Captain John Mendenhall’s Artillery Saved the Union Left at the Battle of Stones River

On December 31st, 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland under Major General William Rosecrans clashed with the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg, along the Stones River near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The two sides had moved into position opposite of each other the day before, and at dawn on the 31st, Bragg’s forces slammed into the Union right, driving the Federals back two to three miles. Brigadier General Phil Sheridan’s division fought a successful, though costly, delaying action that helped stabilize the Union right. Colonel William B. Hazen’s brigade kept the Union left from collapsing until reinforcements arrived on the scene to stem the tide. Although bent, the Federal lines were not broken, though the Union forces were up against the river. Bragg thought the Union army would be defeated when he renewed the attack.

Battle of Stone’s River by Kurz and Allison

Both sides spent January 1st taking care of their wounded, resting after the intense fighting of the 31st, and strengthening their positions. Bragg intended to renew the attack on the 2nd.

Gen. Thomas Crittenden

The Army of the Cumberland was organized into three wings of three divisions each. The Left Wing (on, appropriately, the Union left flank) was commanded by Major General Thomas L. Crittenden. Rosecrans ordered one of Crittenden’s divisions (under temporary command of Colonel Samuel Beatty after Brigadier General Horatio P. Van Cleve was wounded) to deploy across the river and occupy some high ground that overlooked a pair of river crossings. From there, artillery and infantry could enfilade the Confederate right. Rosecrans also shored up his left flank with additional infantry and artillery. By the end of the day, the Union defensive position was solid.

On January 2nd, Bragg attacked. As part of this, he ordered Major General John C. Breckenridge’s Division to assault Beatty’s position. The Confederates were initially successful in driving the Union troops off the hill and across the river with the Rebels in pursuit. Observing this, General Crittenden

turned to my chief of artillery, Capt. John Mendenhall, and said, “Now, Mendenhall, you must cover my men with your cannon.” Without any show of excitement or haste, almost as soon as the order was given, the batteries began to open, so perfectly had he placed them. In twenty minutes from the time the order was received, fifty-two guns were firing on the enemy. They cannot be said to have been checked in their advance –from a rapid advance they broke at once into a rapid retreat. Reinforcements soon began to arrive and our troops crossed the river, and pursued the fleeing enemy until dark.

The concentrated fire from Mendenhall’s artillery had stopped the Confederate attack dead in its tracks. A federal counterattack by Brigadier General James S. Negley’s division drove the Rebels back to where they had started. With Union reinforcements arriving and his army badly cut up, Bragg withdrew south on the night of January 3rd.

Assault by General Negley’s division at the Battle of Stone’s RIver January 2nd, 1863

In this excerpt from his after action report, Mendenhall described the placement of his guns and the fighting on January 1st and January 2nd at the Battle of Stones River, or Murfreesboro:

During the night the batteries were resupplied with ammunition, and I directed them to take positions as follows, before daylight, viz: Lieutenant Livingston (Third Wisconsin), commanding ford on the extreme left; Captain Swallow (Seventh Indiana) on his right near the railroad; Lieutenant Stevens (Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania) also near railroad, but on the left of Captain Swallow. The batteries of the First Division between the railroad and the pike. Captain Bradley (Sixth Ohio) on the left; Captain Cox (Tenth Indiana) on the right, and Lieutenant Estep (Eighth Indiana) in the center. The Second Division batteries near the pike, in reserve.

During the morning Lieutenant Livingston was directed to cross the river; he was assigned a position by Colonel Beatty, and Captain Swallow took his place commanding the ford. Lieutenant Parsons was ordered to a position on General Rousseau’s front by General Rosecrans, and Captain Cox was moved across the pike, near the Board of Trade Battery, to support the right of his division, which had moved its right to that point. After dark, Captain Standart was ordered to relieve the Board of Trade Battery. No firing, except now and then a shell at the enemy’s pickets was fired, during the day.

Map of the Union Left at the Battle of Stone’s River

January 2, early in the forenoon, the enemy opened his batteries, first upon our left, which was not responded to, their shot and shell doing no harm. They then opened more furiously upon the troops and batteries near the railroad and pike. Several of our batteries replied and soon silenced them. When the enemy had nearly ceased firing, the Board of Trade Battery (Captain Stokes) opened with canister upon Captain Bradley’s battery and Colonel Harker’s brigade, wounding several men and horses.

Captain Standart, with three pieces, Captain Bradley, Sixth Ohio, and Lieutenant Estep, Eighth Indiana, retired a short distance to fit up, they having received more or less injury from the enemy. Captain Bradley fell back on account of being fired into by Captain Stokes. He returned to his former position after a little while, but Captain Standart and Lieutenant Estep remained in reserve. I then ordered Lieutenant Parsons, with Batteries H and M, Fourth Artillery, to a position on the ridge, to the right of Captain Swallow (who was on the highest point of the ridge covering the ford), and Lieutenant Osburn, Battery F, First Ohio, to a position perhaps 100 yards to the right of Lieutenant Parsons. During the afternoon Colonel Beatty changed the position of Lieutenant Livingston’s (Third Wisconsin) battery to near the hospital, across the river.

About 4 p. m., while riding along the pike with General Crittenden, we heard heavy firing of artillery and musketry on the left. We at once rode briskly over, and, arriving upon the hill

Gen. John C. Breckenridge, CSA

near the ford, saw our infantry retiring before the enemy. The general asked me if I could not do something to relieve Colonel Beatty with my guns. Captain Swallow had already opened with his battery. I ordered Lieutenant Parsons to move a little forward and open with his guns; then rode back to bring up Lieutenant Estep, with his Eighth Indiana Battery. Meeting Captain Morton, with his brigade of Pioneers, he asked for advice, and I told him to move briskly forward with his brigade, and send his battery to the crest of the hill, near the batteries already engaged. The Eighth Indiana Battery took position to the right of Lieutenant Parsons.

Seeing that Lieutenant Osburn was in position (between Lieutenants Parsons and Estep), I rode to Lieutenant Stevens (Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Battery), and directed him to change front, to fire to the left and open fire; and then to Captain Standart, and directed him to move the left with his pieces; and he took position covering the ford. I found that Captain Bradley had anticipated my wishes, and had changed front to fire to the left, and opened, upon the enemy; this battery was near the railroad. Lieutenant Livingston’s (Third Wisconsin) battery (which was across the river) opened upon the advancing enemy, and continued to fire until he thought he could no longer maintain his position, when he crossed over, one section at a time, and opened fire again. The firing ceased about dark.

During this terrible encounter of little more than an hour in duration, forty-three pieces of artillery, belonging to the left wing, the Board of Trade Battery of six guns and the batteries of General Negley’s division, about nine guns, making a total of about fifty-eight pieces, opened fire upon the enemy. The enemy soon retired, our troops following; three batteries of the left wing, besides those of General Davis, crossed the river in pursuit.

Chicago Board of Trade Battery, Stone’s River National Battlefield

After the war, General Crittenden wrote “Before this battle I had been inclined to underrate the importance of artillery in our war, but I never knew that arm to render such important service at this point. The sound judgement, bravery, and skill of Major Mendenhall, who was my chief of artillery, enabled me to open 58 guns almost simultaneously on Breckenridge’s men and to turn a dashing charge into a sudden retreat and rout in which the enemy lost 1700 or 1800 men in a few moments”.

Artillery on the Union left at the Battle of Stone’s River

Sources:

The Battle of Stone’s River by G.C. Kniffin. In Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume III. Edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence C. Buel.

No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stone’s River by Peter Cozzens

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I Volume XX, Part 1.

The Union Left at Stone’s River by Thomas L. Crittenden. In Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume III. Edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence C. Buel.