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 REGULAR BRIGADE 
 
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Class, /^ ^7^ 
 Book >■ 77 
 
THE 
 
 REGULAR BRIGADE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS, 
 THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND, 
 
 !N THE BATTLE OF 
 
 STONE RIVER, OR MURFREESBORO', TENNESSEE, 
 
 From December 31ST, 1862, to January 30, 1863, ' 
 
 BOTH DATES INCLUSIVE. 
 
 FREDERICK PHISTERER, 
 
 Late Adjutant 3d Battalion iSth U. S. Infantry. 
 
1474- 
 
 
 ®o Ills OTomrabcs, 
 
 THE SURVIVORS OF THE REGULAR BRIGADE, 
 
 Army of the Cr.MnERi.AND, 
 
 IN REMEMBRANCE OF PAST DAYS, 
 
 AND TO PLACE ON RECORD A TRUE ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 rARTICIPATION OF THE BRIGADE 
 
 IN THE 
 
 BATTLE OF STONE RIVER. 
 
 July ist, 18S3. 
 
WHEN General Rosecrans took command 
 of the Army of the Ohio there were in 
 that army five battahons of regular infantry in two 
 different divisions ; when he reorganized this 
 army he determined to bring these battalions 
 together, to give them a regular battery, and form 
 of them a Regular Brigade. The 15th, i6th and 
 19th were already at Nashville ; the orders organ- 
 izing the brio-ade found the two battalions of the 
 1 8th near Gallatin, Tenn., as a part of General 
 Stedman's Brigade. On receipt of the orders, the 
 1 8th marched, on the 23d of December, 1862, 
 from Pilot Knob to Nashville, Tenn., arriving 
 there on the 25th day of December, 1S62, and, 
 joining the other battalions and the battery, it 
 completed the formation of the brigade, which, as 
 then organized, consisted of: 
 The ist Battalion of the 15th Infantry: Com- 
 panies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H ; command- 
 ed by Major John H. King. 
 The ist Battalion of the i6th Infantry: Com- 
 panies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H, ist Battal- 
 ion, and Company B, 2d Battalion ; Major A. 
 J. Slemmer commanding. 
 The 1st Battalion of the i8th Infantry : Com- 
 panies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H, of the ist, 
 and A and D, of the 3d Battalion ; Major J. N. 
 Caldwell in command. 
 
TJic Regular Brio'cide. 
 
 ^ 
 
 The 2d Battalion of the iSth Infantry: Com- 
 panies A, B, C, D, E and F, of the 2d, and B, 
 C, E and F, of the 3d Battahon ; commanded 
 b)' Major Frederick Townsend. 
 The I St Battahon of the 19th Infantry: Com- 
 panies A, B, C, D, E and F ; Major S. D. Car- 
 penter commanding. 
 Battery H, 5th U. S. Artillery, commanded by 
 ist Lieutenant F. L. Guenther. 
 Lieutenant-Colonel O. L. Shepherd, i8th U. S. 
 Infantry, the senior officer, was placed in com- 
 mand of the brigade. 
 
 W'hen the Army of the Ohio — ^then become the 
 Army of the Cumberland, or the 14th Corps^ — ad- 
 vanced from Nashville, Tenn., toward its objec- 
 tive point, the enemy, the Regular Brigade broke 
 camp on the 26th, encamping on the evening of 
 that day on the Petersburg Turnpike ; on the 
 27th it encamped near Nolansville, Tenn.; on the 
 28th, at night, it marched across the country to 
 Stewart's Creek, and on the 30th to a point on the 
 Murfreesboro' and Nashville Turnpike about four 
 miles from Murfreesboro', Tenn. 
 
 On the morning of the 31st of December the 
 brigade left its bivouac at an earU' hour and ad- 
 vanced on the Nashville Turnpike to a point a 
 little less than three miles northwest of Murfrees- 
 boro', and, witli its division, was posted in reserve. 
 The division consisted of Scribner's, John Beatty's, 
 Starkweather's and the Regular P^-igade, and was 
 
The Rcgtdar Brigade. 3 
 
 commanded by Major-General Lovcll H. Rous- 
 seau. Starkweather's Brigade had been left at 
 Jefferson's Crossing- on Stone River. The divis- 
 ion was part of the centre, commanded by Major- 
 General George H. Thomas. The formation in 
 the brio^ade was from rioht to left as follows : 
 15th, 1 6th, 1 8th, I St and 2d Battalions, and the 
 19th. 
 
 To fully understand the events now following, 
 it will be necessary to preface them with a short 
 resume of the opening and progress of the battle 
 from 6.30 A, M. until noon ; from the right of the 
 army to the left of Palmer's Division of the left 
 wing. 
 
 The left of Palmer's Division, Hazen's Brigade, 
 rested on the Nashville Turnpike, about two and 
 a half miles northwest of Murfreesboro', facinof 
 south bv east — the other bricrades of this division 
 faced almost east ; Negley's Division, of the cen- 
 tre, next in order, faced south by east ; Sheri- 
 dan's, of the right Aving, faced almost east ; 
 Davis' faced south by east, and Johnson's, the 
 right of the army, east and south, and a portion 
 of it on the right flank west by south. A line 
 drawn from the extreme right due north would 
 have crossed the Nashville Turnpike near Gen- 
 eral Rosecrans' headquarters, about one mile 
 northwest of Hazen. 
 
 All the divisions, excepting Palmer's and the 
 left of^Negley's, had to cross a dense cedar forest 
 
The Reoular Briecide. 
 
 ^> 
 
 about three-quarters of a mile deep before they 
 could reach the Nashville Turnpike to their left 
 and rear. 
 
 The extreme right of Johnson's Division was 
 attacked about 6.30 a. m., and the engagement 
 extended gradually toward our left, the attacking 
 columns of the enemy moving in echelon from 
 their left to their right ; the attack struck John- 
 son's flank, and, although portions of the division 
 made a Qrallant stand, the weio^ht of the attack 
 was too much for the division, Johnson having 
 been flanked and driven back, it became Davis' 
 turn to be taken in rear and right flank, and 
 forced back after considerable resistance. The 
 next division, Sheridan's, was forewarned, and 
 offered a most determined resistance, falling back 
 and chanofinsf front to the west as its flank and 
 rear became vulnerable ; ammunition falling 
 short, the rebel force on his flank increasing, 
 Sheridan commenced his retreat about 9.30 a. m., 
 falling back slowly and fighting. Negley neces- 
 sarily had now to refuse his riglit, change front to 
 the west and northwest, and, running out of am- 
 munition about II A. M., commence his retreat 
 out of the cedars. This exposed the right of 
 Palmer's Division, compelling him, after a sharp 
 fiorht, to chanofe front to the west and fall back on 
 the railroad, pivoting his division on the left of 
 Hazen's Bricrade, until it was at ricrht ano^les with 
 its former position ; this took place about noon. 
 
The Regular Brigade. 5 
 
 The general front of the Hne, which in the 
 morning was south by east, was now west by- 
 south ; the new hne formed about noon ran 
 along the railroad and turnpike, and in front of it 
 were open fields from Hazen's left to a point 
 about one-eighth of a mile southeast of General 
 Rosecrans' headquarters^ from which point the 
 now re-organized right wing was posted in the 
 forest in a semicircle facing south and west, with 
 the right, refused, facing north by west and rest- 
 ing near the turnpike. Between the right wing 
 and Palmer's Division there were Van Cleeve's 
 Division of the left wing, the Pioneer Brigade, 
 Negley's and Rousseau's Divisions. 
 
 During the remainder of the day these posi- 
 tions were not materially changed, except that 
 Van Cleeve's and Negley's Divisions were later 
 withdrawn and placed in reserve. 
 
 To return to the Regular Brigade : About 9 
 o'clock A. M. it became apparent that the tide of 
 battle was most decidedly against the right wing 
 of the army, and Rousseau's Division was ordered 
 to the support of General McCook. The Regular 
 Brigade with its battery moved by the right flank 
 into the dense wood of cedars, alluded to above ; 
 when near Sheridan the head of the brigade 
 changed direction to the right, and line of battle 
 was formed in the cedars facing west. Mean- 
 while it had become evident that on this ground 
 no use could be made of the battery, and that no 
 
The Rccular Bricadc. 
 
 v> 
 
 good position could be obtained for the infantry ; 
 the advance was therefore discontinued and the 
 battery with the brigade ordered by General 
 Rousseau to the open field between the cedars 
 and the turnpike, near where it started from. 
 
 Guenthcr's Battery first took position on a slight 
 rise outside of the woods, but moved shortly to a 
 knoll between the turnpike and railroad, shelling 
 the woods in the direction of the advance of the 
 enemy. The two right, battalions, the 15th and 
 1 6th, not receiving the orders to halt, continued 
 their advance, deployed skirmishers, and soon 
 became engaged with a rebel force sweeping 
 down in the rear of Sheridan. This force ap- 
 peared to be clothed in the Union Blue, and 
 for a time there was an uncertainty as to its char- 
 acter ; the skirmishers being soon driven in, the 
 status of these troops was quickly developed and 
 the battalions had a hot and fierce fight for a short 
 time, in which they were assisted by the 6th Ohio 
 Volunteer Regiment on their right. Majors 
 King and Slemmer having finally received in- 
 formation of the movement of the brigade, pre- 
 pared to rejoin it, falling back through the woods, 
 and halting twice to repulse the enemy. Other 
 forces coming to the support of the right, and 
 Sheridan havincr chanofed front and refused his 
 right, enabled these battalions to rejoin the 
 brigade. Among the killed in this affair was 
 Captain Bell, of the 15th. The other battalions, 
 
The Rcoitlar Brigade 
 
 ^i 
 
 though under fire, did not come into action, but 
 covered the movements, and followed in support 
 of their battery, all taking-, finally, position on a 
 rise or knoll near the turnpike. At this point 
 the 19th was shifted from the left to the right 
 wing between the 15th and 1 6th, thereby equal- 
 izing the strength of the two wings more nearly. 
 While in this position, the line facing southwest, 
 the brigade, the battalions of the i8th, and the 
 battery especially, were exposed to an enfilading 
 artillery fire, and Captain Denison, of the 2d 
 Battalion, was mortally wounded, and Sergeant 
 White, of Co. F. 3d Battalion, iSth infantry, was 
 killed by a solid shot. The brigade was not long 
 in position when Sheridan's troops began to come 
 out of the woods, followed shortly after by the 
 enemy, whose further advance was resisted by it. 
 At a point where a short thicket about half way 
 between the battery and the woods and nearly 
 opposite the battery and right of the brigade 
 covered to some extent its approach, Wither's 
 Division formed and made a desperate charge on 
 Guenther's Battery. The enemy advanced boldly 
 and bravely ; Guenther turned his admirably 
 served guns on him, and with the fire of his sup- 
 ports broke the column, which made four gallant 
 efforts to continue the charge, but melted away 
 under the dreadful fire ; their battle flag went 
 down three times in succession. Portions of 
 Scribner's Brigade flanked the enemy's left, and. 
 
8 TJic Regular Brigade. 
 
 upon the repulse of his charge on the Regular 
 Battery, Scribner's and John Beatty's Brigades, 
 Van Cleeve's Division, the Pioneer Brigade and 
 other organizations, led by Generals Rosecrans 
 and Rousseau in turn, charged upon the enemy, 
 drivinof him well back into the cedars. The 
 remnants of the right wing having meanwhile 
 been reorganized, reformed nearly all on the 
 right, advanced and took positions, held by them 
 until the close of the battle. The enemy's ad- 
 vance on our right and his flanking operations 
 had now been successfully resisted, but Negley 
 was still in the woods, flanked and almost sur- 
 rounded. Extraordinary efforts were then made 
 by the enemy to crush the centre and left ; rein- 
 forcements were brought from their right and 
 thrown upon the left of Negley and against Cruft, 
 Grose and Hazen. Negley, out of ammunition, 
 was compelled to almost cut his way out ; Grose's 
 and Cruft's Briofades of Palmer's Division, on 
 Negley's left, necessarily had to follow in his 
 wake, in a measure covering his retreat ; Hazen's 
 right, on Cruft's left, fell back and changed front 
 from southeast to northwest, pivoting on his left. 
 To enable these troops to fall back, to afford 
 them protection, to gain time to execute the now 
 absolutely necessary movements in order to rec- 
 tify position^ of troops and to form a new line 
 from Ilazen's left toward the right, Rousseau's 
 Division was aii'ain ordered into the cedars. Gen- 
 
TJic Re Q- II la r Bri'oadc. 
 
 ^> 
 
 eral Thomas himself gave the orders for the ad- 
 vance of the Regular Brigade, saying- to its 
 commander : " Shepherd, take your brigade in 
 there," pointing southwest toward the cedar for- 
 est, " and stop the rebels." The brigade, without 
 the battery, for which there was no suitable posi- 
 tion in this movement, was at once put in march, 
 advancing to the front (south) along the railroad 
 and turnpike. After reaching the further side 
 (south) of the open ground, it was suddenly di- 
 rected to the rio-ht to enter the cedar forest, and 
 after a change of direction slightly to the right, it 
 was halted alon^r the edo-e of the cedars facino- 
 southwest and west. During this movement the 
 2d Battalion ©f the 18th executed a change of 
 front to the south, by companies on its left com- 
 pany, as if at ordinary battalion drill, then marched 
 by the right flank into the cedars ; the other bat- 
 talions moved up by their flanks and shortest 
 routes, preserving proper intervals. This, all ac- 
 counts agree, was about noon. The line was then 
 advanced about fifty yards, until our retreating 
 troops were in sight. The 15th held the right ; 
 the 2d Battalion of the i8th the left, which 
 rested less than one hundred yards from the south 
 end of the woods ; each battalion occupied the 
 best position the rocky ground in its front aftorded, 
 and the brigade covered a front of "a little over 
 one-fourth of a mile. Let us review the situation : 
 Negley and Grose were retiring ; Cruft was cov- 
 
lO 
 
 TJic Rcoular Briocidc. 
 
 v> 
 
 cring Neg-lcy's retreat and following- him ; Hazen's 
 right was falling back ; the enemy's force was vic- 
 torious and reinforced by three brigades — accord- 
 ing to a Murfreesboro' rebel paper and Bragg's 
 report — which were fresh and intact and com- 
 manded by Jackson, Preston and Adams, and in 
 this breach stood the forlorn hope of the army, 
 the Regular Brigade. Hazen's right retiring, left 
 the left flank of the brigade uncovered, but John 
 Beatty's Brigade covered that point and the rear 
 in reserve ; on the right of the brigade, Scribner 
 came up to cover that flank and to connect with 
 troops still further on the right. As soon as the 
 front of a battalion was clear of our retiring troops, 
 its fire commenced ; this waiting for our men 
 to retire, and, meanwhile, receiving the enemy's 
 fire without being able to reply, was the most try- 
 ing time of all. The firinor commenced at the left 
 as soon as Cruft's men — so reported by a staff 
 officer — had withdrawn, and soon rose into a con- 
 tinuous roar. Capt. Oscar A. Mack, on General 
 Thomas' staff, who approached the brigade with 
 orders, and was severely wounded, declared the 
 din of the fire to have been appalling. The 
 first line of the enemy were scattered like chaff; 
 their second line brought to a halt and held. The 
 report of the men, especial])-, is that there was a 
 third line, which coming up, fixed bayonets and 
 with the remnants of the other two lines pre- 
 pared for a charge. General Negley, with some 
 
TJlc Rccu/ar Brizadc. 1 1 
 
 <!> 
 
 of his men, united with the 15th, our right, and 
 with them resisted the advance of his pursuers. 
 Part of Scribner^s Brigade formed on Negley's 
 right ; John Beatty covered the left and rear of 
 the briofade. Officers and men were falHn"' all 
 alonof the line, but not a man turned his back to 
 the enemy ; every one stood up to his work and 
 strove to be worthy of the hope placed in him, 
 and to do credit to the Regular Brigade. Gen- 
 eral Thomas' orders had been obeyed ; the 
 enemy's onslaught on the centre had been re- 
 pulsed, and his victorious troops brought to a 
 halt ; the rebels had been stopped, and the key 
 of the battlefield secured, but at a loss of nearly 
 half of the infantry force of the brigade. The 
 new lines along the turnpike and railroad having 
 been formed, troops moved into position, artil- 
 lery posted to protect and cover the new lines, 
 the rio-ht of the brig-ade received orders to fall 
 back ; the movement was executed under the 
 protection of the battery, but unmolested by the 
 enemy, from right to left in perfect order, one 
 battalion moving after the other by the right of 
 companies through the cedars to the rear. Lieut. 
 Ludlow's section of the battery had been detached 
 to the front and right to cover the retreat of the 
 right of the brigade. It was a bitter disappoint- 
 ment to obey orders then, but as the object of the 
 advance of the brigade had been achieved, its 
 further exposure would have been useless, and 
 
12 The Regular Brigade. 
 
 could only have resulted in its annihilation ; still, 
 this was not understood at the time by the offi- 
 cers and men of the brigade. When the heads 
 of companies debouched from the woods, they 
 were exposed to a tornado of artillery fire from 
 rebel batteries to our left. From the position of 
 the brio^ade in the cedars to a short distance out- 
 side, it was a gentle decline, the ground then 
 again commenced to rise as far as the pike and 
 railroad ; about one hundred yards from the 
 woods, on higher ground, the brigade reformed 
 and faced the enemy ; as there was no pursuit, it 
 fell back of our new lines and joined again its 
 battery in proper supporting position. Here roll 
 was called, reports were made, and now the loss 
 of the brigade was fully understood. John Beatty's 
 and Scribner's Brigades fell back with the left and 
 right of the Regular Brigade, and the artillery 
 opened on the woods as soon as the brigade was 
 out of them. 
 
 When the action opened in the cedars, Major 
 Slemmer, of the i6th, was badly wounded, and 
 Capt. Crofton took command ; almost immedi- 
 ately after giving the command to retire. Major 
 Carpenter fell, mortally wounded, struck b)- six 
 bullets, and the command of the 19th devolved 
 on Capt. Mulligan ; on the retreat between the 
 cedars and the railroad, Major King, of the 
 15th, was disabled, and Capt. Fulmer assumed 
 command ; in the cedars, in the ist Battalion 
 
The RcgiUar Brigade. 13 
 
 of the 1 8th, Capt. Kneass was killed and Lieut. 
 McConnell mortally wounded ; in the 2d Bat- 
 talion of the 1 8th, Lieut. Hitchcock was 
 killed and Lieut. Simons mortally wounded ; 
 in the 15th Capt. Wise was mortally wounded ; 
 Major Townsend had his horse shot under him ; 
 the Adjutant of the ist Battalion of the iSth had 
 his horse wounded ; and the Adjutant of the 2d 
 Battalion had his killed under him, When the 
 brigade was again in its supporting position, its 
 left winof was committed for the remainder of the 
 battle to Major Townsend, the right wing, de- 
 prived of its field officers, needing more the atten- 
 tion of the Brigade Commander. 
 
 This closed the enemy's and our operations for 
 that day as far as active participation by the Reg- 
 ular Brigade was concerned ; the battery, how- 
 ever, continued to play on the enemy's position, 
 and when later in the afternoon an attack was 
 made to the left of the brigade, it assisted in the 
 repulse of the enemy in that quarter. During 
 the night parties were organized to collect the 
 wounded of the brigade ; the pickets of the ene- 
 my and of the brigade were within speaking dis- 
 tance, and one of the parties was captured ; 
 another party claimed to be an informal flag of 
 truce, asking for the privilege to collect our 
 wounded, and thus after some parleying was per- 
 mitted to return. Durino- the nicrht also our lines 
 were straightened out ; positions changed ; the 
 
14 The Regular Brigade. 
 
 right of the first division of the left wino- posted 
 on the left of the turnpike, by \vhich movement 
 our front was thrown back about three hundred 
 yards ; and the left wing formed on a new line 
 toward Stone River; this gave us a shorter line, 
 more reserves, and allowed the Regular Brigade, 
 at about 4 o'clock a. .m., of the ist of January, 
 to fall back to a little piece of woods near Gen- 
 eral Rosecrans' headquarters, there to bivouac 
 and seek rest. 
 
 Early on the ist of January, 1863, the brigade, 
 with its battery, was ordered to the right to sup- 
 port McCook's wing, against which demonstra- 
 tions were made, and several positions were held 
 by it without coming into action. Shortly after 
 two o'clock the brigade was ordered to Stewart's 
 Creek; having marched about four miles, it re- 
 ceived orders to return double quick, and marched 
 nearly the whole distance at that gait. Night 
 cominof on, the brigfade bivouacked aoain to the 
 left of tlie pike, near General Rosecrans' head- 
 quarters. 
 
 On the morning of the 2d of January, before 
 breakfast, the brigade advanced under heavy ar- 
 tillery fire to the support of the left wing, remain- 
 ing as its support in different positions during the 
 day and night ; the battery, being in action off 
 and on during the day, assisted in the enemy's 
 repulse by the left wing in the afternoon of the 
 day. 
 
The Regular Bj'igadc. 15 
 
 On the morning- of the 3d, the fourth day of the 
 battle, the battery opened fire upon one of the 
 enemy, which was annoying our troops, and soon 
 silenced and drove it from its position. During 
 the forenoon the brigade and battery advanced 
 again to its position, the key of the field, held on 
 the 31st of December, threw up slight intrench- 
 ments and held them for the remainder of the 
 battle. The heavy rains during the day filled 
 the ditches partly with water and rendered them 
 almost untenable, while the surrounding ground 
 was fast turning into a bed of mud ; the men, at 
 their option, could stand or recline in water or 
 mud, but not a word of discontent escaped their 
 lips in this trying and painful, as well as arduous 
 and dangerous service. About 6 p. m., under 
 the cover of the brigade and other batteries, an 
 attack was made to the front by parts of John 
 Beatty's and Spear's Brigades ; this attack, though 
 spreading to the front of the brigade, required on 
 its part only increased watchfulness to prevent 
 surprise in case of a reverse ; the battery, how- 
 ever, was actively engaged in shelling the ene- 
 my's position in the woods to our front, south. 
 
 Before daylight of the morning of the fourth, 
 the brigade pickets reported the retreat of the 
 enemy. The day, Sunday, was spent in the sad 
 duty of collecting the dead of the brigade, who 
 were interred at night by moonlight and with 
 military honors just in front of the intrenchments. 
 
i6 TJic RcQ-uIar Bricrade 
 
 <b 
 
 Thus ended die batde of Stone River, or Mur- 
 freesboro' ; and here it may be proper to relate a 
 few of the many incidents occurring in and dur- 
 ing- it, showing the spirit which pervaded the of- 
 ficers and men of the brigade, ready to laugh 
 one moment, the next to suffer, and, if need be, 
 to die. 
 
 During the fight at noon of the 31st of Dec, 
 the color-bearer of the 2d Battalion of the i8th 
 was killed by a shot in the head and fell with and 
 on the colors ; the color-guard at once raised the 
 flag, when the top became entangled in a low 
 cedar ; the Adjutant of the battalion, then still 
 mounted, finally called Lieut. Bisbee to the aid 
 of the color-guard and the colors were at last free 
 again and thrown to the breeze ; it was a moment 
 of great anxiety to all near, for it was understood 
 that there was to be no losing of the colors. When 
 the left reformed after leaving the cedars, Major 
 Townsend, when on the rise took the colors and 
 rode alone the new line for all to see that and 
 where the stand was to be made. Capt. Doug- 
 lass, of the 1 8th, described the rebel artillery fire 
 in the open field, as if a blacksmith shop full of 
 rotten iron was being thrown at the command. 
 When the brigade was reformed near its battery, 
 there was a large pile of knapsacks back of it, and 
 many men rested against it from time to time ; 
 pretty soon a rebel battery commenced firing 
 solid shot at it, making the knapsacks fly in all 
 
TJic Rcgtilaj' Brigade. i 7 
 
 directions, but doing no other harm. For a 
 while it was a pastime to watcli the solid shot 
 coming through the air, and one ball was 
 especially noticed, going apparently straight to- 
 ward a man crossing the large open field to the 
 rear, coming from the hospital probably ; the ball 
 seemed to strike in fi"ont of and close to the man, 
 ricochetted and passed over the man, who at the 
 same time made a profound obeisance ; to all ap- 
 pearances the ball would have decapitated him, 
 had the man been erect ; a shout of laughter, 
 seemingly from all parts of the field, at the ludi- 
 crousness of the scene, relieved the anxious feel- 
 ing of suspense. But what a closing and begin- 
 ning of a year was that ! A large number of 
 officers and men, in fact all, were without rations 
 on the I St and 2d, and parched corn, horse and 
 mule steaks were in demand and appreciated ; the 
 double quick back from near Stewart's Creek was 
 doubly hard on empty stomachs ; at last, on the 
 evening of the 2d, some bacon, flour and coffee 
 were received and helped to tide the command 
 over the worst ; though the men were hungry, 
 they were in the best possible spirits. When on 
 the 2d the brigade advanced by the right of com- 
 panies double quick to the front, one man, seeing 
 a solid shot rolling along very leisurely, put his 
 foot out to stop it ; the opposing forces did not 
 overcome each other, and, the shot being stronger, 
 the man found himself nicely tripped and rolling 
 
1 8 The Regular Brigade. 
 
 along with the ball, much to his surprise, and, not 
 being injured, to the merriment of his comrades. 
 The Battalion Quartermasters, with the teamsters, 
 servants, cooks and sick, defended their trains 
 against the charges of rebel cavalry repeatedly, 
 repulsing the enemy every time, and saving and 
 preserving their trains. Of the three rebel 
 brigades of Jackson, Preston and Adams, General 
 Bragg, the commander of their army, says : '' How 
 gallantly they moved to their work, and how 
 much they suffered in the determined effort 
 to accomplish it, w^ill best appear from the reports 
 of subordinate commanders, and the statement of 
 losses therewith." This shows some of the work 
 done by the Regular Brigade, and later by its 
 battery repulsing the determined charge of these 
 troops on to the left of the line of battle. General 
 Thomas, when asked why he sent the brigade 
 into the cedars, a regular holocaust, replied that 
 it became a necessity to do so. 
 
 The casualties in the brigade were fearful, and 
 almost all were suffered at noon of, and all oc- 
 curred on, the 31st of December. 
 
The Rco-itlar Brigade. 
 
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20 The Rco-ula7' Brio;cidc, 
 
 ^> 
 
 In his official report, General Rosecrans gives 
 his loss as follows : Killed, 92 officers, 1,441 en- 
 listed men; total, 1,523 ; wounded, 384 officers, 
 6,861 enlisted men ; total, 7,245. 
 
 Total killed and wounded, 8,778 officers and 
 men, or 20.22 < of the entire force in action ; 
 the loss of prisoners, he states, will fall short 
 of 2,800 officers and men. 
 
 The loss of the brigade compared with the loss 
 of the army is as follows : Officers killed in the 
 army, 92 ; in the brigade, 5 ; =5.4 .'^ of army loss. 
 Officers wounded in the army, 384 ; in the bri- 
 gade, 21;= 5.4 fo of army loss. Enlisted men killed 
 in the army, 1,441; in the brigade, 89 ; =6.1 f«' of 
 army loss. Enlisted men wounded in the army, 
 6,861; in the brigade, 468 ; =6.8 ^0 of army loss. 
 Captured and missing in the army, 2,800 ; in the 
 brigade, 47 ; =1.6 fc of army loss. 
 
 The loss of the army in killed and w^ounded was 
 about 20 / of the force in action ; the loss of the 
 brigade in killed and w^ounded was 37 fc of its 
 strength in action. 
 
 The effective force of the army in the battle 
 was, all told, 43,400 officers and men ; the effec- 
 tive force of the brigade taken into action was, all 
 told, 1,566 officers and men, or 3.6 f« of the 
 strength of the army ; whik; the loss of killed and 
 wounded of the brigade is 6.6 /' of that of the army. 
 
 The loss of killed and wounded in Scribner's 
 Brigade was reported as 208 officers and men, or 
 
The Regular Brigade. 2 i 
 
 about 2.3 ci of army loss ; in John Bcatty's Brigade 
 as 281 officers and enlisted men, or about 3.2 ;7; of 
 army loss ; while the three brigades were virtually 
 the same in streno;th of effective force. 
 
 Only two brigades in the whole army report a 
 larger loss of killed and wounded than the Re^ju- 
 lar Brigade ; both were about 200 men stronger 
 than that brigade, and suffered losses before and 
 after the 31st December, while the loss of the 
 Regulars was all on that day ; the brigades were 
 Carlin's, of the right wing, loss 627 — but lost on 
 the 30th 175 men, and a few more after the 31st; 
 Grose's, of the left wing, 585 — but lost before the 
 31st 10 men, and on the •2d of January, the bri- 
 gade report states, met with a severe loss, not as 
 large as on the 31st, however. 
 
 These figures tell the tale, and it is doubtful if 
 in any other engagement of the war any organi- 
 zation under similar circumstances suffered as large 
 a loss. 
 
 The total number of men received by the gen- 
 eral Government in its armies during the war, for 
 various periods, was 2,859,132 ; these, reduced to 
 a three years' standard, would make 2,320,272 
 men. 
 
 The average effective number of each 1,000 
 men in service has been computed at 693 men ; 
 this, applied to the number of men of the three 
 years' standard, would, in round numbers, give an 
 effective force of 1,608.000 men. 
 
22 The Rcgtdai' Brigade. 
 
 The total losses of the war, as near as it can be 
 done with incomplete returns, has been computed 
 to be : Killed in action, 44,238, or about 1.9 'fo of 
 the effective force ; wounded in action, 280,000, 
 or about 1 2 'Jo of the effective force ; while the 
 Reeular Brigade lost on the ';ist of December 
 alone : Killed in action, 94, or 6 ;« of its effective 
 strength ; wounded in action, 4S9, or 31 r« of its 
 effective strength. Of course, the above com- 
 putations can be applied only in a general way, 
 inasmuch as after 1861 the actual number of men 
 in the United States service, on an average, was, 
 in round numbers, only about 850,000 per year. 
 
 In his report of the battle, General Geo. H. 
 Thomas says: "In the execution of this last 
 movement, the Re^rular Brioade came under a 
 most murderous fire ''' ''' *'' but with the co- 
 operation of Scribner's and Beatty's Brigades and 
 Guenther's and Loomis' Batteries, gallantly held 
 its ofround aofainst overwhelminof odds." 
 
 General Rousseau, in his report, speaks of the 
 brigade as follows: " On that body of brave men 
 the shock of battle fell heaviest, and its loss was 
 most severe. Over one-third of the command 
 fell, killed or wounded. But it stood up to the 
 work and bravely breasted the storm, and, though 
 Major King, commanding the I5tli, and Major 
 Slemmer (old Pickens), of the i6th, fell severely 
 wounded, and Major Carpenter, commanding the 
 19th, fell dead in the last cliarge, together with 
 
The Regular Brigade. 23 
 
 many officers and men, the brigade did not falter 
 for a moment. These three battalions were a 
 part of my old 4th Brigade at the battle of Shi- 
 loh. The 1 8th Infantry, Majors Townsend and 
 Caldwell commanding, were new troops to me, 
 but I am proud now to say we know each other. 
 -::- -X- % -pj^g brigade was admirably and gallantly 
 handled by Lieut.-Col. Shepherd. " ^ " Of the 
 batteries of Guenther and ""' " '^ I cannot say too 
 much. ■"* '"'■■ ■'•" Without them we could not have 
 held our position in the centre." 
 
 Surgeon Eben Swift, Medical Director, De- 
 partment of the Cumberland, reports : " Much of 
 the heaviest loss sustained to-day fell upon our 
 Regular Battalions, brigaded under command of 
 Lieutenant- Colonel O. L. Shepherd, in holding 
 the cedar brake on the rio-ht of the centre ao^ainst 
 the columns of the enemy sweeping down upon 
 them after havinof forced back our entire ricjht 
 wing." 
 
 W. D. Bickham, who was on the field himself, 
 in his book, " Rosecrans' Campaign with the 
 Army of the Cumberland," published in March, 
 1863, makes the following record: "The Regu- 
 lar Brigade, Lieut.-Col. Shepherd at the head of 
 the column, moved steadily into the thickets, and 
 formed with Colonel John Beatty's Brigade on 
 the left, and Scribner's in close support. Directly 
 a dropping fire, like the big drops which precede 
 a storm, indicated the proximity of the enemy. 
 
24 The Regular Brigade. 
 
 ■:> -::- ■;:- p^|- j-j^g enemy pushed hard. The gal- 
 lant regulars resisted with the staunchness of 
 their professional esprit, and refused to yield an 
 inch. * * * The file firing- of the regulars at 
 this point was fearfully destructive." 
 
 " Pont Mercy," a correspondent of the New 
 York Tribune^ wrote from the battle-field : 
 " There is a record, however, which shall be more 
 amply made, when the Biography of the gallant 
 Regular Brigade is ready for history. " " "' 
 Almost one-half the casualties were regulars, 
 while they numbered less than one-fourth of the 
 entire division. The missing indicates discipline 
 and skill of officers with unmistakable emphasis. 
 It was so in the sanguinary battle of Gaines' 
 Mills on the Peninsula." 
 
 The Reofular Brioade of the West had indeed 
 sent Qfreetinof to their comrades in the East. 
 
 As already stated, the dead of the brigade were 
 buried in front of the position held by it nearly 
 throughout the battle ; the intention was to erect 
 a monument over their remains, and officers and 
 men subscribing liberally, a large sum was collected 
 — about $4,000. The dead heroes rest now at 
 the same point in the National Cemetery, estab- 
 lished by the General Government ; and on the 
 1 2th of May, 1883, a monument made by the 
 sculptor, Launt Thompson, was erected over their 
 resting-place. 
 
 The foregoing is not a fancy painted history 
 
The Regular Brigade. 25 
 
 of the brigade in this battle ; it is not em- 
 belHshed with rhetorical allusions to fire and 
 smoke, shot and shell, grape and canister, the 
 roar of the cannon, the rattling of the musketry, 
 the groans of the dying and wounded ; it is a 
 simple and plain statement of facts in unembcl- 
 lished terms ; although the groans of the wounded 
 and dying, the rattling of the musketry, the roar 
 of the cannon, grape and canister, shot and shell, 
 and fire and smoke were constant accompani- 
 ments of the shifting scenes of this bloody and 
 destructive drama of the history of our country. 
 
ROSTER 
 
 Of Commissioned Officers of the Regular 
 Brigade, 
 
 AT 
 
 THE BATTLE OF STONE RIVER, TENNESSEE. 
 
 3- 5 
 
 BRIGADE STAFF. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel O. L. Shepherd, i8th Infantry, Com- 
 manding Brigade. 5 
 
 Captain N, C. Kinney, iSth Infantry, Quartermaster.^ 
 
 1st Lieutenant Anson Mills, iSth Infantry, Commissary of 
 Subsistence.' 
 
 ist Lieutenant Robert Sutherland, iSth Infantry Act'g Assist. 
 Adjut.-Gen'l.* 
 
 I st Battalion, 15th U. S. Infantry. 
 
 Major John H. King, Commanding Battalion. 3- 
 
 ist Lieutenant F. D. Ogilby,'* Adjutant. 
 
 Captain Jesse Fulmcr.** 
 
 Captain W. W. Wise.' 
 
 Captain J. Bowman Bell.' 
 
 Captain Henry Keteltas.* 
 
 Captain Joseph S. Yorke.^-^ 
 
 ist Lieutenant Horace Jewett.' 
 
 ist Lieutenant Charles Wickoff.' 
 
 ist Lieutenant Sol. E. Woodward.* 
 
 ist Lieutenant W. 13. Occlestone.^- "* 
 
 ist Lieutenant R. P. King.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant James Y. Semple.-* 
 
 2d Lieutenant William Galloway.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Roman II. Gray.* 
 
 or. 
 
The Regular Brigade. 27 
 
 I St Battalion, i6th U. S. Infantry. 
 
 I\IajorA. J. Slemmcr, Commanding. 3- * 
 
 ist Lieutenant John Power, Adjutant-^-*^ 
 
 Captain R. E. A. Crofton.' 
 
 Captain R. P. Barry. 3- * 
 
 Captain James Biddle.* 
 
 Captain N. L. Dykeman.^* 
 
 Captain J. C. King. 3- '^ 
 
 1st Lieutenant A. W. Alleyn.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant E. INIcConnell.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant W. H. Bartholomew. 3- ■» 
 
 ist Lieutenant \V. W. Arnold.'^ 
 
 ist Lieutenant J. C. Rowland. 3- * 
 
 ist Lieutenant R. E. Kellogg.^ 
 
 2d Lieutenant S. E. St. Onge.^ 
 
 2d Lieutenant W, J. Wedemeyer.' 
 
 ist Battalion, i8th U. S. Infantry. 
 
 Major J. N. Caldwell, Commanding.^ 
 
 ist Lieutenant R. L. Morris, Adjutant.'* 
 
 ist Lieutenant Dan'l W. Benham, Quartermaster.' 
 
 Captain Henry Douglass.^- '' 
 
 Captain William S. Thurston.* 
 
 Captain David L. Wood. 3- ^ 
 
 Captain Charles L. Kneass.' 
 
 Captain Robert B. Hull. 3- * 
 
 Captain William H. H. Taylor.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant Joseph L. Proctor.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant Thomas T. Brand. ^ 
 
 1st Lieutenant Samuel I. Diclc* 
 
 ist Lieutenant Joseph McConnell.- 
 
 ist Lieutenant Gilbert S. Carpenter.^-' 
 
 2d Lieutenant INIerrill N. Hutchinson.^ 
 
 2d Lieutenant Ebenezer D. Harding.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant John J. Adair.^- * 
 
28 TJic Rcoular Brio-ade. 
 
 ^ 
 
 2d Battalion, iSlh U. S. Infantry. 
 
 Major Frederick Townscnd, Commanding.* 
 
 ist Lieutenant Frederick Pliisterer, Adjutant.*^ 
 
 1st Lieutenant Wm. P. McClery, Quartermaster. 
 
 Captain Henry R. Mizner.' 
 
 Captain Charles E, Denison.- 
 
 Captain Henry Belknap.*^ 
 
 Captain Ai B. Thompson. 3- ^ 
 
 Captain Wm. J. I'^etterman.'' 
 
 Captain Henry Haymond.^- * 
 
 Captain Ansel B. Denton.'^ 
 
 ist Lieutenant Morgan L. Ogden-.^- * 
 
 1st Lieutenant Herman G. Radcliff.* 
 
 ist Lieutenant James Simons.- 
 
 ist Lieutenant Henry B. Freeman.^ 
 
 2d Lieutenant WilHam H. Bishee.' 
 
 2d Lieutenant John F. Hitchcock.' 
 
 2d Lieutenant Wilbur F. Arnold.-' 
 
 ist Battalion, 19th U.S. Lnfantry. 
 
 Majors. D. Carpenter, Commanding.' 
 
 ist Lieutenant Howard E. Stansbury, Adjutant.* 
 
 Captain James B. Mulligan.* 
 
 1st Lieutenant A. H. Antlrcws.* 
 
 ist Lieutenant Jacob D. Jones.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Joseph J. Waggoner.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Wm, R. Lowe.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Alfred Curtis.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Cha?. F. Miller. ■• 
 
 2d Lieutenant Geo. W. Johnson.* 
 
 2d Lieutenant Arthur B. Carpenter.* 
 
 I3ATTKRY H, 5th U. S. ArTII.LKRY. 
 
 ist Lieutenant F. L. Guenthcr, Commanding.^ 
 2d Lieutenant Israel Ludlow.* 
 2d Lieutenant J. A. Fcsscnden.' 
 
The Regular Brigade. 29 
 
 MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon Webster Lindsley, Acting Brigade Sur- 
 geon/ 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon Patton.* 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon Henderson.'^ 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 I killed in battle of Stone River; 2 died of wounds received at 
 
 Stone River. 
 3 wounded at Stone River ; 4 died in service since Stone 
 
 River. 
 5 retired ; 6 resigned, discharged, mustered out, and out of 
 
 service. 
 7 still in the U. S. Army, active list. 
 
 BATTLES AND EiNGAGEMENTS 
 
 PARTICIPATED IN BY 
 
 THE REGULAR BRIGADE. 
 
 Stone River or Murfreesboro', Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862 to Jan. 3, 
 
 1863. 
 Eagleville, Tennessee, March 2, 1863. 
 Hover's Gap, Tennessee, June 26, 1863. 
 Chicamauga, Ga., September 19 to 21, 1863.. 
 Mission Ridge, Tenn., November 25, 1863. 
 Buzzard Roost and Tunhill, Ga., Feb. 25 1027, 1864. 
 Rocky Faced Ridge, Ga., May 5 to 9, 1864. 
 Resaca, Ga., May 13 to 15, 1864. 
 New Hope Church, Ga., May 28, June i and 4, 1S64. 
 Kenesaw INIountain, Ga., June 22 and 30, 1864. 
 Neal Dow Station, Ga., July 3 and 4, 1864. 
 Peachtree Creek, Ga., July 20, 1864. 
 Atlanta, Ga., July 27 and 31, and August, i864- 
 Utoy Creek, Ga., Aug, 7, 1864. 
 Jonesboro", Ga., September i, 1864. 
 
30 TJic Rcgidar Brigade. 
 
 ENGAGEMENTS AND BATTLES PARTICIPATED IN 
 
 B\*THE BATTALIONS BEFORE ORGANIZATION 
 
 OF THE REGULAR BRIGADE. 
 
 15th, i6lh and 19th U. S. INFANTRY. 
 
 Shiloh, Tenn., April 7, 1S62. 
 Corinth, IMiss., May, 1862. 
 
 1st and 2d BATTALIONS, iSlh U. S. INFANTRY. 
 
 Lick Creek, Miss., April 26, 1S62. 
 
 Corinth, Miss., IMay, 1862. 
 
 Springfield to Texas, Ky., October 6, 1862. 
 
 Pcrryville or Chaplin Hill, Ky., Octobers, 1862. 
 
JZy\^ 
 
peumAlipe*