This is an excerpt from the diary
of Thomas P. Gere of the 5th
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. The excerpt focuses on the time period in
which
Michael Herrmann served in the 5th Minnesota. It includes the
entries for August 29 through December 31, 1864.
There has been considerable
excitement today. All the forenoon we were
ready to move at ten minutes notice, - after dinner it dwindled down to
"a moment's"' finally moved out half a mile and took up a position in
line of battle, where it is proposed to "fight it out". There was heavy
fighting at Franklin [
1 ] yesterday and Mr Hood got
the worst of it. It is said that our
forces
are falling back; the rumors are various and interesting. Tonight the
camp
fires are a glorious sight. We have a strong brigade, - today added the
7th
Missouri. McG. [2 ] has gone to Louisville [3 ].
Friday,
2d.
Have been entrenching all along
the line; Gen. Schofield [4
] is within the defenses; the rebs are only a short distance out.
Tonight we are under orders to be ready for action at a moment's notice.
Saturday, 3d.
Very lively times now-a-days. The
day has been fine; the work on the
entrenchments continued; this P.M. about three the command was all in
line in the works, the enemy having attacked the left, - we were all
ready for action. Picket firing has been going on all day; this
afternoon the artillery toward the left was engaged; we have not yet
learned the extent of the fighting; the gunboats have been shooting
some. The speculations are various; it is thought that tomorrow will
see fighting; we shall be up early. [5
]
Sunday,
4th.
Cannonading has been going on all
day, pretty heavy down toward the
left; the rebs have made their appearance all around and skirmishing
has been quite lively at different points along the line. Our line is
something like a semi-circle, while the rebs are just outside seeming
to hold a similar line, only their front is concave while ours is
convex. Capt. McGrew returned last night, bringing
my field desk that was left on the John Raine three months ago [
6 ]; today I have been very
busy and have had both my clerks hard
at work; have not even been out to the line today.
Monday,
5th.
The pickets kept up an almost
incessant firing last night and today the
big guns have talked loud. It is thought that the rebs are planting
batteries. We have begun to regard the firing as a matter of course and
indeed don't pay much attention to it except to watch the effect of a
shot occasionally, with a field glass. The command would like to have
the rebs assault our works, - all seem to think we have men enough to
whip them; we have never yet had a chance to fight behind
entrenchments.
Tuesday,
6th.
A reconnoissance this morning by
the 72d Ohio developed the fact that
the rebs are in our front and have a battery there. The work on the
entrenchments still goes on and a formidable abattis has been
constructed [
7
]. The cannonading continues and the pickets keep "peppering away." The
day, cloudy and cool. I have been busy and am getting my business in
pretty good shape. [8
]
Wednesday,
7th.
The clouds have been sailing by on
the breat of a cold wind all day;
this afternoon there has been some rain; this evening the wind blows
chill and drear. The cannonading has not been so lively, - the pickets
concluded not to shoot so much. [9
]
Thursday,
8th.
A hard, cold uncomfortable wind.
Very little firing along the line.
Friday,
9th.
Have had a real snow storm; about
two inches fell in the forenoon, soon
after the storm began to bring forth sleet, - the day became "pretty
rough."
We got a camp stove and this evening are more comfortable. Along the
line,
- nothing. [10
]
Our snow, rain and sleet left
about half an inch of ice all over the
ground; it is so slippery it actually requires some agility to stand
up. Today has been cold, so cold that the armies seem to be "froze up";
even the pickets have stopped exchanging shots. [12
]
Sunday,
11th.
The weather continues cold; today
was very much the same as yesterday
the lines are quiet, and they say very cold. I have had enough to
dowith returns and papers to keep me busy; tonight we had an
interesting experience with green wood in our little stove. [13
]
Monday,
12th.
The sun showed us his face and it
has been thawing; the pickets took
advantage of the change in the weather to renew their shooting,
otherwise affairs have been much as usual. Evening cold again.
Tuesday,
13th.
Thawing again today; there has
been some shooting down towards the
left, - not very heavy firing near us. We keep very quiet in our tents
during this weather, trying to make ourselves comfortable but we had a
desperate time tonight with our stove, - the wind beat us at last and
we had to let the fire
go out. [14
]
Wednesday,
14th.
This morning the snow was all gone
and today we have had mud enough to
satisfy us for a year to come. Everything as usual during the day. This
evening we have orders to move against the enemy tomorrow morning;
undoubtedly December 15, 1864 will be an eventful day! A general
engagement will take place and it will demonstrate, - well, we shall
see. May Victory perch upon our banners!
[15
]
I write on the 18th, having had
neither time nor opportunity before. We
moved out on the morning of the 15th as soon as the fog had cleared
away;
had gone but a short distance when skirmishing commenced; soon moved to
the
left joining our left to the right of the 3d brigade, then Forward!
skirmishing
steadily until we develop the enemy's position; artillery firing; our
division
is massed; we storm a work of the enemy, carry it, capturing four guns;
then another work, and two more guns! Get the command together; our
brigade swings to the left and makes a glorious charge on the rebel
line, the enemy run like
sheep, we capture many prisoners. Glorious! It was now dark and we
bivouacked. In the last charge I was struck on the wrist by a musket
ball, - not serious. - Early on the 16th we move forward; soon meet the
enemy strongly entrenched; halt under a galling fire within 300 yards
of the reb position; throw up hasty
entrenchments; open all our artillery on the enemy's line; at about
half
past three we assault their position; a fearful charge, hundreds fell,
but
we captured the works with prisoners by thousands. 'Twas a fiery
ordeal, -
I can not attempt to describe it here. The enemy fled and we pursued;
a glorious victory. But after
the field was won a fatal shot killed
our
brave Lieutenant Sargent [20
], - words can not express our sorrow! "None knew thee
but to love thee
Nor named the[e] but to praise." The fighting was the heaviest in
our front, - it was indeed a desperate
thing to go through that storm of grape [grapeshot: a cluster of small
cast-iron balls used as a charge for a cannon (Random House Webster's
College Dictionary, 1998)], canister and musket balls, - we who got
thorugh wonder how we escaped! our feelings can not be described! But, we
won the victory! I was
lucky enough to get the battle flag of the Fourth Mississippi regiment
in
the charge. We stopped for the night in a house on the battlefield.
Yesterday
morning the rebs were in full retreat through Franklin [
21
]. We moved out on the Granny White Pike about four miles, then crossed
to
the Franklin pike, bivouacking about eleven miles from Nashville. It
rained
nearly all day. This morning we are waiting for rations, expect soon to
move
forward. Night finds us a half mile from Franklin; it has been raining
and
we have had a hard time getting along on account of the road being
blocked
with trains. The 23d Corps has also been moving along the road and it
has
been hard work to keep the column from being cut in twain.
Monday,
19th.
The rain poured down all last
night and has continued all day. Crossed
the Harpeth river after great difficulty with the train, passed through
Franklin and Spring Hill and bivouacked about two miles south of the
latter place. It has been very cold. Franklin is on immense hospital
full of rebel wounded.
Tuesday,
December 20,
1864.
Very cold; did not move until three P.M.,- by
this time the road
was full of cavalry, artillery and wagons, and, it began to rain; moved
along
under these difficulties, whistling, singing, talking and swearing to
keep
warm, until an hour after dark when the General concluded it would be
useless
to try to get any further and, we stopped. I succeeded in finding a
house
where we can stay. [22
]
Wednesday,
21st.
The 4th corps train blocked the
road all day; there was trouble getting
over Rutherford's creek, which is a mile or so ahead; we are five miles
north of Columbia [23
]. The day has been cold; fortunately we did not move; have all been
writing.
Thursday,
22d.
"Cold is no name for it." Started,
then came back; then got ready and
started again; passing the 4th corps train, crossed the creek, moved on
to Duck river, opposite Columbia. Through the kindness of Maj. Gen.
Wilson we got a fine room for our headquarters, - invited all the
regimental commanders to share with us, which they did. Our wagons are
behind.
Friday,
23d.
Have remained today as we were
except, we have moved up stairs into a
more cosy room where a fine fireplace has been very cheerful. The lady
at whose house we are stopping is called Mrs Brown, - she is a fine
lady, doubtless at heart, though discreetly, a real rebel. The cavalry
and train are slow crossing the pontoons. This movement, we don't say
all we think. [
24
]
Saturday,
24th. [Christmas Eve]
"In pursuence to orders" were in
readiness to move at four o'clock and,
moved, - about thirty rods; waited an hour or so, left our wagons,
crossed
the pontoon, passed through Columbia and moved south about seven miles.
Our
headquarters tonight are at the house of Mr J. W. Perry, who lives
about
half a mile west of the pike; our train is on the other side of Duck
river.
More "strategy." [25
]
Sunday,
25th. [Christmas Day]
Not a very merry Christmas, - in
fact quite dreary. All we could do was
to sit by the fireside and talk of Christmas days gone by, and hum a
song.
The train is not yet across Duck River; were it not for Mr Perry's
hospitality we should be hungry. [26
]
Monday,
26th.
During the night our headquarter
wagons arrived and today we moved on;
marched thirteen miles; tonight for a change we have our tents. The day
cloudy and misty; no news from Mr Hood. [27
]
Tuesday,
27th.
Waited this morning for our supply
train to come up; did not get
rations until noon; marched at about one o'clock; the pike led along
Robertson's creek
nearly all the day's march; bivouacked at dark four miles north of
Pulaski
[28
]. Met a squad of "Johnnies" this P.M.
Wednesday,
28th.
Remained in our tents on the
hillside all day; the weather cold, but a
good fire in our little stove has been a cheerful thing and we have got
along quite
comfortably. This evening the wind blows and I may safely say that our
stove
"smokes" some.
Thursday,
29th.
Marched at seven this morning
following the pike to Pulaski, thence
moving over a rough road eleven miles toward Savannah [29
]. We had the advance and bivouacked early, beside a fine stream. We
learn
that Hood divided his troops at Pulaski, Cheatam's corps marching on
this
road; his command is reported by the citizens to be badly demoralized.
Friday,
30th.
Today we have had the rear; did
not get started until ten; for some
time marched very slow, - a bad hill in front; soon after we started it
commenced raining, - the roads have been bad; through the woods;
bivouacked at dark, a mile west of Lawrenceburg [30
]. This afternoon McG. and I found beside a stream a pretty rock
surmounted
by evergreens, and name it "Laurel Rock."
Saturday,
31st.
It rained and snowed all last
night; when we started, at eight this
morning, a cutting wind was blowing; marched westerly about fifteen
miles a rough day,
- have had to dismount frequently and walk to keep from freezing; the
road
has been bad, - the artillery and trains have cut it up fearfully;
tonight our tents are in the snow, - not much comfort; we are hoping
the last day of 1865 will find us in more pleasant circumstances.
Footnotes
[1] Franklin, Tennessee [Return ] [2] Captain James G. McGrew of
the 5th Minnesota
Regiment, Company B [Return ] [3] Kentucky? [Return ] [4] Major General John M.
Schofield, XXIII Army
Corps [
Return ] [5] On December 3rd, Forrest’s cavalry
attempts a
blockade of the river near Nashville [Return
] [6] on
Wednesday, September 7, 1864 [Return ] [7] abatis: a defensive obstacle formed from
rows of tree branches,
with an end of each branch facing outward toward the enemy (Random
House
Webster's College Dictionary, 1998) [Return
] [8] On December 6th, Ulysses S. Grant
pushes Union
General Thomas to
attack Hood's Confederate army at Nashville [Return
] [9] On December 7th, Thomas has still
not attacked.
Grant threatens to
remove him unless he does so [Return
] [10] On December 9th, Grant orders
Schofield to
replace Thomas as commander of Union troops in Nashville, but relents
when Thomas explains that a
severe winter storm was hampering their efforts [
Return ] [11] Thomas P. Gere's 22nd
birthday [
Return ] [12] On December 10th, Union General
William T.
Sherman completes his “March to the Sea” when he arrives in front of
Savannah, Georgia [
Return ] [13] On December 11th, Grant again
presses Thomas to
attack [
Return ] [14] Frustrated, on December 13th
Grant orders
Major General John
A. Logan to replace Thomas in Nashville [Return
] [15] General Thomas outlines
battle plans to his
commanding officers and informs Washington that he will attack Hood the
next day [
Return ] [16] Battle of Nashville takes
place December
15-16 [
Return ] [17] Thomas P. Gere captures the
flag of the 4th
Mississippi during
the attack on Shy's Hill (December 16) [
Return ] [18] Michael Herrmann is wounded
on December 16
and hospitalized
at the Cumberland General Hospital in Nashville on December 17 [
Return ] [19] 5th Minnesota begins pursuit of
Hood’s
Confederate Army on
December 17 [Return
] [20] of the 8th Wisconsin;
Sargent is mentioned
numerous times in
Gere's diary [Return ] [21] Franklin, Tennessee [Return ] [22] Hood and Thomas fight at
Columbia on
December 20 [
Return ] [23] Columbia, Tennessee [Return ] [24] On December 23rd, the
Confederate retreat
from Nashville continues with fighting near Columbus, Tennessee [Return ] [25] On December 24th,
skirmishing continues
between Thomas' and
Hoods' forces near Lynnville and Richland Creek, Tennessee [
Return ] [26] On December 25th, skirmishes
take place
between U.S. and Confederate troops at Richland Creek, Devil's Gap, and
White's Station, Tennessee [
Return ] [27] On December 26th, Hood's men
cross the
Tennessee River at Bainbridge [Return ] [28] Pulaski, Tennessee [Return ] [29] Savannah,
Tennessee; westward [Return
] [30] in Lawrence County, Tennessee [Return ]