Minty's Cavalry Brigade

On September 18th, 1863, at 4 p.m., Colonel Robert H. G. Minty's Cavalry Brigade of Crook's Division in R. B. Mitchell's Corps, consisting of the 3d Indiana Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Klein, the 4th Michigan under Major Horace Gray, the 7th Pennsylvania under Lieutenant Colonel James J. Seibert, and the 4th United States under Captain James B. McIntyre, numbered 973 men and included one section of James H. Stokes' Chicago Board of Trade Battery, with the 3d Indiana temporarily on duty at Chattanooga. From noon until 3 p.m. the brigade skirmished sharply with the head of Bushrod Johnson's column, composed of four brigades of infantry, three batteries, and a detachment of cavalry, advancing from Ringgold to Reed's Bridge. Minty's men forced Johnson to deploy at the crossing of Pea Vine Creek about noon and by stubborn resistance held the enemy back from the Chickamauga River until 3 p.m. About noon General Wilder, then holding Alexander's Bridge, sent reenforcements from the 72d Indiana and the 123d Illinois and two guns of Lily's 18th Indiana Battery, which Minty posted at Dyer's Bridge and Ford on his left. At 3 p.m. the enemy forced a crossing at Reed's Bridge, and at 4 p.m. advanced to Jay's Mill, where General Hood arrived and took command. Minty then withdrew slowly toward Lee and Gordon's Mill to a point near the LaFayette Road south of Viniaed's, and from there, about 8 p.m., took part with troops from Wilder's and Dick's Brigades in checking Hood's advance.

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia · United States