Brigadier General James A. Reilly’s Report on His Brigade’s Action at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee
In late November 1864, Lieutenant General John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee marched north from Florence, Alabama into Tennessee. While Major General William T. Sherman was making
his march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, Hood decided to invade Tennessee, capture Sherman’s supply base at Nashville, and drive the Union armies out of Tennessee. Nashville was defended by the Army of the Cumberland under General George H. Thomas, and Sherman dispatched the Army of the Ohio under Major General John M. Schofield to join Thomas at Nashville. Hood set his line of march to intercept and destroy Schofield’s army before it could reach Nashville.
Hood was nearly successful in trapping Schofield at Spring Hill, Tennessee, on November 29th, but the Union commander was able to escape to the north, where his army set up defensive positions at the town of Franklin on November 30th. Schofield’s army included the 4th Corps, under Major General David Stanley, and the 23rd Corps, commanded by Major General Jacob Cox. Schofield was the actual corps commander, but as he was also in command of the Army of the Ohio, he assigned Cox, who was the 3rd Division commander, temporary command of the 23rd Corps. In turn, Cox elevated Brigadier General Janes A. Reilly to temporary command of the 3rd Division.
Reilly also was commander of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Division. This brigade consisted of the 12th and 16th Kentucky, 100th and 104th Ohio, and 8th Tennessee (Union) Infantry regiments. Reilly had been the Colonel of the 104th Ohio before being promoted to brigade commander a year earlier. Reilly’s division made up the Union left flank, and was deployed from the Columbia Pike east to the Harpeth River. Reilly’s 1st brigade regiments were on the division’s right nearest the Pike and a Cotton Gin, with the two Ohio regiments in front and the others in reserve.
Brigadier General George D. Wagner deployed two brigades of his division in an exposed position well out in front of the main Union line. The fast approaching Confederates of Major General Patrick Cleburne’s Division overran the position, and those Federals who weren’t captured ran back to the main line, hindering the fire of the U.S. troops until most of Wagner’s fleeing men were within Union lines. The onrushing Rebels climbed over the Union breastworks near the cotton gin and the fighting with the Ohioans was at point blank range. Reilly’s reserve Kentucky and Tennessee regiments moved forward to plug the gaps and stop the Confederates in fighting that raged back and forth. Additional reinforcements from the 175th Ohio Infantry (a unit that was not assigned to a brigade but was posted in reserve with Reilly’s reserves) and the 44th Illinois Infantry of Brigadier General Emerson Opdyke’s brigade (which was heavily engaged on the west side of the Columbia Pike) of Wagner’s division joined in the fight. Ultimately, the Confederates were stopped and those not captured withdrew.
Reilly filed this after action report on his brigade’s fighting at the Battle of Franklin. As temporary division commander, he also filed a brief report where he essentially deferred to the reports of the other brigade commanders for those unit’s actions.
Hdqrs. First Brig., Third Div., 23rd Army Corps
Nashville, Tenn., December 5, 1864Captain: In compliance with orders, I have the honor to report the operations of the First Brigade—composed of the One hundred and fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. O.W. Sterl; One hundredth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieut. Col. E.L. Hayes; Sixteenth Kentucky Veteran Infantry, Lieut. Col. J.S. White; Twelfth Kentucky Veteran Infantry, Lt. Col L.H. Rousseau, and Eighth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Capt. J.W. Berry—in battle of 30th ultimo at Franklin, Tenn.
The brigade was placed in position on the right of the division, on the left of the Columbia Pike, facing south, or nearly so, the right of the brigade resting on the pike, the left connecting with the Second Brigade. Owing to the Twelfth and Sixteenth Kentucky Volunteer Veteran Infantry being rear guard upon the evacuation of position on north side of Duck River, near Columbia, on evening of 29th ultimo, they did not reach Franklin for some considerable time after the other portion of command, in consequence of which the brigade was formed with One hundredth Ohio Infantry on right, One hundred and fourth on left, with Eighth Tennessee Infantry in reserve. The first line of the brigade, immediately upon being placed in position, commenced intrenching, and succeeded in getting up an ordinary line of works, with head-logs. Upon the arrival of the Twelfth and Sixteenth Kentucky Infantry, about 10 a. m., they were put in reserve. The brigade had strong line of skirmishers thrown well forward. At about 4.30 p. m. the enemy were discovered approaching in strong force upon a portion of the Fourth Corps, in front of brigade; the advance was rapid, the troops remaining until the enemy were in such close proximity to them before they retired, that the enemy’s heavy assaulting columns pushed them back rapidly over our line of works, the enemy following closely and determinedly.
The officers of my command and myself were using our utmost to prevent our men from firing until all of our own men could succeed in getting into the works. This, with the enemy pushing close after, and in some cases with our own men on the works, caused a momentary abandonment of the line by a portion of the right of the brigade. The line was rapidly rallied by their officers and with the assistance of the Sixteenth Kentucky, that at this moment led by Lieutenant- Colonel White, who, seeing and appreciating the disaster that would be caused if our line should be broken, gallantly ordered and led his regiment forward to the breach before orders to that effect could reach him. That portion of the enemy who had gained inside our works were either killed or taken prisoners. The enemy made various and continued assaults upon the line, but were each time repulsed with fearful slaughter. Every inch of the works was held, both inside and outside, until the brigade was ordered to fall back. The One hundred and seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel McCoy, was ordered up, or at least came up, gallantly and nobly, and mingled with our men in rear of the works during the remainder of the fight. The Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Col. John Russell, was ordered up, and right nobly did they come and render valuable services. The Twelfth Kentucky Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Rousseau, in reserve in rear of the One hundred and fourth Ohio Infantry, pushed his men forward to the works and did valuable service.It is proper for me to say that, with the exception of the aid rendered by the One hundred and seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as herein stated, the brigade received no assistance during the fight, unless, perhaps, some of the men coming in over the works may have rallied in or behind the lines.
I cannot in justice but mention the efficiency and bravery of Col. O.W. Sterl, and also that of Lieut. Col. E.L. Hayes, who, with his regiment, particularly distinguished themselves.
Lieutenant Colonels White and Rousseau have already been mentioned. In fact, the regimental officers and men of the brigade nobly sustained the reputation earned on other fields, to which the flags captured, some twenty, the number of prisoners taken, the almost unparalleled slaughter of the enemy in front of their works, the casualty list, all bear ample and indisputable evidence.
I herewith forward a list of the casualties in the brigade.
Among the many brave men killed I regret to report Capt. H. D. Palmer, Sixteenth Kentucky; Capt. W. W. Hunt, One hundredth Ohio; Lieut. W. F. Kemble, One hundred and fourth Ohio; Lieut. M. A. Brown, One hundredth Ohio Infantry; Lieut. J. J. Hiser, Sixteenth Kentucky, and Lieut. F. M. Jackman, Twelfth Kentucky Veteran Infantry. Among the wounded, Lieut. Col. J. S. White, Sixteenth Kentucky; Lieutenants Markley, Brown, and Wood, Sixteenth Kentucky; Lieut. S. S. Cope, One hundred and fourth Ohio; Lieut. H. Obee, One hundredth Ohio; and Lieut. G. W. Clarke, Twelfth Kentucky Infantry.
My staff officers performed their duties bravely and efficiently. I regret to report that Capt. D. D. Bard, my assistant adjutant-general, was mortally wounded whilst fearlessly discharging his duty.
I would respectfully call attention to the reports of regimental commanders as to individual acts of bravery by officers and enlisted men that would more properly come under their notice.
The reports, so far as received, are herewith forwarded.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. W. REILLY,
Brigadier- General, Commanding.Capt. Theo. Cox,
Assistant Adjutant General, Third Div., 23rd Army Corps.
Reilly listed his brigade’s casualties as 33 killed, 130 wounded, and 70 missing. General Schofield withdrew his army under cover of darkness and arrived at Nashville the next day, joining George Thomas and his army there. Though Hood’s Confederates were badly damaged in the Battle of Franklin, he pressed forward towards Nashville. Thomas attacked Hood in the Battle of Nashville on December 15th and 16th, decisively defeating the Rebels and ending Hood’s invasion of Tennessee.
Sources:
The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, & Nashville by Wiley Sword.
Let Us Die Like Men: The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864 by William Lee White.
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume 45, Part 1.
Repelling Hood’s Invasion of Tennessee by Henry Stone. In Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume IV. Edited by Robert U. Johnson and Clarence C. Buel.
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