Part 5

The whole corps was engaged in this action, and, in thirty minutes from the discharge of the first gun, the entire rebel force, who were not killed or prisoners, were in full retreat. It was now nearly dark. Remounting, we moved to the right, the 10th Indiana in advance. Passing the enemy's flank, and reaching the pike in his rear, we moved forward to the attack. The 10th Indiana passed the enemy, who were ambushed behind a stone fence on the left, and who permitted us to likewise get well in the trot before springing it.

Suddenly, from out the darkness, "Halt! Who comes there?" sharply questioned a voice. "Federal cavalry," replied Jackson. "_Fire!_" rang out the command, and immediately from a thousand muskets in our very faces, gushed a sheet of flame. Down went man and horse. Another volley, and the frightened horses reared and plunged, many falling in a ditch alongside the road, crippling the riders.

Company L was in the advance. Moorehouse went down with a ghastly wound; Bristow fell dead; Jackson's horse went into the ditch, falling upon him, and inflicting permanent injuries to his breast. Acting Adjutant Comstock and another, whose name I cannot give, saved the Colonel from capture, by mounting him upon another horse and holding him in the saddle until a place of safety could be reached.

Color-Sergeant Ricks, of Company E, a noble boy, was killed, and, in the darkness, the colors were lost. The rebels, protected by the wall, were safe from sabre or bullet. The plunging of the horses, the cries of the wounded, the shouting of the officers, the lurid flashing of guns, fitfully lighting the scene, made a situation inadequately described by the modified term of the "new version."

The surprise, the darkness and disorder, the impossibility of returning the fire, left but one thing to do. A united rush was made to the right. The rail fence, bounding the road, went down with a crash--officer and man, with equal zeal, seeking safety in flight. The enemy pursued with shout and yell and hissing bullet. It was not a panic. It was good, hard sense. To get out of that hopeless hell was strictly business.

The enemy did not pursue very far. Halting in the woods, Hammond made an effort to get the brigade in line. He was so hoarse he could not speak above a whisper. It was found that all the officers were likewise too hoarse to make themselves heard, and the attempt was abandoned. Each officer and man sought sleep and rest where best it suited him. Sleep did not at once fall upon the camp. Silence there was, but not sleep. The chagrin of failure, the separation from comrades who might be dead or wounded, and in the hands of the enemy, added tenfold to the horror of the night, itself wet, cold, comfortless. At last tired nature succumbed to the drowsy god, and all too soon the morning bugle awoke us from slumber to the duties and dangers of another day.

On the 18th the command, encountering no enemy, marched to near Spring Hill, and went into camp. Resuming the march on the 19th, reached Rutherford's Creek. This stream was out of its banks, its current a torrent, making a more effective rear guard for the defeated army than even Forrest's brave and determined troops. The almost impassable condition of the roads delayed the arrival of the pontoons until the 20th. Meantime the infantry had overtaken us, and gone into camp near us.

When the infantry came from the front and began work on the defenses at Pulaski, they did not have a very high opinion of the cavalry arm of the service. This feeling was fairly illustrated in the remark of a bronzed veteran visiting our camp. He said: "The artillery makes the noise, the cavalry makes the show, and _we do the work_!" A General was heard to express his contempt for this arm of the service by offering to pay $10 per head for each cavalryman killed in battle. These boys had now followed our line of march and constant battle for some days. They had seen the character of the work done, and from them now was heard only words of warmest commendation. These were the heroes of Atlanta, and to have thus earned their enthusiastic approval, conquering their prejudice and compelling respect, was doubling our laurels and glory enough. Their unstinted praise was not more grateful to our hearts than was the generous sharing of their scant store of hard-tack to our now, for a day or two, "strictly corn-fed" stomachs.

The bridge across Rutherford's Creek being completed, on the 21st we crossed and moved down to Columbia. Duck River, swollen by the rains, that for a week had almost constantly fallen, was now a wide, deep and turbulant stream. The rain had ceased to fall, and it was snowing instead. The wind was blowing a gale from the northwest. This greatly increased the difficulty of bridging the stream, and it was December 23d before we were enabled to cross the river and resume the pursuit. We had been called up the midnight preceding, struck our tents, and, mounting, moved down near the river, where we sat upon our horses in the wind and flying snow--a dismal, dark, dreadful two hours--and then back to camp again.

About 10 o'clock A. M. on the 23d, we crossed the bridge and moved some miles down the Pulaski Pike, not encountering the enemy.

On the 24th, we moved through the fields on the right of Gen. Croxton's brigade. We were not in advance this day, and, while always in hearing of the guns, were not directly engaged. All this day, as we followed in the wake of the fight, our eyes were constantly greeted with unmistakable evidences of the struggle in front. No one will forget the little knot of dead and dying artillerymen and horses by the road-side, maimed and mangled by a bursting shell, a gory, ghastly sight.

Forrest, with the main body of his cavalry, had reached the line of Hood's retreat at Columbia, and from that point interposed a force not inferior in numbers, or discipline, to the cavalry corps pursuing. In addition to this force, we were hourly confronted by five brigades of infantry, under Gen. Walthall. So great a force, aided by bad roads and swollen streams, made it impossible for us to break through their defence. It is true that at every stand made by the enemy, we drove him from his position, but when he fell back it was usually in good order, and more as one who had accomplished a purpose than as a beaten and demoralized foe.

On the 25th, we pushed on, following the advance, which drove the enemy through Pulaski so closely, that he did not have time to destroy the bridge over Richland Creek. The men detailed to fire the bridge were killed or captured and the fire extinguished. Another stand was made at Reynolds' or Anthony's Hill, south of Pulaski. Our brigade was ordered to support the first brigade, sixth division, in an attack on this position. The enemy made strong resistance, and for some time the battle raged without advantage on either side. Hammond's brigade was ordered up. The 9th Indiana, with Companies I and D as skirmishers, advanced on the enemy's left. His skirmishers were soon met and driven back on the main line, lying along the top of the hill. A heavy fire was opened on these two companies, and they were compelled to fall back on the supporting column--which, going into line, advanced upon the enemy. Meantime the brigade in advance had been repulsed, and fell back in confusion,--the 7th Ohio cavalry breaking through the advancing column between the 4th Tennessee and the remainder of the brigade. The 4th charged gallantly and drove the pursuing enemy back into his works, but the support being delayed by the demoralized 7th Ohio, failed to come up, and the 4th was compelled to withdraw. Now it was that our regiment advanced with the 2d Tennessee on our left. Coming within sight of the defences, the whole line, with a yell and mighty rush, swept up the hill over the works and across the opening after the flying foe, who disappeared in the woods beyond. Company I had a place in this charge. Company D, being on the right of the skirmish line, had, in falling back, after helping develop the enemy's position, missed the supporting column--having to go around a precipitous hill to rejoin the regiment, only reached the scene in time to observe, but take no part in, the charge, which closed the day's work.

Going into camp the weary soldier found time to remember that this was Christmas day, and fill himself with the recollection of the Christmas feasts of former years--precious "little else" he had to fill himself with. Mud and snow below, clouds and rain above, all night long, was not conducive to rest, but caused the boys the more readily to resume the march next morning--the saddle being more comfortable than the camp.

The 26th opened with a heavy fog and gently falling rain. The 2d Tennessee in advance, supported by the 9th Indiana, struck the enemy about five miles from camp and drove him swiftly back on the main body, which was strongly posted on the south bank of Sugar Creek, a deep and rapid stream, with high and steep banks. The 2d Tennessee going into line, was soon hotly engaged. The 9th debouched from the road and went into line in reserve, but so near the first line that we were as fully under fire as those in front.

To remain under fire from an unseen enemy, without the stimulus of action, is a serious tax upon the courage of the average soldier. The 2d Tennessee, after a few minutes' exchange of courtesies with the enemy, were moved by the right flank to make room for us. Glad to move, the regiment took its place in the position lately occupied by the 2d Tennessee, while the 14th Ohio battery went into position near the line just abandoned by us. All this time the enemy's fire was unceasing. On reaching our new position we could see under the lifting fog, the creek with its steep banks, and beyond it the log barricades, from behind which constantly leaped forth the flame and smoke, accentuating the "zip" of the spiteful bullets, which constantly cut the air around us.

From here we could also see the slender thread of road leading to the ford, across which but two horses might pass abreast. As against mounted men the position was impregnable. The situation was not encouraging, contemplating which, an officer of the line got somewhat excited, and, riding to and fro in front of the regiment, constantly shouting: "Don't run, boys; for God's sake, don't run!"

This was an unnecessary appeal. Aside from the disorder arising from falling horses, the line stood unwavering. A sharp reprimand from Hammond, and this officer subsided. The fire of the enemy continued with increasing vigor. It was returned by "the boys" with interest. Protected by log works the enemy probably suffered no loss.

Two companies, under command of Capt. Cofer, were now sent to the left to a hill commanding the rebel right and protecting our left flank. The regiment, at the same time, moved to the right, making place for the balance of the brigade in line. The two companies moving to the left reached an angle in the hill--one arm running back parallel to our line of advance, the other, and shorter arm, projecting toward the field of battle. Dismounting behind the shorter arm, which thoroughly protected the horses, the two companies scaled the hill and formed in line on its top, overlooking the rebel works in the plain below. Company D took the position nearest the field, the other company (Company I, probably), going to the left, were in the act of deploying to guard against surprise from the extreme left, when the enemy left his works, crossed the creek, and wildly yelling, charged the centre of the main line, driving them back probably three hundred yards, leaving the led horses in a triangle, the base and perpendicular of which was too "perpendicular" to climb, and the high position in the hands of the enemy. Company D hurriedly scrambled down the hill, and, remounting, dashed out through the astonished Confederates to a place of safety, where, reforming, they rejoined the regiment. In their ride to the rear Company D lost four enlisted men by capture. The horses of the other company were also successfully brought off.

Cofer, with his company, hearing the battle surging back in the centre, also tried to get back, but by the time the deployed line could be rallied to return, they were met by a body of the enemy, who, seeing so many led horses going to the rear, suspected the truth, and went up the hill to see about it. Resistance was hopeless, flight seemed impossible, but, with a rebel prison on the one hand, and a chance for safety in a race with death on the other, was but a moment's hesitation. Running back up the hill and making a wide detour, Indiana put in her "best licks," and, although the rebels had the inner and by far the shorter line, they escaped, amidst a storm of bullets, without a scratch, and rejoined the regiment, much to their own satisfaction and greatly to the relief of the remainder of the regiment, who had given them up for lost.

The brigade again advanced and drove the enemy back into his works. The 14th Ohio battery was now placed in position, and soon shelled them out, and pursuit was continued some distance by a portion of the command, the remainder soon going into camp.

These were the last rebels in arms seen by us in this campaign. Subsistence for men and horses was becoming a serious question. We had received no rations since leaving Nashville, twelve days before. There had been little time for foraging. The resources of the country were nearly exhausted by the rebel army--men and horses were worn out and hungry. A few days were consumed in recruiting the horses and securing supplies. The march was resumed and continued without incident of special interest, except a very pleasant encampment at Taylor Springs and a very unpleasant, not to say dangerous, crossing of Elk River, ending at Gravelly Springs, where we went into winter quarters.

It was but a remnant of the 9th Cavalry that went into camp at the close of this long march. By death, wounds, disease and capture we had lost heavily. Those stopping by the way, from death or exhausting of horses, added to the other losses--not more than two hundred effectives reached this, our final, camp in Alabama. In considering the service of the 9th Cavalry in this campaign, we will concede that other commands may have done more fighting, but in promptly and effectually performing the duties assigned, no regiment could have excelled the 9th Indiana.

Hammond, in his report, says: "During this campaign I have had continual occasion to admire the bravery of both officers and men, and to lament want of discipline." The discipline of our regiment was fairly good; the officers, as a rule, had the respect and confidence of their men, who yielded prompt obedience to all orders. Gen. Hammond never issued an order, either in battle, on the march or in camp, that we did not try to obey, whatever we may have thought of the wisdom of it.

It is the deliberate opinion of the writer, after twenty years' experience with all sorts of people, that no finer body of men ever lived than served together in the 9th Indiana Cavalry, and certain it is no braver soldiers ever marched to battle.

Footnote 1:

NOTE A.--Of the affair at Wilson's Pike, December 1, 1864, Sergt. Holt, of Co. E, writes as follows:

D. W. C.

"At the fight on Wilson's Pike, December 1, 1861, Company E was detailed to check the advancing columns on that road. The company was stationed in a small yard behind a house. A line of skirmishers was thrown out consisting of the dismounted fourth man, placed in charge of a sergeant, with orders to fire once or twice and fall back to their horses. The advance was very rapid, the firing hot in the region of the company, and the men who had charge of the horses of the dismounted men were ordered to the rear. When our men came back from the skirmish line they were disappointed in not finding their horses, and were all captured, consisting of nearly twenty-six men of Company E, who were taken to Cahaba, Alabama, prison. Only about half of them lived through the five months they were kept there. Capt. Hobson was left in charge of the rear. He was ordered off the field twice by orderlies from Gen. Hammond, but failing to obey the order Gen. Hammond came himself and took the command off. The rebels were so close to us that I think I would almost know the color-bearer if I were to see him to-day. Before we left the yard, or just as we were leaving, Sergt. Helvie, who was sitting at the roots of a sugar tree, called to me to take his gun, a Henry rifle. I did so, and was so much excited that I only got two loads off out of the fifteen it contained. I believe Sergt. Helvie was the only man wounded in the engagement, although we stayed upon the field until the right and left wings of the rebel advance were considerably ahead of us, and I pointed the fact out to Capt. Hobson, but it didn't seem to affect him."

Footnote 2:

It was said that Company F sold this mule in New Orleans several times. The plan was--as the story was told--to have one of the boys, in citizen's clothes, sell the animal, and before it could be got away a squad would come up and arrest the party for having United States property in possession, compromising for a greater or less amount, take the mule and release the purchaser. This was said to have been repeated a number of times. At last the mule was hid and could not be found, but not before a sum had been raised sufficient to put Company F in funds.

Footnote 3:

Lieut. Thomas J. Cofer, Co. I.

Footnote 4:

Accounts of the deaths of Capt. Hobson and Lieut. Watts are conflicting. Capt. Hayden states that Capt. Hobson was killed right at the fort. The account of Sergt. Holt, Co. E, of the same incident, is subjoined. Sergt. Holt's candor in relating his experiences is refreshing and worthy of all praise. Most of us, in relating army experiences, are apt to forget or omit our fears and remember only what was heroic. There was in the regiment but one opinion concerning Capt. Hobson, and that was that he was a brave and capable officer. Martin Gregg, Co. I, states that he was with Lieut. Watts when shot; that he was killed by the captain of the battery, who also fired at him.

D. W. C.

"Company E was the left wing, Capt. Hobson commanding the main column. Advancing on the pike, our company went to the left or rear of a small works on the pike. After we had climbed a little hill, our company had scattered considerably, the firing being close above us with grape. We formed under cover of the ravine, and then advanced down the railroad. Capt. Hobson was leading the company; and Sergeant Grose and myself were (I probably ought not to say so) in the rear. I thought I took in the situation and asked him how he liked the place we were going into. He said he didn't like it much, but he guessed we would have to go. We charged down the railroad until we got to the wagon road, then went under the railroad, the grade being so high as to permit us to go under. Capt. Hobson didn't seem to realize the situation until he was confronted on the other side by the retreating rebel column. He halted and turned round immediately on the retreat, and was shot just as he came under the railroad, falling almost against the stone abutment. His riderless horse came galloping past me as I turned to retreat....

"An incident in connection with Capt. Hobson's death has always impressed me. During the morning Capt. Hobson and Lieut. Burroughs were riding together, and in their conversation Lieut. Burroughs said: 'I would rather lose my right arm than go into a fight.' Capt. Hobson replied, 'The rebel bullet is not molded that will kill me.' With these remarks hardly cold from their lips they went into the fight and were both killed within at least a few minutes of each other.

"While Capt. Hobson many times seemed rough in his remarks, his actions would show that he was tender in feelings. With a confidence that no harm can come to him, a man can go forth and fight with dashing courage, although danger surrounds him; but with the thought that as certain as he goes into battle, he will be the first to fall, requires a stout heart, and is offering his life upon the altar of his country. I never felt that I would be injured in battle, but I have several times wished that some one else would run, so that I might have some excuse to run myself. It took a braver man to make the break and run when every one was standing in line of battle than it did to stand and fight."

THE NINTH AT FRANKLIN.

Those who were present will admit that Capt. Hayden's account of the 9th at Franklin is but a conservative statement of the facts. On the day after the fight, while we were all feeling very well satisfied with ourselves and the part the regiment had taken in the affair, I wrote a letter to the Cincinnati Commercial, which was published in its issue of December 29, 1864. I think it sufficiently pertinent to justify the insertion of the greater part of it.

D. W. C.

CAMP OF THE 9TH INDIANA CAVALRY, NEAR FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE, DECEMBER 18, 1864.

It is a lamentable fact, that, for some reason as yet ungiven, the cavalry arm of our service has not, until quite recently, been distinguished for any special efficiency. Its connection, however, with the late brilliant victories in the Shenandoah Valley, have won for it at least the respect of the country, and caused the withdrawal of Major General Hooker's standing offer of twenty dollars for a dead cavalryman of the Potomac Army. In the West this branch of the army, as your readers are aware, has been organized into the corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi, under command of Brevet Major General Wilson, whose dash and splendid abilities, while eminently fitting him for the responsible position he holds, have fully warranted his promotion from Lieutenant Colonel to his present rank. The late complete successes of his command are evinced in those sure and substantial evidences of victory--prisoners, battle-flags and guns; and in this department no corps can show more of them than the cavalry.