On campaign with the 36th Indiana at Stones River

Corporal Maurice J. Williams served two years in Co. G of the 36th Indiana and during that time kept a detailed daily diary recording his memorable wartime services with the Army of the Cumberland. Williams’ writing is straightforward and honest without much of the flowery literary comment that was so fashionable at the time, and is compelling reading if for that reason alone.

Of interest is the section of the diary detailing the campaign and Battle of Stones River which occurred in late December 1862 into the new year. Williams’ account has special significance because the 36th Indiana not only took part in the fighting in the cedars and along the Nashville Pike on December 31st, but also battled against General John C. Breckinridge’s assault on the afternoon of January 2nd, two of the most poignant and crucial engagements within the battle. By the end of the fight, all three of the officers in Williams’ company had been killed or wounded, along with three enlisted men, another dozen wounded, and three listed as missing. Williams and his Hoosier comrades were certainly in the thick of it. 

During the Stones River campaign, the 36th Indiana formed a part of Colonel William Grose’s Third Brigade of General John Palmer’s Second Division of the Left Wing, commanded by General Thomas L. Crittenden. The Hoosiers served alongside the 84th Illinois, 23rd Kentucky, as well as the 6th and 24th Ohio regiments. Williams would survive Stones River but not the war, being killed in action at Chickamauga in September 1863. Corporal Williams’ diary was published in serial form by the Richmond Palladium-Item newspaper of Richmond, Indiana in the summer of 1936.

 


 

Thursday, December 25, 1862: Christmas Day. Our regiment went on picket this morning and went about four miles and a little to the Murfreesboro Pike and relieved the 23rd Kentucky.

 

Friday, December 26, 1862: This morning at 4 a.m. we received orders for us to join our division on the pike as it was going to march. This we did at daylight and found that we were going to advance upon the Rebels at Murfreesboro. Van Cleve’s division is in the advance while our division and Wood’s are on the same pike. The balance of the army has taken the different pikes to our right. Our regiment was scattered along the ammunition train and this was kept close up with the advancing column.

 

At about 9 a.m. we drove in the outposts of the enemy and skirmishing began. The enemy retreated slowly, fighting stubbornly. They had a battery of light guns which they used on us but with little effect. By sundown, we had driven the enemy to LaVergne, a small town 15 miles from Nashville. The pursuit ended for the day and we bivouacked for the night in a large cedar woods to the left of the pike. It began to rain heavily this morning when we started and continued with occasional intermissions all day. From the heavy rolls of musketry on our right we judge General Rosecrans has all he can do.

 

Saturday, December 27, 1862: It rained nearly all last night and is still raining. We laid in the woods until noon. Waiting for the troops on our right to advance some farther. Our regiment is on the flank of our division and we can plainly see our cavalry skirmishing with that of the enemy.

 

At about 1 p.m., we started Wood’s division in advance with the rain falling in torrents. The enemy was very stubborn for a while but soon gave way before the pressure of our heavy columns. After going about six miles we bivouacked about half a mile to the right of the pike near a large cave and spring. The enemy had been camped here for his campfires were still burning.

 

Sunday, December 28, 1862: General Negley’s division crossed over from the Nelsonville Pike this morning and gained our right. About 3 p.m. our brigade moved up to the edge of the woods facing a large open field which extended nearly out to the pike and our company and Co. H were put out on picket. I could see the enemy pickets plainly. Our pickets from our other brigade to our left are talking with them and occasionally exchanging shots. The weather today is bright and clear but rather cool. I believe that I have neglected to heretofore state that our division has a new commander. General William Sooy Smith was relieved about the 16th of this month by General John M. Palmer. He is well liked by the boys as commander.

 

Major General John M. Palmer, commanding Second Division, Left Wing

Monday, December 29, 1862: Last night was very cold with frost. At about daylight we were called in to get our breakfast. A line of battle was then formed with our regiment in front supported by the 6th Ohio. The whole brigade thus formed in double line with artillery on the left and Negley on our right. Before starting, our artillery shelled the woods in front to dislodge the Rebel cavalry. Then we marched forward through fields fording Stewart’s Creel and skirmishing all the time. The left of the division resting on the pike in this manner we marched about nine miles in line of battle arriving about sundown in sight of the enemy’s rifle pits near Stones River.

We bivouacked in a strip of cedar woods at the edge of a cotton field and began to get supper about that time. A large brick mansion a few hundred yards in front which afforded shelter for a good number of the enemy’s sharpshooters was fired by a shell from one of our guns and in a few minutes the flames burst out from the roof and windows casting a glare of light on the military array around us that was grand to behold. About this time, some of Wood’s skirmishers on our left charged a Rebel picket post and reserve and the rattle of musketry and the screams of the wounded was for a while awful to hear.

It was evident from the busy running of the cars and other signs that the enemy was evacuating and at 9 o’clock we were called out under arms to take possession of the town. But while the preparations were going on for this, our spies returned with the information that it was a ruse and the enemy were laying in their rifle pits waiting for us. So, we retired to the edge of the woods and built large fires for the night was cool and rested.

 

Tuesday, December 30, 1862: We got up at daylight and after breakfast formed our line of battle in the cotton field with the 6th Ohio in front. The sharpshooters wounded a number of our men. About 8 a.m. the enemy opened on the left of our division with two pieces of artillery but they were soon silenced and we could plainly see them withdraw and move off to our right. The artillery fighting now became general on our right and lasted all day. About dark the enemy opened on our division again with artillery but our battery having a crossfire soon silenced them. General Palmer who was passing by said “Seek cover boys, one private is worth three brigadiers.” It has been raining and drizzling all day.

 

Wednesday, December 31, 1862: We got up at 4 o’clock and got our breakfast. At daylight we prepared for battle and an order was read to each regiment from General Rosecrans requesting us to charge bayonets upon every opportunity. Our brigade was now relieved by the 19th Brigade of our division and we moved a short distance to the rear. We had scarcely taken our new position when the firing which had been very heavy on the right all morning suddenly became alarmingly close and more to our rear. Our brigade instantly faced about and marched 200 yards further to the rear and to the left, then took position in the dense thicket of cedars where the enemy who had driven our right came against our brigade with full force compelling us to fall back to the pike.

 

At the first fire Major Kinley was mortally wounded and his horse killed under him. The two ranking captains who were mounted and assisting to command had their horses killed; our lieutenant was badly wounded as were two of the boys. Falling back to the pike we fought them with terrible effect as their columns seemed to melt before our deadly fire as they came out of the woods. A dozen of my company were wounded here besides our captain and first lieutenant. About 2 p.m., we fell back to the railroad and fought them with artillery until nearly sundown with our regiment supporting the battery. At dark we were relieved and moved a half mile to the rear to get some rest.


Thursday, January 1, 1863: Last night at midnight our brigade went out to the front again at the pike. The enemy’s lines were not more than 200 yards distant. We pulled down a large log house and made a breastworks along the pike. At daylight we left a company from each regiment then returned to the rear in a cedar thicket. Just then the Rebels charged in heavy columns on the breastworks. Our pickets previously had been massed at that point; they retired and our artillery opened on them and literally mowed them down. This seemed to satisfy them for the day.

 

About noon our brigade crossed Stones River and took a position on the extreme left. We remained until 3 p.m. when we returned to our thicket again. We had no sooner stacked arms when the enemy shelled us severely. But as we did not reply they soon quit. Last night was bitter cold with frost but today has been mild with the appearance of rain. Our captain was with us today.

 

Friday, January 2, 1863: This morning at sunrise the enemy again shelled us. Our battery replied and for about half an hour ensued one of the most terrible artillery duels that I ever heard. The enemy finding they could do nothing at this point retired and our brigade again moved across the river and took up a position on the extreme left at our old farm house which had been deserted during the battle. The 6th Ohio having arrived, our regiment built a kind of breastwork close to the house. Van Cleve’s division and Negley’s was on our right. Heavy skirmishing all day. Between 4 and 5 p.m. the enemy charged across the open field in front of us in three solid columns yelling like devils. They drove the division back upon us. By this time they were checked. They wavered and fled in disorder pursued by our force across the field. We captured five pieces of the Washington Artillery. This fight lasted about an hour and 40 minutes and the enemy lost about 1,000 men. Our captain was killed at the breastworks in the forepart of the charge; we returned to our old position for the night. The day was warm and cloudy.

 

Saturday, January 3, 1863: Last night at midnight it began to rain very hard and is still raining this morning. We occupied the same position yesterday and are burying our dead. Co. G had three men killed yesterday evening. Heavy skirmishing all day. Shortly after dark, a sortie was made on their center by some of our Tennessee troops. The fight lasted about an hour but do not know the result. It is still raining. Chilly and disagreeable.

 

Sunday, January 4, 1863: The sun rose clear this morning but the air is very cold. At 9 a.m. this morning our division moved across the field where the charge was made on Friday and found that the enemy had fled. Their dead lay in heaps all over the field. We then retired, forded the river, marched down the railroad a short distance and went into camp in a grove near Davis’s division. Our troops are still following the Rebels and we can hear the artillery. The boys found a lot of meat stored in a house near camp so we confiscated it for our own use for meat is scarce. Some of the troops on the right had to eat horse meat. This morning I saw a black horse; hams had been skinned out and eaten. A great many dead unburied.

 

Monday, January 5, 1863: We are still in camp and our baggage has not come in from Nashville yet. Colonel Carey came up today; he had been at some camp and could not get up in time for the fight. A heavy detail was made this morning to go over the field and bury the dead. The loss in our brigade and division is heavy. Our regiment lost 130 killed and wounded along with a number of prisoners. Our company lost three taken prisoners, our captain killed, both lieutenants wounded, and 12 of the men. Lieutenant Fentens is commanding our company.  

 

Source:

Diary of Corporal Maurice J. Williams, Co. G, 36th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Richmond Palladium-Item (Indiana), July 9, 1936, pg. 8; July 10, 1936, pg. 20

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