Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[495] from camp, near Nashville, on the Nolensville pike, in the direction of Nolensville. At the crossing of Mill Creek the enemy's cavalry made some resistance, but were soon routed, one private and one Lieutenant of the enemy being captured.

On approaching Nolensville, I received a message from General Davis, who had arrived at Nolensville, via the Edmonson pike, that the enemy were in considerable force on his front, and requesting me to support him.

On the arrival of the head of my division at Nolensville, General Davis advanced upon the enemy's position about two miles south of that place, supported by my division. The enemy had here made a stand in a gap of the mountains, but after a sharp conflict with General Davis's command, were routed and one piece of artillery captured.

On the next day (twenty-seventh) I supported General Johnson's division in its advance on Triune, where the enemy were supposed to be in considerable force.

The town was taken possession of after a slight resistance, the main portion of their forces having evacuated the place.

On the twenty-eighth I encamped at Triune. On the twenty-ninth I supported General Davis's division, which had the advance from Triune on Murfreesboro, encamping that night at Wilkinson's Cross-roads, from which point there is a good turnpike to Murfreesboro.

On the next day (thirtieth) I took the advance of the right wing on this turnpike, toward Murfreesboro, General Stanley with a regiment of cavalry having been thrown in advance.

After arriving at a point about three miles from Murfreesboro, the enemy's infantry pickets were encountered and driven back, their numbers constantly increasing until I had arrived within about two miles and a quarter of Murfreesbro. At this point the resistance was so strong as to require two regiments to drive them. I was here directed by Major-General McCook to form my line of battle and place my artillery in position. My line was formed on the right of the pike and obliquely to it, four regiments to the front with a second line of four regiments, within short supporting distance, in the rear, with a reserve of one brigade, in column of regiments, to the rear and opposite the centre. General Davis was then ordered to close in and form on my right, the enemy all this time keeping up a heavy artillery and musketry fire upon my skirmishers.

The enemy continued to occupy, with their skirmishers, a heavy belt of timber to the right and front of my line, and across some open fields, and near where the left of General Davis's division was intended to rest. General Davis was then directed by Major-General McCook to swing his division, and I was directed to swing my right brigade with it until our continuous line would front nearly due east. This would give us possession of the timber above alluded to, and which was occupied by the enemy's skirmishers in considerable force. This movement was successfully executed, after a stubborn resistance on the part of the enemy, in which they used one battery of artillery. This battery was silenced in a very short time by Bush's and Hescock's batteries, of my division, and two of the enemy's pieces disabled.

At sundown I had taken up my position, my right resting in the timber, my left on the Wilkinson pike, my reserve brigade of four regiments to the rear and opposite the centre.

The killed and wounded during the day was seventy-five men. General Davis's left was closed in on my right, and his line thrown to the rear, so that it formed nearly a right angle with mine. General Negley's division, of Thomas's corps, was immediately on my left, his right resting on the left hand side of the Wilkinson pike.

The enemy appeared to be in strong force in a heavy cedar-wood, across an open valley in my front and parallel to it, the cedar extending the whole length of the valley, the distance across the valley varying from three hundred to four hundred yards.

At two o'clock on the morning of the thirty-first, General Sill, who had command of my right brigade, reported great activity on the part of the enemy immediately in his front. This being the narrowest point in the valley, I was fearful that an attack might occur at that point. I therefore directed two regiments from the reserve to report to General Sill, who placed them in position in very short supporting disance of his lines.

At four o'clock in the morning the division was assembled under arms, and the cannoniers at their pieces. About fifteen minutes after seven o'clock in the morning, the enemy advanced to the attack across an open cotton field on Sill's front. This column was opened on by Bush's battery, of Sill's brigade, which had a direct fire on its front; also by Hescock's and Houghtaling's batteries, which had an oblique fire on their front, from a commanding position near the centre of my line. The effect of this fire upon the enemy's columns was terrible. The enemy, however, continued to advance until they had reached nearly the edge of the timber, when they were opened upon by Sill's infantry at a range of not over fifty yards. The destruction to the enemy's column, which was closed in mass, being several regiments in depth, was terrible. For a short time they withstood the fire, wavered, then broke and ran; still directing his troops to charge, which was gallantly responded to, and the enemy driven back across the valley and behind their intrenchments. In this charge I had the misfortune to lose General Sill, who was killed.

The brigade then fell back in good order and renewed its original lines. The enemy soon rallied and advanced to the attack on my extreme right, and in front of Colonel Woodruff, of Davis's division. Here, unfortunately, the brigade of Colonel Woodruff gave way, also one