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HDQRS. FIFTY-SEVENTH Regt. OHIO VOL. INFANTRY, Moscow, Tenn., July 5, 1862.
GEN.: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from headquarters, I proceeded with 240 men [including officers and musicians] to escort the division train of 67 wagons to Memphis and back again to Moscow. That portion of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry detailed for this purpose was in motion at 3 o’clock a. m. on Monday, June 30, 1862. The train and escort took the Macon road from Moscow pursuant to orders. This road passes through Macon, Fisherville, and near Morning Sun to Memphis. Evidences and indications were abundant in the morning that the rebels were watching the train and awaiting a favorable opportunity to attack us, and from wounded rebels we afterward learned that it was their first intention to attack us at Macon, but they did not get up in time. They next were going to attack us at Fisherville, but their courage failed them.
When within about one mile of the Memphis and Nashville State road we were notified that a large body of the cotton-burning cavalry was ahead and would attack the train. I immediately ordered the main portion of the troops to the advance, and proceeded cautiously until we arrived at the Memphis and Nashville road, where we had to turn to the left.
Some circumstances-one of which was a man getting into a buggy at Morning Sun, half a mile east of us, and driving off furiously-induced me to anticipate an immediate attack. This man, I subsequently learned, was Col. Porter, of the cotton-burning thieves, who holds a commission in the rebel army.
At the turn of the road two companies of my command, Capt.’s Wilson and Faulhaber, under charge of the former, were left to repulse or hold in check any rebels who might approach. The train kept moving onward until its center had reached the turn of the road before spoken of, when a body of rebel cavalry, 200 strong, charged furiously upon the column from the north, while simultaneously with this movement another body of the same kind of troops, of from 120 to 150, charged on the right of our rear. Companies G and B, Capt.’s Wilson and Faulhaber, poured a well-directed fire into the enemy, which causes them to seek shelter in the woods. The charging and firing together, but principally the firing, caused a stampede among the mule teams, many of which became unmanageable and quite a number of wagons were upset-among them the one in which Thomas C. Currie and the six guards I had placed over him were, and I regret to say that in the confusion consequent upon the stampede Currie escaped. Two of the guards are missing, and supposed to be taken prisoner. The wagon was located near the center of the train, which was about three-fourths of a mile long.
As soon as the firing commenced the troops in advance, with the exception of a small guard, were ordered back to the scene of action on double-quick, which order was obeyed with alacrity. Just before the advance guard reached the center the rebels showed themselves in force in a field on the rear of our right wing. The column was halted, faced by the rear rank, and a volley fired, which drove the rebels again to the wood. Shortly, however, they rallied, keeping farther from us, and attempted to attack and stampede the head of the train. Companies A, F, and D, First Lieut. McClure and Capt.’s May and Morrison commanding, were sent again forward with rapidity to frustrate the rebel designs, which they accomplished satisfactorily.
The scene of action then turned to the ground in the vicinity of the point of intersection of the Macon and Nashville and Memphis roads. The rebels occupied the woods immediately north of the said point, and also the ground on the south side of the Memphis and Nashville road and east of the Macon road. Lieut.-Col. Rice was placed in command of the troops on the left wing, occupying the south of the Macon road, and advancing, drove the enemy entirely from tehe rear of the train, while with a portion of the right wing deployed as skirmishers and another portion to support them I scoured the woods on the north of the road, driving the rebel cavalry before us until they were forced into the open plantation , or cleared land, surrounding Morning Sun. They passed around the village, turning to the south and passing in sight of our troops, but nearly three-fourths of a mile distant. As soon as they got into the open ground the stampede became nearly as great among them as it had previously been among the mules. About 100 of them, as above stated, fled in the greatest precipitancy to the northeast, while a greater proportion of them fled to the south, passing in front of our left wing, receiving the fire of the portion of the regiment under the command of Lieut.-Col. Rice. It will be remembered that in our firing we faced by the rear rank during a great part of the action.
This ended the fighting, except a few shots fired at straggling rebels, but at such distance that it is not probable that they produced any effect. At the rime Lieut.-Col. Rice was placed in command of the left wing it appears that a majority of the rebels were in his front.
We had 6 wagons damaged by the stampede of the mules, the poles or tongues of there of them being broken, the coupling, or reach, of another broken, the rounds of the front wheels of another, and some part of the running gear of the other injured. We lost 31 mules and a few sets of harness, a portion of the harness being cut by the rebels whose horses had been killed or disabled in the action, who took the mules to ride off in their haste to get beyond the reach of our guns.
The rebel loss, as nearly as can be ascertained, was 9 killed and 18 wounded; a total of 27. I have heard from rebel sources since the action that 21 were found lying on the field the day after the fight, which, if true, would swell the rebel loss to 37 killed and wounded. The attack was made upon us between 5 and 6 p. m. on the 30th of June, A. D. 1862. We killed and disabled 6 rebel horses and captured 5 more.
I cannot speak to highly of the conduct of the officers and men of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Regt. on that occasion. Lieut.-Col. Rice distinguished himself, as did Capt. Wilson. In short, the entire regiment, or that portion of it present as an escort, could not have behaved better had they been veterans, for every officer and man seemed only anxious to do is duty, and no sign of fear or faltering was exhibited.
On our way from Memphis to Moscow returning we were watched closely by Jackson’s cavalry. At Germantown Col. Grierson kindly furnished an escort of 60 good cavalry, under command of Capt. Boicourt. They accompanied us as far as La Fayette. Our advance guard saw rebel cavalry frequently on the way, but they did not attack us.
Very respectfully submitted by your obedient servant,
W. MUNGEN, Col., Comdg, Fifty-seventh Regt. Ohio Vol. Infantry
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 17, pt. I, pp. 14-16
GEN.: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from headquarters, I proceeded with 240 men [including officers and musicians] to escort the division train of 67 wagons to Memphis and back again to Moscow. That portion of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry detailed for this purpose was in motion at 3 o’clock a. m. on Monday, June 30, 1862. The train and escort took the Macon road from Moscow pursuant to orders. This road passes through Macon, Fisherville, and near Morning Sun to Memphis. Evidences and indications were abundant in the morning that the rebels were watching the train and awaiting a favorable opportunity to attack us, and from wounded rebels we afterward learned that it was their first intention to attack us at Macon, but they did not get up in time. They next were going to attack us at Fisherville, but their courage failed them.
When within about one mile of the Memphis and Nashville State road we were notified that a large body of the cotton-burning cavalry was ahead and would attack the train. I immediately ordered the main portion of the troops to the advance, and proceeded cautiously until we arrived at the Memphis and Nashville road, where we had to turn to the left.
Some circumstances-one of which was a man getting into a buggy at Morning Sun, half a mile east of us, and driving off furiously-induced me to anticipate an immediate attack. This man, I subsequently learned, was Col. Porter, of the cotton-burning thieves, who holds a commission in the rebel army.
At the turn of the road two companies of my command, Capt.’s Wilson and Faulhaber, under charge of the former, were left to repulse or hold in check any rebels who might approach. The train kept moving onward until its center had reached the turn of the road before spoken of, when a body of rebel cavalry, 200 strong, charged furiously upon the column from the north, while simultaneously with this movement another body of the same kind of troops, of from 120 to 150, charged on the right of our rear. Companies G and B, Capt.’s Wilson and Faulhaber, poured a well-directed fire into the enemy, which causes them to seek shelter in the woods. The charging and firing together, but principally the firing, caused a stampede among the mule teams, many of which became unmanageable and quite a number of wagons were upset-among them the one in which Thomas C. Currie and the six guards I had placed over him were, and I regret to say that in the confusion consequent upon the stampede Currie escaped. Two of the guards are missing, and supposed to be taken prisoner. The wagon was located near the center of the train, which was about three-fourths of a mile long.
As soon as the firing commenced the troops in advance, with the exception of a small guard, were ordered back to the scene of action on double-quick, which order was obeyed with alacrity. Just before the advance guard reached the center the rebels showed themselves in force in a field on the rear of our right wing. The column was halted, faced by the rear rank, and a volley fired, which drove the rebels again to the wood. Shortly, however, they rallied, keeping farther from us, and attempted to attack and stampede the head of the train. Companies A, F, and D, First Lieut. McClure and Capt.’s May and Morrison commanding, were sent again forward with rapidity to frustrate the rebel designs, which they accomplished satisfactorily.
The scene of action then turned to the ground in the vicinity of the point of intersection of the Macon and Nashville and Memphis roads. The rebels occupied the woods immediately north of the said point, and also the ground on the south side of the Memphis and Nashville road and east of the Macon road. Lieut.-Col. Rice was placed in command of the troops on the left wing, occupying the south of the Macon road, and advancing, drove the enemy entirely from tehe rear of the train, while with a portion of the right wing deployed as skirmishers and another portion to support them I scoured the woods on the north of the road, driving the rebel cavalry before us until they were forced into the open plantation , or cleared land, surrounding Morning Sun. They passed around the village, turning to the south and passing in sight of our troops, but nearly three-fourths of a mile distant. As soon as they got into the open ground the stampede became nearly as great among them as it had previously been among the mules. About 100 of them, as above stated, fled in the greatest precipitancy to the northeast, while a greater proportion of them fled to the south, passing in front of our left wing, receiving the fire of the portion of the regiment under the command of Lieut.-Col. Rice. It will be remembered that in our firing we faced by the rear rank during a great part of the action.
This ended the fighting, except a few shots fired at straggling rebels, but at such distance that it is not probable that they produced any effect. At the rime Lieut.-Col. Rice was placed in command of the left wing it appears that a majority of the rebels were in his front.
We had 6 wagons damaged by the stampede of the mules, the poles or tongues of there of them being broken, the coupling, or reach, of another broken, the rounds of the front wheels of another, and some part of the running gear of the other injured. We lost 31 mules and a few sets of harness, a portion of the harness being cut by the rebels whose horses had been killed or disabled in the action, who took the mules to ride off in their haste to get beyond the reach of our guns.
The rebel loss, as nearly as can be ascertained, was 9 killed and 18 wounded; a total of 27. I have heard from rebel sources since the action that 21 were found lying on the field the day after the fight, which, if true, would swell the rebel loss to 37 killed and wounded. The attack was made upon us between 5 and 6 p. m. on the 30th of June, A. D. 1862. We killed and disabled 6 rebel horses and captured 5 more.
I cannot speak to highly of the conduct of the officers and men of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Regt. on that occasion. Lieut.-Col. Rice distinguished himself, as did Capt. Wilson. In short, the entire regiment, or that portion of it present as an escort, could not have behaved better had they been veterans, for every officer and man seemed only anxious to do is duty, and no sign of fear or faltering was exhibited.
On our way from Memphis to Moscow returning we were watched closely by Jackson’s cavalry. At Germantown Col. Grierson kindly furnished an escort of 60 good cavalry, under command of Capt. Boicourt. They accompanied us as far as La Fayette. Our advance guard saw rebel cavalry frequently on the way, but they did not attack us.
Very respectfully submitted by your obedient servant,
W. MUNGEN, Col., Comdg, Fifty-seventh Regt. Ohio Vol. Infantry
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 17, pt. I, pp. 14-16