363 Series I Volume XXXI-I Serial 54 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part I
Page 363 | Chapter XLIII. THE KNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE,CAMPAIGN. |
was ordered to make a stand hold the enemy in check until some move in my rear should be completed, when a smart fight of half an hour's duration occurred.
The enemy made a strong effort to get around my left, and at one time had nearly succeeded. He had thrown back the Seventeenth in considerable confusion, and was crowding on as if sure of accomplishing his object. To defeat his move I rode to the Seventeenth and ordered the regiment to charge at once, at the same time ordering the skirmishers from the Twentieth and Second Michigan to be thrown, with a yell, to aid the Seventeenth. The charge was finely made, driving the enemy through the wood into the field beyond and throwing his front line into considerable confusion. Before making this move on the enemy I had received orders to withdraw my line, and under [cover of the check], given the enemy by this repulse, I fell back unmolested to the position ordered, on the extreme right of the front line, at the battle of Campbell's Station. I held my position here, receiving and returning quite a smart fire, until half past 1, when I was relieved by Colonel Christ, with the Second Brigade, and moved back into the shallow ravine just in rear of town. Two hours later I moved back to the rear of the batteries then being put into position, on the right of the road. Thence at dark I fell into the column to the rear of Benjamin's battery and marched to this place, where we arrived between 4 and 5 a.m. of the 17th.
The men were allowed to rest until 9 a.m., when I was ordered to move to a position joining on the right the Second Brigade and my left covering the northern front of Fort Sanders. Just as I had established my line here, Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson reported to me with seven companies of his command (the other three companies having reported at Campbell's Station). During the afternoon I threw a rifle-pits along the whole front of my command, reaching from the western salient of the fort on the left to Colonel Christ's line on the right.
During the 18th, the men were kept at work strengthening our position by felling timber and spreading the loose brush that had been thrown into heaps over the ground along the front of the line.
At 12 m. on the 19th, the cavalry had all been withdrawn from the front, and I was ordered to form a strong picket line along the line of the railroad to the wood, thence across the Kingston road. The right of the line was afterward thrown forward so as to take a direction nearly perpendicular to the railroad. On the afternoon of the 20th, General Ferrero ordered me to send out a regiment in the night-coming at such an hour as I might choose-to burn a large brick house situated on the Kingston road and occupied by the enemy's picket reserve. I accordingly ordered the Seventeenth Michigan to burn the house at 9 p.m., which the regiment succeeded in doing with a loss of but 2 killed.
The 21st was rainy day, and but little was done by the command except to watch the enemy.
November 22, moved the One hundredth Pennsylvania round to the left into a pit running from the fort to the Kingston road.
At daylight, on the morning of the 24th, General Ferrero ordered me to send out one regiment to take and hold, if possible, a line of light rifle-pits thrown up by the enemy on the night of the 22nd. Major Byington was ordered by me to take the Second Michigan and carry out the instructions I had received from the general. He
Page 363 | Chapter XLIII. THE KNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE,CAMPAIGN. |