16th Tennessee Volunteer
Infantry Regiment
1864
It was during this winter
that the Regiment suffered through the winter for warm clothing, and shoes, with
many dying
of pneumonia. It wasn't until they were well into spring before the people
from home could smuggle clothing past the Federal troops. Also here at Dalton a religious revival
swept the Army and 'there was divine service every day and night.
Soldiers became serious on the subject of their souls' salvation.'
It was also while here that everyone had the chance of a furlough where one in every twenty-five men
could go home. This was decided with each company putting their names into a hat and
drawing to see who
the lucky man would be.
On the 18 January and
Johnston decides to issue whiskey to the men in the Army but when he tried to
secure the necessary licenses Georgia Governor Joe Brown informed him that 'the
laws of Georgia will not tolerate any such consumption of grain by distillation
as you propose.'
The
month of January was excessively cold and miserable for the men, they were also
on short rations. After four days without meat they had a barbecue on the 30th
having 'fine time a good dinner and good
speaking. Night has come and we are full and had plenty to eat.'
While at Dalton a religious revival
swept the Army and 'there was divine service every day and night.
Soldiers became serious on the subject of their souls' salvation.'
It was also while here that everyone had the chance of a furlough.
On the
17 February Davis informs Johnston to reinforce General Polk
in Mississippi and the Regiment are part of a force from Hardee's Corps that are organised
as reinforcements. So on the 20 February
they were ordered out of the entrenchment at 0400 and at daylight left for
Dalton.
1st
Dalton, 22-27
February. The reinforcements started with the
Regiment
traveling 25 miles and then camping at Calhoun but
upon them reaching Demopolis,
Alabama, about the 25th, they were recalled. By the 28th they had returned to the same cabins they
had left only a week before.
Little is
recorded during early March but with a three inch snowfall the night of the 21
March saw 'this
is a lively time with the boys what a time they have.'
On the 23rd snowball fights started
which 'commenced in a small way but grew to be a big battle with at least a
Brigade on
each side with officers and colors. The snow was five or six inches deep. There
was a small branch between the combatants and sometimes one side then the other
would have possession of the field. Sometimes the Tennesseans would drive the
Georgia men back, then they would rally and drive the other side. They used up
all the snow on the field then each side had a detail to bring up big snowballs
to be used as ammunition. Our Tennessee side finally charged the Georgia fellows
and ran them back to their camp.' And again
'While
we were camped here in our winter huts, there fell a soft snow about four inches
deep. Our men and General Walker's got to snowballing. The field officers
mounted their horses and ordered our side to charge, which they did with a yell
in fine style, and captured Walker's quarters. Everyone had a lot of fun and did
not lose a man. All returned to their quarters well satisfied with the sport, as
the victor, I suppose, always feels elated.'
The 24th saw the Regiment, along with
the 8th, attack the 28th and 51th but 'they got whip(ed)' and
driven back to their lines.
On the 30th some of the Regiment
erected 'brush Harbors' for their preacher had to conduct services in
the open air
On the 7 April they '...go to Dalton to fight a sham fight
they have a greatest time of it. Our division fight General. Cleburnes.'
The 8th saw
most of the Regiment back out on picket.
Stocks
had been erected to punish wrongdoers but on the 16th some members attacked and
destroyed them.
On the 2 May a sermon they
were at 'was wrapped up, and the men went
quickly back to the Regiments to fall into line and were marched to the front at
Rocky Face Ridge'
The 8th they 'Left at dark traveled most all night.'
So that he 9th saw
the Regiment '...on top of Stone Mountain....Heavy skirmishing all around the lines. Our Brigade have kept them back out of
the gap all day.' With Federal forces close '...Colonel Donelson ordered every man who had no gun to throw and
roll rocks over the cliffs....' and '…
when we had nothing to do we would carry large rocks up on the ridge and turn
them loose. The Yankee pickets were down on the
side of the hill and the way those rocks would run and crash against trees was a
caution.'
On the 13th they left at
daylight and marched seven miles to Resaca here 'our men formed line of
battle comenst skirmishing at 3 oclock
(1500).' Here they 'took our position to the right of the forts....'
they made ruff lines '....with chunks of old wood and
rails.' The Federals soon '....got their artillery in position
and began to shell us....' 'The Yankees made it hot for us that evening as we did not have time to
throw up works. When evening arrived the Regiment were issued tools
and 'that night we worked nearly all night and by morning we were
fixed for them' they also dug forward rifle-pits for their
skirmishers.
Resaca, 14-15
May. Johnston directs the placement of the Army with the left of
Polk's on the Oostenaula River, Hardee's, with the Brigade in the middle, and
then the right of Hood's on the Connesauga River. With an attack going in
on the Confederate right the Regiment stood to in the trenches
At daylight on the 15th the
skirmishing was resumed and finally became a general engagement when the Army
slowly lost ground with the enemy 'gaining substantial advantage at all
points' this being due to the Army having started to withdraw from the
field from 1000. Federal casualties were 3,500 and the Confederate
2,600.
Calhoun, 16 May.
The Regiment withdrew that night to Calhoun where they arrived 'much worn
out.' Here 'the Corps skirmished successfully with them.' They
left there about 0200 that night. Federal casualties about
60.
Adairsville,
17 May.
On the 17th 'Cheatham, who brings up rear of the infantry on this road',
the Brigade acting as rear guard when the Army retired, arrived at
Adairsville before daylight. On arrival they 'threw down a fence & piled the rails in front.'
On the retreat near a large mansion, Robert Saxon's the Octagon House about two
miles north of Adairsville, they were attacked. About 1700 the 44th
Illinois and the 24th Wisconsin attacked the Brigade and were beaten of with the
lose of 200, with none to the Regiment. Thomas was organizing a three
Division attack when night fell. Sherman stated that 'we overtook him at sundown…and skirmished heavily with his rear
till dark.'
Before mornings light the Army was on
the move again with the Corps sent on the road
towards Kingston, 10 miles away, before bending back to camp at Cass Station on
the 18th, 'Cheatham withdrew
his division by the right of brigades to the rear.'
Cassville, 19-22
May. On the morning of the 19th the Army
was at Cassville, a few miles from the station. With the
Army in position Johnston pens a general order that was read to each regiment
that morning. 'Your
communications are secured. You will now turn and march to meet his advancing
columns. Fully confiding in the conduct of the officers, the courage of the
soldiers, I lead you to battle....'
By late morning with Federal forces
arriving about a mile away, and clearly seen over the undulation ground the Army
was ordered forwards but after moving a short distance it was ordered to entrench.
'In less
than five minutes every rail and chunk of wood around was piled up along the
line as breastworks...'
Shortly after with Federal
artillery started an enfilade fire on the center the retreat was ordered.
The army along a wooded ridge southeast of
Cassville, with an open valley to its front, and prepares a new defensive position.
This position was soon under artillery fire from some enfilading heights.
At midnight the Army started south following the railroad nine miles to
Cartersville and on the 20th the moved through
Ackworth to Big Shanty and then crossed the Etowah River with the Federal forces
engaging the rear guard at the rivers bridges. They now retired a few miles further
and took up positions around Allatoona Pass.
On the 23rd seeing the Confederate
lines again Sherman moves around the Armies flank so they now left at 1100 and
traveled 13 miles.
On the 24th the
Army left 'at sun up' marched 9 miles and moved into position. (These
entrenchments
would run from a mile south of Dallas to four miles north of New Hope Church.)
New Hope Church (Pumpkin Vine Creek) 25-28 May
(New Hope Church 25th; Pickett's Mill/Settlement 27th; Dallas 28th.) The
25th saw the Regiment acting 'as rear guard in a skirmish
in and around an Octagon shaped house.' With them
staying in place during the 26th and 27th. Here over the next few days the Federal forces 'had many sharp, severe encounters, but nothing
decisive' as where attacks aren't going in heavy
skirmishing continued on all parts of the lines.
Part of
the Corps attacked at 1545 on the 28th at Dallas into John A. Logan's Army of the Tennessee
and
'suffers a bloody repulse....'
with estimated casualties of: Federal 2,400
and Confederate 3,000.
On the 29th the Federal forces pushed
their lines close to the Confederate entrenchments which covered the 'whole front with
breast-works of timber and earth.'
On the 2nd
June its quite on the Regiments front, but with some fighting on
their left.
With the Federal forces slowly
creeping around the Armies right flank on the night of the 4 June in heavy
rain the Army was again on the march starting to retire, with the Regiment
leaving camp at 1700 on the 5th marching to a new line intersecting the
Western and Atlantic Railroad about eight miles below Ackworth with the Corps taking
'the roads from near Moulder's and
Robinson's to Lost Mountain.'
The 9th saw them move out,
marching a small way, and then returning to the original position. And on
the 11th they were ordered to move 1 mile. (From the 2nd of June until the 14th
the weather had been ' hard and cold
rains' with
the ground 'simply impassable to wheels.'
Due to this little fighting was done.)
On the 14th they moved out at 1400 to
Pine Mountain ' formed in line of battle and built
breastworks', but on the 15th, at 0200 they left their position their
marched 1 mile 'and formed line of
battle.' So on the 16th there was heavy skirmishing with
two men with several wounded.
On the 17th those of forces of the
Army occupying the the area of Lost Mountain executes another
retreat abandoning 'Lost Mountain, and some six miles
of as good field-works.'
The 18th sees it 'raining in torrents all
day' and 'is now it is raining as though it
had no intention ever to stop.'
By
the 19th the Army occupy entrenchments in a defensive line at Kennesaw Mountain
but on that date the Federal forces are shelling the mountains. The arc-shaped line at
Kennesaw, to the north and west of Marietta, protected the Western and Atlantic Railroad, the supply link to Atlanta.
On
the 21st Sherman complains to Washington 'this is the nineteenth day of rain, and
the prospect of clear weather as far off as ever. The roads are impassable, and
fields and woods become quagmires after a few wagons have crossed.'
Kolb's
Farm, 22nd. Hood attacks without orders. Hood's left rests on
the Corps right but the Corps was not engaged, although there was heavy
skirmishing.
During the next
few days the opposing armies picket lines were in speaking distance of one
another and firing continued most of the day, with a lull when a truce could be organized, and at night it would die out.
There was heavy
skirmishing on the 24th when the Regiment had ' pickets stationed at the western foot of Kennesaw
Mountain', they engaged enemy troops on the Marietta
Road until forced to withdraw due to cannon fire.
Skirmishing grew in intensity on the 25th, and 26th.
Kennesaw Mountain, 27 June.
Early in the day a member of the Regiment is killed and several others
wounded, or captured, while on the picket line.
At 0800 200 Federal
cannon opened fire and at 0830 13,000 infantry assaulted the Kennesaw line in
two different assaults. One of these was aimed at The Division and that
comprised two Divisions, 'closed in mass', of the Army of the Cumberland,
under Jefferson Davis and John Newton they attacked a salient called Dead Angle just
on the right of the Brigade. This assault contained about 8,000 men.
With
Davis's actually attacking right on the angle.
The defending troops waited
until they enemy were very close before opening fire with musketry and
artillery. They 'pressed on until their front had reached the works and
a hand-to-hand fight ensued. At one point the enemy succeeded in planting
his colours upon the works.' They were finally forced back to their
own lines. The Regiment had one killed and a few wounded and
captured. With the attack stalled they 'threw up works a few yards from and nearly parallel to
those of the' defenders. Davis's Division received 824 casualties.
On the 30 June McPherson
moves with his whole command down the Sandtown Road, while the rest of the
Federal forces face the Army so with the Army again being out flanked it
withdrew from the lines at Kennesaw, with the Corps moving off about 2300 on the night of
the 2 July. It withdrew a short
distance and over the next day retired to previously
prepared works astride the railroad at Smyrna, some four miles southeast of
Marietta.
This was quickly outflanked by the
4th and the Army withdrew six miles to formidable fortifications on the north
bank of the Chattahoochee River. The lines were six miles long and one
mile deep.
(The period 9 June-3 July due to the Army fighting in the
Marietta area some sites/histories call this period the Battle of Marietta (Marietta
Operations, Pine Hill, Pine Mountain, Brushy Mountain, Lost Mountain, Gilgal
Creek, Noonday Creek, Ruff’s Mill) this
timescale obviously covers the Battles of Kolb's Farm and Kenesaw Mountain.)
Chattahoochee River,
5-18 July. 'Men of the Sixteenth that were on picket duty would
call a truce with the Yankee pickets across the river. They would then move down
to the shade of the trees on the banks to get relief from the hot rays of the
sun, and escape the heat of the dug outs.'
The two armies
remained in place with daily skirmishing and minor attacks over the
period. On 17 Johnston is relieved of
command and is replaced by John Bell Hood. On the 18th the
Army attacks the Federal entrenchments and is repulsed. ('There
was no comparison between the military abilities of the two men, (Johnston
and Hood) and the Army
knew and felt it.' 'The change never took well with us, and sorrow, gloom & discouragement
ran high. ') The Regiment had
at least two killed and others wounded.
The Army now fall back to Atlanta
where they 'threw up breastworks.'
Peachtree Creek, 20
July. The Army attacked George Thomas' Army of the Cumberland
as it finished crossing at Peach Tree Creek. The Corps struggled to get
into their start positions. It finally slammed into the four
Divisions on Thomas's left. The Division, fighting under Maney, proceeded
into a 1/4 mile gap. They crossed Early's Creek and advanced towards
Collier Road. Newton's Division which had just repulsed the attack
on his front now turned right to face the Division, and William J Ward's arrived
in on the road which was on a ridge in front of the Division. With this the Division was
slowly forced to give ground until the gap was closed. Heavy losses to the
Regiment with an estimated 1,710 Federal casualties and 4,796 Confederate.
On the 21st the Corps is sent farther
to the right when they 'marched the balance of the
night and until the next afternoon' on
a fifteen-mile night march to hit the unprotected Federal left and rear, east of the
city.
Atlanta, 22 July. On
the 22nd the Regiment were 'double quicked from place to place finally marched through
Atlanta, and on Eastwardly a short distance and formed in line of
Battle.' The Army had withdrawn from Atlanta's
outer works during the night the Corps were sent on a march of 15 miles around
the Federal left flank to hit the unprotected left and rear, east of the city.
Hood had miscalculated the time necessary to make the march and it was 1200 before
the Corps was in position, and then not
far enough around according to him. Thus while much of the Corps
attacked the flank the Division was forced to attack the front.
Before they advanced they were
addressed by a General and 'upon hearing this speech many of
the men cheered and appeared to be eager for the fight.'
And when they attacked, about 1400, they broke through
the enemies front at the Hurt House and 'took
their works and a number of batteries.' They now advanced and 'found
them again, in their second line of works, but we drove them back to their third
and last line.'
To counter this Sherman massed twenty artillery
pieces on a knoll near his headquarters to shell them while John A. Logan' s XV
Corps led
a counterattack that restored the lines. The
Division 'held the works that we captured until after night but just across a
draw further up their line they held part of the works.'
After the battle the 8th, 16th and
28th were consolidated into one under the command of Colonel John H.
Anderson.
Later that
night the Regiment moved back towards Atlanta, although they were obviously still in the
area days later when some of them visited the battlefield. While
the
Regiments loses were not severe the estimated casualties were Federal 3,641;
Confederate 8,499.
The Corps hold their positions in the
trenches in the north and north-east of Atlanta but 'some men killed or wounded in our
Brigade every day.'
On the 25
August they leave Atlanta and march 4 miles and then camp at Poplar Springs.
2nd Jonesboro, 31 August-1 September.
The Corps attacked on 31 August due west of Jonesboro into two Federal Corps
they 'form a Line of Battle and attack the enemy at 1400. It was a hard
fight' but failed to take their objectives. That night Hood withdrew one Corps,
of the two Corps at Jonesboro, and the Corps were on their own. The next day their lines were broken but
they held on.
On the 1
September the Federal forces attacked at
1500 and while they held on their lines were flanked after
3 hours fighting so they moved back. They marched off at 2100 for Lovejoy
Station 7 miles away. The
estimated
casualties Federal 1,600, Confederate 3,000.
On the 2nd they rapidly fortify
lines, and Federal forces arrive at 1500; the 3rd, and 4th, see
heavy cannonades and skirmishing.
1st
Lovejoy, 5-6 September.
Here the fighting became more
general, although not as severe as other battles, although on the 5th
two were killed and others wounded in the Regiment.
The 7th saw the Federal forces
disappeared from their front. With this on the 8th the Army marched back five miles in the direction of
Atlanta.
The 14th saw the 8th, 16th, and 28th consolidated due
to the small numbers in the units:
Companies A, D and E were consolidated under Captain Frank M. York.
Companies C and H were consolidated under Captain John Lucas Thompson.
Companies F, G, I and K were consolidated under Captain Ad Fisk.
The 19 September saw them up at 0300 and on the march by 0400. They traveled
all day and at midnight had done 20 miles camping near Palmetto Station, on
the West Point railroad, where they stay during the 20th. But the 21st saw
them set off, then form in Line of Battle, and then fortify.
The 30th
saw them set off at 0800 march 15 miles and then camp near the
Chattahoochee River.
Allatoona, 5 October. In the morning of the 5th they reached the Federal
defense lines at Allatoona formed line of battle and called on General Gorse to
surrender the position. With his refusal the assault went in and for a
while they had 'a hot time' when they were supported by Ector's Brigade
and swarmed over the parapet.
When inside 'the
bayonet was freely used by both sides....and many throwing sticks and
stones.' The fight was quickly over with most surrendering and a few
managing to get into a large fort in the rear. The attack was now called
off.
3rd Dalton, 13 October. The fortifications at Dalton
were invested and upon opening fire the Negro garrison of 1,000 men surrendered.
The Army now marched through the
Buzzard Roost Gap of Taylor's Ridge and then proceeded to Cedar Town, across the
Sand Mountains to Decatur. On arrival they invested the place. The march
now continued to Gadsden, on
the Coosa River, and on to Tuscumbia and where they arrived 30th.
The march had been long and severe and the Army was
exhausted and so they remained here, with
a clothing issue to Regiments within the Army during this time.
The 11
November saw them set off at daylight in the direction of the
Tennessee River. Here they wait while a pontoon bridge is finished.
Crossing on the 13th to the north side and arrive at
Florence. The 'winter was now setting in with its severest rigor,
and many of the men were barefooted and destitute of many other articles of
clothing.'
On the 21st
(22nd?) the Army set off north
'The ground is frozen hard and sharp, a cold wind is blowing , but as my face
is towards Tennessee, I heed none of these things.'
The Army march
in three columns with the Corps furthest west, on the left, camping at
Waynesboro on the
24th. But on the 25th saw
them marching rapidly with the Army rendezvousing at the village of Mount
Pleasant.
On the 26th they
march about 12 miles eastwards and camp 1 1/2 miles from Columbia. Here
they found John Schofield occupying the town with his XXIII Corps and David
Stanley's IV Corps. Schofield withdraws on the 27th when
the Army now enter the town. With the 28th seeing a pontoon bridge laid
across the river and later on that day Corps cross.
Spring Hill, 29 November.
The 29th saw the set off at
daylight marching two mile up the Duck River before crossing. After
rapid marching for 17 miles they got ahead of the retiring Federal forces only
four miles from Franklin at Spring Hill.
They
arrive at 1500 and find Stanley's Corps on the Franklin and Columbia
Turnpike. They deploy for battle with 'the old rugged veterans of
Cheatam's Corps came marching upon our left with their battle flags waving in
the mellow sunlight.'
The Division
move up behind Cleburn's to renew the assault in the near dark. They now awaited new orders. Only vague orders came
and the attack never went in and the Corps settled down for the night.
Franklin, 30 November. At daylight the Army was on the march
skirmishing at Thompson's Station and elsewhere delayed the
advance. The Army reached Winstead's Hills at Franklin about 1500 and formed
Line of Battle.
The Division was placed on the left of the Franklin and Columbia
Turnpike. With the Brigade placed behind that of States Rights Gist, in
the second line, with Otho F. Stahl's on its right and that
of Henry H. Jackson on its left.
Before the attacking troops was was
an open area of two miles before they would arrive at the towns defenses.
Half an hour before sunset the Regiments started their advance with the bands
playing 'The Bonnie Blue Flag' and 'Dixie.' 'No more magnificent
spectacle was ever witnessed.' 'Their red, tattered flags as numerous as
though every Company bore them, flaring in the suns rays.'
After marching a mile the
Brigades paused and readjusted their lines. Here some of the men ate their
rations. Now the skirmishers advanced and behind then the lines of
troops. After overrunning two Brigades of George D Wagner's, who were
posted in the front of the main works. The Brigade had gone over the
ground defended by that of John Q. Lane.
The attacker
Brigades pursued the fleeing troops closely and after a severe fight
managed to gained the outer
works. And now near dark they assaulted the inner works where there was a
'pallisade fence....the officers of the charging line had to cut gaps in
the tangled fence with their swords and knives before the men could pass,' also
'the Federals held their ground with a tenacity unknown in former
conflicts.' After about one hour, and now dark, the Federal
forces retired into the Franklin itself. The Federal losses were heavy 'I never saw as many dead as were on the ground in front of
the Yankee breastworks' These weren't the only ones as 'our old
Regiment lost 15 men killed', its believed seven more died of their wounds with at least 25 more
wounded from about a hundred
effectives at the start of the battle.
The 1
December when men from the Regiment went over the battlefield they
found 'the ground was covered with bleu coats.' But the Federal Army had
retiring to
Nashville that morning so
the time was spent caring for the wounded and
gathering up the dead and burying them, with due care given to the casualties of
both sides.
The 2nd saw
them leave Franklin at 0900 advancing in pursuit of the Federal forces and
marching in the direction
of Nashville, and in the afternoon the spires of the town could be seen. The
now halted and camped for the night occupying positions on
a line of hills parallel to those of the Federal forces and began erecting
fieldworks.
On the 3rd they
took up positions on the Murfreesboro Pike and soon became the target of
Federal artillery. The 4th saw picket fighting and some very heavy
shelling. And the next few days saw them stay in this position but on
the 6th the 'wind blew very hard all day, also very cold', by the 7th
rain turned to sleet and snow so that by the 8th the snow was 2 inches deep.
With no tentage, many without shoes, their clothing scant and
thin, and little food the Army suffered. The 14th saw rain and fog with
visibility of only 50 yards. (The roster on the 13th for the consolidated 8th,
16th and 28th
Tennessee Regiment was 258 effectives out of 359 men.)
Nashville, 15-16 December. The
15th saw them ordered out in Line of Battle but there was only ' some heavy shelling and
picket fighting' until they were ordered to the left wing of the Army which
they reached after dark
just in time to hold the Federal forces when night suspended operations.
Having checked the enemy they now fortified the position.
Overnight, although battered,
the Army started a new main
line of resistance along the base of a ridge about two miles south of
the former location with Shy's and
Overton's hills on their flanks.
The 16th saw
the fighting quite heavy by daylight with the Division holding its position even
though Federal cavalry would now and then get in their rear until driven
off. Late in the afternoon fresh Federal troops were sent in on the center
the lines of Bates Division who gave way, they were on the Divisions right
and then Shy's Hill on their left flank fell. The Army now disintegrated
and the Division was cut off and they had to get through the enemies forces,
with very few captured. 'The
result was a hasty retreat...which partook much in the nature of a rout.' Estimated casualties Federal 2,140;
Confederate 4,462.
Late in the
day the Army withdrew to Franklin, where rations were issued, and then
continued south at 2200 before camping some 9 miles further on. They are
off at daylight on the 18th and at Rutherford Creek they were forced to stand and see off
the advance guard of the Federals.
They crossed the Duck River and
continued to Columbia where they arrived on the night of the 19th. While
here several survivors chose to leave for home, some with passes some
without.
On the
20th they were part of the rear guard left behind under Nathan Bedford
Forrest. But on the morning of the 21st the march was resumed. They are assigned as part of
the rear guard under Edward G. Walthall and Nathan B. Forrest.
On the 13th Cheatam's Division
totaled 1,151 effectives but on the 20th they only numbered 298, although those
missing were mainly captured.
