A nice little game of balls played over our heads: With the 84th Illinois at Stones River

As Captain Frederick Garternicht’s company of the 84th Illinois arrived on the outskirts of Murfreesboro on the evening of December 29, 1862, he witnessed the destruction of a brick home along the Nashville Pike near the Two-Mile Marker. Confederate engineers intended to destroy some outbuildings to clear lanes of fire for Confederate artillery, but the flames spread to the main residence which was soon engulfed.

“In front of us were some buildings burning,” Garternicht recalled. “It began to get dark and we advanced towards them but were ordered to halt 200 paces distant. A fine brick building took fire just as we halted [the Cowan House] and it was a grand sight, but we all felt bad when a few buckets of water would have extinguished the flames. To stand within 200 paces of a nice, big building and see it burn down- see the flames progress from window to window until their fiery tongues enveloped the entire edifice in one common conflagration.” The resulting wreckage became an important landmark in the subsequent battle of Stones River and was usually referred to as the Cowan Burnt House.

In this extraordinary account from the pages of the Oquawka Spectator, Captain Garternicht describes the march into Murfreesboro, exchanging newspapers with Rebel pickets, and the intensity of combat on December 31st that reduced his company of 35 men down to just 8. “We looked at one another and what we felt I cannot write!” Garternicht wrote afterwards.

 

This photo dating from the early 1900s points out the location of the Cowan "Burnt" House along the Nashville Pike. Visitors to the park today can find the location by driving south along the Old Nashville Pike for about a mile to just beyond the Hazen Brigade monument. A turnoff under the Thompson Lane overpass features markers for Donelson's and Chalmer's brigades, and this is the approximate location of the house. 

Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee

January 11, 1863

Editors Spectator,

          In my last letter, I promised to write you when we arrived at Nashville but I had so much to do that I had no time to write. On the 26th of December, we left camp to start for Murfreesboro. I will now endeavor to give you an account of the march, subsequent battle, and its incidents. As I kept no diary, I have to write it down from memory and therefore cannot give you exact dates.

          We started with only 35 men in all in the company. Two of my men were detailed to the Pioneer Corps which also took part in the Battle of Murfreesboro. On the first few days, nothing of any remark happened. On the 28th, Albert Caril took sick with the ague. On the 29th [28th], our company came on picket and had to relieve a company of the 6th Ohio. I sent Second Lieutenant William H. Fuller with half the company in reserve and I with First Lieutenant Caswell on the first platoon went to relieve the outer posts.

          A few paces from the reserve, we had to go over a piece of elevated ground when the bullets came whistling about us from the enemy who were posted 300-400 paces distance on the side of a bluff and separated from us by a stream just about the size of Henderson [Stewart’s Creek near LaVergne]. We took our positions and commenced firing with what effect I do not know. The balls came so thick that there was a not a man that had not a dozen balls within a foot or two of his head, but, strange to say, no one was hurt.

          After firing an hour or two, apparently with no effect on either side, the boys commenced laughing and hallooing to the Secesh. At first, they exchanged epithets and threw slang at each other; finally, they asked us if we had any papers to exchange. I had a Louisville Journal and was willing to exchange; we stopped firing and Alexander Beck went to the stream to affect the exchange. He wrapped his paper around an ear of corn and threw it over. The Secesh threw his but it came to shore then rolled back into the river. The Secesh grabbed another one (the latest they had) and it also fell into the river. Beck fished it out and got it though in very damp condition. Secesh, after expressing his regret at the accident, told Beck that his colonel wished him to tell his captain to do as they did in Virginia and not fire on the pickets. To this I consented, and we talked together until Captain [Alexander] Pepper with his Co. K relieved us.

Captain Frederick Garternicht
Co. G, 84th Illinois

          The next morning, we were sent ahead as skirmishers with another company as our reserve. The first thing we had to do was wade the river across which we had thrown the papers the day before. It was waist deep and I tell you the water was cold! But in we went and up the next hill but the Secesh were gone! We went ahead about two miles. A few shots were fired at us from the Secesh rearguard but we did not mind that and kept on for a mile or two when a few cannon balls came whizzing over our heads. We were signaled to halt and lie down while a nice little game of balls was played over our heads which lasted about half an hour. Our shots appeared to pass about six feet over our heads while the Secesh balls struck the ground from 10-20 feet in front of us, a good many ricocheting and flying over us. Two of them burst right over us but none of us were injured.

          The Secesh gave way and we advanced again for about a mile when we came within 200 paces of a fence; then the Rebels opened on us with musket fire. We were in an open field with nothing to protect us so we ran ahead in the double quick and if the Secesh had not ran like the devil that might have felt our bayonets. But they left in time and we kept on advancing.

          A short distance ahead, we had to cross the river again [Overall’s Creek] and by the way, I have crossed that very river many times since. My left wing was close to the Pike and a bridge partly destroyed spanned the river. Not liking to wade again, I went to examine the bridge to see whether I could pass with my company, but I had hardly got there when a Secesh shell burst right over the bridge. I did not think it safe to cross on that bridge and we took the water.

          Ahead we went, most of the time under fire, until we came to a cotton field. In front of us were some buildings burning. It began to get dark and we advanced towards them but were ordered to halt 200 paces distant. A fine brick building took fire just as we halted [the Cowan House] and it was a grand sight, but we all felt bad when a few buckets of water would have extinguished the flames. To stand within 200 paces of a nice, big building and see it burn down- see the flames progress from window to window until their fiery tongues enveloped the entire edifice in one common conflagration.

We were then ordered to advance in front of the burning house but a hail of balls received us, the light enabling the Secesh to see us. Here Albert Hoskinson was wounded and he has since died of his wounds. About 10 o’clock that night, we were relieved by another company.

Co. E of the 84th Illinois depicted in this image dating from the spring of 1863 while the regiment was encamped near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Illinoisans, the junior regiment of Colonel William Grose's brigade, earned their "stripes" in the brigade through their stout support of Captain Charles Parsons Batteries H and M, 4th U.S. Light Artillery which cost the regiment half its numbers. 

On the 31st of December we were formed in line of battle; our regiment, which had been in advance of the brigade the last two days was this day in the reserve. About 9 o’clock, the cannonading began and very soon the infantry fire got heavy. We were ordered forward to support a battery and were, for about half an hour, sharply engaged. Here, Lieutenant Mills of Co. K got wounded, and many others of the regiment, but none in my company. We had to change front and took our position in front of a ledge of rocks surrounded by a cedar grove. Here we laid, our artillery firing over our heads. The battle was in its fury. Regiment after regiment on our right and left gave way, some of them in utter confusion. We still stuck in our rocks.

Secesh balls now commenced to tell upon us. The first I noticed as being wounded was Lafayette Crandall. He had been loading and firing when, all at once, he rolled over and cried out, “Captain, I am hurt.” I went up to him; he was shot in the neck. I have not heard anything of him since neither have we found him among the dead. [Crandall was captured and survived] On my right a man of Co. K was shot in the ear, behind me was Corporal Green, shot in the face, this all happened inside of 10-15 minutes.

When we were ordered to fall back, we had to go, under a heavy fire some 200 paces when we halted again for a short time but not long. We were ordered into a railroad cut; here I wanted to arrange my company again and found Lieutenant Fuller, myself, and only six men present. I thought my men were mixed up with some other company in the regiment, but I could not find another one. Were they all killed and wounded? That could not be! Present were myself, Lieutenant Fuller, Sergeant A.T. McDill, E.L. Camp, C. Kaiser, J.C. McDill, John Sullivan, and B.F. Smith. We looked at one another and what we felt I cannot write! After a short time, Corporals Vandenburg and Randall came up and John Graham, all right.

Before the battle, the strength of our regiment was 328 men in all; of these, 159 were killed and wounded while 8 are missing. On the 2nd of January, we were in a fight again and lost six wounded of whom one has since died. Our company was out on picket and not engaged with the regiment but fought on our own hook- no one hurt.



My upcoming book Hell by the Acre: A Narrative History of the Stones River Campaign is scheduled to be published by Savas Beatie later this fall. Click here to add it to your wishlist!


 Source:

Letter from Captain Frederick Garternicht, Co. G, 84th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Oquawka Spectator (Illinois), January 29, 1863, pg. 2

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