After 25 April 1862, see 51st Consolidated Infantry.

Stone's River after battle report: Report of Col. John Chester, Fifty-first Tennessee Infantry. NEAR SHELBYVILLE, TENN., January 13, 1863. The following report of the part taken by the Fifty-first Regt. in the action before Murfreesborough on December 31, 1862, is respectfully submitted: The order was received from Gen. Donelson, through his aide (Capt. [John] Bradford), to advance to the position then occupied by Chalmers' brigade, taking the guide to the right, and advance to the support of Chalmers. We advanced with the brigade under a heavy shelling, many shells striking very near my lines. When we had arrived within about 150 or 200 yards of Chalmers' position, a shell exploded so near my colors as to kill one of the guard (Private J. W. Scott, Company I), and wounded two others (Private S. Lemons and Goss), and knocked down the color-bearer (Sergt. W. M. Bland). We made a short halt at the position recently occupied by Chalmers, when we advanced to the Cowan house under a heavy fire of cannon and minie balls. My acting lieutenant-colonel (Lieut. R. A. Burford, late of the Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment) was knocked from horse, and so severely concussed as to disable him for several days. I lost several men killed and wounded before we reached the Cowan house. We found the Cowan house and yard filled with men of Chalmers' brigade, in great confusion. Owing to this confusion, my regiment became somewhat scattered. The three right companies-A, F, and D, commanded, respectively, by Lieut.'s [T. W.] McMurry, [J. B.] Tate, and [J. F.] Williamson-still kept dressed to the right, and reported to Col. Savage, and fought with the Sixteenth Regt. through the remainder of the engagement. I refer you to Col. Savage's report. I took the remaining seven companies and advanced through the field on the left of the Cowan house to the woods Just as we entered the woods, Capt. [T. C.] Campbell was shot through the head and killed. Capt. [J. A.] Russell was wounded through the thing, and Lieut. [G. C.] Howard, commanding Company G, wounded severely through the upper portion of the left lung. Capt. [James F.] Franklin was so severely shocked with a bomb as to cause blood to flow freely from his mouth, nose, and ears. Several of the men were wounded here. We continued to advance on the enemy, who at this time was in full retreat. We continued to follow and fire on them for a long distance through the woods, taking three cannon and several hundred prisoners, sending to the rear at one time, by my adjutant (R. A. Connally), 153, among them a lieutenant and 2 surgeons. We continued the pursuit until late in the evening, when the engagement terminated. I went into action with 20 officers, and 8 of them were killed and wounded. R. T. McKnight, who was first lieutenant in Company F [E] before the reorganization of the regiment, and who has remained with the regiment since, as an independent, did good service as first lieutenant of Company F, bearing himself gallantly through the whole fight. My color-sergeant (W. M. Bland), though wounded early in the action, continued to bear the colors most gallantly through the entire day. After the fall of Lieut. Burford, acting lieutenant-colonel, I had to rely entirely on my adjutant (R. A. Connally) for assistance which he rendered most efficiently. When the officers and men all did their duty so well it would be invidious to discriminate. I went into the fight with 270 men, and lost, in killed, wounded, and missing, 76. All of which is respectfully submitted. JNO. CHESTER, Cmdg. Fifty-first Tennessee Regt. Maj. J. G. MARTIN, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records PAGE 720-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.]

Tennessee 51st Infantry (Confederate)

Muster

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