[605]
by General Geary's division.
Delayed at Chickamauga to rebuild bridge, we reached Peavine Valley about sunset, and the forces advanced cautiously through its mud and dense underbrush, until the advance reached the La Fayette road, where it found a battery and train of the enemy moving.
One volley captured all, scattering the men therewith in every direction.
General Palmer's forces there took the Grayville road to the left.
Our division moved forward out of the valley, ascended the hill, gathering up many scattering prisoners, and rested for the night, four miles from Ringgold.
At early day on the morning of the twenty-seventh, General Osterhaus, taking the advance, followed by our division, we moved forward.
At about eight o'clock we approached the town and found the enemy in force on White Oak Ridge and in the gorge through which Middle Chickamauga flows beyond the town.
A severe engagement soon commenced, our forces endeavoring to carry the position by a front assault.
The action lasted about four hours, with heavy loss to us; at last the place was carried and the enemy driven.
My brigade had been placed in position in the town, took no part, but was under fire, where I lost one man killed.
Shortly after the enemy had been driven from their position, I received orders to move, with my command, in pursuit, and was soon under way. Skirmishing with their rear-guard soon commenced, and destroyed bridges made the pursuit difficult and slow.
We followed them until night, a distance of three miles, and found what appeared to be a division in a well-selected position, and in accordance with orders, I returned to Ringgold.
We recaptured two of our wounded men, took two more prisoners, found broken caissons, wagons, ambulances, dead and dying men of the enemy strewn along the way to a horrible extent.
We remained at Ringgold until the evening of the thirtieth November, when I received orders to return to Whiteside via the Chickamauga battle-field.
We marched to Reed's farm, on west Chickamauga, six miles, and camped for the night.
On the first day of December, we crossed the creek, proceeded two miles to the memorable battle-field of the nineteenth and twentieth of September, 1863.
We buried the remains of about four hundred of our brave fallen comrades that had been the prey of animals for two and a half months. On the left of our line, the dead of the enemy over a portion of the ground had bee well buried, and ours tolerably well covered, but toward the centre and right but few of ours were attempted to be buried or covered at all. The heads and feet of those on that part of the field that had been slightly covered, were mostly uncovered, and frequently found separated and some distance from the bodies.
On the west of the road from Gordon and Lee's Mills to Rossville, and on our centre and right, and as far as I went to the south, but few burials had been attempted of either party.
We had not time to explore the entire field, and no doubt many of our soldiers remain unburied yet. All good clothing had been stripped from the bodies.
Such a sight of inhumanity I hope never to witness again.
On the second of December, we marched to our old quarters at this post, and thus ended our part of a fruitful campaign.
My command took prisoners as follows, the evidence of which is herewith forwarded:
List of names and rank taken by my provostmarshal, two hundred and forty-five; wounded on Mission Ridge and prisoners, twenty-one; voucher of Lieutenant Jaquis, Provost-Marshal of division, one hundred and eleven; with officers, four; vouchers of Captain Woodbury, of Twenty-ninth Ohio, one hundred and fifty-nine; vouchers of Captain Tolby, Twenty-seventh Missouri, thirty-seven; captured by Colonel Suman on Missionary Ridge, and turned over to the regiment on his right, as he states, which was one of General Wood's regiments, two hundred.
Total, seven hundred and seventy-seven.
The conduct of the officers and men of my command was highly commendable, and I thank them for a prompt obedience and execution of all orders, without regard to danger or fatigue.
I am under obligations to my staff-officers for their kind and willing assistance rendered me during the campaign.
The following is a table of casualties in the brigade during the campaign, namely:
Major G. Trusler, Thirty-sixth Indiana volunteer infantry: killed, one enlisted man; wounded, ten enlisted men; total, eleven enlisted men; aggregate, eleven.
Colonel J. C. B. Suman, Ninth Indiana volunteer infantry: killed, two enlisted men; wounded, one commissioned officer, twenty-two enlisted men; total, one commissioned officer, twenty-four enlisted men; aggregate, twenty-five.
Major C. Hale, Fifty-ninth Illinois volunteer infantry: killed, one enlisted man; wounded, four commissioned officers, thirteen enlisted men; total, four commissioned officers, fourteen enlisted men; aggregate, eighteen.
Colonel J. E. Bennett, Seventy-fifth Illinois volunteer infantry: wounded, two enlisted men; total, two enlisted men; aggregate, two.
Colonel L. H. Waters, Eighty-fourth Illinois volunteer infantry: wounded, four enlisted men; total, four enlisted men; aggregate, four.
Captain G. M. Bacon, Twenty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry: wounded, four enlisted men; total, four enlisted men; aggregate, four.
Killed, four enlisted men; wounded, five commissioned officers, fifty-five enlisted men; total, five commissioned officers, fifty-nine enlisted men; aggregate, sixty-four.
Knowing that I filled every post of danger required of me, I rejoice that so few of my men have fallen, compared with former battles.
Lists of the casualties accompanying the reports of the regimental commanders respectively, which for further particulars are herewith forwarded.
I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
W. Grose, Colonel Commanding.
