The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-03
90ashrille Muiuu.
WIZ. OANERON 3 co.. Publisher.
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER s. 1856.
The Rebel General HOOd---His Ao-


With no little interest l went up to hin
and looked at his features. HIS face IS ov
and fair, his eyes light blue and steady, an
his hair brown, while long, light-brow
beard falls from his chm In person, he
tall and we'll made, and his look IS quie
cool and considerate. His ageis only thirty
four years.
His quiet look led me TO speak to him,
which 1 was very desirous. 1 first talked ,
the boat We were on, and the sea, then rt
ferred to the late war and his campaign j
Tennessee. He said that very little wa
known Of the merits Of his campaign, e
his report saw light only at the braak-up Q
the Contederacy. HIS plan was to push INT
Kentucky, and there to increase and suppl
his army. "If ! had been able 20 do so.
said the eX-General, q" would have ha
$4,000 men, and with that force could hav
met any army sent against me-" Ii wa
necessary for him TO 81 on, he said, for tn
men were losing spirit by falling back, an,
only some bold effort could reanimRte them
It was with this view that he stroYe to defea
the army under General Thomas "aud, =,
said he, 80 ought 10 have had him at Sprinl
HILL, but some Of my officers failed me.
In acting against the line Of supply of on
army, the ex-General sent a force of 4, ,50
cavalry to break up the railroad. Thi
I
strong block houses, each with a cistern in
side and garrison of fifty men. Thes'
were so safe for time that, 10 use his words
"the cavalry could do nothing with them,
though they took few b. a display o
| force. Time was necessary to reduce the
block houses, and that was wanting.
The effort made by the eX General to de-
feat the force under General Thomas is de-
scribed by him as follows. / must first say
that the army Of the former left Florence on
the 2lst Of November, 1864, to begin the
movement, aud that General Thomas fell
bsck on the 23d upon Columbia:
"Ihe want Of good map Of the country
and the deep mud through which the army
marched, prevented our overtaking the en-
emy before he reached Columbia, but on the
9th Of November our army was placed in
position in front Of his works al that place.
During the night, however, he evacuated
the town, taking position on the opposite
4 side of tue river, about a mile and a hslt
| from the town, which was considered quite
| strong in front. La in the evening Of the
2sth of November, General Forrest, with the
most Of his command, crossed Duck river,
q few miles above Columbia, and foil owed
| early on the morning Of the 2S n, with Stew
| arts and Cheatham's corps, and johnson 5
| division of Lees corps, leaving the other
| divisions of Lees corps IN the enemy's front
at Columbia. The troops moved in light
marching order, with only battery 70 the
corps, my object being TO turn the enemy's
| flank by marching rapidly on roads parallel
to the Columbia and Franklin pike, at or
near Spring Hill, and to cut off that portion
of the enemy at or near Columbia. When
| I had gotten well on his flank, the enemy
| discovered my intention, and began 10 re
treat on the pike toward Spring Hill. The
cavalry became engaged near that place
about mid day. but his trains were 50
strongly guarded that they were unable to
/ break through them. About 4 p. m, our
| infantry forces, Major General Cheatham in
the advance, commenced to come in con-
| tact with the enemy, about two miles from
| Spring Hill, through which place the Co
| lumbia and Franklin turnpike runs. The
enemy was at this time moving rapid y
| formed on the flank Of his column to pro-
tect it.. Major General Cheatham was or
dered to attack the enemy at once, vigOr-
ously. and get possession of this PIKE, anu
although these orders were frequently and
earnestly repeated, he made but feeble and
partial attack, failing to reach the point indi-
Gated. Had my instructions been carried
out there IS no doubt that we could have
| possessed ourselves Of this road. Stewart 3
| corps and johnson division were arriving
upon the field to support the attack.
Though the golden opportunity had passed
at daylight, did not az dark abandon the
hope Of dealing the enemy heavy blow.
Accordingly, Lieutenant General Stewart
was furnished a guide, and ordered TO
move his corps beyond Cheatham's, snd
| place it across the road beyond Spring Hill.
/ Shortly after this, Gen. Cheatham came to
my Headquarters, and when | informed him
| of Stewards movement, he said that Stewart
| ought to form on his right. asked If that
would throw Stewart across the pike. He
replied that it would, and a mile beyond.
| Accordingly, one Of Cheatham' staff officers
was sent to show Stewart where his Cheat
/ ham 81 right rested. In the dark and con-
! fusion, Stewart did not succeed IN getting
the position desired, but at II p. m. went
into bivousc. About u p. m ascertainiDg g
| that the enemy ives moving IN great coniu-
sion-artillery, wagons and troops inter-
mixed-I sent instructions 70 Gen. Cheat
ham TO advance q heavy line Of skirmishers
sgainst him. and still further impede and
confuse his march. This was not accom-
plished. The enemy continued to move
along the road IN hurry and confusion,
within hearing, nearly ell the night. Thus
was lost a great opportunity OF striking the
enemy. for which we had labored SO long,
| tba greatest this campaign had otfers q, and
one Of the greatest during the war. Lieut..
Gen. Lee, left IN front Of the enemy at Co
| lumbia, was instructed to press the enemy
the moment he abandoned bis position st
| that point. The enemy did not abandon
| his wbrks at that pOIut till dark, showing
| that his trains obsiructed the road for fifteen
miles during the day, and great part OF
tbe NIGHT. At daylight We followed as fast
es possible toward Franklin, Lieut.. Gen.
| Stewart in the advance, Maj. Gen. Cheat
| ham following, and Lieut., Gen. Lee With
| tbe trains, moving frOm Columbia on the
same road. We pursued the enemy rapid
J Iv. and compelled him % burn a number Of
| his wagons. He mtde a teint as if TO give
| battle On the hills about four milss south OF
| Franklin, but as soon as our forces begun
! 10 depl V for the attack, and TO flank him
on the left, he retired slowly to Franklin.
| "I learned from dispatches captured a
/ Spriug Hill, from Thomas 10 schofield, that
| the latter was Instructed TO hold that place
! till the p sition at Franklin could be made
| secure, indicating the intention Of Thomas
to hold Franklin and his strong works al
! AIurfreesboro Thus 7 knew b was an i'm
/ u1rtaut to attack sCL0ueld before be uld
mske himself strong, and If he Should es-
cape ct Franklin he would gaid his works
! about Nashville. The nature Of the pasitiou
was such as to render it inexpedieut 10 At
| tempt any further flank movement, and
therefore determine 20 attack him in front
and without delay. ON the 3Oth OF Noyem-
bsr Stewards Corps was placed N p1sluoIi
| On the right Cneatham's "a the Ieiti ana
| the cavalry on either faux, the malp BODY
| on the right under + rrest. Johnsohs u
vision OF Lees corps also became engaged
on the left during the engagement The
HNnHH- e
line advanced at ?. m-r WIN 9'qeFs %
drive the enemy, Of the point OF the bsyc-
net into or across the Big harpeih River
/ while General Forrest, Do successful, was q
c,os. ,Io rivsr and attack aud destroy III.
trains and broken columns- The troop.
moved forward most gallautly 20 the attack
We carried the euemy's frsi line Of hastily
coustricted works handsomely. We then
,dvsDreE AGAINST he interior line, ana sue
coded in carving ID also, ia some places
Uere ths enrseeneut was of the herces
no.s1la charaeter Oar men possessad
tban..Izes OF the exterior Of the work
wb1e ne enemy held the interior. MANY
of our men were killed entirely inside th'
works. The brave men captures were la'
ken inside bis works in the edge o. ne
town. The struggle lasted an near ma
D;-E+ -, the enemy abandoned MS
49, and crossed the river, leaving his 2eed
ana wounded q our possession Never dig
troops fightmore gallsutly. The works ofth'
spetav were 20 hastily Y structed that whil'
he lad a slight abatis IN front ola part Of hi
line. there was none on his extreme righ'
Duripr he dav was restrained from using
nv s-sillerv On acc1unt m the women ans
.bilS-su -.rlairiug iu the town. At nigh
! II vTss psssei. ready % continue the actor
in the morning. Bat the enemy retired
Weeaplured shout thousand prisoners
and several stand Of colors- our total Joe
in killed, wounded and prisoners was lou
I tbops.r5 Eve hundred. Among the kiile'
Z va Neior General 3. r. liehuue, Briga
der General Gist, John adams, Strain au'