ORs: (US) Report of Col William B Hazen, - November 1, 1862

War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
Series 1, Volume 16, Part 1, Page 1137-9

COLUMBIA, Ky.,
November 1, 1862.

SIR:
In compliance with orders received from Headquarters Fourth. Division, Army of the Ohio, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my brigade in the advance of the army from Perryville to London, at which point the vanguard retraced its steps:

On the 10th of October the brigade, consisting of the Ninth Indiana Volunteers, Col. W. H. Blake; the Forty-first Ohio Volunteers, Lieut. Col. George S. Mygatt; the Sixth Kentucky Volunteers, Col. Walter C. Whitaker; the Twenty-seventh Kentucky Volunteers, Col. C. D. Pennebaker; the One hundred and tenth Illinois Volunteers, Col. T. S. Casey, and Captain Cockerill’s battery of the First Ohio Artillery, in all 2,530 effective men, was put en route with the division in the direction of Danville, encamping 3 miles from that place in line of battle.

On the morning of the 11th, agreeably with orders, I moved forward to Danville to reconnoiter the position of the enemy. I was accompanied by Wolford’s cavalry and Throckmorton’s battery of artillery. My orders were explicit and prevented my moving in any manner that would bring on a general engagement. The Ninth Indiana Volunteers was deployed as skirmishers and supported by the Sixth Kentucky and Forty-first Ohio, marching through the fields in double column, with the cavalry disposed on the flanks as effectively as their limited acquaintance with military maneuvers would admit.

The enemy was found drawn up in line of battle at the Fair Grounds,1 mile from Danville, with cavalry and artillery. The latter opened without effect upon the skirmishers, who, pushing forward persistently, had no difficulty in driving the enemy through the town. My artillery and cavalry were both used in the skirmish, which at times was quite brisk, the enemy dismounting his cavalry and posting them as infantry. The Ninth Indiana pushed through the town and about 2 miles beyond, skirmishing with cavalry and artillery all the way, when they were recalled, and the brigade in obedience to orders returned to the encampment of the division.

I would mention the universal good conduct of all the troops of the command, except the cavalry companies of Captains Coppage and Fishback, of Wolford’s regiment, who at the first discharge of the enemy retreated in disorder some half mile to a piece of wood and were with difficulty found by one of my staff officers. The entire regiment seemed greatly deficient in anything approaching military drill, and it was with difficulty that my orders, given in the simplest military language, were understood.

We found nearly 400 rebels sick in hospitals and captured 30 able-bodied. The enthusiasm of the people upon our entrance was beyond anything I ever before witnessed. Several of the enemy were killed and wounded. Our own casualties were 4 slightly wounded.

On the 12th the brigade, with the division, was moved forward near Camp Dick Robinson, returning to the Harrodsburg pike 3 miles from Danville, where it bivouacked until the morning of the 14th, when it took up its march on the Stanford road, bivouacking near that place until 12 o’clock at night, when it was again put in march in the direction of Crab Orchard, reaching that place about midday of the 15th, and passing to within 2 miles of Mount Vernon. On the morning of the 16th the brigade was put in march at daybreak at the head of the division, which had the advance of the Second Army Corps. On passing about 2 miles beyond that place the rear of the enemy was seen drawn up in line of battle. The Sixth Kentucky was advanced rapidly as skirmishers, which, with a few shots from Cockerill’s battery, soon dispersed them.

On moving forward some 4 miles farther the enemy was found strongly posted, with his cavalry dismounted and acting as infantry and artillery. A brisk fire was opened by them upon a company of the Second Indiana Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant —, which was reconnoitering on foot. They met the fire gallantly, and were immediately relieved by the Sixth Kentucky,. which moved forward splendidly, and after a brisk skirmish of thirty minutes the enemy retired precipitately. In this skirmish the Sixth Kentucky lost 1 killed and 2 slightly wounded. The enemy lost 11 killed and several wounded.

The Ninth Indiana now relieved the Sixth Kentucky as skirmishers, and pushing forward about 2 miles found the enemy again posted, with dismounted cavalry and artillery, in their favorite position, being upon the hill-sides opposite an open valley. One wing of this regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Suman, by a rapid movement succeeded in flanking the enemy and came near capturing his artillery, which was lost only by the rapidity of its retreat. A sharp skirmish was kept up during this movement, resulting in the killing and wounding of several of the enemy and the capture of several more, including a captain.

In moving forward the remainder of the day an almost. uninterrhpted skirmish was kept up, the enemy impeding our progress by felling timber. The brigade bivouacked at Big RockCastle Creek. The prisoners of this day amounted to between 30 and 40.

On the 17th the command moved only to Camp Wild Cat, a distance of 4 miles, the Nineteenth Brigade being in rear of the division.

On the 18th, it being reported that the enemy were posted in strong force a few miles in our front, I was ordered forward to drive him from his position. This was effected after a sharp skirmish, in which the Ninth Indiana and the Forty-first Ohio took part, the enemy losing several officers and men, without casualty to our own arms. In obedience with orders the command was marched back to Camp Wild Cat and bivouacked for the night.

On the 19th I received orders to march to Pitman’s Cross-Roads, but no farther without orders. The Forty-first Ohio was deployed as skirmishers, and the command moved forward without coming upon the enemy until within 5 miles of Pitman’s. The roads had been blocked with fallen timber almost continuously, but by the hard labor of the pioneer party we were enabled to reach within one-half mile of Pitman’s by night-fall, a sharp skirmish taking place about sundown, in which Lieutenant Hardy, adjutant of the Forty-first Ohio, had his horse shot and one man of the same regiment was slightly wounded.

The enemy posted himself with artillery at the cross-roads, throwing shot over my lines, but doing no damage. The Forty-first Ohio was pushed forward under cover of the darkness to examine their position, the people of the country reporting that a strong force of all arms was strongly posted there for an engagement. The women and children of the neighborhood had been sent away, which gave color to the report. The reconnaissance was pushed within 50 yards of the artillery, when the regiment was withdrawn some 400 yards and posted for the night behind a spur of the hill. Disposition was then made for an attack at dawn. At 10 p. m. the artillery of the enemy took up its march, followed by his other troops, the rear getting under way at 4 o’clock a. m.

On the morning of the 20th a patrol was sent through the town of London. On returning they brought some 25 prisoners, reporting the enemy 6 miles from that place. On the 22d the command in obedience to orders marched back to Camp Wild Cat, carrying with it 75 prisoners.

In summing up this advance it appears that in eight days the brigade engaged in six skirmishes, killing some 20 of the enemy, wounding many more, and capturing, including many sick, between 500 and 600 prisoners. Our own loss was 1 killed and 5 or 6 wounded.

The conduct of the entire brigade could not have been better. Lieutenant Colonel Suman, of the Ninth Indiana Volunteers, deserves the warm thanks of his commander. I was, an eye-witness to all that occurred on the entire march. The course of the road over which we passed after leaving Mount Vernon was through narrow gorges, occasionally debouching into narrow valleys, and of such a character as to render our movements necessarily cautious and affording opportunities for an energetic foe to have stopped our progress at almost any point. It is doubtful if the rear of the army proper was ever reached, but merely a light force of from 1,500 to 3,000 held back against our advance to feel our progress. it always yielded when closely pressed.

It is proper to add that during the entire campaign, although. destitute of many of the comforts even of life on the march, without tents, often with an insufficiency of food, through inclemencies of weather, and marches of almost unprecedented length, I have never heard a murmur, and have now to report a good condition of health never before known in the brigade and a state of thorough discipline of which the command has reason to be proud.

My staff, as follows: Capt. B. L. Kimberly, Forty-first Ohio, acting assistant adjutant-general; Capt. H. W. Johnson, Forty-first Ohio, acting assistant quartermaster; Capt. James McCleery, Forty-first Ohio, assistant inspector-general; Dr. M. G. Sherman, Ninth Indiana, brigade surgeon; Lient. C. D. Gaylord, Forty-first Ohio, aide-de-camp; Lieut. William M. Beebe, Forty-first Ohio, aide-de-camp, permitted no opportunity to escape of renewing the constant evidence since being in the service of brigade headquarters of ability, efficiency, and a desire to do their duty properly. They, with my entire command, have my warmest thanks.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. B. HAZEN,
Colonel, Commanding Nineteenth Brigade.

Capt. H. ATKINSON, A. A. G., Fourth Division.

---