Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 4.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[145] gave the enemy great advantage and spread a feeling of uncertainty among the men as to the location of the attacking lines. It is impossible to say with accuracy what force of the enemy was encountered. From the best observations that could be made, it is believed that there were at least five regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, the whole under command of Col. Roger B. Hanson.

At about four P. M., an order was received from Gen. Wallace, to cooperate with Col. Smith's brigade (consisting of Eighth Missouri and Eleventh Indiana,) in carrying the enemy's works, on the right, in front of Dover, by storm. The officers and men, though much fatigued from the action of the morning, and worn from loss of rest and lack of food, responded cheerfully to the order and wheeled into column. The enemy was in force on the hill, under cover of the wood, on both sides of the only road leading up into the direction of the works. It was necessary to cross an open space of several hundred feet, exposed to the enemy's fire, before the foot of the hill could be reached. The Eighth Missouri led the advance up the road, the Eleventh Indiana charged up the hill on the left; Forty-fourth Indiana followed up the road; five companies of the Thirty-first Indiana were ordered up the hill on the extreme left, and the remainder of this regiment with the residue of the brigade, were ordered to the right, to out-flank the enemy and attack in rear. The assault was a complete success. All the regiments behaved handsomely. The whole of my brigade was actively engaged. In a sharp and desperate fight of a few minutes' duration, the hill was carried by storm, and the enemy, with tremendous cheers, driven up to and within his breast-works. The flank attack of the portion of my brigade up the hill, in a line at a right angle to the main advance,was gallantly conducted, and contributed, no doubt, largely to the rout of the enemy. Col. Dickey, of the Fourth Illinois cavalry, during the attack, at my request, dismounted four fifths of his troops, armed with Sharp's rifles, and led them up the hill in support of regiments engaged. This aid, however, was not required.

This action — a brilliant one in any view — was rendered more so from the fact that it was made in the face of a heavy fire of grape and shrapnel from a battery of the enemy, located across the ravine to the left of the road, in full command of the hill and the approaches to it. After pursuing the enemy to the open ground, in front of the fortifications — a distance of over half a mile — an order was received to fall back to the hill, where the attack was made, and there encamp, hold the position during the night, and prepare to storm the works early in the morning. The regiments slept on the hill-side, and were aroused early the following morning (sixteenth) and drawn up in column, ready to march to the assault, when intelligence of the surrender of the enemy was received. According to orders, I then marched the brigade through the enemy's works to Dover, and took possession of the town and the large number of prisoners and amount of army stores which it contained,

As a whole, the officers and men of the various regiments of my command behaved well. They received the enemy's fire with coolness, and returned it with steadiness and effect. Orders were executed with commendable promptness and precision. In view of such general soldierly bearing, it is difficult to discriminate individual instances of valor. Many such fell under my immediate observation, and others are reported by commanders of regiments. These cases will form the subject of a subsequent report at an early day

Copies of the reports of the commanders of the various regiments of the brigade are hereto appended, marked respectively [A,] [B,] [C,] [D,] to which your attention is specially directed.

The following is a summary of the casualties sustained by the brigade:

	killed.		wounded.
Regiments.	Officers.	Non-com. and privates.	Officers.	Non-com. and privates.	Missing.	Total.
25th Kentucky,		12		60	12	84
31st Indiana,		13	7	44	5	69
17th Kentucky,		4		33	3	40
44th Indiana,		7	1	33	2	43
		36	8	170	22	236

A list of the name and rank of each person included in the foregoing statement is hereto appended, marked [E.]

The members of the brigade staff are entitled to commendation for their conduct during the day. They accompanied me through every danger, and were at all times ready to brave any personal hazard. Capt. W. H. Fairbanks, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, was constantly in the field, at times also acting as aid-de-camp. His conduct was creditable throughout. Lieut. Frank H. Bristow, Acting Aid-de-camp, discharged his duties in a courageous and satisfactory manner. He was fired upon frequently, and had several narrow escapes. Private Charles Edwin Terry--my Secretary — acted also as aid-de-camp during both actions, and exhibited a cool and determined bravery worthy of special notice.

I am, Captain, very respectfully yours, etc.,

Sir: Below I give you a list of the killed, wounded, and missing in the Twenty-fifth regiment Kentucky volunteers, in the battle at Dover on the thirteenth instant:

Killed--one first lieutenant, two sergeants, three corporals, and six privates. Total killed, twelve.

Wounded--one captain, two lieutenants, four