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

[299] in rear of the camps of the Twenty-first Indiana and Fourteenth Maine. The regiments moved with alacrity and obeyed all orders promptly.

Captain Silas W. Sawyer, of company H, Ninth regiment Connecticut volunteers, deserves mention for his bold reconnoissance on the morning of the sixth. Going out on the Bayou Sara road three miles, and finding no trace of the presence of the enemy, he took a cattle-path through the woods, coming out on the Clinton road beyond the original line of our pickets. He scoured the country to Reid's plantation, in scouting around which he found one of the enemy's caissons, near by another, and in a short time he discovered all four. Crossing over to Bernard's plantation, he found another and a damaged ambulance. Returning to headquarters, he proceeded, by order of Col. Paine, commanding a detachment of men and horses from Manning's battery, and a platoon of his own company, and brought them in. In conclusion, I would beg leave to call the attention of the General Commanding to the services of Lieut. Henry H. Elliott, Ninth New-York volunteers, Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant on General Williams's staff. Of his coolness and intrepidity in action, every officer in the action can bear witness, as also to the still more trying duties of the detail of his official business. I am under deep obligations to him for his cheerful and zealous services for the time I remained in command. I enclose copies of correspondence between myself and Lieut. Elliott. Col. McMillan, of the Twenty-first Indiana, has been unwell for some time. His counsel and advice have been freely offered on every occasion. All of which is respectfully submitted.

sir: I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the Commanding Officer, tile reports of commanding officers of regiments and batteries which served under my command in the right wing of this brigade, in the battle before Baton Rouge, La., on the morning of the fifth inst., marked as follows:

A--Capt. Clarke, Acting Colonel Sixth Michigan volunteers.

B--Major H. O. Whittemore, commanding Thirtieth Massachusetts volunteers.

C--First Lieut.----Trull, commanding Nim's battery, (Mass.）

D--Capt.----Manning, Fourth.

E--First Lieut.----Brown, commanding three pieces Indiana battery.

F--Lieut.-Col.----Callum, commanding Seventh Vermont volunteers.

G--First Lieut. William Carruth, commanding Everett's Sixth Massachusetts battery.

I forward the individual reports, so that the commanding officer may know to what extent this command participated in the events of the day.

It cannot be expected that I should mention all the brave exploits of persons or even regiments, particularly on an occasion when all did so well. Our lines were very much extended, and I frequently necessarily found myself separated from each regiment; but on no occasion did I see a single regiment misbehave. All seemed to act with a coolness and determination that surprised even themselves, after the excitement of the action was over.

On the afternoon of the fourth inst., Brig.-Gen. Williams ordered me forward with my own regiment and three pieces of light artillery belonging to the Twenty-first Indiana regiment, under First Lieutenant Brown, to a point about two miles from the river, for the purpose of supporting the Sixth Michigan regiment of volunteers. After making a careful reconnoissance of the grounds, accompanied by Capt. Clarke, Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, in front and on the right flank, I posted one piece on the Grandville Spring road, the second on the road leading to Perkins's plantation, and the third at the head of Boulevard street — the first two supported by the Sixth Michigan, the latter by the Thirtieth regiment Massachusetts volunteers, then under the command of Major H. O. Whittemore, its left resting on the flank of Nim's battery, which was posted in the woods to the left of Boulevard street. Our pickets reported nothing during the night to warrant the belief that we should be attacked in the morning. At half-past 3 o'clock A. M., the enemy sounded the assembly, which we took at first to be the “long-roll.” On finding it to be only the assembly, I ordered it repeated, supposing it to have been sounded by our regiments on the left, which promptly called all our troops on the right to their feet. “Reveille” roll-call was hardly over, when firing commenced simultaneously on the left and centre of our front, shortly followed by the discharge of artillery on the extreme right. The latter was most promptly responded to by Lieut. Brown with his two pieces, and with great effect, as the scores of dead rebels laid thickly strewn at this point, after the battle, gave evidence.

The engagement on the whole line now became general. I immediately ordered Nim's battery, under the command of its brave and excellent First Lieutenant Trull, to the left and considerably to the front, so as to clear the thick woods in its front. Supported by the Thirtieth Massachusetts volunteers, this battery went into action within two hundred and fifty yards of a Kentucky regiment, sheltered by a fence and cornfield, where it remained doing excellent service, until ordered to change position. Officers and men could not behave better; more coolness could not be expected from old veterans than the officers and men of this battery displayed. They changed position four times under my own observation, and on each occasion its gallant commander displayed his perfect competency for the