Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[116] Hodgdon, Chief Commissary, performed the duties of their respective departments in a satisfactory manner. To the officers of every grade, and to the brave, but nameless men in the ranks, my grateful thanks for the cheerful, gallant, and effective manner in which every duty was performed, are due, and are hereby officially rendered.

I am, General,

Very respectfully

Your obedient servant,

sir: I have the honor to report the part taken by my command in the battles at Nashville, Tennessee, on the fifteenth and sixteenth of December, 1864. Pursuant to orders from division commander, I moved my brigade from its position in front of Nashville, near the Franklin pike, to the right of the Hilsboro pike. Six regiments marched with me at daylight on the morning of the fifteenth. The Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania, being on picket, followed as soon as relieved. My effective force was two thousand one hundred and ninety. The order of battle was to be by divisions in echelon, forward on the right. My brigade was formed on the right of the Hilsboro pike, and in front of our fortifications surrounding the city; the Second division of the Fourth corps on my right, the First brigade of our division on my left. Of my command, the Eighty-fourth Illinois, the Eightieth Illinois, and Ninth Indiana, were in the front line, from right to left, in the order named; the Seventy-fifth Illinois, Thirtieth, and Eighty-fourth Indiana, in the second line. The Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania, when relieved from picket, came up in reserve. The lines of the enemy ran at right angles with the Franklin and Granny White pikes, and continued in the same direction on to a hill near to the left of the Hilsboro pike, where it made an angle obliquely to the rear, fronting the Hilsboro pike, and covering well his left flank of his main line. My position was immediately in front of the angle, as above described, of the enemy's lines. The Sixteenth corps, on the right of our corps, which was to move forward in echelon to us, had much further to move and skirmish over more ground than we, before reaching the enemy's main line; hence the forenoon was used, in the Sixteenth corps swinging around and driving in the outer lines of the enemy so as to meet his main lines at the same time our corps would, in a general advance. Upon an intervening ridge, half way distant from where my lines were formed and the enemy's main lines, were his lines of outposts, and about six hundred yards from where we formed. At about noon our corps lines moved forward and drove in the enemy's outposts; my front line capturing several prisoners and sustaining some loss, mostly from artillery. We occupied the ridge that had been in possession of the enemy, with our skirmishers well advanced down the further slope. While in this position I suggested to the corps commander that if another intervening eminence to the left of my command, and in front of Colonel Kerby's brigade, was carried, and the enemy's outposts driven therefrom, I thought I could then advance over the valley in my front and ascend the hill, and carry the enemy's main line and his artillery, that had been dealing roughly with us. The corps commander said it should be done. In a few minutes thereafter I received directions from the division commander to advance, in conjunction with Colonel Kerby's brigade, on my left, which was then commencing to move. I sounded the forward, and advanced my front line down the slope, over hedges and stone fences, across a narrow valley, and to a large stone fence at the base of the enemy's hill, about four hundred yards from his main works and battery in the angle, as I have above described. Colonel Kerby's brigade advanced equally as far. The division on my right did not come up until some time after. Some time was consumed in this position in preparing for the assault, our skirmishers gradually crawling up the hill. In-this position my two left regiments in the front line had crossed and lay to the left of the Hilsboro pike. At about four o'clock the corps and division commanders, I think, were on the lines to the left. I discovered preparations for the advance in that direction, and the lines began to move. I ordered the forward, and the whole lines from right to left, as far as I could see, advanced rapidly. The Eightieth Illinois, my centre regiment, struck the enemy's works at the angle, the Eighty-fourth Illinois to the right, and the Ninth Indiana to the left. The struggle was soon over, the enemy routed, leaving four pieces of artillery and some prisoners in this part of their works. My two left regiments, without further orders, and without stopping to count their trophies or captures, pursued the fleeing enemy beyond his works about six hundred yards, and was anxious for further pursuit. It was now nightfall; wa formed and readjusted our lines, and attempted pursuit; succeeded in crossing the Granny White pike, moving along the enemy's works to the left and east, when the darkness prevented farther movements, and we threw up some works at our front lines and rested for the night. At daylight, on the morning of the sixteenth, I was permitted and moved my command to the front, crossed a creek, and occupied the abandoned works of the enemy to the right of the Franklin pike. Skirmishing was now going on in front. We soon advanced to another abandoned line of works; and after considerable moving about near the pike, and the position of the enemy being ascertained, I was directed, and near noon formed in line on the right of the Second division of our corps, and soma distance