these brigades of infantry were ordered to hold us until they could get
their trains out of our reach.
We fell back about four hundred yards and reformed.
In this affair, I am most happy to state we did not lose a single man. Our
losses in horses was twenty-eight.
The rebels captured the 4th U. S. battery which belonged to our brigade.
This battery was situated on our left about a mile and supported by the
4th U. S. cavalry.
After the capture of our artillery the enemy at once commenced their
retreat, as was ascertained by throwing forward Hatch's Division, leaving
their dead and wounded on the field.
This finished Christmas day's work, a Christmas long to be remembered by
the 7th O. V. C.
This was the last sight our brigade got of the rebels, except a few
wounded ones lying along the road, and a few stragglers picked up, but a
severe fight occurred at Sugar creek on the 26th between our advance and
their rear.
We followed the enemy to near Florence where they crossed the Tennessee
river.
After remaining two days in camp we marched to Mooresville with the
Huntsville and Stevenson railroad sixteen miles distant, where we rested
from our labors ten days, and then marched to Gravelly Springs, Ala.,
reaching there January 14th, 1865.
Here the 7th was ordered to build winter quarters and stabling for their
horses. This was something new for the 7th being the first time in her
history that she went into winter quarters.
Here we remained for some time. By order of Gen. Wilson we changed our
drill from the single to the double rank formation, and while this was
going on a refitting and reorganization was perfected.
In this organization the 7th was placed in the 2nd Brigade 4th Div. C. C.
M. D. M. Gen. Upton commanding Division; Gen. Alexander the Brigade.
Here we remained until about the 20th of March. Capt. Rankin was placed in
command of the dismounted men of his regiment, then of his brigade, and
subsequently of the division, numbering over five hundred men, and led out
thirty six hours in advance, with the wagon train.
On the morning of March 22nd, the whole column was in motion, crossed the
Tennessee river and moved southward through the Tuscumbia Valley and then
into the mountain regions of Alabama. We met with no opposition until
about the 26th, when we were met by Rhoddy's Cavalry, which did not stay
long enough to give us a second shot, but lit out at the sound of the
first gun, leaving one dead.
We met and defeated the enemy at Monticello, capturing one hundred
prisoners.
The next day, we routed the combined forces of Forest, Buford and Rhoddy,
in their chosen position at Ebenezer church, capturing two guns, three
hundred prisoners, and many killed and wounded. Our loss was 44 killed and
150 wounded.
We followed on, reaching Selma late in the afternoon. Around Selma was an
intrenchment reaching from the Alabama river above the city, to the river
below, with palisades of pine timber set in the ground and sharp at the
upper end. The approach to Selma was through open ground with no
protection whatever to our men.
The plan of attack was as follows:
The First Brigade, Fourth Division, composed of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Iowa,
was put in position on the left of the road, and what is known as the
Wilder Brigade, was placed on the right of the road. The Second Brigade,
Fourth Division, composed of the 1st and 7th O. V. C. and the 5th Iowa V.
C. were retained, mounted in columns, on the road, and when the two first
mentioned brigades got fairly engaged in a hand to hand encounter within
the enemy's parapets, the Second Brigade charged down the road mounted and
into their works, killing and wounding over four hundred and capturing
eleven hundred prisoners, five battle flags and thirteen pieces of
artillery.
The 7th followed the flying enemy several miles beyond the city and in the
darkness of the night, captured a battery, complete, including caseons,
horses and harness.
Selma was taken within one hour from the time our lines were formed. In
this short space of time, one of the most important places in Confederacy
fell, it being situated in the midst of their iron regions, was of itself
a solid machine shop, where a large portion of their ordnance was made,
together with their niter works. Some of the most formidable iron works on
the continent were in this region, which also fell into our hands and were
destroyed.
We remained at Selma eight days, during which time we erected scaffolding
out into the Alabama river and ran their unfinished ordnance from their
works and dumped them into the river until they lay in heaps above the
water.
During our stay here, we sent a flag of truce to Forrest, to know if he
would honor or parole, and received word that he would if we could hold
them. Having faith in our ability to do so, and at the expiration of eight
days, we applied the torch to all Confederate property, and crossed the
river on pontoons, taking the prisoners with us, we marched on to
Montgomery, the capital of the State. On reaching there, they surrendered
without a fight, after they had burnt a large amount of cotton.
Here the stars and bars that waved over the first rebel Congress that ever
assembled on this Continent, meekly bowed its head at the first sight of a
Federal soldier with arms in his possession, without even waiting for a
salute, and up went the "old flag of the Union," which in its stead, waved
triumphantly over the dome of the house where Jeff. Davis called together
his first Congress, amid the shouts and songs of the brave men who so
proudly bore it there.
After remaining here three days, we took up our line of march for
Columbus, Ga. The 7th going by the way of Andersonville for the purpose of
releasing our prisoners held there. When within four miles of the place,
they were met by a flag of truce, evidently to gain time. This was not
recognized by the 7th, who charged the place, but only in time to see the
train moving out with the mass of skeletons caused by starvation. Some
eighty-four of our men which beggered all description, not being able to
be removed, were left in the prison pen.
The 7th joined the command in time to participate in the fight at
Columbus, which was reached about the middle of the afternoon, when 1st O.
V. C. charged a bridge which had previously been strewed with cotton
saturated with turpentine, and on reaching the bridge the enemy applied
the torch and the whole thing was in a blaze, which caused their return,
when skirmishing and an artillery duel continued until after dark.
On the west side of Columbus runs the Chatahucha river, it was spanned by
the bridges; one was destroyed, as above stated, and the others were
defended by forts, garrisoned by infantry and artillery.
A portion of the First Brigade, composed of the three Iowa regiments, were
dismounted for the purpose of storming these forts.
The Second Brigade was retained, mounted. At 9 o'clock, P. M., a move was
made. The Iowa men cleared the enemy's works on their third assault, when
the Second Brigade charged, mounted, over the bridge into the city.
In this, the enemy lost over three hundred killed and wounded, one
thousand and five hundred prisoners, twenty-four guns, eight battle flags
and a vast amount of munitions of war. We remained here over the next day,
and the next morning set fire to all the buildings containing army stores,
and taking up our march for Macon, Ga., amid the bursting of shell and the
explosion of amunition, causing the roofs and timbers to ascend
heavenward, and the mass of bricks and mortar to fall inward. Caused by
the vacuam from the explosion from within. The atmospheric pressure pushed
them inward.
Columbus, Ga., may be set down as the last battle of the war for the
preservation of the Union.
We continued our march towards Macon and when within twelve miles of that
place, we were met by Gen. Howel Cobb, bearing a flag of truce, requesting
us to go into camp where we were; that Lee had surrendered, Richmond was
captured, and that Sherman and Johnson had agreed upon an armistice of
ninety days. But Gen. Wilson refused to recognize it, and told Gen. Cobb
that he would march on to Macon, and that he, Cobb, could fight or
surrender.
We reached Macon, April 21st, 1865, when Cobb surrendered the city and his
forces without a struggle.
Here we received a telegram from Gen. Grant, to cease hostility. That Lee
had surrendered, Richmond had fallen, Johnson was surrounded, with Sherman
in his rear and Sheridan in front, and would have to surrender or be
captured.
We remained at Macon a few days, when we received orders to send out
scouts in every direction to apprehend Jeff. Davis who was trying to make
his way into Texas, whereupon our brigade, under Gen. Alexander, moved
north to Atlanta, Ga. From this point we sent out a scouting party under
Lt. Yoman, of the 1st O. V. C., and all disguised in the rebel uniform.
This party got in company with Davis' escort, at Greenville, South
Carolina, and while riding together on the road, the rebels suspecting all
was not right, drew their revolvers and opened fire on our scouts. None of
the 7th were injured except John Gates, of Co. E, he being shot through
the head, below the eye, from which he recovered.
In the meantime, Jeff. Davis was captured by the detachment of the First
Wisconsin and the Second Michigan and brought to Atlanta, Ga. The 7th O.
V. C. took charge of him and guarded him to Augusta, Ga. From here we
marched to Chattanooga, Tenn., from thence to Nashville, and went into
camp at Edgefield, where our horses and equipments were duly turned over,
and the last company of the regiment was mustered out July the 4th, and
paid to the 7th, 1865, when we returned home by the way of Louisville,
Ky., to Cincinnati.
In writing this history, I have endeavored to do exact justice to all, so
far as I knew, and if there is any errors in this narrative, it is that of
omission, having had to write exclusively from memory, and in all
probability there are omissions.
While we would not deprive any regiment of her laurals, we believe the 7th
O. V. C., for the services rendered and the number of times she was under
fire, stands second to no regiment from Maine to California.
THE END.
Transcriber's Notes:
The following misprints have been corrected:
"orginization" corrected to "organization" (page 1)
"juuction" corrected to "junction" (page 4)
"Cumburland" corrected to "Cumberland" (page 7)
"carring" corrected to "caring" (page 7)
"bregade" corrected to "brigade" (page 12)
"Dandredge" corrected to "Dandridge" (page 14)
"days days" corrected to "days" (page 20)
"flghting" corrected to "fighting" (page 21)
"rive" corrected to "river" (page 21)
"withstoou" corrected to "withstood" (page 21)
"suddently" corrected to "suddenly" (page 22)
"the" corrected to "they" (page 25)
"skimishers" corrected to "skirmishers" (page 25)
"Brgade" corrected to "Brigade" (page 26)
"Monticelo" corrected to "Monticello" (page 26)
"drys" corrected to "days" (page 27)
"Main" corrected to "Maine" (page 31)
Other than the corrections listed above, inconsistencies in spelling and
hyphenation usage have been retained.