Disaster at Thompson’s Station: An Account from the 19th Michigan

Writing five months after the events of Thompson's Station, First Lieutenant Henry M. Brown of the 19th Michigan recalled bitterly the impact that botched engagement had on his regiment. To be sure, nearly the entire regiment was captured in this forgotten battle that took place March 5, 1863 south of Franklin, Tennessee. 

    "We have lost in all ways as a result of the affair about 200 men, every one of whom was sound and healthy when we left our camp at Franklin," he stated. "Our regiment, out of 488 officers and men, lost 34 killed (including three who were mortally wounded and died soon after the battle) and 79 wounded, making a total loss of killed and wounded of 113 men." 

    He blamed the cowardice of the 18th Ohio Battery for his regiment's ill fortunes. After falling back from their initial position, Brown observed " our artillery got ready to march and very soon moved off at a rapid rate towards Franklin and we saw no more of them as they did not participate further in the fight. I speak only of that portion of the battery that had been posted on the hill near us. I saw them leave and was satisfied then as I have since been informed that they left without orders and at a time when if they had remained and done they duty, the action might have resulted very differently."

          Lieutenant Brown’s detailed account of Thompson’s Station first saw publication in the September 17, 1863, edition of the St. Joseph Traveler published in St. Joseph, Michigan.

"We went for wool and were shorn ourselves," was how Colonel John P. Baird of the 85th Indiana described the disastrous Battle of Thompson's Station. Colonel John Coburn's brigade of about 1,700 officers and men marched south from Franklin, Tennessee and met a much larger force of Confederate cavalry near Thompson's Station, a stop on the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. In a swirling five hour fight, more than 1,200 of the Federals were eventually surrounded and captured including our correspondent. (Photo courtesy of John Banks) 

Headquarters, 19^th Michigan Regt., Murfreesboro, Tennessee

August 19, 1863

Editors Traveler,

          Want of time has prevented me from giving you any particulars in regard to the part taken by the 19^th Michigan in the Battle of Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, March 5, 1863. If not too late for publication, I will now send it to you.

          We left Franklin, Tennessee on the morning of March 4^th. The entire strength of our brigade was about 1,700 men. In addition, we had an Ohio regiment [124^th Ohio], Captain [Charles C.] Aleshire’s 18^th Ohio Battery, and 600 or 700 cavalry under Colonel Jordan. The 19^th Michigan numbered 488 officers and men and 12 hospital attendants. Some 4 or 5 miles out of Franklin, we met a reconnoitering party of the enemy, supposed to be 2,000 strong. They were driven back with but little resistance. Our regiment was formed on the extreme left in line of battle and advanced in that order about half a mile but had no opportunity of participating to any great extent in the fight. Our regiment suffered no loss except one man wounded and I heard of no other casualties in our command; the enemy lost one man killed and several wounded. The artillery on both sides was engaged for an hour or more.

          At night we occupied the same ground occupied by the enemy’s artillery during the fight. After the fight, an intelligent contraband came into our regiment on horseback and informed us that he was a servant of one of Van Dorn’s general officers and that Van Dorn with his entire command had arrived at Spring Hill the Tuesday previous and that his force numbers about 16,000 men and he had with him six brigadier generals commanding brigades. This man appeared to be well posted, correct, and intelligent, and evinced a desire to give us correct information. In the course of the afternoon, two other Negroes came in with the same information. The inhabitants along the route also understood that Van Dorn’s whole force had advanced to and then occupied Spring Hill. We encamped that night 5 miles from Franklin.

          The next morning the whole command moved forward soon after 8 o’clock. The order of march was as follows: 1^st the cavalry, 2^nd the 22^nd Wisconsin, 3^rd the 18^th Ohio Battery, 4^th the 19^th Michigan, 5^th the 85^th Indiana Infantry, 6^th the 33^rd Indiana Infantry, 7^th the train consisting of about 300 wagons, 8^th the 124^th Ohio Infantry. Cavalry scouts were sent out to the right and left. About 10 a.m., our advance came in sight of the enemy near Thompson’s Station. They commenced the attack- a single shell from a 10- or 12-pdr gun struck near our advancing lines without exploding.

Colonel John P. Baird
85th Indiana Infantry

At this point, Colonel John P. Baird of the 85^th Indiana and our colonel were riding together at the head of our regiment when they perceived with astonishment the artillery in front coming towards us with great rapidity headed by Captain Aleshire. Our first impression was that they were about to take position on some point we had passed. At this time but one single shot had been fired by the enemy. When Captain Aleshire came up he was stopped by Colonel Baird and Colonel Henry Gilbert and asked what his movement meant. He appeared very much excited and said the Rebels had got 32-pounders and he was going back as he could not fight 32-pounders or he should lose his guns.

Colonel Gilbert asked him if he had received orders to retreat and he said he had not. Gilbert then told Aleshire that he must stop where he was and await orders else, he would communicate a panic to all the troops in the rear and that we should have a general stampede. He reluctantly halted and very soon an order came from Colonel John Coburn [brigade commander] directing him to advance and take position. He then turned his battery around and went to the front and a part of his battery, 3 guns, took position on an eminence a little to the left on the turnpike and passed north of the railroad station. 

The infantry deployed into line: the 33^rd and 85^th Indiana to the right, the 22^nd Wisconsin and 19^th Michigan on the left and a little in advance of the battery. The 124^th Ohio was left in the rear with the trains. Our regiment was on the extreme left and Colonel William L. Utley with the 22^nd Wisconsin was next to us on the right of the left wing.

Colonel Henry C. Gilbert
19th Michigan

The artillery on both sides was soon engaged. The nature of the ground was such that from our position we could see nothing of what was taking place on the right, but not many minutes elapsed before we heard rapid and continuous musketry firing. On the left, we remained inactive for about 20 minutes when the Rebels opened fire on us from a battery of two guns from a hill about 600 yards on our left. The first shell fired by them struck in the ground within three feet of some men of Co. E in our regiment, ploughing up the ground and covering them with dirt but fortunately failing to explode.

The firing was very rapid and their shells were at first thrown with accuracy. Our position was an exposed one and we were moved a little to the right so as to be protected by an intervening ridge and the regiment placed in close division in column. Colonel Gilbert then dispatched Major Shafter of our regiment to inform Colonel Coburn of our position and obtain his orders; Gilbert then rode on the hill at our right to get a view of the whole field. The firing from our battery on the hill near us now closed entirely.

The 19th Michigan held the left flank of the Union line at Thompson's Station and the rolling nature of the ground prevented the 19th Michigan from seeing what happened to their right. Eventually, both the 22nd Wisconsin and 19th Michigan fell back to positions near the Columbia Turnpike where they, along with the bulk of Coburn's brigade, were captured later that afternoon. 

A large force of the enemy was moving up apparently with the design of dividing our forces. There was an interval of about 800 yards between the left of our right wing and the right of our left wing. The approaching force was in full view and within short range of our battery on the hill and they might have done severe execution on it, but to our surprise we discovered that they were leaving their position. After a short conference between Colonels Gilbert and Utley, the two regiments were moved promptly to the right and partly around the hill on which our battery had been posted. Our regiment took position near the foot of the hill and Colonel Utley’s further up in our rear.

By this time, we had reached our new position and our artillery got ready to march and very soon moved off at a rapid rate towards Franklin and we saw no more of them as they did not participate further in the fight. I speak only of that portion of the battery that had been posted on the hill near us. I saw them leave and was satisfied then as I have since been informed that they left without orders and at a time when if they had remained and done they duty, the action might have resulted very differently. I suppose that the other guns must have been taken off at the same time as I did not see them afterwards.

A part of our cavalry force had been posted on the left in the rear of our first position but they fell back when the battery opened on us from the hill on our left of the turnpike before an attack was made upon the rear of the left flank of the regiment by a Rebel force from a cedar thicket on our left and partly in our rear. Both regiment were at once faced by the rear ranks and a sharp conflict ensued resulting in the withdrawal of the Rebel force when the firing on both sides ceased. We lost one man killed and several wounded; the loss of the Rebels here was quite severe.

During this contest, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Bloodgood of the 22^nd Wisconsin left the ground with the entire right wing of his regiment and made the best of his way back. His cowardly retreat was seen and witnessed by all of us who remained. Colonel Utley remained upon the ground and exhibited great coolness and intrepidity. Captain Elisha B. Bassett of our regiment ran away as soon as the firing commenced and after hiding awhile in a hole near the railroad, he ventured out, cramped a horse belonging to the cavalry, and rode back to Franklin.

Lt. Col. Edward Bloodgood
22nd Wisconsin

As soon as the firing ceased here, we received orders to cross over to the right of the railroad and turnpike and take position upon the hill on that side. At the same time, a dash was made by a force of the enemy to occupy this position which was an advantageous one before us. We crossed over and changed position under a galling fire and drove the enemy back.

After we had attained this position, I took advantage of a short pause in the contest to obtain a clear view of our situation. The formation of our line was then as follows: the 33^rd Indiana on the right, then the 19^th Michigan at center with the 85^th Indiana on the left, the 22^nd Wisconsin in the rear. Our position was a good one and we could have held it against a greatly superior force attacking us from the front. But our cavalry and artillery were nowhere to be seen. Instead of remaining to protect us against any attack from the rear and to occupy the attention of the enemy’s artillery and perhaps cover our retreat, they had gone and left us to our fate. I saw at once there was no such thing as retreating and that we must fight it out.

The contest was soon renewed and kept up with great spirit and determination on both sides. The enemy repeatedly charged up the hill and were as often driven back with great loss. The fighting was at very close quarters. I saw two of the enemy killed with the bayonet and our men captured a stand of colors and several prisoners then took them to the rear. All the time the enemy’s artillery was plying us with grape and canister from their position on the high ground across the turnpike. We held this position for more than two hours. Occasionally, the firing on both sides would cease for a few minutes and on our side the interval was employed recovering our wounded and arranging our lines.

During the whole battle on the right or west of the turnpike, none of our cavalry was in sight. At length, the firing on both sides was suspended and we discovered a large force of the enemy on our left flank, evidently intending to attack us in the rear. Our ammunition was nearly exhausted. In view of all this, Colonel Coburn ordered a change of position to the crest of another line of hills in our rear not easily accessible to the enemy and 500-600 yards distant. We made this change in our portion in good order and the enemy immediately occupied the hill we had left and planted a battery upon it.

Second Lt. Charles H. Calmer
Co. I, 19th Michigan Infantry

At the same time, another portion of the enemy force moved around on our right so that by the time we had attained our new position we were surrounded. Our ammunition was gone and little fighting could be done. After a brief interval, Forrest with more than 2,000 cavalrymen (dismounted) came upon us from the rear and at 4 o’clock, 5-1/2 hours after we were first deployed into line, the brigade was surrendered as prisoners of war. The 124^th Ohio did not participate in the fight at all.

The number of prisoners surrendered to the enemy was about 1,300- including one artilleryman and 3 or 4 cavalrymen. Neither the artillery or cavalry sustained any other loss that I can hear of. Our regiment, out of 488 officers and men, lost 34 killed (including three who were mortally wounded and died soon after the battle) and 79 wounded, making a total loss of killed and wounded of 113 men. The loss of Rebels was very severely and was stated by them at about 250 killed and 600-800 wounded. The officers informed us that but few of their men were injured by our artillery, that the firing was very wild and did no execution.

Immediately after the surrender we were marched off the field and started for our ultimate destination. We have lost in all ways as a result of the affair about 200 men, every one of whom was sound and healthy when we left our camp at Franklin. We arrived in Richmond in the evening of March 20^th and were all consigned to Libby Prison. The enlisted men were paroled and sent home April 1^st. The officers remained there in close confinement until the 5^th of May when we were exchanged.

 To learn more about the fight at Thompson's Station, please check out the following posts:

"We Went for Wool and Were Shorn Ourselves: A Hoosier Colonel Explains the Debacle at Thompson's Station" (85th Indiana) 

"In Their Own Words: A Thompson's Station Battlefield Tour" by John Banks

Source:

Letter from First Lieutenant Henry M. Brown, Co. I, 19^th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, St. Joseph Traveler (Michigan), September 17, 1863, pg. 1