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Chilton, in charge of train; also to explanatory sketch.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. B. Hazen,
Colonel Forty-first Ohio Volunteers, commanding Nineteenth Brigade, Second Brigade, Second Division, Left Wing.
Addenda to report: operations of Nineteenth brigade, Fourth division, (Second brigade, Second division, left wing,) Fourteenth army corps, from December 26, 1862, to January 1, 1863.
The Nineteenth brigade, of
Nelson's old Fourth division, was organized under its present commander in January, 1862.
After reaching
Nashville the succeeding month, some change of regiments was made; but, except the addition of the One Hundred and Tenth Illinois last September, it still consists of the same regiments that marched with
Nelson to
Shiloh on the memorable sixth of April, followed him to
Corinth, and through the summer campaign in
Western Tennessee,
Mississippi, and
Alabama, and later, under less noted leaders, participated in the
Kentucky campaign of last fall, fighting the retreating rebels for thirty miles in the passes of the
Wild Cat Mountains.
The following is the organization:
Sixth Kentucky volunteers,
Colonel Walter C. Whitaker.
Ninth Indiana volunteers,
Col. Wm. H. Blake.
Eleventh Illinois volunteers,
Colonel Thos. S. Casey.
Forty-first Ohio volunteers,
Lieut.-Col. Aquila Wiley commanding.
Colonel Wm. B. Hazen, Forty-first Ohio volunteers, commanding the brigade.
On the twenty-sixth December, 1862, the brigade moved with the division on the
Nashville pike to
La Vergne.
At this place a show of resistance was made by one or two rebel batteries commanding the road, and the Sixth Kentucky and Ninth Indiana being sent around to the right, encountered a rebel force in a cedar wood; but after a brisk skirmish they cleared the wood, with a loss of one man killed and three wounded.
The next day
Col. Hazen was ordered to march rapidly down the
Jefferson pike to
Stuart's creek (five miles) and save the bridge.
The enemy were met about three miles from the bridge, but were at once vigorously charged by a squadron of the Fourth Michigan cavalry, in charge of
Capt. McCleery, of
Col. Hazen's staff, and put to flight.
The infantry and artillery were urged forward at their utmost speed, and so impetuous was the charge and pursuit that the astonished rebels were driven pell-mell across the bridge, losing one officer and ten men prisoners and one officer and several men killed.
Their reserve force across the creek (they had a brigade at the place) staid only for half a dozen shells, when it also “skedaddled,” leaving the bridge unharmed.
On the twenty-ninth the brigade rejoined the division on the
Murfreesboro pike and marched to the battle-field of
Stone River.
Palmer's division, on the morning of the thirty-first December, occupied the right of the left wing of
Gen. Rosecrans's army.
Gen. Cruft's brigade was in a wood to the right of the
Murfreesboro and Nashville pike, and on its left the brigade of
Colonel Hazen, extending to the pike and occupying a cotton-field in front of the burnt house of
Mr. Cowan.
Wood's division was to the left of the pike, and
Negley on the right of
General Cruft.
Col. Grose's brigade of
Palmer's division was in reserve.
Colonel Hazen's position was extremely unfavorable, and he asked of
Gen. Rosecrans permission to advance beyond the burnt house and seize the crest of a ridge occupied by the enemy's pickets.
The permission was given and the brigade ordered forward.
Scarcely had the movement commenced when the heavy firing on the right, which had begun at daylight, was heard almost in our rear, indicating that
McCook and
Negley were being driven rapidly backward.
Almost at the same time a strong line of rebel infantry appeared on the crest beyond the burnt house, moving upon us at a double-quick.
The brigade was at once faced about and moved to the rear, and partly across the pike, so that the left of the first line (the Forty-first Ohio and Sixth Kentucky) rested on the railroad, which at this point is about one hundred yards from the pike and nearly parallel with it. A slight rise of ground here afforded some cover.
The Forty-first Ohio and One Hundred and Tenth Illinois were here soon hotly engaged with the advancing rebels — too hotly for their continued advance, which, with the aid of
Cockerill's Sixth Ohio battery, was checked.
The Sixth Kentucky and Ninth Indiana, still on the right of the pike, also became engaged in that direction.
Planting their batteries on the crest in front, and firing over their own infantry, the rebels soon poured a storm of shot and shell upon our lines.
But they could not take the position, and a short cessation of their efforts ensued.
At about ten o'clock their grand effort, meant to crush the left of our army, and leave it with disordered ranks and broken lines, an easy prey, was made.
On the right
McCook had been driven back till he was nearly in our rear;
Negley had given way, and
Rousseau's reserve, sent to retrieve their disasters, had shared a like fate before the impetuous assaults of the victorious rebels.
All troops to the left of
Palmer had been withdrawn to resist the terrible attack on the right.
Clouds of soldiers, breaking from the woods across the open fields to the right and rear — artillery, with the horses goaded to a run, flying from the rapidly pursuing foe — all this, plainly seen to the rear, told how fearfully imminent was destruction in that quarter.
To the front the rebels, in double lines, were steadily advancing upon
Palmer's division, the only one of the army that had not been driven back.
Heavy columns were moving to attack the right of
Cruft's brigade, and a murderous artillery-fire covering this and the overwhelming advance upon
Hazen, rained shells upon our men. It was the critical moment of the day. If the right of the army were ever to recover itself and check the onslaught
