Video
Fighting for the Nashville Pike
Transcript
How the Confederates decimated the Union right at the beginning of the battle on December 31, 1862. And after a two or three hour delaying action by Sheridan and Negley, they found themselves in these woods and attempting to cross this field the afternoon the entire afternoon, in fact. When they found themselves coming out of these woods, what they found was several thousand Union infantry men and upwards of 35 cannons placed along this rise, almost precisely where we're standing right now.
General Rosekrans realized what was happening to his army on the right wing. He does a few things. First and foremost, he will order Sheridan and Negley to hold their positions at all costs. He also starts throwing men from what was going to be his initial assault on his left line, he started throwing them to the south to create a new line.
Among the units that were forced over into this area after crossing the Stones River was the 9th Kentucky, and a man named Marcus Woodcock. And here is his remembrance of that moment.
"Everything seemed to be falling back-- whole regiments of troops, apparently hopelessly demoralized, stragglers by the hundreds, staff officers and orderlies, batteries, caissons, artillery wagons, ambulances, and even the very smoke seemed to be seized with but panic and were rolling in hopeless confusion to the rear. They were rapidly nearing us. The order to front and fire, all in one command, ran to the lines. And we immediately turned and poured a volley upon the advancing army."
Fire.
[GUNS FIRING]
Fire.
[GUNS FIRING]
Fire.
[GUN FIRING]
Fire.
[GUNS FIRING]
With thousands of muskets pointed in their direction, General Rains will be killed almost immediately after ordering his troops to take the field, shot off his horse. General Maney will arrive at the scene a little bit behind him and notice what's going on and order his men to stand fast. The regulars had done their job in halting the Confederate advance just long enough to establish this line.
Eben Hannaford of the 6th Ohio infantry and the rest of the men were equally determined to hold the line. Eben says, "there was no time for fear. Every eye strained forward on that line of dingy gray with its banner broad, barred, and faded flaunting defiantly in the center, wavering, reeling, checked completely as the full weight of our fire poured into their ranks."
Fire.
[GUNS FIRING]
Over the next 24 hours, the Union Army will dig in to this position and fortify this as earthworks continue across this field. The Confederates do not attempt to cross this field again, instead on January 2nd, try coming in through the back door using Breckinridge's division. That attempt also fails. And this ends up being one of the more important victories for the Union Army, establishing them here in Middle, Tennessee and removing the breadbasket that was Middle Tennessee for the Confederacy and establishing a clear route from here all the way to Savannah, Georgia and beyond.
[ALL CHEER]
Description
Ranger Jeremy Childs and a contingent of Union infantry tell the story of the decisive fighting along the Nashville Pike during the afternoon of December 31, 1862.
Video filmed and edited by VIP Mike Browning.
Duration
4 minutes, 6 seconds
Date Created
12/29/2012
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