| Hdqrs. First Regiment Confederate Veterans |
| December 30, 1864 |
| |
| Major Woodlief |
| Assistant Adjutant-General |
| |
| Major, |
| I have the honor respectfully to report
my movements since leaving Mobile, under the following order:
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|
HEADQUARTERS
DISTRICT OF THE GULF,
Mobile
,
Ala.
, December 25,
1864.
Col. W. W. WIER:
The major-general
directs you assume command of all the troops now under orders for Corinth,
Miss.
O'Neal's regiment and either your battalion or Metts' will move this
afternoon at 4 o'clock.
Very respectfully, colonel,
your obedient servant,
GEO. G. GARNER,
Chief
of Staff
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| King's battery being on board the train {Mobile
& Ohio RR} when I received the order, I placed O'Neal's regiment and Metts'
battalion on board, leaving my regiment at the station, to move next
day (Sunday) at 4 p.m., at which time, I was informed,
transportation would be provided for them. Owing to the character of
the troops I thought it advisable to go part of the way with the
first train. I reached Enterprise
about 4 a.m. Monday. The troops all being quiet and orderly, I
placed Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, commanding O'Neal's regiment, in
command of the whole, and remained over to bring up my own command,
as I was fearful that many of them would stop off the train. The
greater portion of them having homes or friends near the line of
railroad, and being mixed troops from almost every regiment in the Tennessee
army, they required close watching. The train having my regiment
aboard reached Enterprise
at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, two hours behind schedule time. We
reached Meridian
about 6.30 a.m. Major-General Gardner came aboard, and I immediately
reported to him. The train being heavily loaded caused many delays,
and when we reached Macon
the conductor had lost his schedule time and had to wait until
freight schedule (4.30 p.m.). We left
Macon
about 5 p.m. and arrived at West Point
about 10 o'clock. We were ordered to stop, as I suppose, until the
major-general could get some information of the enemy.
|
| About 11.30 o'clock I received an order
to get my command aboard as soon as they had something to eat and
move up the road and report to the senior officer at Egypt. As soon as possible I had my ammunition and command on the cars,
waited some few minutes for steam, and moved up the road about 2
a.m. At Prairie Station the conductor called on me for a detail to
bail water for the locomotive. I immediately furnished the detail,
and went in person and superintended the work, which was a very slow
process, having only three small buckets and the water to draw from
a deep cistern. I ordered up fresh details to keep the buckets
constantly moving, but with all the dispatch used it was 7 o'clock
before the engineer thought we had sufficient water to last him, and
not endanger the train. We then moved up as rapidly as possible.
About two miles below Egypt
we met the train from above, having on board King's battery. They
reported the enemy in full pursuit, and that they had to leave part
of their train behind; also, that General Gholson with his entire
command were captured. I immediately moved up the railroad at a
double-quick to an eminence about half a mile in front. When I
gained this position the enemy were formed and moving down upon me,
my skirmishers already firing on them. They then moved around my
right flank, causing me to change my front. From this position they
bore down upon me at full gallop. My men were steady and cool, and
with a well-directed fire scattered them in every direction. They
then fell back to their former position near Egypt, but in full view. They immediately formed their line of battle
across the railroad, two other columns moving out of the woods to
join them. I took immediate steps to fortify my position, requesting
Major Hope to take his train down to Prairie Station, get some water
for the locomotive, and return with the battery immediately. The
enemy remained in this position about two hours, then withdrew out
of sight. Having no horse I could get but little information.
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| About 4 p.m. Captain Shoup reported to
me with a few horsemen, and I soon ascertained that the enemy had
moved west, leaving their wounded at the station. I remained in
position, sending out scouts in every direction, until 9 p.m.; then
moved about two miles down the railroad to get some provisions for
my command.
|
| I remained in this position until
Wednesday, 12 m.; finding the enemy moving west and probably south,
I thought best to move down to West Point.
|
| The enemy left 7 dead on the field and 1
stand of colors. My loss 3 wounded.
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| I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
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| Wm. W. Wier
|
| Lieutenant-Colonel
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| Commanding
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