“Fatal blunders': A soldier's letter about Battle of Thompson's Station

An aerial view of the battlefield and a postwar railroad station. Midwestern troops
 — the 85th and 33rd Indiana— retreated from right to left. 

                                       Like this blog on Facebook | My YouTube videos

On March 6, 1863, from a camp at Franklin, Tennessee, a soldier in the 22nd Wisconsin wrote about the disastrous defeat suffered by the U.S. Army the day before.

Along the wooded ridges and cedar-crowned hills at Thompson’s Station — ground many Middle Tennesseans now drive past without a second thought — his brigade had been surrounded and forced to surrender. What began as a reconnaissance down the Franklin Pike ended in one of the sharpest U.S. Army defeats in Middle Tennessee.

His letter captures the terrors of combat — the “shrill scream of a flying ball,” the “demoniac sound” of rifled shells — and defends the courage of men who believed they had been sent into a trap.

Here are excerpts from that nearly 3,000-word account, published in The Racine (Wis.) Advocate on March 25, 1863 — the same day most of the 22nd Wisconsin became captives of Nathan Bedford Forrest at Brentwood, Tennessee. (See my video on that battle.) (The unknown letter writer, who avoided capture at Thompson's Station, may have been among them.)

"There are many personal incidents of the fight worthy of record," wrote the soldier from Company A about Thompson's Station, "but I fear my communication is already too long for your columns and must close."

'Another of those fatal blunders'

A cropped enlargement of an American Battlefield Trust map of Thompson's Station battle
shows the position of the 22nd Wisconsin near the Columbia Pike. (Full map)

It is my painful task to inform you of the details of one of the most terrible defeats ever sustained by any portion of the National army in the war. The 22d [Wisconsin] has made for itself a history — a glorious history — but that history has well-nigh ended where it began. Another of those fatal blunders of sending out a small force against an enemy ten times their number, for which this war is famous, has been perpetrated, and as fine a brigade as Gen. [William] Rosecrans’ army can boast has been utterly annihilated.

The first screaming shells

An aerial view of the battlefield terrain.

The country here consists of a series of parallel ranges of hills, crossing transversely to the pike and covered, except in the cleared fields, with heavy timber, thus preventing the movements of the enemy to be seen for but a short distance ahead.

As we approached Thompson station, 9 miles from Franklin and 4 miles from Spring Hill, the firing by the skirmishers became rapid, and soon their cheers indicated that they had gained an advantage. On hearing this we advanced at a quick step and soon discovered that they had gained the top of a high hill crowned with cedars, and had there halted. 

On the right of this hill was another one of equal height, and between the two the turnpike and railroad crossed each other, while at their southern base was the little village of Thompson [Station]. The reserve cavalry with Col. [John] Coburn, his staff, and body guard, had just reached the R. R. crossing between the two hills when we were suddenly surprised by the report of cannon from the vicinity of the station, which caused a precipitate retreat of the cavalry from their dangerous proximity, and immediately thereafter another of the screaming missiles passed along close to the right of our ranks, causing the boys involuntarily to crouch to the earth to avoid their unwelcome visitor. 

'Leaden messengers about our ears'

The armies exchanged fire along the railroad track.

The boys would dodge as much for the shells from our own battery for those from the rebels, for I never heard a more demoniac sound than that made by a shell from a rifled gun. Soon, far to the left, a long line of rebel cavalry could be seen passing directly toward our rear, with the evident intention of outflanking us and capturing our train, while at the same time their battery could be seen taking a new position farther to the left, where nothing could prevent their raking the whole length of our regimental line.

Just here, too, the battery, by some unexplained want of precaution, ran out of ammunition, and were obliged to leave their position, when the alarm was given that a body of infantry were coming around the hill to outflank us. We were quickly moved out of our position and formed another line at right angles with our previous one, and just under the brow of the hill on which the battery had been, where, as the rebel battery had again opened, we were ordered to lie down.

Battle relics may be seen at Homestead Manor,
used as a hospital during and after the battle.

The design of that fire we soon saw, however, was to shell the pike, probably to prevent our retreat, though one shell exploded directly in front of Co. A, too far off, however, to do any damage. We had lain there but a few minutes when a rebel regiment appeared among the cedars on the opposite hill, and then the 22d fired its first volley at its country's enemies, and those who were in a position to see the rebel line say that it was a most effective one.

And the rebels were by no means idle, for whiz! zip! spud! came the little leaden missiles above one's ears, making music of a different character, but no more agreeable than the howling shells. But no one appeared too excited for perfect control of himself; the boys would run up to the top of the hill, take deliberate aim at the smoke among the cedars, (for no rebels were openly visible,) fire, and then return to the line to reload.

But not long could we remain here. The party which had attempted to flank us were now making for the pike to cut off the whole brigade, and we were ordered to fall back from our exposed position. The ranks being so broken by the boys selecting good positions for shooting, that the movement down the hill was accomplished in some confusion, but the line was reformed in perfect order behind the railroad bank at the foot, the right resting at the crossing of the railroad and pike.

'They fought like heroes'

Both armies used the railroad embankments for cover.

The 33d Ind. is Col. Coburn's own regiment and has been in service eighteen months, having been a part of Morgan's Cumberland Gap army. They were led by Col. Coburn himself in a charge on the rebel battery on the right of the station before the attack was made on our regiment. They had advanced nearly to the battery when a large body of infantry, whose presence they had not previously suspected, rose from behind a stone fence and poured a volley directly into their faces. 

They were compelled to retreat over a long stretch of low, wet land, exposed to the deadly fire of the enemy, and were, of course, terribly cut up, but formed their lines and fought like heroes, only surrendering when their cartridge boxes were empty. 

The whole Brigade fought gallantly, but they had been drawn into well laid trap, [Confederate Gen. Earl] Van Dorn's vastly superior numbers prevailed against the most obstinate bravery, and they were obliged to surrender as prisoners of war. 

Battlefield historical marker on Columbia Pike at Thompson's Station, Tennessee.

Lt. Col. [Edward] Bloodgood was the coolest man I saw upon the field; dressed in full uniform, his tall, commanding form was a conspicuous mark for rebel bullets, but he kept his seat upon his horse and gave orders with all the precision and coolness of a battalion drill. It seems almost a miracle that he was not struck as he rode down the pike in that tempest of bullets. ....

Our brave commander, Col. Coburn, is also a prisoner, and the country is thus deprived of the services of one of her noblest and best men. Whatever may be the opinion of others, such is the confidence that Col. Coburn's men have in his caution and skill as a General, that no news can be more welcome to us than to hear that he will again be our commander. 

The author of the disaster is undoubtedly Gen. [Charles] Gilbert, the commander at Franklin, who sent out so small a force against one he knew to be superior, and then refused to reinforce it. I learn that this miscreant has been placed under arrest, and if the facts are as reported, hanging is too good for him.

---

Postscript: The defeat was an embarrassing setback for Union forces operating south of Nashville and reflected poorly on Gilbert's command. He received no further significant field command.