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Stone's River after battle report: Report of Lieut. Thomas J. Key, Helena Battery. ARTILLERY CAMP, Tullahoma, Tenn., January 23, 1863. GEN.: On the morning of December 31, 1862, Capt. [J. H.] Calvert's battery moved forward on the left wing of the Confederate Army, supporting Gen. Polk's brigade. Skirmishing began before the shades of night had fled, and by day-dawn the rattle of musketry extended far off to our right, and at the first charge the Abolition hordes gave way, save a brigade which was concealed in a dark cedar grove and behind large rock, and to dislodge them Col. Hill sent to my battery for one piece of artillery, which was immediately dispatched, under charge of Lieut. Fitzpatrick. After the right wing of the enemy had been driven a mile, one of their batteries was discovered firing upon Gen. Polk's lines, and immediately my battery rushed in advance of the brigade in open field and engaged the enemy. So soon as we opened upon the enemy's artillery it returned the fire with deadly aim, wounding 1 man and killing 3 horses. My artillery killed the Abolition captain, 1 sergeant, and 2 or 3 cannoneers, and cut down 1 of his caissons and a number of horses. The battery was silenced and mad a hasty retreat. With all possible speed the harness was cut from my dead horses, and [I] moved forward in pursuit of the enemy. The next point of attack was near the Nashville and Franklin pike, where the Abolition infantry had ensconced themselves in a dense forest of timber, and were awaiting the advance of our forces to mow them down as they pursued over an open field. This battery began shelling the woods, and routed the Abolitionists in front, but they rallied and renewed the attack on our left, and promptly we returned our guns upon them, and they were hurled back in confusion, regiment rushing upon regiment, in disorder, into the immense cedar thickets. The fourth place of action was, after we had pursued the enemy's batteries into the clustering cedars, near the railroad, where they were masked. At this period the sounds of the battle carnage that proceeded from that gloomy forest of cedars and towering oaks were appalling, grand, and awful as ever fell upon the ear of the "hero of a hundred battles." The contest was unequal and desperate. Their rifle guns could throw canister as far as ours could spherical case, and in order to prevent annihilation we were forced to withdraw. The fifth position was in the field west of the enemy's concentrated artillery, where we fought them until we had exhausted our ammunition, losing in this engagement one of our bravest and most expert No 1 cannoneers. The enemy turned a triple number of pieces upon us, and the missiles of death fell among us singing, whizzing, bursting, and crashing through the trees, as if Mount Vesuvius had at one instant poured all its pent-up furies into our midst. Our escape from beneath those powerful guns was fortunate, if not miraculous. The sixth and last action was near that same intertwined and matted grove of cedars. Here also the contest was unequal. It was in this engagement that Lieut. Fitzpatrick lost his left hand by a canister, and a cannoneer's head was shot off, and a number of horses were killed, and one howitzer slightly damaged. Finding that we could not move the enemy from his strong position, and that smooth-bore guns could not cope with Parrott and rifled guns, we withdrew from the contest. The battery lost 3 men killed, 1 officer and 4 men wounded, 10 horses killed and wounded, and 4 sets of harness. We drove the Abolitionists from three positions, and in turn were driven from a like number. The officers on Wednesday, the 31st, passed through the battle-storm with cool and lofty courage, and the men stood firmly to their guns, and showed their devotion to their country's cause by overcoming and extinguishing fear. Respectfully, yours, THOMAS J. KEY, [Lieut.] Cmdg. Helena Battery. Source: Official Records PAGE 856-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.] Chickamagua after battle report: Report of Lieut. Thomas J. Key, Calvert's (Arkansas) battery. LINE OF BATTLE NEAR CHATTANOOGA, TENN., October 6, 1863. GEN.: This battery participated in the battle of Chickamauga on both days of that memorable contest. 1t first went into action about sunset Saturday, the 19th, when Gen. Cleburne's division assailed the enemy's fortifications. Gen. Wood's brigade had fallen back under the heavy fire from the enemy's guns, when I moved up at a trot and let fly the dogs of war into the Yankee ranks, and in a brief period the enemy fled in confusion. Night closed the bloody scene, and we slumbered on the victorious field. In the charge of the same division, Sunday morning I again engaged the enemy, and in the midst of the battle-storm had one howitzer disabled, when the battery was withdrawn, securing the disabled piece. About 5 o'clock the same day Gen. Polk's brigade assailed the enemy in his breastworks, under showers of musket balls and terrific roar of artillery, and amid exploding shells, and when this gallant brigade was being cut down, wavering, hesitating, and faltering. I caused my guns to be run by hand upon a small elevation to within 170 yards of the enemy's fortifications, and I poured double charges of canister into them so hotly and briskly that a brief space had elapsed before their battery was silenced and their infantry so demoralized that they fled in haste from their covering to the rear. To form a correct estimate of execution done by this battery I will mention that a lieutenant (a prisoner) of the Sixteenth U. S. Regulars states that two shots of canister from my guns killed and wounded 38 of his company, killing his captain. Gen. Polk's brigade at this auspicious moment rushed forward and scaled the enemy's fortifications, putting the Federal forces at that point in utter route and confusion. During the several engagements I had 1 mortally and 5 men slightly wounded, 3 of whom have returned to duty. Three horses in the battery were killed, but the harness was secured. On Sunday, jointly with the brigade, I captured and carried off 2 rifled pieces of artillery and 1 caisson full of ammunition.* With due regard. THOMAS J. KEY, First Lieut., Comdg. Calvert's Battery. [Brig. Gen. L. E. POLK.]

Source: Official Records CHAP. XLII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 186-51 [Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]

Arkansas Helena Artillery (Confederate)

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