History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1863 STONE RIVER. 1079
On the 9th of November the brigade, under command of Colonel Hambright,
was sent to Mitchellsville with orders to guard the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad. The regiments were detailed along the road, the headquarters of
the Seventy-ninth being at Camp M'Cloud, six miles south of Mitchellsville.
A month later the brigade was summoned to join the main body of the
army encamped at Nashville, and about to start on the campaign of Stone
River. Upon its arrival Rousseau's Division was assigned to General Thomas'
Corps. On the 27th the division left camp and marched down the Franklin
Pike, thence across to Nolansville, and to the Murfreesboro Pike, at a point
about ten miles north of Murfreesboro, where a junction was formed with the
main column on the evening of the 29th. Early on the following morning the
army moved forward, the advance soon encountering the enemy's skirmishers,
who fell back before it. Late in the evening the brigade was dispatched to
Jefferson, on the Stone River Pike, to protect the train and cut off theretreatofthe
rebel cavalry. On Tuesday, the 30th, the wagon train belonging to the brigade
separated from the main train and followed the column to Jefferson. While
on the way it was attacked by Wheeler's Cavalry, and before help could be
obtained twenty-two wagons, containing stores and camp equipage, were burned,
and six men captured. On the following morning the brigade crossed the
Stone River Bridge and moved on towards Murfreesboro. Two miles out, a
number of stragglers were met who reported Rosecrans' Army cut to pieces
and retreating towards Nashville. Soon an orderly came who directed the
brigade to return and join the division, which was accomplished before nightfall. It was moved into a thicket of cedars and posted to repel an attack. The
following day, January 1st, 1863, was spent in feeling the enemy and reconnoitring. Early next morning the enemy opened a brisk fire. The infantry
was rapidly moved forward and the engagement, which soon became general,
raged with unabated fury for four hours. The Third Brigade was in line with
the left resting on the pike, the Seventy-ninth in support of Loomis' Battery.
The rebel guns, half a mile distant, opened a rapid fire upon it, to the sore annoyance of the supports, but was finally silenced. In the afternoon the enemy
made a fierce assault upon the left, but was met and driven by Negley's command. During the evening the brigade was moved to the front line, the Seventy-ninth occupying a rifle-pit which was hastily thrown up after darkness
had set in. Companies C, E, H and I were thrown out as post pickets, but
the enemy having learned their position, posted a battery so as to command it
and drove them out, gaining possession of the cedars and holding them until
the following evening. During the night he was dislodged, but before morning had withdrawn, leaving his dead unburied. The loss of the regiment wa
two killed and ten wounded.
lThe casualties up to this time had been as follows: nine commissioned offcers
had resigned; one died of disease; two killed in action; three wounded in
action; one captured; thirty-seven enlisted men killed in action; one hundred and fifty-six enlisted men wounded; seventeen died from wounds received
in action; fourteen captured, paroled and exchanged; six captured, paroled
and not exchanged; one hundred and three discharged for disability; eighteen,
members of band, -mustered out; forty died of disease; fifty-three deserted
and two transferred; sixteen recruits received. It numbered at this time thirty-five commissioned officers, and six hundred and eighty-eight enlisted men,
of whom twenty-five officers and four hundred and eighty-four men were pre