r commanding, hastened to
the relief of the train, arriving about 1 p. m., Opdyke's brigade leading,
and drove the enemy out of the town north. Bradley's brigade, the second
in line of march, formed line facing east and advanced nearly a mile, our
brigade, Colonel Lane commanding, forming the reserve. The 26th Ohio soon
after was ordered to extend the skirmish line east of the pike farther
south and take possession of and hold a dirt road coming into the pike
over a mile south. At this place we were located near a cotton gin, on
which an outlook was posted, who soon reported Confederate troops in
sight. We built a rail barricade, each man got out of cartridge box and
bit off ten cartridges and made all the arrangements we could for rapid
firing. The gray lines could be seen by Sergeant Hall (the outlook) for a
long distance and he kept posting us as to their movements. He held his
post too long and was killed in the effort to reach us at the barricade.
It was undulating farm land where we were located, with timber showing
south of us and also in our rear three-fourths of a mile or one-fourth
west of the pike. We could see the gray lines east of us, at some places
half a mile away, as they were advancing, but owing to the roll of the
land they passed out of our view nearly one-fourth of a mile in front or
east of us and did not appear again until less than one hundred yards
away. We opened fire and effectually stopped them in our front and
temporarily to right and left, but to our left, north of us, they soon
pressed forward, passing directly between us and Spring Hill. Wagner,
seeing our situation from his position, over a mile away, rushed a battery
forward and opened fire, we getting the effect as well as our enemy
between us and the guns. We held this position until all or nearly all had
consumed their ten rounds, when Captain Clark gave the order to escape if
possible. In doing this we obliqued to the southwest to escape a heavy
fire now reaching us from the north and the quicker to get protection from
the rolling ground. While the battery held them in check we crossed the
pike and made a complete half circle to reach Spring Hill, which we did,
losing 77 men from the regiment. Sergeant John F. Chambers of company E
was among the slain. Schofield, with the army from Columbia, began to
arrive about 11 p. m., and leaving our division, now confronting Hood's
entire army, in position, moved north, driving the rebel cavalry