O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXII/1 [S# 32]
OCTOBER 6, 1863.--Action at Baxter Springs, Kans.
No. 3.--Report of Maj. Benjamin S. Henning, Third Wisconsin Cavalry.
BAXTER SPRINGS, CHEROKEE NATION,
October 7, 1863.
COLONEL: I have the honor to report the following facts in regard to the fight at Baxter Springs, Cherokee Nation, October 6, 1863:
On Sunday, the 4th, General Blunt, with the following members of his staff, viz: Maj. H. Z. Curtis, assistant adjutant-general; Maj. B. S. Henning, provost-marshal of district; Lieutenant Tappan, Second Colorado Volunteers, aide-de-camp; Lieut. Asa W. Farr, judge-advocate, together with the brigade band, and all clerks in the different departments of district headquarters, and also an escort consisting of 40 men of Company I, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, under Lieut. H. D. Banister; 45 men of Company A, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, under Lieutenant [R. H.] Pierce, and the whole escort under the command of Lieut. J. G. Cavert, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, and a train of 8 wagons, transporting the effects of district headquarters, company effects, &c., left Fort Scott for Fort Smith, Ark., and on that day marched 6 miles, and camped. On the succeeding day marched 34 miles, and camped on Cow Creek; and on Tuesday, the 6th instant, marched from Cow Creek to within a distance of 80 rods of a camp at Baxter Springs, Cherokee Nation, and halted at 12 m. for the train to close up, as it had become somewhat scattered. The halt continued about fifteen minutes, and the command had just been given for the column to move, when horsemen were seen coming out of the woods, a distance of about 80 rods to the left, and forming in line. As we were so near Baxter Springs (although not in sight of it by reason of an intervening ridge), many supposed them to be our own troops, drilling or returning from a scout. The general immediately ordered the two companies into line of battle, and the train to close up in rear of the line, which was done under the immediate direction of Major Curtis, assistant adjutant-general; and at the same time a reconnoiter was made by Mr. Tough, a scout of the general, who reported that the force were enemies, and that an engagement was going on at the Springs. I had ridden forward myself and discovered that the force was large, and reported the same to the general, who then rode forward to reconnoiter for himself. At this time I discovered that the enemy were being re-enforced from the southwest, on a line between us and the camp at Baxter Springs, the main body of the enemy being east of us; and, wishing to ascertain the condition of things in that quarter, I rode forward to the crest of the hill, where I saw that the camp was nearly surrounded by the enemy, and the fighting very brisk. While there, stragglers of the enemy continued to pass from the southwest to their main body. Although within range of the camp and receiving a straggling fire therefrom, I immediately commenced to fire upon these stragglers, and received their fire in return, and was seconded by Mr. Tough and Stephen Wheeler, of Company F, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, both of whom acted with great bravery, and was just on the point of returning to our line, when I saw 5 mounted rebels with 3 Federal soldiers as prisoners, trying to pass as the others had done. I immediately recognized one of the prisoners as a private of Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, one of the companies stationed at the Springs (and belonging to my own regiment). I determined to rescue them, and called to Tough and Wheeler to advance with me, but the former had just shot one rebel, and was in close pursuit of another in a direction taking him away from me. Wheeler advanced with me, and by pressing hard on the rebels and firing fast, we drove them, killing 1, wounding another, and rescuing the prisoners, who all belonged to Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry. As the rebels escaped they attempted to shoot the prisoners, and wounded one in the shoulder. As this was right under the fire of the camp, two of the prisoners made for the camp without stopping to say, "Thank you." The other, and the one personally known to me, named Heaton, seemed to be so bewildered that I had to ride up to him and force him to start in the right direction. All this had taken me over the brow of the hill, so that when I turned to go back, our forces were partially out of sight; but a few jumps of my horse brought them in sight again, and I saw them still in line of battle, while the enemy, to the number of about 450, were advancing upon them in line of battle, and firing very rapidly. I will here state that of the 85 men of our escort, 20 men acted as rear guard to the train, and did not form in line at all, leaving only 65 men in line, of which 40 men were of Company A, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, on the right, and 25 of Company I, Third Wisconsin Cavalry on the left. At this time the distance between the two lines was not 200 yards, and the enemy advancing at a walk, firing. I had just time to notice these facts, when I saw 2 men in the center of Company A, Fourteenth Kansas, turn to run, but before they could fairly turn round, Major Curtis and the officers of the company forced them back, and I concluded the fight would be desperate, and was hopeful, but before the officers could get their places the same 2 men and about 8 more turned and ignominiously fled, which the enemy perceiving, the
charge was ordered, and the whole line advanced with a shout, at which the remainder of Company A broke, and despite the efforts of General Blunt, Major Curtis, Lieutenants Tappan and Pierce, could not be rallied. At this time a full volley was fired by Company I, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, which so staggered the right of the enemy that I began to have hopes again; but as their left continued to advance their right rallied, but were checked so much that their line, as seen by me, was crooked, their right being behind. The firing then became indiscriminate, and I saw that Company I stood firing their revolvers until the enemy were within 20 feet, and then turned, but before any distance could be made the enemy were in their midst, and out of 40 of the company 23 were killed and 6 wounded and left for dead upon the field. At this time my attention was attracted to my own danger, the enemy having advanced so fast as to cut me off from the rest, and, after trying a couple of dodges, I succeeded in getting into camp at Baxter Springs, all the while closely pursued, and found Lieutenant Pond, who was in command, busily engaged in firing a mounted howitzer outside of his breastworks. The garrison at Baxter Springs consisted of parts of two companies of Third Wisconsin Cavalry and one company of the Second Kansas Colored Regiment,(*) the whole under the command of Lieut. J. B. Pond, Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry. The camp had only been established a few days, and in that time the lieutenant caused to be built a breastwork like a log fence on three sides of a square, in which were his tents and quarters. The attack on the camp had been a partial surprise, but the troops acted splendidly, and Lieutenant Pond, taking the exposed position outside the breastworks, loaded and fired the howitzer three times without any assistance, and the engagement was so close that during this time some of the rebels had entered the breastworks, and at the time I entered the defenses and got where Lieutenant Pond was the bullets were pelting against the logs near by and all around him. As the fight with the force of General Blunt was out of sight of the camp, Lieutenant Pond had been unable to tell what it meant, and was very much surprised to see me, and in answer to my order for his cavalry (with which I hoped to be of some use to our scattered troops), told me that he had that morning started out a forage train of 8 wagons and an escort of 60 men, who had gone in the direction from which the enemy had come, and he supposed they were gobbled up, and in response to his order only 7 men reported to me. With these I returned to the brow of the hill in the direction of the first attack, and plainly saw the enemy engaged in sacking the wagons, and while there saw the band brutally murdered. At the time of the attack the band-wagon, containing 14 members of the brigade band, James O'Neal, special artist for Frank Leslie's pictorial newspaper, one young lad twelve years old (servant of the leader of the band), Henry Pellage, of Madison, Wis., and the driver, had undertaken to escape in a direction a little to the south of west, and made about half a mile, when one of the wheels of the wagon ran off, and the wagon stopped on the brow of the hill in plain sight of where I stood. As the direction of the wagon was different from that in which most of the troops fled, it had not attracted such speedy attention, and the enemy had just got to it as I returned, giving me an opportunity to see every member of the band, Mr. O'Neal, the boy, and the driver shot, and their bodies thrown in or under the wagon and it fired, so that when we went to them, all were more or less burned and [the wagon] almost entirely consumed. The drummer-boy, a very interesting and intelligent lad, was shot and thrown under the wagon, and when the fire reached his clothes it must have brought returned consciousness, as he had crawled a distance of 30 yards, marking the course by bits of burning clothes and scorched grass, and was found dead with all his clothes burned off except the portion between his back and the ground as he lay upon his back. A number of the bodies were brutally mutilated and indecently treated. Being satisfied that Lieutenant Pond could hold the camp against their force, I took two of the men and started out on the prairie in search of General Blunt, Major Curtis, or any others I could find, and in about an hour after succeeded in hearing of the general's safety, and learned also that Major Curtis was supposed to be a prisoner, as his horse had been shot from under him. I learned this from a wounded soldier that had concealed himself in the grass while the enemy had passed by him; and just then observing a deserted buggy and horse, I placed him in it with a man to take care of him, and they reached the camp in safety. The enemy were still in plain sight, and remained on the prairie till about 4 o'clock, when they marched south in a body. General Blunt and Major Curtis had tried to stop the flight of our troops from the start, and had several very narrow escapes in doing so, as the enemy were close upon them, and finally the general succeeded in collecting about 10 men, and with these he worried the enemy, attacking them in small parties, and, when pursued by too large a force, falling back until they turned, and then in turn following them, so that at no time was he out of sight of the enemy, and most of the time close enough to worry and harass them. As they withdrew from the field, he searched for and took care of the wounded, and remained upon the ground till they were all taken in and cared for, and then went into camp.
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME X/1 [S# 10]
April 6-7, 1862..--Battle of Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh, Tenn.
No. 129. -- Report of Capt. Joseph Bartlett, Battery G, First Ohio Light Artillery.
CAPTAIN BARTLETT'S BATTERY,
First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery, April 8, 1862.
SIR: The battery was placed in position by Captain Fry, assistant adjutant-general; commenced firing a little after 6 a.m.; ammunition on hand 600 rounds, consisting of 360 shell, 200 canister, 40 solid shot; total, 600. The whole amount was expended during the action.
[excerpt]
I would speak in highest praise of the noble and gallant conduct of Lieutenants Crable, Osborn, and Marshall, who each seemed personally at their right places during the action. I would call particular attention to Lieutenant Marshall, who commanded the left section. Too much credit cannot be given him for the manner he served the left piece. Particular praise is also due to each of Sergeants Sliney, Carter, Bills, Farwell, and Clark, and, in fact, to all the members of the company. I would make honorable mention of First Sergt. R. D. Whittlesey and Quartermaster-Sergeant Treat, who were seen foremost during the whole engagement, and whose valuable services could not have been dispensed with. I would also make particular mention of Private David W. Camp, who, though a mere boy, only fourteen years old, served as No. 5 man at the left piece with the skill and bravery of an old soldier during the entire engagement. I did not for a moment see him flinch. Praise is due to Actg. Lieut. John S. White for the manner he conducted the line of caissons, and Commissary-Sergeant Clinton for valuable services by acting as cannoneer.
Yours, most respectfully,
JOSEPH BARTLETT,
Captain Battery G, First Ohio Light Artillery.
Capt. JOHN MENDENHALL,
Fourth Artillery, Chief of Staff, Fifth Division.
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXIV/3 [S# 38]
Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating To Operations In Mississippi And West Tennessee (And Those In Arkansas And Louisiana Connected With The Siege Of Vicksburg) From January 20 To August 10, 1863.
UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.--#1
JACKSON, January 25, 1863.
Major-General GRANT,
Memphis:
A son of McWilliams has just arrived from Mobile. He reports the city as being strongly fortified, and General Buckner in command, with 20,000 troops. The Mobile and Ohio Railroad is run no ****her north than Okolona, where there are 2,000 cavalry. Mobile is protected on north side by a triple line of works, a distance of 3 miles from the city. The harbor is driven full of piles, leaving a winding channel commanded by heavy guns. This channel is so narrow that a heavy steamer, which ran the blockade, was unable to reach the city. Vicksburg has been re-enforced, to what extent he does not know. He understands that no cars run as regular trains higher than Jackson. The boy is about fourteen years old.
JER. C. SULLIVAN,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
...er, but instead a little sea skirmish there)...in the movie John Adams.
Bringing the