part of the engagement Col. Scribner informed me that the regiment on the right was not firing. I sent Lieut. Spencer, my Aid, to inquire the cause, and to ascertain what regiment it was. On his return he informed me that it was the Tenth Ohio, and that Colonel Lytle said that they were reserving their fire. Half an hour afterward I sent to Col. Lytle, informing him I had been compelled to withdraw the Tenth Wisconsin, for want of ammunition. (The withdrawal of this regiment left an interval of two hundred yards on the left of the Thirty-eighth Indiana.) In the mean time the Fifteenth Kentucky and Third Ohio, which were on the extreme right, were compelled to retire. Colonel Scribner now informed me that they had exhausted their ammunition, and were using the ammunition of the dead and wounded. My aid, that I had sent after support and ammunition, informed me that no support could be had, and that ammunition was some distance to the rear. The only aid I now had with me having had his horse shot under him, I rode over to Col. Lytle and informed him of the condition of things.

Upon my return to the Thirty-eighth Indiana, I found they had exhausted the cartridges of the dead and wounded. Col. Scribner then directed his men to fix bayonets and hold the position, which was promptly done. Without a round of ammunition, under a heavy fire in front, and an enfilading fire from the artillery, they held their position for twenty-five minutes. Seeing the hopelessness of longer attempting to hold the position, I gave the order to retire, which was done in perfect order. I had not fallen back more than one hundred yards, when a tremendous fire from a column of infantry, which had turned the right flank of the Tenth Ohio, was poured in upon their left and my retiring column. I retired to the woods in the rear of the corn-field, where I met the Thirty-third Ohio, who had just replenished their cartridges. I directed Major Lock, who was commanding, to place them in position parallel to the fence separating the woods from the corn-field, and at right angles to the road, and immediately opposite the white house, directing them to hold the enemy in check until the Thirty-eighth Indiana and Third Ohio were supplied with cartridges. The Tenth Ohio came up at this moment, under command of the gallant Colonel