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The Second Minnesota Battery.We have the report of Aoting Brigadier Carlin, Colonel of the 38th Illinois, cov-sring the operations of his brigade daring Jie battles near Murfreesboro, daring the last days of December, and the first daysJanuary. Freqnent allusion is made in this report to the conduct and valuable -ervices rendered by the 2nd Minnesota Battery, under Capt. Hotchkiss. That these services may be known to our people, who take a commendable pride in the good conduct of our volunteers, we extract a few passages, scattered through the report.Near night of the 30th December, the brigade of Ool. Garun’s was opposed by a j superior force, and for a time suffered se- j verely from the fire of infantry and artillery. Two batteries had opened on his I line, and, finding a position where he oould halt, he determined to do so, and wait, the arrival of reinforcements. At this juncture, the report says :Col. Alexander, 21st Illinois Volunteers, without instructions from me, ordered his regiment to charge upon the Battery in his front. His command was moving with a shout at the double-quick step, within eighty (80) yards of the hattery, already abandoned by its cannoneers when a very heavy fire was opened upon it by infantry which lay concealed behind fences and outhouses on the right and left of the battery. This fire killed and wounded a large number of the 21st Illinois Volunteers, and threw the left companies into some disorder, when the regiment was halted and formed on the right of the 15th Wisconsin Volunteers.The fight was now fairly opened and continued vigorously until night by the front lino of my inlimtry, and the 2d Minnesota Battery which had been placed between the regiments. The batteries in our front were soon silenced, but another was then opened on my right tlank distant about eight buudred (800) yards, which completely enfiladed my lines, and considerably injured us, but this too was driven out of sight by Captain Hotchkiss, 2d Minnesota Bat-! tery, alter a vigorous and well directed fire.! On the 31st, the lighting was renewed,I at daybreak, and continued throughout the day hot and destructive. Without the fact being communicated to Col. Carlin, the brigades on either side of him had been withdrawn, and he found himself attacked in front and on both flanks. He saved his brigade from capture with great loss and difficulty; and he mentions the fact, as very creditable, that “ the guns of the 2d Minnesota battery were brought off in j safety.” Elsewhere, in speaking of the ! same day’s fight, he says:Capt. W. A. Hotchkiss, Com. 2d Minnesota Battery, with nil his officers and men, deserve credit for their gallantry in the fight and energy in preventing the loss of the battery.In closing his report, Col. Carlin awards credit to several members of his staff, “for their zeal, fidelity, and courage in all the severe engagements embraced in this re- i port; ” and among those thus compli- j mented, we are glad to notice the name of Lieut. Albert Woodbury, 2d Minnesota j Battery. Lieut. Woodbury is the son of; the Hon. Dwigiit Woodbury, of the State ; Senate; and from other sources than this j report, we have had gratifying accounts of i his courage and efficiency.From a private letter, written at the ; headquarters of General Davis’s Division, Franklin Tennessee, on the 6th February, we extract the following:“ We left our camp near Murfreesboro, on the morning of the 31st January, and have been | cruising arouud the country in hopes of cutting off the rebel cavalry. We heard yesterday i morning of the attack on Fort Donelson, and General Davis started our cavalry off at once to i intercept the retreat of the repulsed enemy. He went in person, in order, as lie said, ‘ to make ' our damned cavalry fight.’ There has been a j good deal of complaint in our army of the inefficiency of this arm of our service, and the Generals arc nil making a heavy effort to put it in better order.“ In the absence of General Davis, Colonel Carlin has charge of the division; and we arc now waiting for news from Davis, to know in which direction to move. The country cannot be traversed by artillery, save by the pikes. The mud is quite deep, and the rainy season seems to have set in; the weather is cold; we j have some snow; the creeks are all rising ni- i pidly.“ This town is eighteen miles from Nashville, | and is a very fine location; but like every place ! else in the South, all secesh. I do not perceive any other sentiment at all. When favors are wanted, then a strong love for “ the Union as it was,” seems to be uppermost; but real fighting love for “ the Union” is not here, nor anywhere else south of the Ohio. The people here talk to our Northwestern troops as though they really expected soon to see a league of the j States, leaving out New England.“ What is to be done here, of course 1 do not | know. It looks to me as though we would j not be able to advance very far or fast. Yet, Kosecrans's plans are inscrutable; and we de- | rive but very slim satisfaction in guessing them j out.“I regret to state that six of our 2d Minnesota Battery men were taken prisoners by the rebels to-day. They were sent out with a forage train,—under escort, of course,—but, contrary to the regular standing order, the Lieutenant in command allowed them to take horses; and, straying away from the train, they were gobbled up. They were, corporals Denlinger and Binkhead, and privates James M. Lane, George Averill, Flint, and Simonds. It’s a bad“ Our battery, by sickness, deaths, and dis-cliarges, is reduced to a very low number of men; and Capt. Hotchkiss has just this moment received a detail of infantry to put him In working order.”—Elijah H. Stiles, company F, Fifth Minnesota, died in a St. Louis Hospital on the 7th instant, of consumption.
Newspaper Details
Saint Paul Weekly Pioneer and Democrat
Saint Paul, Minnesota, US
Fri, Feb 27, 1863
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
John Q.
USA 09 Oct 2024
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