After 18 April 1862, see 44th Consolidated Infantry

Shiloh after battle report: Report of. Col. Coleman A. McDaniel, Forty-fourth Tennessee Infantry. HDQRS. FORTY-FOURTH REGT. TENNESSEE VOLS., April 9, 1862. In compliance with your order of the 8th instant I submit the following report of the action of my regiment of the 6th and 7th: At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 3d I received orders from Col. be ready to march at any moment. About 3 o'clock on the same day I received marching orders, and immediately put my command in moments, when my command was placed on the left of the brigade. We traveled until 12.30 o'clock that night, a distance of some 20 miles, and encamped. Early next morning we took up the line of march in the same order, and proceeded to within some 3 miles of the enemy, when by your command we were halted and rested some two or three hours, during which time a short skirmish ensued between our cavalry and that of the enemy, and perhaps some infantry on both sides. The Skirmish took place immediately in front of our lines, when by your order I placed my regiment to the right nearly half a mile, and occupied the same position in the brigade, and remained there on our arms until 2 o'clock in the morning, at which time we moved back to the main road leading to the enemy, and proceeded at daylight to march in the direction of them. Col. McKoin's regiment, having been placed in the reserve to support the brigade, and Maj. Hardcastle's battalion as a support to the artillery, my regiment then occupied the right, the brigade moving by the left flank. We marched in this order some 2 miles and formed a line of battle, when Col. Patterson's regiment was thrown out as skirmishers in advance, and Maj. Hardcastle's battalion was brought upon my right, occupying the right flank of the brigade. We remained in this position all day. At night Col. Patterson's regiment was brought back and occupied the position of Maj. Hardcastle's battalion, which was thrown in advance as skirmishers. WE remained in this position all night on our arms. Early in the morning (the 6th) Maj. Hardcastle's battalion brought on a skirmish fight, at which time you ordered the whole brigade to move in the same order. We arrived on the ground where Maj. Hardcastle had the skirmish fight, and then Col. Patterson's regiment was thrown out as skirmishers and Maj. Hardcastle took his position. We then moved in this order until we got in sight of the enemy's camp on our left, when I was informed by one of your aides that the order was to charge. We then charged, Col. Patterson's regiment being immediately in my front. We charged to the top of the hill, where a short skirmish ensued, and moved on to the enemy's camps, driving them before us, putting them to rout. I then reformed my regiment and moved to the left, in the line of the enemy's camps, at which time you ordered me to hold my regiment as a support to the brigade. The brigade then charged on some batteries immediately on a hill in front of us, when a heavy fight ensued, at which time I moved my regiment to the right of the brigade and in a line with one of the enemy's batteries, when the whole of our force on the left fell back a short distance. My regiment fell back some hundred yards into a ravine, when one of our batteries. I then moved my regiment back up the hill, fighting all the way, other troops having come up on my left. When I got to the top of the hill I found that the enemy had retreated back to another of their encampments and that my regiment was entirely separated from the brigade. Others of our troops coming up, I kept to the right, with them fighting and driving the enemy from another of their encampments, at which time one of your aides, Capt. Clare, came up, and rendered me very valuable assistance. My regiment continued to fight until all their ammunition was very nearly exhausted, and having lost a great many of my men, I moved my regiment back to the ammunition wagon and replenished, and then moved forward to nearly the same place, when Col. Patterson's regiment came up, when I formed on his right. We then moved forward in the direction of the enemy and had a sharp fight, when our artillery came up, and we fell back in the rear of it, and remained there until you came to us. After several moves, but no more fighting, we by your orders lay on our arms during the night. On the next morning we formed our line of battle on the encampment, my regiment being on the left of the brigade, and after several, and by your, orders we engaged the enemy. Between 11 and 12 o'clock we had a severe fight, my left resting on another brigade of our troops. After fighting severely for some time a charge was ordered, and we commenced making it, when I was informed by the brigade on my left that the enemy was advancing on the left and they were near to us. I ordered my men back and took position to the right of this brigade. Some of my men did not hear this order, and charged across with some of Col. Patterson's men. Those that did hear my order, before they could regain their position, were opened upon by the enemy with a deadly fire, which continued until the whole of our troops were compelled to fall back from a flank movement of the enemy. I then replenished my men with ammunition, and after several moves and some fighting I was, about 3 o'clock, struck by a grape ball in the right arm, which, from the loss of blood, compelled me to leave the field. I had forgotten to state before in my report that I was deprived of the valuable services of Lieut.-Col. Shied about 2 o'clock on the day before by a wound received in his left side. I would also state that I had not the assistance during the fight of the major, he having been, on account of sickness, unable to discharge the duties of his office for some two months. I would state in conclusion that the officers and men under my command conducted themselves gallantly, and acted as bravely and chivalrously as men could, and fought with endurance not to be surpassed by better-drilled troops, as will appear by my abstract showing the number of killed and wounded. To mention the individual acts of heroism that came under my observation would extend this report to too great length. I would also mention that Drs. Noblett, Osborne, and Chandler deserve to be mentioned for their services to the wounded; also Lieut. Guinn, for his aid in assisting the wounded to the hospital. Drill-masters Hendrick and Hamilton, for their gallantry on the battlefield, deserve to me mentioned. All of which is respectfully submitted. C. A. McDANIEL, Col., Comdg. Forty-fourth Regt. Tennessee Volunteers. Gen. S. A. M. WOOD, Cmdg. Third Brigade. Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 10. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 10 Stone's River after battle report: Report of Col. John S. Fulton, Forty-fourth Tennessee Infantry. ESTILL SPRINGS, TENN., January 7, 1863. The brigade was formed in line of battle by daylight on the morning of the 31st ultimo; the Forty-fourth, occupying its position next on the right, marched from its encampment through a corn-field. When approaching a thicket, the enemy opened a battery upon us in front of the Seventeenth Regiment, of same brigade, wounding some 3 men of my regiment. We advanced beyond the thicket through a corn-field, when the brigade was halted, the right resting near a cedar thicket. Here a severe fire was opened upon us by the sharpshooters of the enemy, wounding several of our men and creating some little confusion. We here deployed a company as skirmishers, who soon drove back the enemy's sharpshooters, not, however, until they had wounded several field officers and many men. We then advanced and crossed the Old Franklin road into a cedar thicket, where we had a very severe engagement, fighting some twenty minutes before the enemy gave way. Here our color-bearer was shot down, and Maj. Ewin was shot from his horse, and 8 company officers fell-1 killed and the others wounded. We then charged and drove the enemy through a woodland, they offering a stubborn resistance, until they approached a large corn-field. Here the enemy were routed, some going through the field and others on either side thereof. The Forty-fourth Regt. passed into the corn-field several hundred yards, then moved by the left flank and entered a woodland. When the brigade reformed, and was resupplied with ammunition, it continued to move forward under the fire of the enemy's battery to our right, which firing was very heavy. After marching until we reached the cotton-field, we made a right half-wheel, facing toward the enemy's battery, advancing through the field in its direction. Having sent forward sharpshooters, the battery retired, our skirmishers doing good service, killing and wounding both horses and men. We pressed forward then through the woods, crossing the Nolensville road, moving by the left flank, and, passing through a small field, entered another woodland. Here the brigade, marching in line of battle, engage the enemy in a cedar bough [brake]. The enemy fell back. We took 21 prisoners and pressed the enemy. We found that we were in advance of our line of battle, and that we were about to be flanked by them on our right in heavy force. One of the prisoners taken said that had we advanced 100 yards farther we would have been surrounded by an entire division in ambush and thus cut off. The Forty-fourth and Thirty-seventh were marched by the left flank and reunited with the balance of the brigade, which fell back, to avoid a flank movement of the enemy, to our own lines. Under the direction of the general, the brigade was reformed and ordered forward to support a portion of what I supposed was McCown's division, already engaging the enemy. We marched through a long piece of woods, entering a large corn-field, where we found that the enemy had checked that portion of McCown's division, which division was much scattered and disordered. Their officers were endeavoring to rally and carry them forward. At this moment we reached and passed them, passing a small house, and, crossing two fences, we entered a cedar thicket, which was the strongest natural position we encountered through the day, it being one of large ledges of rock of very rugged formation, protected by a heavy growth of cedar. Here we engaged the enemy, driving him back over a fence. A portion of the Forty-fourth crossed over the fence. It was at this juncture-the enemy gradually falling back, stubbornly resisting our advance, and taking advantage of the ground-that the troops on our right were found suddenly to have broken and given back in confusion, without any apparent cause. A mounted officer of that command, passing Lieut.-Col. [John L.] McEwen, [jr.] said that we were under a heavy cross-fire and must retire. Consequently, being without support, and the men witnessing the flight on our right, fell back in disorder, in spite of the efforts of the officers present. In retiring, our loss was considerable, 2 officers and nearly 20 men. A general retreat took place. We fell back through the field a considerable distance into the woods, where, with great difficulty, the command was reformed at 4 p.m. The brigade remained in line of battle without any more fighting, under the fire of the enemy's artillery of long range. It affords me pleasure to state that the officers and men of my command behave with great gallantry, with the exception of a few persons who field the field under the fire of the enemy, and whose names shall be reported for the consideration of the general. Respectfully submitted. JNO. S. FULTON, Col., Cmdg. Forty-fourth Tennessee Volunteers. R. B. SNOWDEN, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records PAGE 894-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.]

Tennessee 44th Infantry (Confederate)

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