As Captain Frederick Garternicht’scompany of the 84th Illinois arrived on the outskirts ofMurfreesboro on the evening of December 29, 1862, he witnessed the destructionof a brick home along the Nashville Pike near the Two-Mile Marker. Confederateengineers intended to destroy some outbuildings to clear lanes of fire forConfederate artillery, but the flames spread to the main residence which wassoon engulfed.
“In front of us were somebuildings burning,” Garternicht recalled. “It began to get dark and we advancedtowards them but were ordered to halt 200 paces distant. A fine brick buildingtook fire just as we halted [the Cowan House] and it was a grand sight, but weall felt bad when a few buckets of water would have extinguished the flames. Tostand within 200 paces of a nice, big building and see it burn down- see theflames progress from window to window until their fiery tongues enveloped theentire edifice in one common conflagration.” The resulting wreckage became animportant landmark in the subsequent battle of Stones River and was usuallyreferred to as the Cowan Burnt House.
In this extraordinary accountfrom the pages of the Oquawka Spectator, Captain Garternicht describesthe march into Murfreesboro, exchanging newspapers with Rebel pickets, and theintensity of combat on December 31st that reduced his company of 35men down to just 8. “We looked at one another and what we felt I cannot write!”Garternicht wrote afterwards.
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| This photo dating from the early 1900s points out the location of the Cowan "Burnt" House along the Nashville Pike. Visitors to the park today can find the location by driving south along the Old Nashville Pike for about a mile to just beyond the Hazen Brigade monument. A turnoff under the Thompson Lane overpass features markers for Donelson's and Chalmer's brigades, and this is the approximate location of the house. |
Camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
January 11, 1863
Editors Spectator,
In my lastletter, I promised to write you when we arrived at Nashville but I had so muchto do that I had no time to write. On the 26th of December, we leftcamp to start for Murfreesboro. I will now endeavor to give you an account ofthe march, subsequent battle, and its incidents. As I kept no diary, I have towrite it down from memory and therefore cannot give you exact dates.
We startedwith only 35 men in all in the company. Two of my men were detailed to thePioneer Corps which also took part in the Battle of Murfreesboro. On the firstfew days, nothing of any remark happened. On the 28th, Albert Cariltook sick with the ague. On the 29th [28th], our company came on picketand had to relieve a company of the 6th Ohio. I sent SecondLieutenant William H. Fuller with half the company in reserve and I with FirstLieutenant Caswell on the first platoon went to relieve the outer posts.
A few pacesfrom the reserve, we had to go over a piece of elevated ground when the bulletscame whistling about us from the enemy who were posted 300-400 paces distanceon the side of a bluff and separated from us by a stream just about the size ofHenderson [Stewart’s Creek near LaVergne]. We took our positions and commencedfiring with what effect I do not know. The balls came so thick that there was anot a man that had not a dozen balls within a foot or two of his head, but,strange to say, no one was hurt.
After firingan hour or two, apparently with no effect on either side, the boys commencedlaughing and hallooing to the Secesh. At first, they exchanged epithets andthrew slang at each other; finally, they asked us if we had any papers toexchange. I had a Louisville Journal and was willing to exchange; westopped firing and Alexander Beck went to the stream to affect the exchange. Hewrapped his paper around an ear of corn and threw it over. The Secesh threw hisbut it came to shore then rolled back into the river. The Secesh grabbedanother one (the latest they had) and it also fell into the river. Beck fishedit out and got it though in very damp condition. Secesh, after expressing hisregret at the accident, told Beck that his colonel wished him to tell hiscaptain to do as they did in Virginia and not fire on the pickets. To this Iconsented, and we talked together until Captain [Alexander] Pepper with his Co.K relieved us.
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| Captain Frederick Garternicht Co. G, 84th Illinois |
The nextmorning, we were sent ahead as skirmishers with another company as our reserve.The first thing we had to do was wade the river across which we had thrown thepapers the day before. It was waist deep and I tell you the water was cold! Butin we went and up the next hill but the Secesh were gone! We went ahead abouttwo miles. A few shots were fired at us from the Secesh rearguard but we didnot mind that and kept on for a mile or two when a few cannon balls camewhizzing over our heads. We were signaled to halt and lie down while a nicelittle game of balls was played over our heads which lasted about half an hour.Our shots appeared to pass about six feet over our heads while the Secesh ballsstruck the ground from 10-20 feet in front of us, a good many ricocheting andflying over us. Two of them burst right over us but none of us were injured.
The Seceshgave way and we advanced again for about a mile when we came within 200 pacesof a fence; then the Rebels opened on us with musket fire. We were in an openfield with nothing to protect us so we ran ahead in the double quick and if theSecesh had not ran like the devil that might have felt our bayonets. But theyleft in time and we kept on advancing.
A shortdistance ahead, we had to cross the river again [Overall’s Creek] and by theway, I have crossed that very river many times since. My left wing was close tothe Pike and a bridge partly destroyed spanned the river. Not liking to wadeagain, I went to examine the bridge to see whether I could pass with my company,but I had hardly got there when a Secesh shell burst right over the bridge. Idid not think it safe to cross on that bridge and we took the water.
Ahead we went,most of the time under fire, until we came to a cotton field. In front of uswere some buildings burning. It began to get dark and we advanced towards thembut were ordered to halt 200 paces distant. A fine brick building took firejust as we halted [the Cowan House] and it was a grand sight, but we all feltbad when a few buckets of water would have extinguished the flames. To standwithin 200 paces of a nice, big building and see it burn down- see the flamesprogress from window to window until their fiery tongues enveloped the entireedifice in one common conflagration.
We were then ordered to advancein front of the burning house but a hail of balls received us, the lightenabling the Secesh to see us. Here Albert Hoskinson was wounded and he hassince died of his wounds. About 10 o’clock that night, we were relieved byanother company.
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| Co. E of the 84th Illinois depicted in this image dating from the spring of 1863 while the regiment was encamped near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Illinoisans, the junior regiment of Colonel William Grose's brigade, earned their "stripes" in the brigade through their stout support of Captain Charles Parsons Batteries H and M, 4th U.S. Light Artillery which cost the regiment half its numbers. |
On the 31st ofDecember we were formed in line of battle; our regiment, which had been inadvance of the brigade the last two days was this day in the reserve. About 9 o’clock,the cannonading began and very soon the infantry fire got heavy. We wereordered forward to support a battery and were, for about half an hour, sharplyengaged. Here, Lieutenant Mills of Co. K got wounded, and many others of theregiment, but none in my company. We had to change front and took our positionin front of a ledge of rocks surrounded by a cedar grove. Here we laid, ourartillery firing over our heads. The battle was in its fury. Regiment afterregiment on our right and left gave way, some of them in utter confusion. Westill stuck in our rocks.
Secesh balls now commenced totell upon us. The first I noticed as being wounded was Lafayette Crandall. Hehad been loading and firing when, all at once, he rolled over and cried out, “Captain,I am hurt.” I went up to him; he was shot in the neck. I have not heardanything of him since neither have we found him among the dead. [Crandall wascaptured and survived] On my right a man of Co. K was shot in the ear, behindme was Corporal Green, shot in the face, this all happened inside of 10-15minutes.
When we were ordered to fallback, we had to go, under a heavy fire some 200 paces when we halted again fora short time but not long. We were ordered into a railroad cut; here I wantedto arrange my company again and found Lieutenant Fuller, myself, and only sixmen present. I thought my men were mixed up with some other company in theregiment, but I could not find another one. Were they all killed and wounded?That could not be! Present were myself, Lieutenant Fuller, Sergeant A.T.McDill, E.L. Camp, C. Kaiser, J.C. McDill, John Sullivan, and B.F. Smith. Welooked at one another and what we felt I cannot write! After a short time,Corporals Vandenburg and Randall came up and John Graham, all right.
Before the battle, the strengthof our regiment was 328 men in all; of these, 159 were killed and wounded while8 are missing. On the 2nd of January, we were in a fight again andlost six wounded of whom one has since died. Our company was out on picket andnot engaged with the regiment but fought on our own hook- no one hurt.
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Source:
Letter from Captain Frederick Garternicht, Co. G, 84thIllinois Volunteer Infantry, Oquawka Spectator (Illinois), January 29,1863, pg. 2
