The Chickamauga Campaign

Report of Colonel John A. Martin

3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Corps

This is the official report describing what happened to Heg's Brigade, which the 15th Wisconsin was part of, during the Chickamauga Campaign, including the September 19-20, 1863, Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. The report was written by Colonel Martin of the 8th Kansas, who took command of the brigade when Colonel Heg was mortally wounded at the end of the first day of fighting.

To make this report easier to understand, information has been added [within brackets] to explain abbreviations, add names, or clarify matters which the original author assumed 19th century Americans would know. In addition, hot links have been added to provide access to additional details about the 15th's soldiers.

Source: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880-1901. Series I, Volume XXX/1, pages 528-531.

"AUGUST 16-SEPTEMBER 22, 1863.--The Chickamauga Campaign.

No. 97. --Report of Col. John A. Martin, Eighth Kansas Infantry, commanding Third Brigade.

HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 20TH ARMY CORPS,
Chattanooga, September 28, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the following account of the action of this brigade from the time of crossing the Tennessee River up to the present date, including its participation in the engagements on the 19th and 20th instant.

As I did not assume command of the brigade until the 19th instant, when the brave and gallant Colonel Heg was mortally wounded, and as Capt. Henry Hauff, acting assistant adjutant-general of the brigade, was taken prisoner, and none of the official records of headquarters are in my possession, the report of our movements prior to the 19th may contain inaccuracies of memory, which the general commanding will readily correct.

On the 28th of August the brigade was ordered to march from Stevenson, Ala. [Alabama], and at 5 p.m. started, reaching the banks of the Tennessee River at 11 p.m. We bivouacked for the night, and at daylight next morning were ordered to cross the river in pontoon barges and occupy the other side. The crossing was supposed to be a dangerous enterprise, as the enemy had pickets in plain sight on the farther shore and might be in force. The Pioneer Brigade had during the night unloaded and got the pontoons in order. The regiments of the brigade were divided into squads of 25 men, each commanded by a commissioned officer, and as soon as everything was in readiness the boats were launched down the banks and into the river. They were rapidly filled with men and started across, occupying but a few moments in the passage. As soon as the opposite bank was reached the regiments were rapidly formed, the Twenty-fifth and Thirty-fifth Illinois left on the bank to protect the shore, while Colonel Heg advanced the Eighth Kansas and Fifteenth Wisconsin across the bottom to the foot of Sand Mountain, keeping a strong line of skirmishers in front. Reaching the mountains, the Fifteenth was left at the foot and the Eighth Kansas advanced up the mountain road, occupying the summit at 10 a.m. The Fifteenth Wisconsin was ordered up at 3 p.m., and at dusk the two regiments advanced about 3 miles across the mountain and camped, remaining in this position until the 2d instant. The Twenty-fifth and Thirty-fifth came up on the evening of the 30th. Frequent scouts were sent out from the brigade during the time we occupied the mountain; one under Lieutenant-Colonel Abernathy, Eighth Kansas, penetrating to near Trenton, Ga. [Georgia], discovering the enemy in force.

On the 2d [of September] we marched 16 miles to Will's Valley; [on the] 4th, marched 5 miles to Winston's; [on the] 9th, ascended mountain and marched across 14 miles, bivouacking at the entrance of Lafourche [Neal's?] Gap; [on the] 10th, marched south along summit of mountain and descended into the valley through Henderson's Gap, bivouacking near Alpine; [on the] 14th, crossed back over mountain to Lord's farm; [on the] 15th, marched back to Winston's; [on the] 16th, marched over mountain to Stevens' Gap; [on the] 17th, descended into valley and bivouacked near Lee's Spring; [on the] 18th, marched 4 miles north on Chattanooga road.

On the 19th instant we marched at 8 o'clock, and at 11:30 o'clock reached a point near General Rosecrans' headquarters. The brigade filed through the woods to the right, and after marching about a mile was rapidly formed in line of battle, the Fifteenth Wisconsin, Eighth Kansas, and Thirty-fifth Illinois being in line, and the Twenty-fifth Illinois a reserve directly in their rear. The brigade then moved three-quarters of a mile to the right, then by the left flank forward. We had not advanced more than a hundred yards when the enemy, concealed in the timber and behind fallen logs, opened a destructive fire on us. The men replied with promptness and effect, and pushed forward vigorously. The roar of musketry at this time was deafening.

The Twenty-fifth Illinois was ordered forward and came gallantly into line. The stream of wounded to the rear was almost unparalleled. Still the brigade held its ground, cheered on by the gallant, but unfortunate, Colonel Heg, who was everywhere present, careless of danger. The enemy was constantly re-enforced, and at last flanked us on the left, pouring a destructive fire down our line. We had then held the ground three-quarters of an hour. Colonel Heg gave the order to fall back, and the men slowly retreated, taking shelter behind the trees, firing at the advancing enemy, and stubbornly contesting every inch of the ground. Fifty yards to the rear they were again formed and again advanced, almost gaining their original ground, but were again compelled by overwhelming numbers to fall back. Again and again they formed and advanced, only to be driven back. Almost half of the brigade was killed or wounded. Colonel Heg was mortally wounded; but the remnants of the brigade, falling back to a fence a short distance in the rear, held the enemy in check until re-enforcements came up and relieved them, when they fell back across an open field, taking position in the edge of a forest behind a log barricade. What remained of the brigade I reformed here, with the assistance of Captain Morrison, assistant adjutant-general of the division, and again advanced across the field, taking our old position behind the fence, and remaining there until nearly dusk, when the ammunition of the men was exhausted, and we withdrew to the barricade in the edge of the woods again. Just at dark we were withdrawn by order of General Davis, and went into bivouac near the battle-field.

During the night of the 19th the brigade changed its location, crossing the Chattanooga road, and occupying a strong position on a ridge in the woods to the north. Our ammunition was replenished to 60 rounds. At noon we received an order to support General Sheridan on the right. We advanced across the road again and formed in line of battle, and then advanced to near a small barricade in the woods, fronting an open field. Finding the barricade already occupied by our troops, the brigade was moved by the right flank to the rear of General Carlin's brigade, and was ordered to lie down in a small ravine.

This order had hardly been executed when I received an order to move back by the left flank and take position on the left of General Carlin's brigade, the troops that had occupied the ground having been moved away to the left. I directed the movement, passing General Carlin and moving by the right flank forward to the barricade. The three regiments on the right of the brigade reached their position, but the Thirty-fifth Illinois, the regiment on the left of the line, had not reached its position, when the enemy rose up from the tall weeds in front and advanced on us four columns deep, pouring in a destructive fire. The left flank of the brigade was entirely exposed, as the troops that had occupied that position had moved so far to the left as to be out of sight, and we were soon flanked and exposed to a destructive enfilading fire. The enemy in front was terribly punished as he came up. Our men fired coolly from behind the barricade and with terrible effect, the closed ranks and heavy columns of the enemy making their loss very heavy. The brigade held the position until the enemy had mounted the barricade, when, flanked on the left and overpowered by numbers in front, the men fell back in confusion, partially rallying about 200 yards in rear, but, finding all support gone and the line on the left in disorder, breaking again.

On the brow of the hill in the woods across the road they were again rallied, formed in line, and left the field by order in the rear of Sheridan's division, which had rallied at the same point.

I inclose [sic] here with a list of killed, wounded, and missing of the brigade during the two days' engagement. By far the larger number were lost the first day; our loss on the 20th being light. On the second day we had hardly 600 men left in the brigade when we were thrown into the fight. These were opposed by at least a full division of the enemy's army. The list accompanying shows the loss to be fully 60 per cent of those engaged, and amply attests the courage, stubbornness, and determination with which the troops fought.

Where all behaved so gallantly it would be invidious to mention individuals as particularly conspicuous for their actions. The vacant ranks, eloquent with heroic memories of the dead and wounded, speak for our absent comrades; the living, who fought, by their sides through the terrible storm of two days conflict, have again established the invincible courage of the defenders of the Union.

The effective fighting force of the brigade, when it went into the engagement of the 19th, was as follows:

--------------Present.---------

Since the battles on the 19th and 20th the brigade has been re-enforced by a number of returned convalescents and by two companies of the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteers, which joined us on the 21st from detached service at Island No. 10. Many of the men slightly wounded have bravely returned to duty, considerably augmenting our force.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

JNO. A. MARTIN,

Colonel, Commanding Third Brigade.

Capt. T. W. MORRISON,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Div., Twentieth Army Corps."

This page Copyright 1998 Scott Cantwell Meeker, Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Last updated December 3, 1998.

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