By the timely arrival of this battalion the bridge was saved with but little damage except to the roof.
In pa.s.sing through the town we found several places where amunition had been piled and burnt.
On the railroad near the bridge were several cars laden with amunition, and loaded muskets, all surrounded by fire, and the discharge of these muskets was a matter of considerable annoyance to our men while working at the bridge.
Our advance soon crossed to the opposite side of the stream, even before the flames were extinguished.
Captain Rankin was left to complete the work.
The enemy had made a halt a short distance beyond and in plain view of the bridge seeing that they had been foiled in their attempt to burn the bridge, now commenced firing their amunition in heaps all along their line and their main column began to move leaving a few skirmishers in the rear, but not however, without receiving a few shots from the 4th regular battery which was attached to our brigade.
The fire being put out on the bridge and every thing being in readiness, we moved on, the 5th Iowa being deployed as skirmishers.
They soon struck the enemy"s rear driving them before them.
A mile further we came to two abandoned wagons loaded with amunition.
We pa.s.sed to the right of them and when opposite the explosion took place and thousands of blue blazes could be seen shooting heavenward. It was a magnificent sight. A few hundred yards further on were two wagons of the same kind and the same scene occurred.
Now the country became mountainous and the valleys were reduced to narrow pa.s.ses between hills, and the enemy became more stubborn and resentful taking possession of every available position to plant their batteries, and impede our progress, and in short when they reached the broken country they did not drive worth a cent.
But by moving through the woods, thickets and underbrush and over the hills and rocks, and tearing our clothes almost at every step we succeeded in driving them about six miles beyond Pulaski.
At this point they made a bold stand upon a high hill, and behind barricades of logs and rails.
Some time was spent in skirmishing and getting the brigade into position.
The 7th was on the right and not finding anything formidable in our front we mounted and moved by file down a very steep hill. On the opposite side of the valley, two-thirds of the way up met a few skirmishers.
The regiment was then thrown into columns of squadrons, preparatory to fighting on foot.
Capt. Rankin"s battalion being in advance moved out by the right and at once engaged the enemy"s skirmishers which were not more than thirty yards in advance of his line, and finding that the enemy"s line extended far beyond his right, reported the same to Col. Garrard.
Here the Col. ordered him to take company F in order to extend his line further out.
This company had hardly been put in position when our line gave way on the left and center and a grand rush was made by the enemy on our right causing us to drop back. Now the driving was all on the other side.
We had found out for the first time that our line was not more than thirty yards from their main line, and our led horses two hundred and fifty yards from their battery which had all been concealed up to this time. This battery opened fire cutting the timber over our horses and at the same time a charge was made upon us.
The enemy proved to be eight brigades of infantry as we learned from a prisoner who was a little more daring than his comrades and followed a little too close on our retreating line. Upon noticing him, one of the boys "bout faced and took the chap in.
He also said that Forrest"s cavalry had refused to fight any more and 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 Tusc.u.mbia 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 s.p.a.ce 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 a.s.sembled 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 ma.s.s 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 partic.i.p.ate 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.