The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-12-07
severe Battle at Franklin Tennessee
"A Most Brilliant Victory.
En.l fa.,leular. Of ,he nnsassmsn,.

Nashville between noruuh OF thc Iorces
-, Gen. Thomas and Gen. Hood. The
futon army Wus uudor the CO nmtnd of
General SchoGoId From the correspond
cnce Il, the Cincinnati Gazette, wo are ell.
abied to lay bJlore our readers the follow
i.,g complete and graphic details:
The plan of battle was very simple in.
deed. We hal no time to get MP COM
piste plan, as the enemy pressed Ms too
nJrcly, and obliged va to fight Oii.hanI, as
] have already stated Oar plan originally
was to Withdraw the force of Gem Scho.
field until ~ ieting our .cnf0rccments. we
Ahonld give battle IN tho vicinity of Nash.
Vile. But tho over-stnSuinc rebels pressed
lis too hard; and when Con. Scholcld per-
csived he could not well avoid contest.
lao drew III his little army IN line OF battle
tn front of Franklin, and prepare for the
enemys onset. South lIlrpeth river, rum
ming Northwostwardly, makos bend to
the north in the neighborhool of Franklin,
md within this bend the town is situated.
Across the neck Of the fcninsu'a formed
hy the bed Of the river our line of battle
was formed, consisting Of four divisions on
~. Cox's and Rugers Of tho twenty third
corps, and Kimhall's ani Wagner's OF the
fourth corps. Kimball wae Oh the right of
the line, Cox in the ccntor and Suger OIL the
left, Wagner occupied tho position immS-
diaiely in front of and snmo hundred yards
irOn tho main line. Wagher's had moth
lug Of any consequence TO protect them,
but tho other three divisions had Il tolcrably
good line Of earthworks behind which to
fight. The rebels begun pressing us as
carly ~ two o'clock.
Nv three we were IN position behind
our works. aud ut half past three the as.
sauls commenced. When the enemy first
advanced to attack, he had Cheatham's y
corps on the right and Stewards on the
left. S. u, Lees corps was held as re.
serve Oh the center, ready to assist CHEAT
ham or Stew ri as occasion mi 5ht require
IL was half past threo, as have said, when
Cheatham threw his corps upon Wagner
with great inpetuosity, Wagner's men
fought desperately for half an hour, until
tue superior numbers of the enemy com
pellel them to iAll back in somo haste to Il
SECOND line. Hating bohind this line
they became tS some extent mingled with
Coxa and ltu5cr's men on our left and con
ter; bnt this did not prevent them from
lighting with obstinate and distinguished
bravery until tho end Of tho battle. The
rebels. encouraged by seeming success in
diving Wagner back, advanced with ar
dor and loud cheers to the assault on the
second line.
The order in which they advanced tc
tho assault was very peculiar. A semi
circle, two regiments in depth, extended
all round our line, and behind each altern
ate regi emt were placed four others, &c
tat the assauting columns wore really ak
regiments dcep. Hood himself appeared
about 4 T. NJ, at the head OF his column
Pointing toward our lines, he said, Break
those lines, boys, and you have finished
the war in Tennessee them. and
there il nothing To oppose your march from
Nashville TO the 0hio river" Loud cheers
answered tho rebel leader and Immediate
" tho whole space in front Of our lines
was crammed with the advancing multi
tudes Capt. Lyman, commanding the ar
tllery brigale of tho Fourth Corps, had
placed his eighth battery in the most favora
bile positions around our lines and from
these. storms OF shot and shell were hurl
ed into the charging ranks. With mos
reckless bravery the rebels rushed on, aud
when they were within q fow hundred
yards of our works our boys opened upor
them with. so terrible fire of muskctrS
that it seemed rs if nothing could 1.-Two DO
fore it; but no wavering was perceived IL
these advancing lines, On they came
They rushed up TO the very parapet o.
our works.. aud struck their muskes I'm lei
tile heads of tho logs on our battlemonts.
On the Columbia pike the pressure wal
~ great that some of Cox's and Wagonor,
men temporarily gave way. Up TO thi'
time the brigade commanded by the gal
lant Col. Opdyke, of tho 18th Ohio, haC
IL :. 10, ~ Ia.
our line gave way along the Columbia pike
il remained in reserve not long. "Col. OPP
dyke" said Gen. ID. $. Stanley, "our limo il
broken yonder; it must he restored" ii
shal be restored" replied 0pdyke, auC
dis brigade rushed boldly into the open
Sng. The rebels who had crowded owe
eur works, had not time TO retire, and Cox'
aud Wagoncrs's men. broken but minut,
before, rallied and attacked the enemy oil
tho flank, while 0pdyke charged them il
front A closs hand to hand fight cnsued
will, bayonets and butt eAds of muskets.
Hundreds OF rebels were captured here
For two hours and half the battle rage,
all along our line. The men Of tho Fourt
and Twenty-third corps We'd with eacl
other in bravery. Relays brigade Of tn
latter, fairly covered tho ground in front O
il with the rebel dead
The rebel Gen. Adams was killed and h
1lt3 his horse fell into the ditch together .
front Of the l04th Ohio. Seventeen diI
tnct attacks of the enemy, some OF theI
real, some teints, were repeiled.
8 ON Kimbalis front tho fighting was nc
NO severe, the rebels charging but twic,
BY dpsk they were repulsod at all point
bat tie sring did not 0easo until noarl
nine.
At least FIVE thousand rebels we're kile,
wounded and captured. while our ow
loss which il greater than at BTst reporto,
will probably reach fifteen hundred. Son
calculations place the rebel loss at sev,
thousand.
We have taken from the eneiny in q
more than thirty flags Somo regiments
among which was the 70th 0hio---takir
half dozen apiece. Gen. ID 3. StAnl,
was slighty wounded in the hack OF h
peck. Gen. Schoheld directed the fig
from the fort on the north bank Of Il
StEeam where some heavy guus aid b
tories of the 23d Corps were placed, al
which did great service in damaging &
enepys right wing,
Soon after the firing ceased our fore
commenced 10 withdraw. Some little SIX
mishing took place in the heighborhood
Brentwood, but in accordance with Q
2 original plan, ~ light the battle neAr
pity, We continued 30 withdraw until
SnhdowR this evening our troops were
ia position around the Capital of Tenness
So ended the battle Oi frAnklin, ano
Ille lnOst desperate coniIlcts OF the cat