, 1865-11-10
WAR HISTORY. ,
GEN. Hoods Account of His Defeat in
Tcnnes4ee-The Rebel Vorsfon Of
Thomas Victory.

A correspondent Of the Montreal Gazss
who met the rebel Gen. Hood on board
steamer coming north from Galveston, civ
the following Interesting account Of the /
terYiew, with Hoods scFsion OF the defeat
.. the rebel army 10 Tennessee:
,APPEARAScR OF HOOD.
As the boat left the land behind, we 1T
pamengess) began to look NJ each other. M
my eyes rested upon man seated on chat
With crutch beside him, and with his 1ool
bout upon tho sea. This was J. B. Hood .lai
general of this Confederate States army. H
dress was suft Of blue flannel, with blac
felt hat. On his left hand he wore. a III
no little interest vent up to him, and lool
ed at his features. His face Is oval and faij
bis eyes Light blue and steady, and hls haj
brown. while long, light brown beard faIj
from bis chin, In person he is tail and we]
made, and his look is quiet, cool md 7cousid
efate. His age Is only thirty -four years.
WHAT noop'srLAN WAS.
Mhich was very desIrous. I first talked Q
1he boat VIC were On, and the sea, then refer
red 10 the late war, and his campaign in Ten
nessee- He said that very little was know,
about the merits Of that campaign, for his re
port saw light only at the break up Of th'
tucky and there to incsease and supply hi
amy. "H had been able to do so,T saif
the ex-Gencral, II would have had 90 0N
| men, and, with that free, could have r1ej
| any army sct against me-" II was nccessar,
| 3oF him to 70 on, he said, for the men wen
effort could reauImate them. It wa viii viii
this view that he struyc to defeat the army
under General Thomas; "nnd," said he. al
ought to have had him at. Spring Hin, but
some Of my officers failed mel
In aching against the line Of supply Of on.
a ~ ~ ntrV
thousand I've hundred cavalry to break IN
the railroad. This force fonnd the road COZ.
cred with line Of strong block housas, eaeh
with clstern inside, and gnrr1son of" fity
men, These were SO safc for u time that II
VIII VII thep au. c1fnalEy could Do nothing
display OF force. Time was necessary - to
reduce the block houses and that was want
ing. The effort made by the ex-General to
delcat the foroa under General Thomas Is
described BY him as follows-the army Of the
former having left Florence on the 21st Of
November, 1914. to begin the Increment,
Gen. Thomas tulltng back on the I'D upon
Columbia ::
HOODS ACCOUNT OF TIE CAMPAIGN.
!ne want OF good map Of the country,
and the deep mud through which tie army
marched, prevented our ovcrtaking the enemy
before he reached Columbia: but on the
evening Of the 9th Of November our army
Was placed IN position in front Of lis works
at that place. During the night, however, be
evacuated the town, taking position on the
opposite side OF the rirer, about mile aud a
half from the town, which was considered
quite strong in front. Late in the evening of
the 18th Of November General Forrest, with
few miles above Columbia, and l followed
early on the morning Of the Goth, with Stu
nrt's md Cheattam's corps, and Johnson's
division Of Lees corps, lcnring tho other d.
vision Of Lees corps In the enemy's front at
The troops moved in Hight marching order.
with only battery. to the corps, my object
being to turn the cnemy's' lnnk by marching
rapidly on roads parallel to the Columbia and
franklin pike, at or near Spring Hill, and to
cut of that portion Of the enemy at or near
Columbia When I had gotten we'll on bis
Hank, the enemy discovered my intention, and
began 10 retreat on the pike toward Spring
Hill. The cavalry became engaged near that
place about midday, but his Eninslwere so
strongly gnarded that they were unable to
break through them. Abont four p. M, our
Infantry forces, Major-General Cheatham In
the advance, commenced to come In contact
with the enemy, about two miles from Spring
mi, through which place the Columbia and
Frnnklin pike runs.
The enemy was at this time moving rapidly
along the pike, with some Of his troops
formed On the funk Of his column to protect
it. Maj. Gen. Cheatham was ordered to at.
tRck the enemy at once, vigorously, md Get
orders were frequently and earnestly repcat-
ed, he made bnt feeble aud partial attack,
falling to reach the point indicated. Had my
Instructions been carried out there Is no doubt
that We could have possessed ourselves of
this road Stuart's corps and Johnson's dl.
vision were arriving upon the field to support
the attack: Though the golden opportunity
bad passed at daylight, I did not at dark
abandon the hope Of dealing the enemy a
heavy blow. Accordingly, Lieut. Gen. Stuart
was furnished guide, and ordered to move
his corps beyond Cheatham's, and place it
seross the road beyond Spring Hill.
my headquarters, and when informed him Of
Stuart's movement, be said that stuart ought
to form On his right I asked lif that would
throw Stewart across the pike. lie replied
that 1t would, and mile beyond. Accord
ingly, one Of Cheatham's staH officers waa
sent to show Stuart where bis tCheatha1n's)
right rested. In the dark aud confusion Stu
at did not succeed in getting the position de-
sired, hut about II p. m. went into blyouac.
About II p. m., aecertatnIcss that the enemy
was moving IA great confusion-artillcry
wagons and troops intermixed-Ie sent lnstruc-
tions to Cen Cheatham to advance a heavy
ther impede and confuse his march. This was
not accomplished.
The enemy continued to move along the
road in hurry and confusion, within hearing.
nearly all The night. Thus was lost great
opportunity oi striking the enemy. for which
r., had lahnred so long, the greatest this cam
@ sa.ine haG e o&esafsd &as aaa one of the greatest
left In trout Of the enemy at Columbia, was
Instructed to press the enemy the moment he
enemy did not abandon his wofks at that
place till dark, showing that bis trims OBJ
structed the road for fifteen miles during the
day, and great part Of the night. At day
light We followed as fast as possible toward |
franklin, General Stewart In the |
advance, Major General Cheatham following,
and Lieutenant General Lee, with tho trains,
moving from Columbia on the same road. |
We pursued the enemy rapidly, and COM |
PEELED Linn to burn number OF bis wagons I
he made feint as II to gire battle on the
bills about four miles south OF Franklin, but |
as soon rs our forces begun to deploy for the |
attack, and to flank him On his leit. he re- |
tired slowly to Franklin.
learned from dispatches captured at |
Spring Hill, from Thomas to Schofield, that
the hitter was instructed to hold that place
I'LL the position at Franklin could be made
secure, Indicating. the intention OF Thomas to
hold Franklin and his strong works at Muir
freesboro. Thus knew that 1t was ali i'm.
portant to attack schotle!d before he could
make himself strong, and If heshould escape
NJ Franklin he would gaIn Ills works about
Nashville. The nature Of the position was
such as to render 1t inexpcdient- to attempt
my further flank movement, and therefore
determined to attack him in front, and With
ont delay.
= On the 3oth of November stuart's corps was
placed In position on the right, Cheatham'e
On the left, and the cavalry On either flank,
the main body on the right under Forrest.
Johnson's division Of Lees CORPS also became
engaged on the left during the engagement.
The line advanced Al 4 p. H., with orders to
drive the enemy at tho point Of the bayonct
into OF ncross the Big Harpeth River, while
General Forrest, If successful, was to cross
the river and destroy his trims and broken
columns. The troops moved forward most
sallantly to the attack. We carried the ene-
ny's line Of hastily constructed works hand
'onely.
We then advanced against his interior line.
md succeeded In carrying it also, in some
olaces. Here the engagement was Of the
lercest possible character. Our men pos
g sed themselves Of the exterior Of the works,
shile tha enemy held the Interior Many OF
.ur men were killed entirely inside tho works.
ne brave men captured were taken inside
is works IL the edge Of :setown.: Thestrug-
,le lasted till near midnight WHEN the enemy
lbandoned his works and crossed the river,
eaving bis dead aud wounded in our posses,
ion. Never did troops fight more gallautly.
inc WORKS Of the enemy were 20 hastily cpu-
tructed that, Whiie he had q slight abbatis IN |
ront Of part Of his line, there was none on
It's extreme right. During the day I was
cstra1ned from using my artillery on account
i the women and children remaining in the
own. At night it was massed, ready to con-
niue Tue action IN the morning, hut the