Bottom hill, taken from the viewpoint of the Fifteenth Kentucky as they moved into their initial position that day.	The top of Bottom Hill, where the Fifteenth Kentucky's rail fence stood, taken from the point of view of the attacking Confederates.
The Fifteenth Kentucky's line of battle, taken from near the road, looking right.

The Forty-second Indiana, being the first in line that day, left their position and marched down to the creek, and having stacked arms were engaged water from the shallow, low stream when the enemy broke cover in our front and opened fire upon us.  The Fifteenth Kentucky was lying on the South side of the the road by which it came, and in the rear of a rail-fence, and within a short range of it, on the line of the rail-fence, was a barn built of logs and boards.  The enemy advanced to the stone-fence, and took position behind it.

Here the battle raged from about one o'clock P.M. until dark; the rail-fence was almost entirely demolished by the enemy's artillery, and the barn was set on fire by shells; notwithstanding, the Fifteenth held its ground.

The color-guard, consisting of nine sergeants, was cut to pieces. As each successive color-bearer was shot down his companion took the standard. The fight was so fierce and continuous that the colors were completely riddled with shot-holes, and the flag staff cut in two.  As the staff was severed, and the colors fell, Captain James B. Forman, of Company C, grasped them, and as the staff had been shot off so short that they could not be made visible he mounted the remains of the rail-fence, waiving them, cheering the men to continued resistance.  The battle raged from 1 o'clock P.M. until dark, the Fifteenth Kentucky retaining its original line to the close, and in the morning the enemy was gone.

The home of H.P. Bottom, which stood between the Confederate and Union flanks, down hill from the Fifteenth Kentucky's position.	Bottom house, from just north of the Fifteenth Kentucky's line.

During this engagement our loss was very severe.  At almost the first shot Colonel Pope's horse was killed under him.  The Colonel immediately approached the line, and moving from man to man, patting them on the back, cheering and encouraging them to fight to the end.  Such courage could not but inspire them with determination to stand to the last. Here the Colonel received a wound, to which he paid no attention at the time, regarding it as slight, and continuing on the field to the close of the day, but which in a few weeks caused his death.

Lieutenant Colonel George P. Jouett, Major W.P. Campbell, Lieutenant James McGrath of Company A; Lieutenant Joseph McClure of Company C, and sixty-three men were killed and nearly two hundred were wounded. We pressed on in pursuit of the enemy through Danville toward Crab Orchard. It would be impossible to describe the feeling of the regiment when, at a short distance beyond Danville, Kentucky, all hope of catching up with the enemy having been given up, Colonel turned his horse in the road, and addressing Captain Snyder said, 'Captain, I can go no further,' left us, and we saw his noble face 'no more forever.'

The site of the Russell house -- the Fifteenth Kentucky's second line was near here, as General Rousseau tried to save the Federal flank.

Our first battle was a 'baptism of blood,' and it served to cement the regiment more closely in love one to another and to the cause for which we fought.  Passing on, under command of Captain Snyder, of Company B, we came through Crab Orchard, and rested a few days, and then turning southward we came back through Crab Orchard, Stanford, Lebanon, and halted at Bowling Green.  Here General W.S. Rosecrans took command of the army of the Cumberland.

Doctor's Creek -- the 42nd Indiana was refilling their canteens here when the Confederate attack began.

After a few days at Bowling Green, we started south by way of Franklin, Kentucky, and Mitchellville, Tennessee, during which march Captain James B. Forman received his commission as Colonel, and took command of the regiment, leading it on to Nashville, Tennessee.

Remaining a few weeks at this place, 'tenting on our old camp-ground,' we gathered together the fragments of the regiment, and, with our gallant young Colonel at our head, and the companies re-officered where needed, we were once more ready for the fray.

Our organization now was as follows: In the Fourteenth Army Corps, commanded by General George H. Thomas; First Division, commanded by General Lovell H. Rousseau; Third Brigade, by General John S. Beatty.  The brigade compromising in addition to the Fifteenth Kentucky, the Third and Tenth Ohio, Forty-second and Eighty-eighth Indiana regiments, always ready to march or fight at the bidding of the commander.  We felt that we had our state's banner to bear and her honor to protect; and, if left to those regiments with which we were brigaded, whether Kentucky had reason to be proud of her 'Paper Collar' regiment, we would not have been compelled to seek further for favorable judgment."

The historical marker near the Bottom house.

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