116 



AKMY OPERATIONS. 



been at Spring Hill for three days, preparing 

 to make an attack on Franklin. 



Meanwhile a successful expedition was made 

 by Gen. Sheridan, with his division, and Ool. 

 Minty, with a force of eight hundred cavalry. 

 Several sharp skirmishes took place, and a por- 

 tion of the force which captured Col. Colburn 

 was overtaken at Thompson Station and driven 

 from the field, and the force of Gen. Van Dora 

 was followed to Duck river, when the expedi- 

 tion returned to Franklin. 



On the 18th of March, an expedition, consist- 

 ing of the 105th Ohio, 80th and 123d Illinois, 

 and an Indiana battery, and one company of 

 1st Middle Tennessee cavalry, numbering about 

 fourteen hundred men, under the command of 

 Col. A. S. Hall, left Murfreesboro and moved in 

 the direction of Liberty. That night Gainesville 

 was occupied, and on the next morning an ad- 

 vance was made, when a slight skirmish en- 

 sued. The enemy slowly retired on the turn- 

 pike down Smith's Fork, followed by Col. Hall, 

 until they were found drawn up in line across 

 the road. Finding, upon a reconnoissance, that 

 he was greatly outnumbered, Col. Hall fell back 

 toward Murfreesboro, with the object of draw- 

 ing the enemy after him. That night he en- 

 camped at Auburn, seven miles from Liberty, 

 and on the next morning, the 20th, took up a 

 position at Milton, twelve miles northeast of 

 Murfreesboro. Here he was attacked by the 

 Confederate force under Gen. John Morgan, 

 who, after a fight of three and a half hours, 

 withdrew from the field. Four captains, two 

 lieutenants, and fifty-seven men were left on 

 the field as dead or mortally wounded. Their 

 total loss was estimated at nearly four hundred. 

 Ten prisoners, eight horses, and fifty-three 

 stands of arms were captured. The loss of Col. 

 Hall was six killed, forty-two wounded, and 

 seven missing. The force of the enemy was 

 about two thousand. 



A large number of expeditions, similar to 

 those above stated, were sent out at different 

 times; often with much success. About the 10th 

 of April another attack was made on Maj.-Gen. 

 Gordon Granger, at Franklin, by the Confed- 

 erate force, under Maj.-Gen. Van Dorn. The 

 force of Gen. Granger consisted of the divisions 

 of Brig.-Gens. Baird and Gilbert, sixteen hun- 

 dred men and sixteen guns, and Brig.-Gen. 

 Smith's cavalry brigade of eleven hundred and 

 twenty-eight men ; also a cavalry force of six- 

 teen hundred men and two guns, under Col. 

 Stanley. The only artificial defence'was an un- 

 completed fort, which mounted two siege guns 

 and two three-inch rifled guns. Its elevation 

 was about forty feet above the surrounding coun- 

 try, and it commanded most of the approaches 

 to Franklin, north of the Harpeth, and all from 

 the south except a small portion of the surface 

 covered by a few blocks of houses. Gen. Gran- 

 ger's camp was on the north side of the river, 

 about two thirds of a mile distant from the 

 town. Gen. Baird was ordered to hold in check 

 any force attempting to cross the fords below 



the town, and Gen. Gilbert was placed In a 

 position to meet any attack in front, or to re- 

 enforce either flank. Gen. Stanley was sta- 

 tioned out four miles on the road to Mur- 

 freesboro, and Gen. Smith's cavalry were held 

 in reserve to reenforce Gen. Stanley. This force, 

 however, was sent under a misapprehension to 

 Brentwood. An attack was made by Gen. Van 

 Dorn upon Gen. Granger's front, which was re- 

 pelled and afterward turned upon Gen. Stanley, 

 who was driven back by overpowering num- 

 bers before reinforcements could reach him. 

 After this the enemy withdrew. The force 

 of the enemy was estimated at nine thousand 

 cavalry and two regiments of infantry, and his 

 loss at about three hundred. The loss of Gen. 

 Granger was thirty-seven killed, wounded, and 

 missing. 



On the 20th of April, a force, consisting of 

 Maj.-Gen. Reynolds's division, Col. Wilder's 

 mounted brigade, and seventeen hundred cav- 

 alry, under Col. Minty, left Murfreesboro to 

 capture or disperse any Confederate force at 

 McMinnsville. At night the cavalry encamped 

 between Ready ville and "Woodbury. Early the 

 next morning the force moved on, and, ap- 

 proaching the town, the pickets of the enemy 

 were discovered. Forming a line, they opened 

 fire, and were charged upon and dr^en through 

 the town. The entire force thus dispersed con- 

 sisted of seven hundred men. The wagon train 

 had left the town for Chattanooga about an 

 hour before the arrival of the Federal force, 

 but, by hard pressing, three wagons were 'cap- 

 tured, and eight or nine men. Other move- 

 ments were made by this force, which result- 

 ed in the capture of one hundred and thirty 

 prisoners, the destruction of a trestlework be- 

 low Morrison's, the burning of the railroad 

 buildings, one locomotive, and two cars, at 

 that place, the burning of the railroad bridge 

 across Hickory creek, and the capture there of 

 a large amount of bacon and other commissary 

 stores. A large amount of property and stores, 

 including a cotton factory and other Govern- 

 ment buildings, was destroyed at McMinnsville, 

 and a large number of horses and mules brought 

 in. No casualties occurred to the Federal force. 



On the 29th of April, a force of five hundred 

 men, under Col. Watkins, captured a camp of 

 the enemy, taking one hundred and thirty- 

 eight prisoners. 



About the same time an expedition was fit- 

 ted out for Northern Georgia, consisting of the 

 51st Indiana, 80th Illinois, and portions of two 

 Ohio regiments, under command of Col. A. D. 

 Streight. The force numbered about eighteen 

 hundred men, and the instructions given to CoL 

 Streight were as follows: 



HEADQUARTERS, DEPOT or THE CUMBERLAND, I 

 MURFRKESBOBO, April 8th, 1863. j 

 Colonel A. D. Streight, 5ltt Indiana Volunteers : 



By special field order, No. 94, paragraph 8, you 

 have been assigned to the command of an Indepen- 

 dent Provisional Brigade, for temporary purposes. 

 After fitting out your command with equipments and 

 supplies, as you have already been directed in the ver- 



