Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[466] ran a narrow lane to the left of the pike. There was also a cedar thicket near the town and upon the left of the town, through which the rebels would be obliged to pass before they could reach the open field where the One Hundred and First Indiana and the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois were drawn up to receive them.

At the edge of this thicket the rebel skirmishers first appeared, and company B of the One Hundred and Twenty-third were immediately deployed as skirmishers, and sent forward to oppose them. A scattering fire of musketry was soon succeeded by several volleys, and it becoming evident that the enemy were hotly pursuing our skirmishers, Colonel Monroe sent forward two more companies, C and D, of the One Hundred and Twenty-third, to their support. Skirmishers from the One Hundred and First Indiana were at the same time pushed forward, and for half an hour a sharp but irregular firing was kept up in the thicket and in the streets of the town.

By this time the stealthy cats, Wheeler and Morgan, thought they had played long enough with the poor little mouse before them. They had not the slightest doubt of their ability to pick up Col. Hall whenever it should suit their convenience. Why not? The redoubtable Morgan himself was here with the brigade which had first frightened almost to death and then captured poor Col. Moore at Hartville. And Colonel Hall had fewer men than Col. Moore had on that disgracefully famous occasion. In addition to Morgan's force here was the redoubtable “Major-General” Wheeler, with a brigade from his division — Wheeler, entirely recovered from the effects of the thrashing which Dan McCook gave him in January, and flush from the big haul which he and Van Dorn made at Thompson's Station. Still more, these worthies had three regiments of Tennessee mounted infantry to assist them. And here were “Colonel” W. C. P. Breckinridge, and Duke, and Gano, and Grigsby, and heaven knows how many rebel heroes besides. Would A. S. Hall, a mere “political Colonel,” as some of our regular friends would say, attempt to make battle against “Major-General” Wheeler and “Brigadier-General” John Morgan, the two most notorious bandits on the continent, with eleven rebel regiments at their heels? Oh! impossible, the thing was simply impossible. And, accordingly, John Morgan made a speech to his men.

“Behold before you,” said he, “the same Yankees whom you have so often chased helter-skelter over hill and dale, the same breed of low-spirited cowards whom you have sometimes almost disdained to kill, as being unworthy opponents of your prowess. Remember how ignominiously they bowed their heads at Hartville, and like lusty bull-calves, roared for mercy almost before you could get your muskets trained upon them. Do you think they will stand against you now? No! they will break and run at the first fire, and your only difficulty will be in outrunning and picking them up before they can get back to their den at Murfreesboro.”

Col. James Monroe also made a speech to his men, briefer and more to the point.

“Boys! you have followed John Morgan for more than a thousand miles, in a vain effort to get a fight out of him. You have often said you would like no better sport than to meet him. Your wishes are gratified at last. Here he is. Now give him----!”

Scarcely were these speeches ended when a column of the enemy's cavalry was seen marching by the flank, along the base of a range of hills to the east of the town, evidently intending to turn our right. At the same moment another column emerged from the thicket on the west, and advanced through the open fields toward the One Hundred and First Indiana. Simultaneously with the advance of both these columns, the rebel infantry marched on in battle array through the town, while their artillery, from two or three different positions, opened upon our lines.

Our skirmishers immediately fell back toward their regiments upon the double-quick, and at the same time a retrograde movement was commenced by our entire line, in order to gain the position upon Vaught's Hill, which was the battle-ground originally decided upon.

The dense cedar thickets upon the left of the pike, through which the One Hundred and First Indiana had to retire, made their progress exceedingly difficult; and not only did the skirmishers of this regiment receive a terrible volley from the enemy, before they could rejoin their comrades, but the entire One Hundred and First became to some extent separated from the rest of the brigade, and for a considerable time Lieut.-Col. Doan was thrown upon his own resources. Disentangling himself to some extent from the cedars, he was moving along the lane I have before mentioned, when he was suddenly set upon by Duke's and Breckinridge's regiments. He immediately formed his men in line along the lane, and met the rebel onset with determined courage.

In the mean time, the Eightieth Illinois had moved backward, and taken position along Vaught's Hill, facing nearly to the east; while the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois had also retrograded, and taken up a position along a line of fence at about two thirds the distance from the foot of the hill to its summit, their right resting upon the pike, their skirmishers extending across and connecting them with the left of the Eightieth Illinois, while their left was endeavoring to communicate with the right of the One Hundred and First Indiana. It will be observed that in making this retrograde movement, the One Hundred and Twenty-third had almost entirely crossed to the left of the road from the right, where it was originally formed. This was in consequence of the fact that Vaught's Hill, our chosen position, was mainly on the left of the pike. The One Hundred and Fifth Ohio was still held in reserve, and was moved to the south side of the hill. Upon the summit was one of the “Napoleons,” immediately under command of Capt. Harris, while the other was planted further