Reports for Col. Hugo Wangelin, Twelfth Missouri Infantry,
Commanding Third Brigade, of operations May 13-16,
July 22-25, and July 28-September 3.
HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Near Kingston, Ga., May 20, 1964
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the troops under my command during the engagements near Resaca, Ga., on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of May, l864:
This brigade arrived, with the division, in the forenoon of the 13th at the road leading from Dalton to Calhoun Ferry; was ordered to form line of battle by battalions in mass, as reserve to division, on the right of Resaca road; followed it up in support of division as it advanced upon the enemy; bivouacked that night at the foot of the hill occupied by First Brigade and De Gress’ battery.
The Seventeenth and Thirty-second Missouri Volunteers were ordered late in the evening to relieve the skirmishers of First and Second Brigades, and picket the front of the two brigades mentioned.
On the morning of the 14th the Twelfth Missouri Volunteer Infantry was ordered forward as skirmishers toward the bridge over Camp Creek, and directed to push across the bridge, which was done most gallantly, and which gave us entire possession of it. After crossing the bridge this regiment, in the anxiety to get on the hill in front of it, pushed its line forward, and advanced so far that it had to be ordered to fall back a short distance, it having not sufficient support. At 6 p. m. a charge was ordered to be make upon the enemy occupying the hill in front of the division, the Third Missouri Volunteers being ordered at the same time to report to Brigadier-General Woods, commanding First Brigade, which regiment participated in the charge, and remained with First Brigade until the occupation of Resaca, and as to the conduct of the regiment I respectfully refer to the report of Brigadier-General Woods. During the charge the Twelfth Missouri Volunteers, then on the left, opened a terrific fire upon the enemy, which was kept up until the hill was carried by our troops, when the regiment was ordered to withdraw across the bridge to clear the guns and rest. The Seventeenth and Thirty-second Missouri Volunteers were relieved as pickets some time before the charge was made, and held in reserve near the bridge, and while there these two regiments were kept constantly employed for several hours carrying ammunition to the men of the division and were a great deal exposed to the enemy’s fire. In the evening the Twenty-Ninth and Thirty-first Missouri Volunteers were ordered forward to report to Brigadier-General Woods for support, with whom they remained until the morning of the the 16th instant.
On the 15th instant the Twelfth Missouri Volunteers made rifle-pits along the creek to protect the bridge in case of attack, and occupied the pits during that day and night; the other regiments bivouacked in their present position.
On the morning of the 16th the town and works of the enemy were reported evacuated and General Osterhaus, in person, ordered the Twelfth Missouri Volunteers early in the morning to march into town. I followed, according to orders, with the remainder of the brigade (Seventeenth and Thirty-second Missouri Volunteers). On arriving near town the Third, Twelfth, Twenty-ninth, and Thirty-first Missouri Volunteers again joined my command.
I also inclose herewith a report of casualties*
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
HUGO WANGELIN
Colonel Twelfth Missouri Volunteers, Comdg. Brigade.
Capt. W. A. Gordon
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Div., 15th Army Corps.
* Shows 1 officer and 9 men killed, 45 men wounded, and 1 man missing: total, 56
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HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Camp Scorpion, near Atlanta, Ga., July 25, l864
COLONEL: Having been connected for the last four days with the Seventeenth Army Corps, I consider it my duty to report, for the information of the commanding general, the part taken by this brigade during that time.
On July 22, l864, at about 1 p.m., I received orders from General C.R. Woods, commanding First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, of which this brigade forms a part, to march my troops to headquarters Fifteenth Army Corps, where a staff officer of General Logan would be in readiness to assign the brigade its position. Arriving at the spot assigned, I found Captain Hoover, aide-de-camp to Major-General Logan, in waiting , who conducted the brigade about a mile or more to the left, and assigned as its position the edge of a woods across a hill, in the center of a gap left between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps. I immediately caused the troops to construct breast-works along their front, which was speedily done, as rails were very abundant at that spot, and threw a strong skirmish force forward to protect our front, give timely warning of an approach of an enemy in force, and take such prisoners as would come within their reach. In the mean time our litter-bearers were directed to search the woods for wounded men who had been left there from the engagement of one hour previous. Surge. Joseph Spiegelhalter, Twelfth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, went out to give the matter his personal attention, and succeeded in rescuing and delivering to their friends three wounded men of the Sixteenth Army Corps. At that time the distance of the left of this brigade and the next troops of the Sixteenth Army Corp[s was at least a quarter of a mile, and the gap on our right to Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, some 200 yards. The Sixteenth Army Corps soon after placed more troops on their right, thus lessening the distance, which troops were, however, soon withdrawn, reestablishing the original gap. Our skirmishers had by this time succeeded in capturing 20 prisoners, of whom 2 were commissioned officers, 1 of whom was wounded before he surrendered. This position the brigade held when Major-General Blair arrived a 4 or 5 p. m.,when, after some delay, I was directed by him to close up on Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, and report to Brig. Gen. Giles A. Smith for orders. The skirmishers thrown forward were not withdrawn, to keep up appearances of force, although no support was in their rear. After our right had come up in the direction of the left of Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, General Smith directed a forward movement of the whole brigade, until our right came fully up with the left of his troops, when the right was halted and the whole line performed a half or three-quarter wheel on its right and came to a stand. The whole movement was performed in thick woods and underbrush. The men keeping well closed up, however, a strong line was speedily established. By this movement our left was farther from connection and support than before; at least half a mile of dense forest lay between it and the Sixteenth Army Corps, and night setting in I changed the position of my left by a half left wheel to the rear of my left regiment, and placed the Twenty-ninth Missouri some 150 yards from the left flank of the main line fronting toward the left. Skirmishers were thrown forward to cover our new position and connect with those left the preceding afternoon in their places, who in their turn, as was reported to me, connected with the picket-line of the Sixteenth Corps. About 12:30 a.m. July 23 I was put in possession of twenty-four spades, some picks and axes, and, under instructions from General Smith, commenced fortifying, selecting such a line as my limited number of men could well defend, and being entirely unsupported on the left, refused the works to such an extent that I was sure of our ability to hold the position against all attack. At daylight the works were pretty well comp[leted, and the cutting of the small trees in our front formed such an effective abatis that no fear of a capture of our position could reasonably be entertained. The day passed quietly, our litter-bearers being engaged during a short truce in exchanging the rebel dead for those of our own fallen comrades, in which exchange, with accustomed liberality, they at least gave five for one, reversing the southern idea that one Southern man was worth as much as five Northern. The next day the officer in charge of skirmish line reported that three caissons of the Second U. S. Artillery, filled with ammunition, were in front of our lines. I therefore directed a temporary
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advance of our skirmish line, and with a strong fatigue party succeeded in bringing them safe within our line. One army wagon loaded with forage was still farther out, and in our endeavors to save it also the enemy opened fore; one round shot struck and broke one wheel; it was therefore abandoned as not of sufficient value to risk the lives of the men for it. The balance of the day passed quietly, with the exception of some little shelling, as did also this day.
We captured 25 prisoners, including 2 commissioned officers, 20 during the day and 5 during the night, and lost 4 wounded, 3 of the Twelfth and 1 of the Third Missouri. Captain Burkhardt, Twenty-ninth Missouri, while out with the skirmishers, was taken prisoner.
The only disappointment the officers and men of this brigade experienced was their inability to show by actual combat with the enemy that they were worthy to stand side by side in the defense of their country with the veterans of the Seventeenth Army Corps, whose fighting qualities they witnessed and admired on the memorable July 22, 1864, without being able, from their position, to participate therein.
Respectfully submitted.
HUGO WANGELIN,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Seventeenth Army Corps.
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HEDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS.
August 5, l864
CAPTAIN: In obedience to orders just received. I hereby submit report of the part taken by this brigade in the engagement with the enemy July 28,1864.
Having arrived late at night (July 27) near the place which was to be the position to be occupied by the First Division, after a few hours’ rest, at about 3 a. m. July 28, 1864, I received orders to advance with my brigade by the right flank, in rear of Second Brigade and after the Second Brigade went into position by fronting and closing up on the First Brigade on their left. We marched by the Second Brigade and took position on its right, thus forming a line of battle, whereof the First Brigade held the left, the Second the center, and the Third the right. Immediately after arriving, the Twelfth, Thirty-first, and the Thirty-second Missouri, which formed my first line, threw up log breast-works and then sat down to a hasty breakfast. A strong line of skirmishers had been thrown forward as soon as our position had been assigned to us, who soon commenced exchanging shots with the enemy, whose skirmish line they encountered. About one hour after, a forward movement of all the troops being ordered, with instructions to keep well closed up on Second Brigade, as the forward movement was somewhat in the nature of a left wheel of the Army of the Tennessee, we advanced steadily. The thick underbrush through which we had to pass made the movement very difficult. I contrived, however, to be close up with Second Brigade on arrival before a large open field, which was crossed in line of battle by the whole division. The whole line still swinging to the left and closing up on the left, I had to move the brigade by a march by the left flank to its final position, a few paces beyond a frame meeting-house. The Fourth Division closed up on my right, refusing their line to cover our flank and commenced fortifying. Some concentration of the troops on our left caused the whole line to close up some distance to our left again, which created a gap between my right regiment, the Twelfth Missouri, and the Fourth Division, which I had to fill up by the third battalion of the brigade, composed of the Seventeenth and the Twenty-ninth Missouri, which formed part of the second, or reserve line. Immediately after the permanent establishment of the line I caused breast-works to be thrown up, which was performed as good as circumstances would admit, not being in possession
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of any tools whatever. Benches were taken out of the church and filled with knapsacks to serve as breast-works, and doubtless did better service than ever before.
The country in our immediate front was covered by a thick growth of small trees, which our skirmish line was ordered to penetrate as far as possible, keeping in connection with the line of Fourth Division on our right and Second Brigade, First Division, on our left. About 1 p. m. our skirmish line was driven in by the enemy. The men reported that the enemy were advancing in three heavy lines ready to charge our works. Some apprehension being felt that the report was exaggerated, as usual in such cases, the men were not allowed to fire until the enemy appeared in sight, which brought them to the distance of some eighty yards, when such a terrific fire was opened upon them that no mortal could stand, and the enemy fell back. Rallying his troops, however, the enemy advanced again, and to strengthen my defensive power, I caused my last reserve regiment, the Third Missouri, to fill up all weakly manned points on the right of my line, which was principally attacked, thereby securing such a strong line that all apprehensions were put at rest. The enemy attacked again, and although the brunt of the attack was directed against the Fourth Division, their lines overlapped this division and attacked the right of this brigade, but all and every assault was repulsed as speedily as their first main charge. Thus, with more or less firing, the day passed, and tools having been procured, part of the men were digging and fortifying, while others kept firing; and when night set in we had not only repulsed the enemy, but put up field-works and a fifty-yard wide abatis of such strength that a single line of determined soldiers would have been able to hold them against all attack.
The loss this brigade sustained was light in comparison with the enemy’s loss, of whom 72 were buried in our immediate front. This brigade lost 1 man killed and 34 wounded, of whom 5 were officers. Lieutenant-Colonel Courtier, Twelfth Missouri, in side, doing well; Major Murphy, Thwenty-ninth Missouri, in breast, serious, but doing well so far; Captain Affleck, Twelfth Missouri, in leg and abdomen, has since died; Lieutenant Taylor, Twenty-ninth Missouri, on head, doing duty again; and Lieutenant Sellentin, Twelfth Missouri, through windpipe, doing well.
All men behaved gallantly and felt sorry that no further attacks were make on them, as they felt invincible in their position, and would have proved it.
Respectfully submitted.
HUGO WANGELIN,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Capt. W. A. Gordon,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Division, 15th Army Corps.
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HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Near Lovejoy’s Station, September 5, l864.
CAPTAIN: In my last report I had the honor to present to the general commanding division the part taken by the Third Brigade in the engagement with the enemy July 28 and the days following. I hereby submit a report of the share taken by this brigade in this martial drama from that time on until the capture of Atlanta.
On the 2nd day of August we were ordered to occupy an open field in rear of Fourth Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, as reserve, no part of the First Division occupying at that time a position in front. the next day I received orders to occupy part of the advanced line. The Third, Thirty-first, and Thirty-second Missouri were ordered out, the two later regiments, however, relieved before night. The Third remained until evening of August 4, when it was also relieved by regiment of the Second Brigade. Our loss was light, and resulted mainly from stray shots of shell and ball, which aimed at the pits in our front fell amongst our men. Here in this we remained, being but seldom called upon to assist in demonstrations made against the enemy, until August 26,1865,
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when the brigade, joining the other two brigades of the division, marched off at 9 p. m. toward Utoy Creek and eventually West Point railroad, which we struck near Fairburn August 28, 1864 at noon. Here we remained until August 30, half of the brigade occupying rifle-pits for the protection of our troops, while the other half assisted in thoroughly destroying the railroad. My command had previously been considerably reduced, the term of service of a great many men of the Twelfth and Third Missouri having expired. The remains of these-now-skeleton-regiments weresent back to guard the train by orders from division headquarters, and all those of the Third and Seventeenth Missouri whose term of service expired after the expiration of term of service of the regiment, some 70 or 80 in number, had been detailed to service in the Fourth Ohio Battery, leaving not over 400 men carrying muskets in the brigade. At 9 a. m. August 30, 1864, the brigade (Seventeenth, Twenty-ninth, Thirty-first, and Thirty-second Missouri) resumed its march in rear of Second Brigade, and reached a point about one mile from Macon railroad, near Jonesboroug, at 10 p. m. Early on August 31 we built breast-works for protection, but soon a position on the right of the Fourth Division was assigned t us, and the men caused to fortify immediately. At 3 o’clock the enemy most furiously shelled our position without causing more than a slight loss to us, and immediately thereafter charged the whole works in force. The position of this brigade was very favorable for defense, as a large field was in our front. None of the charging parties came nearer than 150 yards, being unable to stand the withering fire that greeted them to hospitable graves; but all that had advanced that far took refuge in a ravine, which sheltered them from our fire and gave them the means to join their friends again.
On the morning of the 1st of September, and again in the evening of the same day, a strong skirmish line was sent forward to feel and engage the enemy, but found his lines too strong to gain any permanent advantage. In the evening of the day the brigade was relieved by some regiments of the First and Second Brigades, who held the front line during the night. The enemy evacuated Jonesborough during the night. Pursuit was commenced on the morning of September 2. He was met again some six miles south of Jonesborough, near Lovejoy’s Station. The First and Second Brigades of this division were put into position near the emeny’s lines, this (Third) brigade, however, held as reserve with the artillery of the division and did not join in any action. On September 3, 1864, the joyful intelligence of the capture of Atlanta by our troops was officially announced.
The brigade loss while in reserve, from August 2 to August 26, 1 enlisted man killed, 12 wounded, and 4 captured by the enemy; in all 17. The loss (September 1 and 2)while before Jonesborough, was 1 commissioned officer killed and 2 wounded, 2 enlisted men killed and 25 wounded; in all 30.
Respectfully submitted.
HUGO WANGELIN,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Capt. W. A. Gordon,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Division, 15th Army Corps.