Major James Edmund Callaway
He was placed in command of the 81st Indiana by General Carlin, commanding brigade, after the commander of the 81st was relieved on the field at the beginning of the Battle of Chickamauga. The 81st did outstanding duty under Maj. Callaway. Some time after the battle the men of the 81st Indiana marched to the camp of the 21st Illinois and presented Maj. Callaway with a presentation sword.
CHICKAMAUGA BATTLE REPORT
- MAJOR JAMES E. CALLAWAY -
21ST ILLINOIS - COMMANDING 81ST INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Headquarters Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers
Chattanooga, September 28, 1863
CAPTAIN:
In accordance with orders from headquarters Second Brigade, First Division,
Twentieth Army Corps, I have the honor to report that about 2:30 p. m. on the
19th instant, while with the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, and being hotly
engaged with the enemy at a point about 3 miles north of Crawfish Spring, on a
line west of and near Chickamauga Creek, and east of and parallel to the
LaFayette road, leading to Chattanooga, I received an order to immediately
report to Brigadier-General Carlin, commanding brigade. Upon reporting, General
Carlin directed me to at once assume command of the Eighty-first Indiana
Volunteers, of his brigade. I immediately obeyed the order, and, upon assuming
command, found the regiment (Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers) lying about 50
yards in rear of and supporting the Second Minnesota Battery, the regiment not
yet having engaged the enemy. The regiment then numbered, in fighting men
present for duty, 15 officers and 240 enlisted men. About five minutes
thereafter I received an order in person from Brigadier-General Davis,
commanding division, to move my command about 200 yards to the right and front
of the Second Minnesota Battery and support a regiment there severely engaged
with the enemy, saying at the time he thought it was the Thirty-eighth Illinois
Volunteers. Upon taking position, the right resting behind and shielded by a
point of timber with heavy undergrowth, the left resting on the crest of and
being covered by a slight elevation, I had discovered a regiment (Seventeenth
Kentucky Volunteers) to my right and a little to my front slowly giving way to
the right, and steadily contesting the ground under a most withering fire from a
very heavy column of the enemy briskly advancing and not over 300 yards distant.
We immediately opened a well-directed fire, first by volley and then by file,
causing the enemy to recoil and give way in much confusion, thereby relieving
the regiment to our right. The firing had not yet ceased when a large body of
the enemy was seen moving to our left, and soon attacked the Second and Third
Brigades of Davis' division. The enemy in our front again took courage and
advanced upon our position, but, being shattered, was easily repulsed. The
brigades to our left and the Second Minnesota Battery, together with the
Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, immediately joining the Eighty-first Indiana on
the left, though most stubbornly and bravely resisting the terrible onset of
most overwhelming numbers, were driven from their position, leaving the
Eighty-first Indiana entirely without support on the left. I had in the mean
time made a partial change of front to the rear by throwing back the left wing
of the regiment, and continued our fire, somewhat enfilading the lines of the
enemy and partially checking his farther progress.
About this time a vigorous attack was made on our front and right, causing the
Seventeenth Kentucky to farther withdraw.
The Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, owing to the admirable position occupied,
was not suffering very greatly, but the position was so flanked as to endanger
my entire command, exposing it to capture. It was then withdrawn in good order
about 200 yards to a thin curtain of timber covering the road. After again
halting and reopening fire, I was informed by an officer that 50 yards to our
rear and across the road was a fieldwork that had been hastily constructed of
rails. I accordingly faced the regiment about and took position within the
works, when we again opened and continued a most galling and deadly fire upon
the enemy, who had advanced within short range, and after long and hard fighting
he was dislodged from his position with heavy loss. We immediately followed his
retreating forces and retook our former position at the front, that we had been
compelled to abandon, and held it during the remainder of the day. The
Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers again came up to our left, and about the same
time I observed Brigadier-General Carlin, still to the left of the Fifty-eighth
Indiana Volunteers, most fearlessly moving forward a body of troops I then
supposed to be the remainder of this brigade to the attack of the enemy, again
moving up in double lines and well supported to our attack. The general and his
command made a most gallant and heroic resistance, but being overpowered, were
shattered and driven back with fearful loss, leaving the colors of the
Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers in the hands of the color-sergeant, who was
shot dead on the field. I immediately ordered the Eighty-first Indiana
Volunteers to open an oblique fire to the left, completely enfilading the lines
of the enemy, and repulsed him with immense slaughter, recovering the colors of
the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers and protecting the One hundred and first
Ohio while it most gallantly recovered the Eighth Indiana Battery taken by the
enemy. The Third Brigade of Sheridan's division came to the relief of General
Carlin, and formed on the left of the Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers; and
though the brigade, together with the Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, was twice
driven from their position, the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers stubbornly
holding its position, never losing an inch of the ground, the Fifty-eighth
Indiana Volunteers recoiling each time, but seeing the Eighty-first Indiana
standing firmly, would rally and return to our assistance.
Hearing a heavy roll of musketry and much cannonading on our right, and not
knowing who occupied the position, I had fears that my position might be
flanked, as the forces seemed to recoil and the firing was growing to our rear.
Upon information received, and after making a personal inspection of the right,
I learned that a brigade commanded by a Colonel Barnes had been repulsed on our
right, but the colonel had so posted his battery as to command his front and our
right, enfilading the enemy's approach in attempting to turn our position.
During the engagement Captain Eaton and Lieutenant Gross and about 60 men of the
Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers either reported to me or were rallied upon the
Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, and continued fighting most gallantly under my
command, several of them being wounded; Sergeant Russell, Company G, and Private
John Jones, Company F, Twenty-first Illinois, severely.
Being still on the front line and our ammunition nearly exhausted, I was
endeavoring to obtain a supply, when, about sunset, an order came from General
Davis, and immediately thereafter from General Carlin, to withdraw my command
and join the division about 800 yards in rear.
During the engagement on that afternoon we fired an average of 54 rounds to each
man of my command, and suffered the following losses: Officers wounded, 4,
Captain Mitchell mortally; enlisted men, killed, 4; wounded, 58; making a grand
total of 66 killed and wounded.
In obedience to orders received I rejoined the brigade about dusk, with the
Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers and 3 officers, the regimental colors, and with
about 50 men of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, when we bivouacked for the
night.
At 3 a. m. next morning, on the 20th instant, I received orders to move my
command left in front, following the One hundred and first Ohio. Marched about
half mile and stacked arms at General Rosecrans' headquarters, remaining until
about sunrise. At that hour we moved to the rear about 600 yards and formed a
line on an elevated ridge, running west of and parallel to the Chattanooga and
LaFayette road. At about 10 a. m. I received orders from Brigadier-General
Carlin to form my command into double column at half distance and follow the One
hundred and first Ohio, moving by the left flank. We moved steadily along the
apex of the ridge in a northeasterly direction about 1 mile, when we came into
an extended glade and halted. The Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers was ordered
to deploy and move forward in line, the Eighty-first Indiana moving in column
abreast with the Twenty-first Illinois, and to deploy on reaching the apex of
the hill in our front, and take position in line on the left of the Twenty-first
Illinois Volunteers.
Having deployed my command and the enemy not being immediately in range, though
heavy firing was progressing on our left, I was ordered to form my command into
close column by division, right in front, and follow the Twenty-first Illinois
Volunteers. Following on this line we marched about 800 yards, ascending to a
somewhat elevated position, and was ordered to deploy my command and take
position on the left of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, behind some rude
and ill constructed fieldworks erected upon our line of battle. I then threw
forward Company A, Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, Lieut. S. H. McCoy
commanding, and relieved the skirmishers of another command, then retiring.
While posting the skirmishers, I observed the Third Brigade on our left was
heavily attacked and driven back before getting into position. In a few moments
thereafter the enemy appeared emerging from a body of thick timber about 150
yards in our front and moving to our attack without skirmishers and in most
over-whelming numbers, massed by battalions, and, as near as I could judge from
the battle-flags exhibited, four lines in depth. Our skirmishers came flying in,
and, according to previous instructions, rallied on the right of the regiment.
As soon as my battalion front was unmasked by the skirmishers we opened a
terrible and deadly fire upon the advancing foe. The firing was continued with
unabated fury on both sides, the enemy steadily advancing and our men
determinedly resisting until but 3 men of the enemy's first line and about half
of his second line were standing; their comrades apparently had fallen in
windrows and his farther progress seemed checked, perhaps impossible. Being near
the right of the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers and the left of the
Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, I saw to my inexpressible surprise and horror
the right of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers was breaking and rapidly
melting away. After a second and more careful observation I noticed the enemy
was actually crossing the breastworks on the right and extending his left flank
far to our rear, completely flanking our position, at the same time pouring a
deadly fire from the rear of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers. Seeing the
desperate and critical state of affairs, having no opportunity of obtaining
orders, and knowing further delay would surrender my entire command, I gave
orders for a hasty retreat. The fire being most terribly destructive our lines
were entirely broken and the command was temporarily disorganized. In company
with Brigadier-General Carlin, commanding brigade; Captain Smith, One hundred
and first Ohio; Captain Varner, Twenty-fifth Illinois, and Captain Wheeler, and
several other officers of the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, we made several
efforts with partial success to rally our scattered commands. We made three
several stands, and on a rise about 1,200 yards to the rear of the fieldworks,
made the last and desperate resistance with a few hundred men, checking the
progress of the enemy and enabling our batteries to be taken safely from the
field. We then withdrew from the field quietly and sullenly with every
regimental color and field piece of the brigade, and retired about 1-1/2 miles
to the rear, reaching there about 2 p. m., and reformed our remnant of a
command. We then, in company with the brigade and divisions of the army, moved
to a position about 2 miles nearer Chattanooga, and bivouacked for the night.
Upon calling the roll of the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers 2 officers and 19
enlisted men were reported missing. We have good evidence for knowing that
several among the missing were killed or wounded, but owing to the great
uncertainty enveloping the case they are all reported on the sad list of
missing. We expended in the two days' fighting about 61 rounds of ammunition per
man, and sustained the following casualties: Six officers and 81 enlisted men, a
correct list of the names having preceded this report.
It is due, under the circumstances, that I should speak of the conduct of the
officers and men of the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers. With scarcely an
exception they behaved in the most gallant and admirable manner, and though
comparatively a young regiment, conducted themselves with the coolness,
steadiness, and precision of veterans on the field of battle. Captain Mitchell,
a brave and efficient officer, was mortally wounded, and Lieutenants Northcutt,
Cummings, and Zimmerman were wounded while gallantly leading their men in the
discharge of their duties. They battled as brave men worthy of the best
Government ever instituted among men, and the Republic may feel confident when
its interests rest in the hands of such defenders. I would be deemed little less
than invidious were I to mention one officer or man as excelling another in
gallantry and efficiency, but I cannot close this report without thanking
Adjutant Schell for the aid and courtesies he has shown me in the discharge of
my duties, and tendering all the officers and men my thanks for the cheerfulness
and universal promptness with which they have obeyed my orders. I desire to
offer no eulogium upon the conduct of the officers and men of the Eighty-first
Indiana Volunteers. I wish to say they shared no higher honor than that they
"fought in Carlin's brigade of the Army of the Cumberland, obeyed orders, and
did their duty in the great battle of Chickamauga, 'the Creek of Death,'" and
when the long sad list of killed, wounded, and missing is published the shadows
of gloom that will gather around many of the hearthstones of our homes will show
that there also they were loved and appreciated.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
J. E. CALLAWAY
Major Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, Commanding
Capt. S. P. Voris,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second Brigade, First Division.
His family line of descent
is as follows:
Joseph Callaway
James Callaway
Edmund Callaway b abt 1764 in Bedford Co., VA
Samuel Taylor Callaway b Jan 14, 1808 in Christian Co., KY
James Edmund Callaway b Jul 7, 1835 in Trigg Co., KY
This letter was posted on the web site of Donald Edward Monroe (islandtimer00 at yahoo.com) at
http://www.geocities.com/islandtimer00/index.htm along with other Callaway associated pages at