Scenes to Melt the Stoutest Heart: A Teamster at Stones River

Stones River Stories

James Urie McClenahan of Co. B, 15^th Ohio Infantry wrote the following journal account of the Stones River campaign. Left behind in Nashville with the baggage trains, McClenahan recalled that “during the battle no one was allowed to leave the city – might as well try to get out of the penitentiary. At the close of the first day’s fighting, stragglers came in large numbers into Nashville circulating all sorts of doleful rumors, and those who had friends especially were very anxious, asking the stragglers in order to justify their own cowardly actions had put a high coloring upon their reports.”

          A few days later, orders came for McClenahan and the other teamsters to haul a load of provisions to the army at Murfreesboro which introduced him to the devastation wrought by the battle. “After passing eight miles from Nashville, the remainder of the way appeared one continued battlefield to Murfreesboro, fences destroyed, houses burned, wagons broken to pieces, dead horses lying around,” he noted. “We reached the battlefield proper after dark, but the light of the moon revealed the desolation. I was over the battlefield in the forenoon. Most of the dead had been buried, but a few still lay strewn around among the dead horses, a most repulsive sight! The hospital tents would cover not less than ten acres, and the scenes in and around these tents are enough to melt the stoutest heart.”

          James McClenahan left Monmouth Theological Seminary to join Co. B of the 15^th Ohio and met the regiment in September 1862 at Louisville, Kentucky.  His choice of Co. B was deliberate: the company was formerly led by his brother John who by that time had been promoted to major. But upon joining the regiment, he was assigned to the regimental quartermaster and served the rest of the war with the regimental wagons. 

        James would serve nearly three years with the 15^th Ohio, being promoted to corporal in December 1864. His journal appears on the blog courtesy of one of his descendants and friend of the blog, Andrew McClenahan.

James U. McClenahan (left) joined Co. B of the 15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in September 1862, joining the regiment at Louisville, Kentucky when it arrived at the end of Buell's long march from Alabama. James joined the same company once led by his older brother John (right) who by September 1862 had been promoted to major of the regiment. 

Murfreesboro Tenn. Another great battle [Battle of Stones River] has been fought within a few miles of here. John rec’d a wound in the shoulder, although he was able to be on the field was most of the time he now talks of going north until the wound heals. John McCune is among the killed. Sergeant Hadden missing.

When the army moved from camp near Nashville, the baggage trains, quartermasters, commissaries and convalescents were ordered to Nashville – and I being with the baggage trains was not aware that there had been any engagements for several days. Word came that the right wing had been attacked, our Division surprised and cut to pieces. The rebels made an attack upon our Division while they were preparing breakfast. They were very close and moved as solid columns pouring up on our men a great destructive fire. They stood as best they could for a while, but finding they must be overpowered they retreated.

There had been heavy skirmishing the day before, but this was the commencement of the main battle. Although our forces had been severely cut up on the right, the enemy was heavily pressed on the left. At the close of the first day’s fighting, stragglers came in large numbers into Nashville circulating all sorts of doleful rumors, and those who had friends especially were very anxious, asking the stragglers in order to justify their own cowardly actions had put a high coloring upon their reports. It was a week of fighting with – scarcely any cessation except when night drew a curtain of darkness between the combatants.

Bragg finally evacuated and our army moved in. During the battle no one was allowed to leave the city – might as well try to get out of the penitentiary. Besides, the rebels had thrown a force between our army and Nashville, cutting off communications entirely, had captured a good many of our men, and had burnt not less than two hundred wagons during the battle. Many of them loaded with supplies for our army. General Sill, our good old commander, was killed the first day of the battle, a national calamity. General Willich of our Brigade was wounded & missing. Our regiment [combined?] with General Negley made a bayonet charge and captured eight pieces of artillery.

Our Division now can muster only about 1,800 men – one regiment had only about one full company – the 15th being perhaps the largest regiment – has about 300 men. As soon as the battle was over, we were ordered to the battlefield – a supply train two miles long. The whole train about ten miles long. After passing eight miles from Nashville, the remainder of the way appeared one continued battlefield to Murfreesboro, fences destroyed, houses burned, wagons broken to pieces, dead horses lying around. We reached the battlefield proper after dark, but the light of the moon revealed the desolation.

I, having charge of the Brigade provision train and being on my horse almost continually for two days, felt that sleep would certainly be needed – so after arranging the train for the night. I went to the Co. B. I had heard in Nashville from Colonel R.P. Findley that William had been mortally wounded - but found this was false. Going back to the train, I found an axe, cut off a few cedar branches to keep me from the mud which was shoe-mouth deep – fixed my blankets down at about one o’clock without any supper and I never slept more soundly.

When I woke in the morning, I found it had been raining for several hours but under my gun blanket I was warm and dry. First thing to unload a part of the provisions at the hospital – all the other provisions and baggage were to be left in the wagons. I was over the battlefield in the forenoon. Most of the dead had been buried, but a few still lay strewn around among the dead horses, a most repulsive sight! Every tree and shrub had the marks of bullets upon it, and in its area of eight miles by four, every house was pierced by cannon balls, everything giving evidence of the terrible struggle which has been on for the past week. The hospital tents would cover not less than ten acres, and the scenes in and around these tents are enough to melt the stoutest heart.

In the afternoon I went out with a forage train, and the camp was moved to about three miles of Murfreesboro. About 10 o’clock I had supper and then lay down sick – only a tent cloth between me and the ground, a thin blanket and a wagon cover over me. When I awoke in the morning, the ground was frozen hard enough to be as a horse.

To learn more about the Stones River campaign, be sure to check out my upcoming book "Hell by the Acre: A Narrative History of the Stones River Campaign" scheduled for release in November by Savas Beatie.