No. 58. Report of Captain Frank Houston, First Minnesota Infantry, of operations February 5-11.1
HDQRS. FIRST BATTALION, MINNESOTA VETERAN VOLS.,
February 12, 1865.
SIR: I have the honor to forward the following report of operations of my command in the late action near Hatcher’s Run, Va:
On the morning of the 5th, in obedience to instructions, I deployed my command as flankers, and acted as such until 12 o’clock of that day, when I received orders to deploy my command as skirmishers and to take position on the left of the brigade, with left resting on Hatcher’s Run and connecting with right of the Fifth Corps; and, in compliance with orders received from General Smyth, I advanced, keeping connection with the Fifth Corps when they advanced against the enemy, skirmishing and driving the enemy before me. The Fifth
Corps being repulsed and driven back, my left was exposed and I was obliged to fall back to my former position on the left of the brigade; and, finding the enemy there, I drove them back, and held the position until the morning of the 6th, when I again advanced about half a mile, holding that position until the morning of the 11th, when I was relieved and placed in our present position.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
FRANK HOUSTON,
Captain, Commanding Battalion.
Captain WILL GILDER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
Source:
- The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 217 ↩