Year: 1863

fire away. But our men were very much


exposed in an open field and their advance
was already checked, and Just then piece of
artillery "a good ways of, but in easy range)


opened on US. was getting a little doubt


full what to do next, when the order came to


double quick through the town" and we saw
the regiment advancing in line close behind


us. We kept a short distance ahead of the


line and as the rebs saw the advance they
evacuated the houses in time to escape-most


of them that is, for, Of course, some were kill


ed and wounded


As our troops advanced into the town the
enemy's fire was kept up from the woods on


the left. Going down to the left of our line I
found Captain Ewing with his men and part


of mine in the edge Of a piece of woods. He
said the woods just across the cleared field in


front of us was full of the enemy, and as the
regiment was still advancing and getting be-


yond US and exposing its left flank to the reb-
el cavalry in the woods and the enemy's force
and position in the woods were too strong for
US we fell back to the regiment and I started


the Adjutant and Sergeant Major, both of
whom were mounted, off to find the General
and tell him about the rebel cavalry on our
flank and that one battery in the rear could
reach them. As Spence (the Sergeant Maior)
galloped down the railroad he saw them him
self and one of them shot at him He found
the General and told him where the cavalry


was and he said he would have the battery


open on them but did not for some reason,


and they withdrew.


Meantime the line kept on advancing be-
yond the town. Soon after Captain Ewing
and rejoined the battalion we were again
sent out but s. . tly after the regiment WIS
relieved in front by the Tooth Illinois and put
in reserve for the rest of the afternoon and the


skirmishers were recalled. I got the order of


recall and so did part of Co. B under Lieuten-


ant Renicl, but the rest Of my company un-
der Foster and part of Co. B, under Captain


Ewing did not get It and continued in the ad-


vance skirmishing all afternoon; and Just be-


fore we camped performed the important ser
wee of patdng out the bridge over Stewards


Creek which the enemy had set fire to retard
our advance. They also captured few
horses.


I have dwelt at some length on this little


skirmish at Lavergne for it was an affair in
which the 26th had the principal share Of the
work and honors and unfortunately of the
casualties also Out OF "a killed and wound
ed in the brief time we were under fire before
entering the town and Just after-l8 were in
the 26th MISUNDERSTANDING the short time
we were under fire, not over to minutes,
this loss was pretty heavy. But the regiment
moved right on and showed that they could
be depended on wherever they might be
placed. One Of the wounded was in my
company-Richard H. Colvin, wounded in the
arm. The wounded were all placed in hos
pital in one of the best houses of the place,
which was taken possession of for the purpose,
and left under the care Of DR.. Sabine of our
regiment. The next Tuesday they were all
captured by the enemy's cavalry and paroled. |


1t rained nearly all afternoon Saturday af-
ter the skirmish A little before dark we
halted and bivoucked on Stewards Creek, |
North side). The boys fortunately found an
old barn fulrofdry straw with which and fires
they made themselves pretty comfortable as
soon as it stopped raining. When the straw
was removed, Major Squires (who command !
ed the regiment all through-Colonel Fyffe |
being in Kentucky after Morgan and Colonel
Young sick at Nashville established the head |
Quarters of the regiment in the barn and in
vited me to board with him which did. The !
army lay here all day Sunday-it being |
thought believe that the enemy would proba- !
bly, contest the passage Of Stewards Creek in |
force But he did not and on Monday NOR
ming, we moved forward again-our division
in the rear, (having, had the advance the last
days march through Lavergne,) and without
serious opposition arrived in front of the enc
my's position on Stone River about o'clock |
in the afternoon, maneuvered around getting /
position until dark when we settled down in |
a corn field and commenced preparations for |
the night. We had hardly stacked arms and |
however, when the word came to |
fail in again and Immediately cross the river /
and push on to Murfreesboro. As supposed |
they would hardly attempt to cross the river
in the face of the enemy at night immedi-
ately concluded they had heard, that the enc
my were evacuating and were going in pur-
suit. But the order to march into Murfrees-
boro if given was altogether premature as was
soon discovered. We marched down near the
river a little to the right of where we had
been lying and formed line-the whole brig
ade-two of them I guess, of our division
the other Colonel Haskers being already across
on the other side. All was perfectly quiet
our own officers giving commands Ilaking
about all the noise there was to be heard,
when, whiz, came bullet and then two or
three more over our heads, right near where
the General and his staff were standing, indi-
eating that there was some force Of the enemy
closer than we had supposed. The General
{HascalD told us to lie down and soon after
moved US back out of range until something
was to be done. The next thing done was to
move US quietly back to our position in the
corn field and let US go to bed. Itseems that
Colonel Has1er after crossing the river with
his brigade discovered that he was right in