The National tribune., 1903-07-30

the garrison. reinforced by volunteer
force which had been previously organ
lied into a division, under BTt- Brighten.
!. l.. Donaldson. from employees of the
Ouarternaster's and CommiSsary Depart
mentS.
This force. aided by railroad employees.
under the direction of Gen. Tower, work
ed energetically on additional defenses.
On Nov %, in pursuance of these or
derS Gen. Granger withdrew the sarri-
sons from Athens. Decatur and Hunts,
VILE Ala. and concentrated the oriSinai
troops of his command at Stevenson; he
sent five new regiments to MurfreeSboro.
an important post, so miles south ol
Nashville.
Maj-Gen. Milroy commanding at Tui-
lahoma. was directed to abandon that
place and retire TO MurfreeSboro and JON
forces with Gen. Rousseau keeping. how,
ever. garrison in the block-house at Elk
River Bridge. Murfreesboro now had
force OF about 5000 men.
On the same day Gen. Cooper, com
manding First Brigade, Second DIVISION,
Twenty-third Corps. temporarily reihI"rc-
ing the garrison ut .johnsolvli!e. on the L eh-
neSsee River was ordered by Gen. Ihom-
as to move at once with his command to
Centeryille and guard the ford at that
point and at Boards Ferry. =,
Boards Ferry is situated about u
miles Down Duck River from Columbia,
and Centerville about the same distance
below Boards Ferry. These troops We're
stationed at these points In the nope tiat
Gen. Cooper would be able TO and IN I'M
peding the advance of Hoods army. Gen
Cooper reached Centerville on the evening
of Nov. 81. and Boards Ferry on the
evening of the 2Sth.
The Brigade of Brig.-Gen. Joseph A.
Cooper consisted of the following named
regiments: both Ind, Col. Charles ;.
.D...l L T,l h.y
18th Mich. Capt. Samuel l.. Demarest;
99th Ohio. Lieut.-Col. John E. Cummlns;
Sd Tenn. Col. William Gross: 9th Tenn.
Lieut-Col Edward Maynard The Sixth
Michigan Battery was assigned to the bri-
gade Gen. Cooper left the both Ind
and the 99th Ohio at Centerville, under
the command of Col. Parrish. and. with
Boards Ferry. Gen. Cooper encountered
small scouting parties of the enemy. but
their main army veered to the east and
marched upon Columbia.
The commanding officer at Johnsonville.
on the Tennessee River, by direction OF
Gen. Thomas. evacuated that post, after
removing all public property. and trans
ferred his force TO Fort Donelson. thence
to Clarksvile on the Cumberland River
Then the Tennessee River was abandoned
below Stevenson.
Zen. SlEEDMAN hEiNfohNr r-o -N-h'il ii-i-i--
Maj.-Gen. Steedman, commanding the
District of Etowah. headquarters at Chat
tanooga. was under orders from Gen
Thomas to hold his forces in readiness to
move at n moments notice.
In obedience to orders, on Nov. %
Gen. Steedman. leaving & sufficient gar
riSon 10 hold Chattanooga, moved by rail-
road, his command consisting of the 18th
Ohio. 6Sth Ind, 9th Ind. DismOunted Cav
airy. 14th. 10th and 44th {. s. Colored
troops: detachmentS of the Fourteenth.
Twentieth and Seventeenth Corps, and
the 18th Ohio and 10Th Ind. Batteries,
numbering 300 men, to Cowan, Tenn.
and on the morning of the 30th diSem-
barked his troops and placed them in po-
stiOn for action.
At & o'clock in the afternoon. while the
battle of Franklin was raging, Gen. Steed-
man received Il telegraphic order from
Gen.Thomas to proceed as rap.dy as pos
sble with his command to Nashville. Gen.
Steedman reached Nashville with the ma,
jOr part of his command at O'Clock. Dec.
/. BY an accident TO one of the trains,
the 44th L. S. Colored Regiment and
Companies 4 and ID of the 18th {. S.
Golored Regiments were detained. On
Dec these troops on arriving at Mill
Creek block-hoHse, which was occupied by
Lieut.. George ID. Harter, with % men of
the 115th Ohio Vols, we're attacked by
strong Confederate force of Gen. Hoods
advancing army with artillery and mus
kerry. Col. Lewis johnson, commanding
the coiored troops, carrying 301 muskets,
left the cars and engaged the enemy. The
fight continued far into the night, with a
Union loss of u killed. 46 wounded and
81 missing; total 115. Col Johnson with
drew his command about 3:30 a. m,
marched around the enemy's force and ar
rived at Nashville about daylight. re-
porting to Gen. Steedman.
cRUFT's PROVISIONAL DIVISION.
The officers and soldiers OF the Four
teenth. Seventeenth and Twentieth Corps.
who for various reasons were left behind
when Gen. Sherman started on his march
10 the sea, We're organized at ChattanoO-
ga into a Provisional Division, command
ed by Brighten. Charles Cruft. Soon
after reaching Nashville Gen. Cruft was
reinforced by the 9th Ind, and by 2 327 re-
cruits for various regiments; his command
now consisted Of 121 officers and 5,23S en-,
listed men. and was organized as follows:
First Brigade Twentieth C0rps-Col.
Benjamin Harrison commanding - 1st
Battalion, Lieut.-Col. Isaac McManus; 2d
Battalion Maj. John a. Hoskins.
Second Brigade Fourteenth Corps
Col John G. Mitchell-Ist Battalion,
Lieut.Col. f. \. Lester; ID Battalion,
Iieut.-Col William O'Bren
Third Brigade. Fourteenth Corps
Iieut.-Col. G. II. GrOsvenor-1Sth Ohio,
Capt. John W. Henderson; Sd Battalion,
FouTte enth Corps, Maj. David +. Roatch
6Sth Ind, Leut.-Col. Harvey J. Espy;
18th Ohio. Capt. Ebenezer Grosvenor
Second Brigade, Army of the Tennessee
Col. a. G. Malloy-20th Ill. Battalion,
Capt. c. c. Cox; Both Iowa, Capt. c. H
Hoskin; Sd Battalion, Fourteenth Corps,
Capt. Hubert
Artillery-Ind. Light, Goth Battery,
Capt. Milton A. Osborne; Ohio Light
18th Battery, Capt. Charles G. Aleshire
-Four additional regiments of colored
troops were now assigned to Gen. Steed-
man. The colored troops were organized
into two brigades.
First Brigade-Col 7. ]. Morgan. 14th
q. s. Colorcd Inf, commandinG-14th L.
S. ColOred Inf, Lieut.-Col. II. G. Corbin
44th L. $. Colored Inf, Col. Lewis John
son; 18th L. $. Colored Inf, Col. William
u. Cav; 18th L. S. Colored Inf; 18th L.
IS. Colored Inf, Col. William r. Shafter.
Second Brigade-COl. G. X. Thompson.
10Th L. $. Col0red Inf, commanding
18th L. s. Colored Inf; 18th c. s. Col
ored Inf, Col. John 4. Hottenstein; Tooth
L. S. Colored Inf.
On Dec. ., Gen. Steedman's command
was placed in an advance position, but