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Battle of ChickamaugaLieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson
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Photo believed to have been taken circa April, 1863
Inage RG985-CWP-161-72, Wm.
Schultz College, U.S. Army Military History Institute
Picture appearing above has been
electronically enhanced by Deep Vee Productions
The following is part of a letter from Lieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson (Shipness) of the 15th Wisconsin to his brother John A. Johnson. It was written while Ole was a prisoner of war in Libby Prison, in the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia. He had been captured in the Battle of Chickamauga in the State of Georgia, on September 20, 1863, while in command of the 15th Wisconsin. The letter tells of events leading up to the battle, what happened to the 15th during the fighting, and of his capture. The original letter was written in English, as was required by the prison's censors.
To make the 15th's history easier to understand, information has been added [within brackets] to explain abbreviations, add names, or clarify matters which the original author assumed his brother would know. In addition, hot links have been added to provide access to additional details about the 15th's soldiers referenced in the letter.
Source: micofiche of a transcription of the letter, furnished by the Norwegian-American Historical Society, Northfield, Minnesota.
"Libby Prison, Richmond, Va., Nov. 3, '63.
Dear Brother: I
have written you a couple of letters before, but by no means such as would like
to write, but such as I was obliged to under the circumstances. I write this
with the hope of getting it through the lines without its being submitted for
the inspection of the conceited fops who have command of this prison.
You
have undoubtedly read better accounts of the battle of Chickamauga than I can
give you, but I shall relate some of my own experiences and the movements and
doings of our own regiment, as I suppose you have no one in the regiment from
whom you receive letters.
Of our movements in the mountains of
Alabama and Georgia I shall say nothing, except that we moved back and forth
there for over half a month, our corps separated from the rest of the army to
carry out Rosecrans' plan of compelling Bragg to evacuate Chattanooga. Finally,
on the 17th of September, we descended Lookout Mountain at Stevenson Gap and
joined the rest of the army. That same evening we took our position on the
extreme right, in Macklemore's lane, where we stayed till dark on the 18th, when
we were ordered to move, and marched five or six miles toward Chattanooga and
camped for the night. We were ordered to follow Johnson's division at daylight
on the next morning, but that division did not pass us until about 8 o'clock,
which consequently gave us a late start. We had heard occasional cannons
shooting during the morning, but as the day went on grew more and more frequent
until it became evident that the great battle which had been so long expected
could not be long delayed. It seemed evident to us at that time that Bragg was
endeavoring to get between Chattanooga and our army, and that Rosecrans was
doing his best to get to Chattanooga, and that he had fought the battle where he
did because he was compelled to do so. I do not say that this supposition was
correct, but that was the belief with us at the time, and from what little I
have been able to learn since, I do not see that it was so very far out of the
way. We were hurried up very fast on Saturday, going part of the time on
double-quick, until we came near the battle ground, where we halted for some
time awaiting orders, which we soon received, and we started on the
double-quick. After going about a mile we were brought into line of battle, the
8th Kansas and 15th Wisconsin in front, and the 25th and 35th Illinois in the
rear, and immediately pushed forward. We had advanced perhaps fifty yards when
we encountered the skirmishers of the enemy whom we rapidly drove in. The
timber was very heavy as was also the underbrush, so we could but imperfectly
see the enemy, but still we were steadily advancing under a heavy fire, when the
8th Kansas, on our left, began to slacken and waver. Still I pressed on with
the 15th, until about 75 or 80 yards in advance of the 8th Kansas, when they
ceased to advance altogether, and began to slowly fall back. I halted the 15th
and held the ground waiting for orders, but as the other regiment was falling
back, and the enemy advancing on our right flank, which was exposed, I ordered a
retreat, which was well conducted, firing as we fell back. We continued to fall
back slowly till we arrived where we had before formed a line of battle, when
assistance reached us, and we checked the enemy. Our loss so far had been
considerable, especially in wounded. Capt. [John M.]
Johnson
[of Company A] was shot dead and left in the hands of the enemy.
Maj. [Major] [George]
Wilson and Adj't.
[Adjutant] [Lewis] Nelson were both slightly wounded, but not enough to
disable them for duty. The color-bearer [Sergeant Andreas J. Urnæs
of Company B] was also wounded and the colors picked up by private [Jens]
Hanson
of Co. [Company] K.
We were now ordered to support the 25th Illinois,
which was sent to the front, and took our positions on a little knoll for that
purpose, and laid down while the 25th advanced. Meanwhile another line was
forming in our rear. The 25th engaged the enemy hotly for awhile, but were
finally compelled to fall back, and as they retreated over us the commander of
the regiment told me he would form in the rear and support us. Col. [Colonel] [Hans C.]
Heg came up while we were occupying this position, and complimented the
regiment for the gallant fight it had made, and passed on. When the 25th Ill.
[Illinois] had passed to the rear we became immediately engaged with the enemy,
and the line in our rear, when the 25th passed over them, probably thinking that
they [the 25th] were the last of our troops in front of them, immediately opened
fire, and we were thus placed between the fires of friends and foes, suffering
more from the former than from the latter. It was at this time that Capt. [Captain] [Hans]
Hanson [of Company C] received the wound that afterwards terminated his
life. Up to this the regiment had been kept well together and our ground had
been bravely contested, but being attacked in the rear by our own men was more
than we had bargained for, and I told every one to take care of himself, and
acting upon that suggestion each one got to the rear as best he could. I
started for what I thought from the firing was the right of the line in our rear
(the brush was so thick I could not get through direct) when I found myself
immediately in front of half a dozen yawning cannons playing lively upon the
enemy, but by some dexterous leaping and rapid running I got to the rear unhurt.
When our regiment broke the enemy immediately attacked the line in
our rear and routed it. We were all driven across a field on the other side of
which we again formed and the enemy did not find it prudent to follow. Our
regiment was now so much scattered that I found it impossible to get together
more than a small squad, and with these few I joined Col. [Colonel] [John T.]
Wilder's [Lightning] brigade with which I stayed the rest of the day. We
advanced once more over the field, but after some sharp fighting were compelled
to fall back. A little before sundown I heard that
Col. Heg was wounded,
but I had then no idea that the wound was mortal. About the same time I
received notice that our division was collecting together about half a mile to
the rear, when I proceeded thither with my squad and once more got what little
there was left of the regiment together. After the regiment got scattered each
man had to join some other command and I could find no one who had shirked,
although there were good opportunities for doing so. All stayed in the front
until ordered to the rear. Maj.
Wilson was wounded [again] after we had retreated across the field, and went
to the hospital. Capt. [August]
Gasman [of Company I], commanding Co. D, was wounded during the
afternoon, but succeeded in getting to the rear. Capt. [Henry]
Hauff,
[of Company E, serving as] A.A. Gen. [Assistant Adjutant General] on Col. Heg's
staff, was missing and has not been heard from since to my knowledge, except a
rumor that a Sergeant of the 8th Kansas had seen a dead officer whom he though
was Capt. Hauff [who was killed that day at Chickamauga and his body left on the
battlefield].
After dark, I started for the hospital, three miles off
[at Crawfish Springs], to see how our wounded were getting along. I was glad to
find so many of them there. In fact, all who had not been so severely wounded
that they could not walk had got away. I there found out that Col. Heg could
not live. He was very weak, and I talked but little with him. He was
contented, and satisfied to die. About 10 or 11 o'clock I wended my way back to
the regiment with a sad heart. I reflected how great had been our loss. Col.
Heg, by his uniform kindness, as well as his gallant conduct in all positions of
danger, had become the idol of us all, and his memory will ever be fondly
cherished by every member of the regiment. About 12 o'clock I reached the
regiment and laid down for a few hours rest. Sunday morning, at 3 o'clock, we
were aroused and marched to the west of the Chattanooga road, where we took up
our position on a commanding eminence, and were then ordered to cook coffee and
get breakfast. We now constituted the reserve, and indulged the hope that
perhaps our services might not be needed that day, but no sooner did the fight
open at the front than we were ordered forward. When we arrived near the front
we were halted for some time. But as the men in front of us [Buell's Brigade of
Wood's Division] were moved to other parts of the field, we moved up and
occupied the front line about 12 o'clock, taking our position behind some rude
breast-works that had been put up for protection. We had been there but a short
time, when the enemy [believed to be the 1st Tennessee Battalion and 50th
Tennessee] came up and endeavored to carry the position by storm, but we had a
splendid range; the ground in front of us was open, and we drove them back with
great slaughter. They soon rallied, however, and came upon us again, but were
driven back as before.
After the second repulse I looked toward the
left and saw the regiment on our left [the 8th Kansas] was already some distance
to the rear and the rebels [believed to be the 17th Tennessee] getting over the
breast works. I beheld with surprise and chagrin that the rebels had met with
no opposition there at all in their second charge, but knowing there was a line
in our rear I still held on with the hope that the rebels would be checked by
them. On looking towards the right I saw that the regiment to the right of us
[believed to be the 25th Illinois] had also given way, and that we were almost
entirely surrounded. By this time a part of our regiment had also broken and
was a few paces in the rear, and the next moment I was without much ceremony
requested to march to the rebel rear. One officer beside myself, and
twenty-five enlisted men were captured at the same time, the rest escaped. [To
see a list of the 15th soldiers listed as casualties of the Battle of
Chickamauga, including the 25 missing, and to read about
what happened to them, click
HERE]
That
there was great mismanagement somewhere during this battle is evident to
everyone, but to point where the blame rests may not be quite so easy. On
Saturday our brigade was hurried into the fight entirely unsupported on either
flank, and the result was, that after desperate fighting and heavy losses we
were driven back, and then another brigade would be sent in in the same manner,
and thus we were defeated in detail. The veriest tyro [most ignorant beginner]
in military knowledge must see that such fighting can result in nothing but
disaster and defeat. On Sunday there was a space between [the] right of our
division and the division on our right of about six hundred yards; in fact the
right regiment of our division did not know that there were any troops to the
right of them at all. It was the same on our left. The 8th Kansas formed the
left of our division and their left flank was entirely unprotected, consequently
when the rebels made their first charge they met with no opposition at these
places, and the right and left regiments of the division were attacked on the
flanks and of course compelled to fall back. Had our line been closed up as it
should have been the rebels would never have driven us from our position.
It
was with sorrow that we heard of the removal of Gen. [General] Rosecrans. The
army of the Cumberland will never have another commander whom it will so trust,
love and respect.
I do not at present see much prospect of getting out
of this detested place, but I hope our Government will soon do something to
release us, at least as soon as the fall campaign is over, if it does..."
[the next few words are unreadable and the rest of the letter is missing].
This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker
of Deep
Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created May 23, 1999. Last updated December 5,
2000.
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