Another in the Disunion series from the NYT:
"On Aug. 16, 1863, Henry Campbell recorded in his diary how his unit, the 18th Indiana Battery, had just climbed the front range of the Cumberland Mountains, which separate the fertile Cumberland Basin of middle Tennessee from the eastern part of the state. A rainstorm impeded their ascent, making the road 'exceedingly steep, slippery, and winding.' As they labored upward, the soldiers were enveloped by a dense fog. Suddenly, as they approached the top of the mountain, they found themselves entirely above the clouds, looking down, Campbell wrote, on 'one of the grandest sights I ever witnessed.' Bright sunlight poured through the rain, creating 'hundreds of rain bows on the sides of the mountains beneath us.' The 18-year-old Hoosier struggled to convey in words a sublime spectacle 'that no pen could describe.'
"
Campbell's diary bears witness to what appeared at first to be one of the key breakthroughs of the entire war. The Union's Army of the Cumberland — three corps commanded by Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans — seized the initiative and forced Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee to retreat behind the Cumberland Plateau. Rosecrans now plotted a three-pronged advance into East Tennessee and North Georgia. If he could engage and defeat Bragg there, it might deliver a mortal blow to the Confederacy, already staggered by its misfortunes at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Campbell's trip up the mountain was part of that first stab into the Confederate heartland."
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/across-the-cumberlands/?ref=opinion&_r=0
Dave
Eighteenth Light Battery
INDIANA
(3-YEARS)
Eighteenth Light Battery. -- Capts., Joseph A. Scott, Eli
Lilly, Moses M. Beck.
This battery was organized at Indianapolis in the summer of
1862 and was mustered in Aug. 24. It left the state soon
after for Louisville, where it was assigned to the 4th
division of the 14th army corps.
The battery marched to Bowling Green via Frankfort thence to
Gallatin, Tenn. and upon the occupation of Murfreesboro by
Gen. Rosecrans' army it moved there. The army moved towards
Tullahoma in June, 1863, the battery with its brigade
(Wilder's) in the advance.
The enemy was encountered at Hoover's Gap, the brigade
charging and driving him through the gap upon his reserves,
where he formed line of battle, but the battery opened so warm
a fire that he was driven from the field.
Chattanooga was reached soon after the enemy abandoned it.
The battery was engaged at Chickamauga, aiding in repelling a
charge of Longstreet's columns, its execution being terrible
and more than flesh and blood could withstand.
After the battle the battery moved up the Tennessee River for
the purpose of guarding the fords, and in October it was with
Crook's command in pursuit of Wheeler in the Sequatchie
valley.
The enemy was found and routed at Thompson's Cove, and three
days later he was again overtaken and a sharp fight ensued in
which the battery vigorously shelled the Confederates
position, driving them through McMinnville in confusion.
It moved to Huntsville, Ala., but retraced its steps, and
after the battle of Missionary Ridge it was sent with its
division to the relief of Gen. Burnside at Knoxville, being
engaged at Mossy Creek, Fair Garden, and Dandridge.
Capt. Lilly was promoted major of the 8th Ind. cavalry in
April, 1864, and Lieut. Beck succeeded to the command. In May
the battery marched with Sherman's army in the Atlanta
campaign being engaged at Resaca, Stilesboro Cassville, Lost
mountain, Vining's bridge, Newnan, Hopkinsville and West
Point, and after the evacuation of Atlanta joined in the
pursuit of Hood, proceeding to Nashville.
Moving to Hopkinsville, Ky., it was in an engagement with the
enemy. From there it marched to Eastport, Miss., and from
there with Wilson's command to Selma, Ala., engaging the enemy
there, and then took part in the raid through Alabama and
Georgia to West Point and Macon, where the enemy was defeated
and a large quantity of military stores destroyed.
It then returned to Chattanooga, thence to Nashville, from
which city it moved for Indianapolis June 23, 1865, with 3
officers and 180 men. It was mustered out June 30, 1865.
The battery left for the field with 151 men and officers and
received 45 recruits. In Nov. 1864, 65 men of the 11th Ind.
battery were transferred to the 18th. Thirty-two were killed
or died of disease and 26 were discharged for disability.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 3, p. 202
Chickamagua after battle report:
Report of Capt. Eli Lilly, Eighteenth Indiana Battery.
HDQRS. 18TH IND. BATTERY, 1ST BRIG., 4TH DIV., 14TH A. C.,
Friar's Island, Tenn., September 26, 1863.
CAPT.: In obedience to orders, I have the honor herewith to report
operations of this battery since crossing the Tennessee River at this ford
September 10, 1863:
After fording as above, the battery moved with the brigade on the Ringgold
road and at nightfall camped near the Georgia line.
Eleventh instant marched at 7 a. m., and arriving within 2 miles of
Ringgold, Ga., our advance was resisted and one section was taken forward
and placed in position, which soon shelled the rebels out and the town was
occupied. We from this point took the Dalton road, the enemy making a
stand at a gap 2 miles out, and a sharp artillery duel ensued from which they
retired after an hour and a half's fight, leaving 3 crippled horses and harness
on the field. Our movement from this to Tunnel Hill was uninterrupted.
Twelfth, moved back to Ringgold and took the La Fayette road. Following
the camps and marches of the brigade, nothing of note occurred till the 17th
instant, when we marched from Pond Spring to Alexander's Bridge on
Chickamauga Creek, 3 miles from Gordon's Mills.
Eighteenth instant, at 9.30 a. m., one section was sent with detachment from
our brigade to re-enforce Col. Minty, who was reported hard pressed on our
left. At about 12.30 p. m. the enemy appeared in strong infantry force on
our front and attacked our skirmishers. I immediately opened fire on them
from my four remaining guns, doing fine execution on their ranks with
long-range canister and shell at from 600 to 1, 200 yards range. They soon
planted two guns on an open hill in front and succeeded in throwing three
shells at us before we silenced them. One of their shells fell near one of my
guns when Private Sedney A. Speed, seeing the fuse still burning, picked it
up from among my cannoneers and threw it over the house near by before
it burst. This engagement lasted till 4.30 p. m., when Col. Minty having
been obliged to fall back, I was ordered to limber my pieces and move out,
when we retired to the Gordon's Mills and Chattanooga road and rested for
the night.
On the 19th instant I did not become engaged until about 2.30 p. m., when
our brigade moved in support of Davis' division, at which time I shelled the
enemy's lines to cover the movement. When our brigade was relieved by
other troops and returned to its
former line I ceased firing. My position at this time was on the west side of
and facing the Gordon's Mills and Chattanooga road, four pieces near the
right of an open field, two pieces at the left corner of the same field, all
retired in the edge of the timber. A ravine crossed the field parallel to our
line two-thirds of the way to the road. The troops in our front were now
falling back, and as it was expected the enemy would fall on our left, the
lines were extended in that direction and the four pieces on the right were
moved to a corn-field on the left of the timber we had just left, and in a
direct line with our former position. This was no sooner done than the
enemy moved to the road in front of our center, when the section posted at
the corner of the field opened lively, the pieces being double-shotted with
canister. They advanced under this and a strong oblique fire from my pieces
on the left, in addition to the fire of the infantry lines, until they reached the
ravine, when they fell back in disorder. We remained on this part of the
field all night.
On the 20th instant we took position with the brigade on the extreme right
of our lines, and were posted on the first ridge west of the road running
from Crawfish Spring to Chattanooga, near where department headquarters
were the day before. At-o'clock Sheridan's division, on our left, was
faltering and our brigade went to its support. The brigade moved in at
double-quick, and the battery took position a few hundred yards to the left
of our former post and opened very rapidly, shelling a field beyond a narrow
strip of woods through which the enemy was moving. The brigade soon
cleared the woods, and I took a section from the hill and planted it to the
right of former department headquarters and opened with canister on the
retreating enemy till out of range. We now moved to our former position and
finally to Chattanooga Valley, 5 miles from Chattanooga, from which place
on the 21st instant we recrossed the river at Chattanooga and took position
at Friar's Island covering the ford. My four mountain howitzers were with
the Ninety-second Illinois Volunteers detached from the brigade on Saturday,
and under Sergeant Anderson, Seventy-second Indiana Volunteers, did good
fighting. Sergeant Anderson was wounded severely, and Sergeant Edwards,
Seventeenth Indiana Volunteers, took command and did good work till all
support left them and the enemy were within a few yards of his pieces, when
he succeeded in escaping with three of his pieces and the limber of the other.
Either of these men would do honor to the commissions of the miserable
shoulderstrapped poltroons who allowed the support to run away from the
pieces in the hour of danger. Of my officers and men I can say they have
behaved bravely whenever called on. They have never faltered in duty.
There is a single exception of one man who has already suffered severe
punishment for straggling from the field. I have met with a loss of 2 men
killed and 8 wounded. I have also lost in action 6 horses killed, 1 horse
wounded, and 1 mountain howitzer; ammunition expended, 778 rounds.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
I have the honor to be, captain, your most obedient servant,
ELI LILLY,
Capt., Comdg. Eighteenth Indiana Battery.
Capt. ALEXANDER A. RICE,
Asst. Adjt. Gen. 1st Brig., 4th Div., 14th Army Corps.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. XIII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 466-50
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]
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Report of Capt. Eli Lilly, Eighteenth Indiana Battery.
HDQRS. 18TH INDIANA BATTY., ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Near Talbott's Station, Tenn., December 30, 1863.
CAPT.: I have the honor herewith to submit report of the part taken
by my battery in the action at Mossy Creek and the advance to this
place on yesterday, December 29, 1863:
At 2 a. m. I received orders to take position at daybreak on a slight
eminence half a mile east of the bridge at Mossy Creek Station with my
entire battery of five 3-inch rifled guns, covering the open ground in
front. Subsequently a section was detached and ordered to report to
Col. La Grange, commanding Second Brigade Cavalry, for a
movement toward Dandridge, and the position was taken with but three
guns. The enemy moved in very heavy force on our front a few
moments before 11 a. m., and opened a severe artillery fire on
us from four pieces, not, however, till I had developed my position by
shelling their advancing lines. I immediately replied, and after a sharp
duel of an hour they brought three more pieces to bear upon me, at the
same time pressing forward their lines. I now refused to reply to their
artillery, save with an occasional shot, but worked with energy on their
lines of dismounted cavalry and infantry, which energy on their lines of
dismounted cavalry and infantry, which were in good canister range.
They were held in check nearly an hour, when, by a vigorous
movement, they placed me under a strong fire of small-arms by
advancing to a hill, covered with standing corn, on my right. From here
they were twice driven with canister, when, simultaneous to gaining it
the third time, a strong line was observed moving directly on my front
not more than 150 yards distant.
By this time my cannoneers were almost completely exhausted by
constant labor at the guns on very miry ground, for nearly three hours,
my loss being 20 per cent. of force, and consequently having to work
the pieces with greatly diminished numbers. By a desperate effort,
however the guns were once more advanced to the crest and discharged
in the face of the enemy, now nearly on us; but from the recoil of this
fire my men had not the strength to advance their pieces, though every
effort was made to do so, and I ordered the battery to retire, intending
to take position on the only rise between this and the creek, but received
orders to occupy the high hill north of Mossy Creek, from which point
we threw a few shell as occasion required. On the final advance, later
in the day, this part of my command moved with the First Brigade
Cavalry, though not further engaged.
The section which had reported to Col. La Grange in the morning
now returned, and was put to work on the right of the Chucky Bend
road, covering the advance of the Second Brigade Cavalry, from which
place it was moved forward as the brigade advanced, firing from eight
positions, the last being half a mile from Talbott's Station, When, night
coming on, operations were suspended.
It is impossible to make special mention of any one where all did their
whole duty.*
All of which is respectfully submitted.
I am, captain, your most obedient servant,
ELI LILLY,
Capt., Cmdg.
Capt. JOHN PRATT, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLIII.] ACTION AT MOSSY CREEK, TENN. PAGE 660-54
[Series I. Vol. 31. Part I, Reports and Union Correspondence. Serial No. 54.]
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Bringing the