Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/593

110 seventh, Col, T. M. Jones; Twenty-ninth, Col. W. F. Brantly; and Thirtieth, Lieut.-Col. J. I. Scales, were in Walthall’s or Patton Anderson’s brigade. These two brigades composed the division of Gen. J. M. Withers, Polks’ corps, which was almost entirely made up of Alabamians and Mississippians.

In Hardee's corps, the Fifth Mississippi, Lieut.-Col. W. L. Sykes, and the Eighth, Col. J. C. Wilkinson, formed part of Jackson’s brigade, Breckinridge’s division; and the Forty-fifth, Lieut.-Col, R. Charlton, and the Fifteenth battalion sharpshooters, Capt. A. T. Hawkins, were in Wood’s brigade, in the division now commanded by Cleburne. The artillery remained as assigned in the Kentucky campaign.

Before Murfreesboro, on the morning of December 31, 1862, Chalmers’ brigade, at the right of Polk’s line and well to the front, was the pivot on which Hardee and Polk wheeled to the right, driving before them, but not without desperate fighting, McCook’s and part of Thomas’ corps, back through an arc of go degrees, to the Nashville pike.

Wood's brigade, on the 27th, had supported Wharton’s cavalry in holding back McCook’s division at Triune, where Darden's artillery did noble service. On the 31st the brigade took the Federal hospital and suffered terribly in driving the enemy from the cedar brake. The brigade took 1,100 men into action and lost 504 in killed, wounded and captured. The Forty-fifth had 217 men engaged, and lost 71 killed and wounded, and 41 missing. General Cleburne specially mentioned for gallantry Colonel Charlton, Maj. E. F. Nunn, Adjt. Frank Foster, Sergeants Asbury, Doolittle, Morrison, Vaughan, Stewart, Lieut. G. W. Williams, Sergeant-Major Kern, Corporals Mallett, Hackler and Read, and Private McChadin. Corporal Read volunteered to carry the colors after two color-bearers had been shot down. After the tide of battle had set against the Confederates, Lieutenant