ORs: (US) Report of Col. J. A. Martin, 8th Kansas Infantry. - December 9, 1862

War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
Series 1, Volume 20, Part 1 Page 74

CAMP NEAR NASHVILLE,
December 9, 1862.

SIR:
I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from headquarters Ninth Division, lordered the Twenty-fifth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel MeClelland, and the Eighth Kansas Battalion, Captain Block, to proceed on a reconnaissance to the front, in the direction of Franklin, at 2p. m. to-day. The regiments left at the hour, and I rode with them as far as the outside pickets, which had a short time before been fired into by a small body of the enemy. Here I received an order from headquarters to send out another regiment and a section of artillery, and, in obedience, I immediately ordered the Eighty-first Indiana Regiment, Major Woodbury, and two pieces of Captain Carpenter’s Eighth Wisconsin Battery to join the reconnaissance, and then went forward to join the force in advance. Colonel McClelland had already deployed four companies of the Twenty-fifth and Eighth as skirmishers on each side of the road, and these had engaged in a brisk running fight with the enemy, also thrown out as skirmishers. The latter fell back rapidly, some of them abandoning their guns and clothing in their hasty flight. I directed the battery to move up the road behind the infantry. Captain Pease, of General Davis’ staff, had meantime joined the command, and was doing valuable service in reconnoitering to the right and front.

The whole command then moved forward, the skirmishers keeping up an occasional firing, until we were about 5 miles beyond Brentwood, when a considerable body of the enemy’s cavalry was seen in the road about a mile ahead. I had the battery placed in position, and, fired several rounds at them. The enemy disappeared in great haste at the first shot. We remained at this point until just before sundown, when, in accordance with our orders, we returned.

From the best information to be obtained along the road, the enemy’s force is all cavalry, and numbers 250 or 300 men. We drove them from their camp, finding their camp-fires yet burning brightly when we came up. One private of the Twenty-fifth Illinois is reported slightly wounded. What loss the enemy sustained I was unable to ascertain, although several are supposed to have been wounded.

I am, very repectfully, your most obedient servant,

JNO. A. MARTIN,
Colonel Eighth Kansas Volunteers, Commanding.

Lieut. T. W. MORRISON,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Ninth Division.