At midnight, on January 18th, in a heavy winter rain, the Confederate army marched out to battle with Bledsoe's and Saunders's independent cavalry companies in advance.Zollicoffer's brigade of four regiments, with Rutledge's battery of artillery, followed.Then came General Carroll's brigade of four regiments, one in reserve, with McClung's battery of artillery, Brauner's battalion of cavalry on the right, and McClellan's battalion of cavalry on the left, with Cary's battalions in the rear.After a six hours' march through the rain and the mud, the advance struck our cavalry pickets at six o'clock, in the early gray of a winter morning, two miles in front of the Federal camp.Wolford's cavalry slowly fell back, reporting the enemy's advance to Manson, who immediately formed his regiment--the Tenth Indiana--and took position on the road to await the attack.Manson then ordered the Fourth Kentucky, Colonel Speed S.Fry, to support him; and reported to Thomas, in person, the advance of the rebels in force, and the disposition he had made of his troops to meet the attack.General Thomas directed him to return to his brigade immediately, with orders to hold the enemy in check until the other troops could be brought up.Orders were given to the other commanders to form immediately, and in ten minutes they were all marching to the battle-field, except the battalion of Michigan Engineers and a company of the Thirty-eighth Ohio, detailed to guard the camp.
The rebels, in their advance, opened the attack with Walthall's Mississippi and Battle's Tennessee regiments, which as they moved forward, forming the right of the rebel line, encountered the Fourth Kentucky and the Tenth Indiana, formed on the first line to resist their attack in the edge of the woods to their front.The Tennessee regiment endeavored to flank the Fourth Kentucky on the left, while the latter regiment was resisting the rebel attack on the front in a most obstinate manner.Carter's Tennessee brigade was ordered up in position to meet this flanking movement with a section of Kinney's battery; and the attempt of Battle's regiment was checked.
Orders were sent to Colonel McCook to advance with the Ninth Ohio and the Second Minnesota regiments.These regiments coming up occupied the position of the Fourth Kentucky and Tenth Indiana, who by that time were out of ammunition.As soon as this disposition of these troops had been made the enemy opened a most determined and galling fire, pressing our troops at all points.General Thomas's command returned the fire with spirit, and holding their position the contest was maintained for half an hour on both sides most obstinately.
At this time, General Zollicoffer, being in the rear of the Nineteenth Tennessee regiment of his command, became convinced that the Fourth Kentucky (Federal) regiment was a part of his brigade, ordered the Tennessee regiment to cease firing, as they were shooting their own troops.He then rode to the front, where he met Colonel Fry, the commanding officer of the Fourth Kentucky.Zollicoffer stated to Fry that both commands belonged to the same side, and that firing should stop.To this Fry assented and started to order the Fourth Kentucky to cease firing, when one of Zollicoffer's aids coming up, seeing that Fry was a Federal officer, opened fire upon him with a revolver, wounding his horse.Fry returned the fire, shooting Zollicoffer through the heart.
Shortly after, the First and Second East Tennessee regiments of Carter's brigade and Hoskins's Kentucky regiment were placed on the left of the Second Minnesota regiment, and opening a heavy fire on the right flank of the rebel line caused it to give way.The Second Minnesota regiment kept up a galling fire in the centre, while the Ninth Ohio charged the enemy with fixed bayonets on the left, turned that flank, and drove them from the field.The whole rebel line then gave way, retreating in the utmost confusion and disorder to their intrenchments at Beech Grove.Thomas ordered an immediate advance, after supplying his troops with ammunition, driving the rebels into their intrenchments.As these were approached they were invested by the division deployed in the line of battle.
