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

Amid the glorious results of a battle won, it gives me pain to record the names of the gallant men who offered up their lives on the altar of their country. But we must drop the tear of sorrow o'er their resting-places and offer our heartfelt sympathies to their relatives and friends, trusting that God will care for them and soothe their afflictions. And while we remember the noble dead, let us pay a tribute of respect to the gallant Colonel T. D. Williams, Twenty-fifth Illinois regiment, who died in the performance of his duty. He fell with his regimental colors in his hands, exclaiming: “We will plant it here, boys, and rally the old Twenty-fifth around it, and here we will die.” Such conduct is above all praise, and words can paint no eulogiums worthy of the subject. And here, too, let me call attention to the conduct of Captain Carpenter, of the Eighth Wisconsin battery, who fell gallantly serving his guns until the enemy were within a few yards of their muzzles. He died, as a soldier would wish to die, with his face to the foe, in the smoke and din of battle. Tile casualties of the command are small in comparison to the fire they received and the service done.

The Thirty-fifth Illinois lost two commissioned officers wounded, eight privates killed, forty-nine wounded, and thirty-two missing. The Twenty-fifth Illinois, one commissioned officer killed and three wounded; fourteen privates killed, sixty-nine wounded, and thirty-five missing. The Eighty-first Indiana, two commissioned officers killed, two wounded, and one missing; three privates killed, forty wounded, and thirty-nine missing. The Eighth Wisconsin battery, one commissioned officer killed, four privates wounded, and nineteen missing,. Total--four commissioned officers killed, seven wounded, and one missing; privates, twenty-five killed, one hundred and sixty-two wounded, and one hundred and twenty-five missing. Aggregate — killed, wounded, and missing, three hundred and twenty-four.

I hope a portion of those missing may yet return, as all cannot have been made prisoners.

I have the honor to submit the above report to your consideration, and remain, dear sir,

Yours most respectfully,

The Nineteenth brigade, which I have commanded since its organization in January, 1862, is now composed as follows:

The Sixth Kentucky volunteer infantry, Col. Walter C. Whitaker.

The Ninth Indiana volunteer infantry, Colonel Wm. H. Blake.

The One Hundred and Tenth Illinois volunteer infantry, Colonel Thomas S. Casey.

The Forty-first Ohio volunteer infantry, Lieut.-Colonel Aquila Wiley commanding.

--and on leaving Nashville numbered an effective aggregate of one thousand three hundred and ninety-one officers and men.

Being summoned before the commission then sitting for the investigation of the official course of Major-Gen. D. C. Buell, I did not until evening join the brigade, which had marched to within two miles of La Vergne. Just upon my arrival two regiments of the brigade had been thrown forward to the right of the road into a dense cedar brake; and, as the temporary commander did not think it necessary to throw forward skirmishers, the flank was marched upon a force of the enemy, who, firing from cover upon the head of the column, killed one of the Ninth Indiana, wounded another, and wounded two of the Sixth Kentucky.

At twelve o'clock M., December twenty-seventh, I was ordered to proceed, via the Jefferson pike, to Stuart's Creek, and save, if possible, the bridge crossing it. Ninety men of the Fourth Michigan cavalry, under Captain Maxey, were sent to me, whom I placed under charge of my Assistant Inspector-General, Captain James McCleery, Forty-first Ohio volunteers, with directions to keep me thoroughly informed of all that transpired in front, and as soon as the advance of the enemy was started to the rear, to put spurs to his troop and not slacken rein until the bridge was crossed. The distance did not exceed five miles, and by disposing flankers for perfect security, and urging the infantry and artillery to their fullest speed, I was enabled to keep within supporting distance all the time. The enemy was met three miles from the bridge, and by closely following my directions, a steeple-chase was made of the whole affair — the rebel force amounting to full five to our one by the time the bridge was reached. They formed upon the opposite side, but were soon dispersed by a few discharges from our artillery.

In this affair we lost one cavalryman wounded and two taken by the enemy. We took ten prisoners, one of them an officer, and killed one officer and several men.

Too much credit cannot be given to Capt. McCleery, of my staff, and Captain Maxey, of the Fourth Michigan cavalry, for spirit and daring in this affair. On reaching the bridge my little party was upon the heels of the fugitives, and had they been armed with sabres instead of rifles, by slashing upon their rear the rout must have been pushed to a panic.

On the twenty-ninth I was ordered across to the Murfreesboro and Nashville pike, and joining the division, proceeded to within three miles of Murfreesboro. On the night of the thirtieth, the brigade was ordered to the front line to relieve