New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-28


with laundering paddles, and flock Of young scream
pq gull. in chase to pick up nything might drop.
Az the beat left the land behind We, the passengers.
began TO look at each other and my eyes rested upon
man seated on chair, Nth crutch beside him, and
with his looks bent upon the sea. This wasJ. b. Hood,
hate General OF the C. 8 A. His dress suit of blue
6snne With black felt hat. On his LETT hand he wore
hid 1,Ove, and Lis person was very neat.
With little interest went up 10 HIM, and looked
A his features His face is oval aud fair bis eyes light
blue and steady aud his ha'r brown. wIe "ng' hsht
brown beard fails from bis CHA. in person he Is tail
and well made, aud his look h quiei. cool ana con
siderate His age is only 81 years.
Uis Quiet look led me to speak to him. Of which
was very deeirous first talked of the boat
el and the sea- then referred 10 the late war and hs
campaign in Tennessee He said that very little was
light only at the break up Of the Confedeiacy His
paan 10 push into Kentucky and there TO increase
and supply his army. If had been able 10 do so,
said the ex General II would have Rad 90 900 and
with that force could have met any army sent ng inst
me-" 1t necessary for him TO go on, he sald for
the men were losing spirit by falhng baeki and on!
some bold effort could Iesnmate them. 1t was U'lh
this view that he TO defeat the army under Gen
Thomas; land" said be, II ought 70 I've hgd him at
Spring Hin, but some Of my officers ulled me- In act
ing against the line of supply Of our army, the exen
eral sent force Of cavalry break up the railroad
This fOreo found the read covered by line oil s'rooS
block houses each with cisern inside. and garrison
Of 50 men, These safe for lime that. To use
his words. 1.-The cavalry could do nothing with them.
though they took few by display OF force lime was
necessary TO reduce the block. houses and iLat was
wanting.
The effort made By the exGenoal 20 defeat the force
under Gen. Thomas is described by him as iollowr. /
must first say that the army Of the former et ne
on the 2lst of November 1864 ~ begin the movement
and that Gen. Thomas fell back the 2d upon Coinn'
ba: .,..o
deep mud through which the army marched prevented
overtaking the enemy before be reached Coumolo
but on the evening Of the 2do Of November our auI
was placed IN position in front OF lis works nj th"t
place. During the night however, be evacuated The
Sown taking position the opposite side OF ule rVer
about mile and half from the town, which wn' con.
sdered quite strong in front Late in the evening oi
the 2sth Of November Gen Forrest, with most oi ms
eomman d. crossed Duck River few miles above ColuW'
hia and followed early on the morning. oil TIE yh WIN
Stewards and Cbeatlams Corps, ana Johnsons DIVISION
af Lees Corps leaving the other divisions OF Lees
Corps in the eneny's front at Colnm sis The troops
moved In Light marching orcer with only a
snemys flank by marching rapidly on roads parallel 10
he Columbia and Franklin pike at or near Spring Hii'
and 20 cut of that portion OF the enemy ht or near
Columbia. When had gotten well ON lis flank TIE
enemy discovered my intention. and began 10 retreat
on the pike toward Spring Hill. The cavalry became
engaged near that place about mid day, but BIS trans
were so strongly guarded that ttey were unebie to
break through them. About ?. m, onr Infantry
forces Major Gen Cheaiham in the advance, com.
Denced to come in contact with the enemy about two
miles from Spring I'LL, through wn.ch place th"
Columbia and Franklin PIKE runs. The enemy was ~
this line moving rapidly along the PIKE with some OF
his troops formed the Hapk Of bis column 10 protect
It. No ior.Gen. Cbeatham ordered TO attack lie
enemy at vigorously. aud get possession OF TN,
pike, and athouc4 these ordeIs vero frequently and
earnestly repeated, he made but feeble and p1Ttih
attack. falhng reach the pclut indicated. Had Inv
distinctions been carried there doubt that
could have possessed Of tins road. Stewars
corps and Johnson's division were arriving upon Toe
held TO support the attack. Though the golden
opportunity had passed az daylight, ] did not
~ dark abandon the lope Of dealing tle
enemy heavy blow. Accordingly, Licat.-Gen Stew
art vas furnished guide and ordered TO move his
corps beyond Cheahas and place II across the road
beyond Spring Hill. Shortly after this Gen Cheatha'n
carae TO my headauarers and when informed I'm OF
Stewart movement he said that Stewort ought iS
form on his right asked If that would throw ste~er
seross the pike. lie replied that il would, nHd a m
beyond. Accordingly, one Of Cheathalns s'an oHcei
as sent TO show Stewart wherehis Cheathap's) rgb
rested. In the dark and confusion, Stewart did no
succeed Ia getting tho position desired lut about ii
m. vent into bivOuac About " p. IL, ascertainil
that the enemy moving in great cOn'usior-arii
ieIy, wagons and troops inteImixed. sent iistiuc
tons TO Gen. CheathaIn 70 advance heavy line OF skir
mshers against him and stlll further impede ad con
h fuse his merch Iiis was not accomplished The On
~ ery continued TO move along the road In hurry al
" confusion within hearing, nearly OF the night Thu
was lost great opportunity Of ttrking the enemy 70
which bad lsbored so long the greatest this
paign had offered, and Of tho greatest during tn
war. Lieut. Gen. Lee. left In front Of tie enemy q
COlumbia- was insruCted 10 press tie eEem.
che moment he abandoned bis position
abandon bic works st thst place till dark showing ths
hi. trains obstructed tie road for fifteen mi!c
during tie day aud great part Of the night AT day
1ght we followed as ias' as possible toward Franklin
Lieut. Gen. Stewart in the advance. Major Gen. Cheat
following, and Lleut.-tIen. Lee with the
moving from Coiumbia on the road. We pursuel
the enemy rapidly, and compelled him TO bum number
OF bis wagons He made feirt as II TO give battle OF
3hc hills about four miles south Of Franklin, but
our forces began to depoy for the attack. and &
nank him his left he retired slowly to Franklin
Il learned from dispatches captured at Spring Hin
from Thomas TO Scboed that the Inter was instructed
70 hold that place till tho position OF Franklin could b.
made secure II dic6ting the intention Of Thomas {,
bold Franklin ana bis strong works at hnTreea borough
Thus knew that 1t was al! important 70 attack Scho
field before he could make himself stronc, and II b,
should escape at Franklin he wOnld gain his work
sbou. Nashville. The nature OF the position was suci
TO render ineIpedent attempt any further nsnl
movement, and therefore determined TO attack him
IN mont and without delay. On the 30th OF November
Stewarts corps was placed n position tue ri ght
,CLeshsr's the left and the cavalry either flank
The main body on the right under Forrest johnson
dirsion Of Lees corps also became engaged tue len
during the engagement. The line sdg anced st D. H.
with orderg TO drive enemy at the point Of the bay
net, into or across tie Big Harpeth River while Gen
Forrest II successful 10 the river and attack
and destroy his trains and broken columns The troops
moved forward most gallanty TO the attack.
We carried the enemy's first line Of hastily
constructed works handsomely. We tten ed.
vanccd against his interior line and succeeded
IN carrying it also. in some places. Here the
engagement Of The 6ereest possible character
Our e possessed themselves of the exterior OF The
works while the enemy held the interior Mauy OF our
snen were killed entirely inside the works. The brave
men captured taken inside bis works in the edge
OF the town. Tie struggle lasted till near midnight
when the enemy abandoned his works and crossed the
river, leaving bis dead and wounded in our possessiou
Never did troops fght more gaIautly. The works OF
tbe enemy were 40 hastily constructed that while he
mad slight sbbatis in front Of part u bis line there
'was none his extreme right. During tic day was
restrained from using my artillery account Of the
~VomeB and children remaining in the town. At night
~ was massed ready 20 continue the action ia the
.xnorning but the enemy retired We captured about
q thousand prisoners; and several stands lof
was four thousand five hundred. Among the
Killed was MajorGen. p. 4. Cleburne. Brig Gems.
Gist John Adams, Strabl and Grcrbnry. MajorGen