Cruft's Brigade

Cruft's Brigade, part of Palmer's Division in Crittenden's Corps under Brigadier General Charles Cruft, held its 1st position on September 20, 1863, with the 31st Indiana, 1st Kentucky, 2d Kentucky, 90th Ohio, and 1st Ohio Light Battery B. As the left of Palmer's Division, the brigade formed on this ground during the night of September 19th, with the battery on the right of the first line, the 31st Indiana on its left, and the 2d Kentucky on the left of the front line. The second line, made up of the 90th Ohio and the 1st Kentucky, relieved the regiments in front about 11 A.M. The brigade was so strongly protected by log works that not an enlisted man was killed and only a few were wounded while occupying them, and enemy attacks up to the time of the general withdrawal were repulsed. About 3 o'clock, after Hazen's Brigade on its right was sent to Snodgrass Hill, the second line of Cruft's Brigade took its place. At 5:12 P.M. the brigade was ordered to withdraw across the Kelly field, moving in column of regiments at long intervals and encountering very severe artillery fire from both flanks but suffering little loss. After crossing the LaFayette road, the brigade proceeded to Rossville. Its strength in action on September 19th was 1,408 officers and men, and its casualties were 24 killed, 213 wounded, and 53 captured or missing, for a total of 290, a loss of 20.58 percent.

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia · United States