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Lot 668
Union Soldier's Diary With Battle Descriptions. Union Army Soldier's Diary. Soldier's Diary recorded by an officer of the 178th Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, in a pocket ledger approximately 4 x 6", without covers, beginning August 31, 1864 and closing on January 17, 1865. Over Seventy pages of handwritten entries, including personal notes, lists of names, a detailed record of expenditures, some from the war years and probably related to military service. There is also a handwritten "Roll of Company A., 178 Regiment, O.b.G.," being a neatly written Muster Roll of every remaining soldier in the regiment. But the highlight of this diary is a full ten page narrative of entries made during Hood's invasion of Tennessee, also called the Franklin and Nashville Campaign, and Forrest's operations in Tennessee. The diarist writes of traveling south by river boat and train, arriving at Nashville in November of 1864. As early as November 25th he notes that General Hood and Maj. General George H.Thomas were "…fighting at Columbia 25 miles north of Shelbyville." On December 1st and 2nd the regiment marched on to Murfreesboro. While Thomas delayed his attack, Hood sent Forrest with both cavalry and infantry toward Murfreesboro to carry out raids against the Union forces, with the intention of destroying the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad and the disruption of the Union army supply depot at Murfreesboro. This culminated in the action at Murfreesboro on the morning of December 7th, which the diarist describes in some detail:
"Regiments of infantry and 4 hundred of cavalry under General Milroy went out to feel of the rebels and 7 pieces of artillery run the rebels into their hole and then the trouble begun. Heavy cannonading for a few minutes after which the 174 O.V.I. opened fire on the Johnnies followed by the 181 O they opened a very heavy fire and the 178 O.V.I. came in on a flank move…We run the rebels until dusk…loss of our regiment light."
Several days of icy weather followed. On December 14th a foraging expedition attempting to augment dwindling rations unexpectedly came face-to-face with the enemy:
"…cracker line cut off living on quarter Rations the boys went out with a forage Train After Corn didn't go more than a mile till they found Rebel Cavalry…They had a pretty hard fight and would have been captured had it not been for reinforcements from the fort …our Color Sergeant had his leg shot off close by the knee and the Color Corp had his leg fractured laid in Murfeesboro til the 22 … on quarter Ration and that in Mush meal not sifted pretty tough …"
General John Bell Hood was soundly defeated on December 15th and 16th at Nashville and began to retreat south. Beginning December 24th, the diary narrates marching: "…on the Pike [Salem Pike] for Columbia to join our Coman after Hood. I suppose distance 50 miles arrived …28th Dec. Pretty hard marching for the holidays…" He and his unit marched west to the Tennessee River at Clifton, and on the 18th they boarded a steamboat traveling north.
The diary is moderately field worn, and though its covers are not present, the pages are still held together by the original twine binding. A fascinating first-hand account of a Civil War campaign.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
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| Realized $1,783 |
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