Chickamauga Battle Report Report of Captain Mons Grinager 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry

Captain Mons Grinager of Company K
In command of the regiment after the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia
Photo from Collection PH2361, State Historical Society of Wisconsin

This is the official report describing what happened to the 15th Wisconsin during the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, on September 19-20, 1863. The report was written by Captain Mons Grinager of Company K, who was in command of the regiment at the end of the battle after Lieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson and the rest of the 15th's field officers were either killed, severely wounded, captured, or missing. The report is written to Colonel John A. Martin of the 8th Kansas, who assumed command of the brigade the 15th belonged to (3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Corps), when its commander, the 15th's own Colonel Hans C. Heg, was mortally wounded toward the end of the first day of the battle.

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, links have been inserted to provide access to profiles of the 15th's soldiers mentioned in the report.

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 533-534.

"HDQRS. FIFTEENTH REGIMENT WISCONSIN VOLS.
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 29, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor herewith to transmit the following report of the part taken by the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteers in the battle of Chickamauga Creek, Ga., on the 19th and 20th instant:

About 1 p.m. on the 19th we were ordered into line of battle on the south side of the Chattanooga road, 3 miles east of Crawfish Spring, our left resting on the Eighth Kansas Volunteers. We marched by the right flank through some heavy underbrush till our right rested on a corn-field about three-quarters of a mile from the road. We then advanced in line of battle over a slight elevation of ground, and on ascending the top the enemy's skirmishers opened fire on us, but with little effect. We drove them in. After advancing a short distance farther, we received a heavy volley from the enemy's line immediately in our front.

The engagement now became general. We held our position for some minutes, and had fired about 6 or 7 rounds, when we were ordered back 10 or 15 paces, on account of being exposed to a heavy cross-fire from infantry on our right and a rebel battery on our left.

This position we held for some time, and had fired about 10 or 12 rounds, when we were ordered to fix bayonets and charge the line immediately in our front. The order was complied with; but our right being so hard pressed, they could make but little headway, having no support to the right, and the Eighth Kansas to the left had partly broken and were a short distance in our rear, being thus exposed to a raking cross-fire. We then received orders to fallback, which was done slowly and in good order, holding the enemy in check until we were relieved by the Second Brigade, General Carlin's, which advanced and engaged the enemy. We reformed in rear of the Second Brigade, which soon was forced back behind us, and we again fired some rounds, but were met with such overwhelming force that we were forced to fall back across an open field immediately in our rear. On our arrival at the edge of the timber, on the north side of the field, the Third Brigade of Sheridan's division advanced on our right and engaged the enemy. We twice tried to recross the field, and succeeded the second time in getting as far as to the log-house on the south side of the field, where we retook a few pieces of artillery, and which position we held until fresh troops arrived.

We then were ordered about three-quarters of a mile to the rear, where we reformed with the division, and bivouacked until 3 o'clock the next morning. Our loss the 19th in killed, wounded, and missing was: Commissioned officers, 7; enlisted men, 59.

Among our killed was Capt. John M. Johnson, Company A. Among our wounded, Col. Hans C. Heg, commanding brigade, since dead. Capt. Hans Hansen, Company C, severely wounded and left on the field [captured and died of his wounds]; Maj. George Wilson and Capt. A. [August] Gasman, severely [wounded]; Lieut. C. E. Tanberg, Company D, slightly wounded, and Capt. Henry Hauff missing [later found to have been killed].

At 3 a.m. on the 20th we were ordered a short distance to the left, and took up our position on a hill on the north side of the Chattanooga road, where we were held as reserve until about 11 a.m., when the battle was renewed, and we were ordered to the front. We formed line of battle on the south of the road, and advanced through an orchard and a parcel of timber. After having changed positions several times, took up our final position behind some hastily constructed barricades, our left resting on the Eighth Kansas Volunteers and right on the Twenty-fifth Illinois. We were not fully into our position when the enemy advanced on us from the timber on the opposite side of the field in our front: when they got in short range, we fired and drove the first line back, but they soon advanced again with overwhelming numbers. We held our position until we were outflanked on the left, exposed to a raking cross-fire and almost surrounded, when we got orders to fall back. We then made a hasty retreat to the hill on the north side of the Chattanooga road, in which the battalion soon became scattered. At about 4 p.m. the brigade was sent to the rear.

Our loss on the 20th was:

Among our loss on the 20th was Lieut. Col. Ole C. Johnson, commanding regiment [captured]; Capt. C. [Charles] Gustaveson, Company F [captured], and Lieut. O. [Oliver] Thompson, Company A, missing [killed].

I had not the honor to command the regiment during the battle, as our lieutenant-colonel, Johnson, was not missing until we fell back from our last position on the 20th, but I observed that both officers and men behaved bravely during the battle, and it is but justice to mention the following officers, who showed more than ordinary courage and bravery during the battle: Lieut. Col. Ole C. Johnson, Maj. George Wilson, Adjt. L. [Lewis] G. Nelson; Capt. John M. Johnson, Company A; Capt. H. [Hans] Hansen, Company C; Lieutenant [Thor] Simonson, Company F; Lieutenant [Andrew] Clement, Company K, and Lieutenant [Andrew A.] Brown, Company H.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

MONS GRINAGER

Captain, Comdg. 15th Regt. Wisconsin Infty. Vols.

Col. JOHN A. MARTIN
Comdg. Third Brigade, First Division, 20th Army Corps.

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created January 24, 1999. Last updated November 16, 2000.

Back to 15th Regimental History: Chickamauga

Back to Chickamauga History Resources Page

Back to 15th Home Page