TWENTY-NINTH INFANTRY.

About one hundred and fifty men of Genesee county--officers and private soldiers--served in the War of the Rebellion with the Twenty-ninth Michigan Infantry. This regiment was organized at Saginaw in the autumn of 1864; its muster into the United states service was completed on the 3d of October of that year. Three days later it left the rendezvous for Nashville, Tennessee, where it arrived October 12^th and soon after moved to Decatur, Alabama, reaching there on the 26^th. On the day of its arrival at Decatur that place was attacked by the army of the Confederate General Hood, and the Twenty-ninth took part in the defense of the position until the 30^th, when the army retired.

From the "Red Book of Michigan":

When the rebel General Hood was on his northern campaign in 1804, for the purpose of overrunning Tennessee, getting possession of Nashville and Louisville, and threatening the cities on the Ohio river, the Twenty-ninth Michgian (recruited and rendezvoused under the supervision of Hon. John F. Driggs, M. C.) under command of Col. Thomas M. Saylor, was stationed at Nashville, and on the advance of Hood upon Decatur, Ala., it was sent forward to that point, arriving there on the 26^th, just in time to march from the cars to its position inline to meet the advance of Hood's forces then attacking that place. Col. Charles C. Doolittle, of the eighteenth Michgian, was in command of the post of Decatur, and for some days previous to the 26^th had been watching the movement of Hood's army, as well as those of Forest and Roddey, and had scouted the surrounding country as thoroughly as possible. On the morning of the 26^th he sent out several detachments on the Somerville and Courtland roads, one of which met a pretty strong force about three miles out on the Somerville road and was obliged to retire. Not expecting the advance of Hood's army for a day or two at least, Col. Doolittle was of the opinion that it might be a scouting party of Roddey's command; but, at half past one o'clock p.m. of the same day, his videttes reported the enemy advancing on the place. He immediately made preparations for action and rode to the advance post on the Somerville road. On seeing the enemy's column forming into line with skirmishers out, he ordered the Second Tennessee Cavalry to hold the enemy in check, and then hurried back to headquarters and made the necessary disposition of his force to meet the coming attack.

Battery A, First Tennessee Light Artillery, supported by the reserve picket of the Eighteenth Michigan that had been ordered up, soon got into position in a small redoubt commanding the Somerville road and vicinity, and at once opened fire on the enemy's line of battle. The Tenth Indiana Cavalry had also been ordered up and was engaged at various points looking after and checking the advance of the enemy. Finding that he could hold the rebels in check, Colonel Doolittle, about twenty minutes after the artillery opened fire, ordered the right wing of the Twenty-ninth Michigan, which had just arrived by rail from Nashville and been placed behind the breastworks on the left flank, to move to the front and occupy the line of rifle-pits on the left of the redoubt. This they accomplished in the msot gallant style under a hot fire from the enemy's artillery and musketry, which they withstood with firmness. Soon after the other wing of the regiment was ordered out and one hundred of the men in command of the Major were sent to what was known as Fort No. 1. Battery 1, First Ohio Light Artillery, had been ordered forward and opened on the enemy, the fight continuing until dark, the rebels being unable to gain any advance, notwithstanding they made several attempts to charge the line. Colonel Doolittle then withdrew the advance force inside the main works, leaving one hundred men of the Twenty-ninth Michigan to strengthen the picket line and hold the line of the rifle-pits. In the engagement of this day the pickets on the Union line, from the redoubt to the river on the right, remained in their position, and when night came the picket line was intact. It was ascertained that the attack was made by Walthal's division, five thousand strong, of Steward's Corps. Hood' army, and was fought by colonel Doolittle with less than five hundred men and a small amount of artillery. During the night of the 26^th the Union forces were receiving reinforcements and on the 27^th nothing more important occurred than the driving back of the enemy's skirmishers on the front and right flank. On the 28^th, about 3 a.m., the enemy drove in a portion of the pickets on the right and established themselves in gopher holes within four hundred yards of the works. An attempt was made early in the morning to dislodge them and re-establish the line, but the enemy was too well protected to be moved. Some time afterwards they were surprised by Capt. W. C. Moore, Eighteenth Michigan, with about fifty men from that regiment and a few clerks and orderlies from district headquarters, who made a most daring and dashing attack on them, driving them from their holes like scared rats and taking one hundred and fifteen prisoners. During the day the battle became general; the Union troops having been reinforced and numbering about five thousand, had made a most determined defense, and early on the morning of the 239^th it was ascertained that the enemy's force had all been withdrawn except a strong rear guard, and at about 4 p.m. he was driven our of his last line of rifle-pits.

The noble and successful defense of Decatur by Colonel Doolittle against such enormous odds, was one of the most gallant and remarkable of the war, and its importance, in view of its effect upon the great battle of Nashville, which soon followed, was second to no minor engagement during the rebellion.

The exemplary conduct, vigorous and splendid fighting of Colonel Saylor's regiment and his officers, although less than a month in the field, could scarcely have been excelled by long tried veterans.

From that time the regiment garrisoned Decatur until the 24^th of November, when it marched to Murfreesboro; reaching there on the 26^th it composed a part of the defending force at that point during the siege of Nashville and Murfreesboro by Hood, being engaged with apart of the enemy's forces at overall Creek, December 7. Having been sent out to escort a railway-train on the 13^th, it was attacked at Winsted church by a superior force of the enemy--infantry and artillery--and in the severe action which ensued it sustained a loss of seventeen in killed, wounded and missing. The track was re-laid under a brisk fire and the regiment brought the train safely back to Murfreeesboro by hand, the locomotive having been disabled by a shell. On the 15^th and 16^th it was attacked by two brigades of the enemy's cavalry on the Shelbyville turnpike, south of Murfreesboro, while guarding a forage-train, and was again slightly engaged at Nolansville on the 17^th. On the 27^th it moved by rail to Anderson, and was assigned to the duty of guarding the Nashville & Chattanooga railroad. It remained on this duty till July, 1865, when it moved to Decherd, Tennessee, and thence to Murfreesboro, arriving there on the 19^th. It was employed there on garrison duty till September 6, when it was mustered out of the service; on the 8^th it left Tennessee for Michigan, and was disbanded at Detroit about the 13^th of September.