You are on page 1of 3

"Indianapolis Daily Evening Gazette" 12 March 1863 refers to the 5 March

1863 fight around Thompson's Station, near Franklin, TN that ended in a Union fiasco and surrender of troops. The Nashville, Tenn. Union of Saturday [7 March 1863] speaking of the disastrous affair near Franklin, Tenn., on Thursday last [5 March 1863], says: NEGRO REGIMENTS IN THE REBEL ARMY.-Gen. Earl Van Dorn, CSA "During the fight the battery in charge of the 85th Indiana [Volunteer Infantry] was attacked by [*in italics*] two rebel negro regiments. [*end italics*] Our artillerists double-shotted their guns and cut the black regiments to pieces, and brought their battery safely off. * * * * It has been stated, repeatedly, for two weeks past, that a large number, perhaps one-fourth, of Van Dorn's force were [*in italics*] negro soldiers [*end italics*], and the statement is fully confirmed by this unfortunate engagement. The Southern rebels have forced their miserable negroes to take up arms, to destroy this Government, and enslave us and our children." ----------

Pvt. Henry L. Steckel Ohio 3rd OVI (may also been a part of the Ohio 2nd OVI), and includes entries from Nashville Tennessee and Murfreesboro TN, during his service!

Henry L. Steckel was from Tifn, Ohio and served with the OH. 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Company G.

Mar 7 ght at Franklin Tn with Van Dorn two nigger Regiments in the ght.

=======================

85th Infantry (STRI) Crist, William T. 1863. Letters from William T. Crist to America Liston. 18 p. Keywords: 85th Indiana Infantry/ Crist, William T./ Correspondence/ Franklin, TN/ Battle of Franklin/ Shepherd, James/ Baird, James P./ Puckett, Lewis/ Crist, William Thompson/ Stouts, W. Notes: Photocopies of original letters with typed transcripts. Hard to read. http://digitalcorpora.org/corp/nps/files/govdocs1/281/281988.pdf

=====================

Letter 85th Indiana Infantry Libby Prison A letter from George Grimes, jr to Emma Elizabeth Grimes, his niece,

daughter of Jonathon Taylor Grimes. From the biography, The Grimes Family, by Mary A. Grimes. Terre Haute, Ind. March 11, 1894 The second day after arriving our Brigade composed of the 33rd, 85th Inf.,the 19th Michigan, and the 22nd Wisconsin, commanded by Col John Coburn of Indianapolis, together with an Ohio Regt. A Battery of 6 guns,and a Battalion of Cavalry were ordered out on a forageing and reconnoiterting expedition. We moved South toward Columbia and about four miles out we met the Rebels under the command of Gen Van Dorn, who opened fire at once with Artillery and was responded to by ours. The Infantry were not brought into action. We kept an Artillery duel that afternoon, the Rebels falling back with a loss of a few killed and wounded. Our loss, one man slightly wounded and our gun disabled. We camped in line of battle that night on the ground the Rebels occupied during the skirmish. After going into camp, a Negro, the soldiers friend, came to Colburns headquarters and told him the Rebels were 20,000 strong in his front. Colburn sent the Negro, in charge of a commissioned officer, back to Franklin to report, to General Gilbert, who commanded the department we were in, the strength of the enemy. Gilbert, who was a Captain in the Regular Army, but made a Major General in the Volunteer Service, sent back to Colburn, He must be scared to go on. There was nothing in front of him that he need be afraid of This message nettled Colburn and he would have went if he knew every man in his command would be killed. The next morning, March 5th, 1863, we ate breakfast in camp before daylight and by the time it was fully light, we were on the move. Soon we saw evidences of the Enemy and after marching four miles, we found them in position. Col Colburn soon arranged his little force to his best advantage he could. The Rebs soon opened fire on us. Our Regt was ordered to capture a Battery that was annoying us very much. We moved out across a field, the Rebs shelling us furiously until we took shelter behind the railroad at Thompson Station, Tenn. There were two stone fences running parallel in front of us, behind which the Rebs were as thick as bees. As soon as their position was discovered, it would be certain death for us to advance. We were ordered back to a position on the hill. As soon as we started back the Rebs opened fire on us from behind those stone fences. The first one of our men killed was Stephan Tucker, who was touching elbows with me. He was shot through the head and fell dead at my feet. After we gained the top of the hill, we then had the advantage of position. Soon after the battle opened, the Ohio Regt, who were guarding out wagon train, composed of some 200 wagons, at once

was ordered to take the train back to Franklin, which they did without the loss of a wagon. After fighting about two hours, our Battery pulled out and left us, and the Calvery left us and the Lt. Col of the 22nd Wisconsin took half of the Regt and left, which left us with about 1500 men to do the fighting against between 15,000 and 20,000 Rebs under the command of Gen Van Dorn, Wheeler, Forest and others. For 6 long hours the battle raged, commencing at 9 oclock,A.M., and at 3 oclock P.M., out of ammunition and with the loss of 300 men killed and wounded, we surrendered, just 1200 of us. We were taken that night to Columbia, Tenn and next morning started our march to Tullahoma, Tenn, where the Rebel Army under Gen. Bragg, lay. We were compelled to wade through streams from knee deep up to our waists, and where ever night found us we had to often cut brush to lie on to keep us out of the water, as it rained almost continually. We were captured on Thursday March 5th, 1863, and on the next Sunday, March 8th, we got to Shelbyville, Tenn, where we had issued to us, what they called three day rations, the first bite we had to eat since Thursday morning before the day of our capture. The most of the Boys ate every bite of theirs and then of course, had to go three more days without anything more to eat. http://history-sites.net/cgi-bin/bbs53x/cwpmb/arch_config.pl? noframes;read=973

=============

You might also like