The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-12-16
THE CAMPAIGN IN TENNESSEE
The Battle of franklin
Fighting of our Troops.
The Retreat to Nashville.
From the louisville Journal. Dec. St

Through the kininess of an army officer,
we have been furnished with some inter
esting details of :ae movements of the ar
mics south of Nashville, and or The recent
desperate battle at Franklin, Tennessee.
On Saturday, the 10Th of November, the
rebel army was concentrated at Florence,
Alabama, en- the Tennessee liver aud pre-
para,ions were made for an advance and
a hostile demonstration upon our lines
General Hatch, who had strongly picket
ed the entire front, Intercepted despatch
from Gen. Hood directing Gen. Forrest
to have bis command prepare four davs'
ratious. and to be ready to move forward
on Monday. The weather about this time
was very incement, and the roads we're
barely passabe The trains floundered ir
the mud, and to move them required a
labored effort.
On Tuesday Gen Thomas received in
formation that the columns were in no
ton and On Wednesday he started with
his own army for Columbia. Hood was
not encumbered with heavy trains. conse-
quehtly his march was more rapid TRAN
that of Thomas. Both armies were NOV.
ing northward from different bases in con-
trating lines, Columbia being the ohiec
tiye point The rebels had further to
travel, but their march was more rapid
than ours. Col. Capron's cavalry brigade
was hurried forward by Gen. Thomas to
occupy Columbia. On Thursday Gen
Cox, with the second division OF the ODD
army corps. leading our infantry advance,
arrived near Columbia and found Capron
houy engaged with the advance rebel col
umn. Our cavalry fought galIantry, but
were outnumbe and being slowly driv-
en by the enemy, Cox charged forward
with his division and drove the rebels back
He arrived at time most opportune, for
he turned the tide of affairs and defeated
the plans of the enemy. If the rebels had
succeeded in capturing the town our army
would have had to accept battle under
great disadvantage, and Chickamauga
would have been acted over again, per-
haps, with more damaging result.
Thomas arrived AZ Columbia during the
day with his trains and army, and in
trenched himself, Cox taking position on
the right In the afternoon of the same
day, an inner line Of works was construct
ed, and, on Friday night, all of the army
except Woods division, retired behind
this line. Wood, assisted by Henderson, S
brigade, held the outer works until Sun
day night, when the entire army withdrew
and took position on the opposite bank of
Duck river. The troops were engaged on
Monday in throwing up a new line Of for
tifications. Tuesday evening another re
treat was determined upon. Wagner's
division, of the 4lh corps. led the advance
Hood discovered our movements, and
soon his columns were in motion. CIe~
burne pushed rapidly forward, 10 hopes of
inierreptng us at Spring HILL. Wagner
and Cleburne came in sight of the town
nearly at the same time. A sharp fight
ensued, in which the rebels were repulsed.
During the night the two armies concen-
trated in the vicinity of Spring Hill.
Hoods columns were more compac. than
our own, and the advantage of position
evidently, was in his favor, as he had his
army maSsed and in the battle line, while
our divisions were yet on the road. 1t
looked as if crisis was at hand. The
situation was deeply interesting, and a
battle was to be imminent. Our troops
were depoyed iu line as fast as they ar
rived. Between S and O'Clock Wood
and kimbali, with their respective divi-
sious of the 4th, Gen. Stanley's corps,
moved up the Columbia Pike in The i'm
mediate front of the rebel battie-lne, and
rot more than four hundred wards from
their position. The rebels fred upon
them with musketry as they passed, but
did not offer to attack. The conduct OF
Hood seems ineXplicabe. lie was mas
ter of the situation, yet he did not avail
himself of the advantage. II an attack
bad been made as soon AS the rebel army
was massed, the fortune of the day would
have been agans: us. He might have
checked US whipping each division in &c.
tail as it arrived, and was thrown into po-
sition. as soon as the rear of our army
had arrived, and the concentration was
complete the retreat again was com
menced. Cox, of the 23d corps, took the
advance, marching to Franklin. The wag-
on and artillery trains followed close upon
his rear. Wagner remained at Spring
Hill to present front to the enemy and
hold them IN check. Our train was ten
miles long, and on the march was greatly
exposed In the retreat, our army was
necessarily scattered, and if Hood had
been on the alert, be might have secured
another advantage. Early the next morn
ing, Gen. Cox occupied Franklin, and Dur
ing the day the entire army arrived and
was massed, with both fianks resting upon
the river. A line of fortifca;ions was
thrown up, stretching semi-circle ike
around tie town.
The trains were started across the river,
the movement covered by Woods divi-
sion. The army remained in position,
kimbaII on the ght, Ruger in the centre,
and Cox on the left Gen. Wagner held
an advance line in front Of the main posi-
ton. The enemy's cavalry crossed Har-
peth river on both Of our faIk ks, but wa.
sharply engaged by Wilson ant driven
back About half past three o'clock in
the afternoon Hocd began 10 maneuvre
Bis command as if intending to make a
hostile demonstration. ln the uean time