View of site from the North
View of site from the South
View of site from the East
View of site from the West
Orders, No. 6, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part borne by Wiggins’ battery in the fights before Murfreesborough.
On the evening of December 26, [1862] the enemy advanced upon La Vergne, and one section of the battery was advanced, under Lieut. [J. W.] Calloway, to engage the enemy. During the engagement that evening we lost 3 horses and had 2 men wounded. That night the section under Lieut. Calloway retired about a mile, and one section under Lieut. [J. P.] Bryant, was left in La Vergne on picket.
On the morning of the 27th, Lieut. Calloway, with his section, was ordered to the front to engage the enemy again, while Lieut. Bryant, with his section, was posted on a hill to the left of the pike and in rear of La Vergne, to relieve the retreat of Lieut. Calloway. The battery retired to Stewart’s Creek until Monday morning, the rest of the battery retiring to the rear.
On Monday, the 29th, we retired to our lines In front of Murgreesborough, firing in the same manner as at Stewart’s Creek, and moved with the command to the right and encamped until midnight [the 29th], when, in compliance with orders from Gen. Wheeler, took Lieut. Calloway With a section of guns and moved with the command on the Lebanon pike and north Old Jefferson, where a camp of the enemy was attacked [30th], and the battery fired about a dozen; then moved on with the command by way of La Vergne and Nolensville, but had no other engagement until Wednesday [31st] evening, when the enemy was attacked and the battery engaged two hours. Lost 1 man wounded, 1 horse killed, and several horses wounded.
On Wednesday [31st], one piece of the section which was left behind was taken out by Lieut. Bryant, by order of Gen. Bragg, with Gen Breckinridge’s division, and was engaged in the action that day. Total loss, 3 men wounded, 4 horses killed, and several more wounded. The stock was very much exhausted, not having been unharnessed in six days.
The officers and men all bore themselves well and with coolness, Sergt. A. A. Blake especially displayed much gallantry.
Respectfully submitted.
J. H. WIGGINS, Capt.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 20, pt. 1, pp. 965-966.
Note 1: At times verification for an event is found incidentally in reports covering larger time frames and other actions. This is the case with the skirmish at La Vergne, December 30, 1862.