The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-31

After the battle ,Sch0feld fell back
to Nashville, followed Slowly by Hoods
army. Our line Of defence was estab-
lished around the city, and Hood took
a position parallel to it and threw ;up
temporary works and instead of closing
IN upon 'ls, he waited for the attack to
come from the Federal iside.k On the
10Th day Of December, 1854 our en-
Yiron g e army swept out !of its. fortifi-
cations and actually and utterly ami
mated the veteran ranks OF the enemy.
Not perhaps in all the history sc
authentic war is there another case
where the besieged, gathered as was
this command, in this instance. from
every direction, detachments, raw re-
crults, drafted men, new regiments,
with the 4th and 23d, corps as the nu.
cleus OF organization, throwing down
every barrier, and laying aside every
artificial defense, rushing out upon an
overnumbering foe, versed in all the
strategy of war. and beating him face
to face in fair and open. contest.
What Hannibal failed to do at Car.
thage, Marc Antony failed to do when
he sailed down to Actium to meet
the young Octavius, it was reserved
for Gen. Thomas to do at Nashville.
Never was victory more complete, or
defeat more crushing and overwhelm-
ing Hood S army was literally and
actually broken up and des-
troyed, and it's usefulness as a mill
tary organization ruined effctually and
forever. Sennacherib's host scarcely
melted away more completely.
The battle Of Nashville was the last
staggering blow at the failing confed-
eracy and contributed in large degree
to the success of military operations in
the east.
Had it terminated differently other
and bloody campaigns would have been
the legitimate consequences. Rich
mond would have been reinforced and
the success of Sherman's march would
have been endangered. Nothing would
have been in the way of Hoods march
to the Ohio river, or beyond it, had he
felt inclined to pass over the rich
store-houses Of Indiana and Ohio.
The battle of Nashville was soon
followed by a general collapse of the
rebellion, and these massive armies
| which had made themselves felt
through all the broad confines of the
Republic, resolved once more into
their constituent parts and with the
exception of such as had adopted the
profession of arms as a lifetime occu-
patton, the hundreds of thousands of
soldiers laid aside their warlike guise.
and turned naturally and zealously to
the arts of peace.
The necessity that had made them
soldiers of the Republic having passed
away, they turned with eagerness and
earnestness to the homes that had
sent them forth, and, with true Amer
lean enterprise and energy, entered
into the thick avenues of trade and
business. All over the land to-day
they occupy positions of honor and
usefulness, ready, should necessity
call, to shoulder their muskets in de-
fence of their country against all en-
emies or OppOsers.
The problem of reconstruction of the
Southern States was different one,
as we had never had a parallel case in
the history of our country. It was
not expected that perfect reconstruct
ton could be arrived at Immediately.
The waters of the ocean, when stirred
by an earthquake, do not find their
level and put on their calm the mo-
ment the internal elements have ceased
to work. They seethe, and roar, and
lash each other for hours afterward,
for they have been shaken in all their
parts, and to their hidden depths. So
it was reasonable to expect some con.
fusion before the effects of the mighty
national upheaval died away. Men
professed loyalty when forced to lay
down their arms, but as one remarked
to me some years after the close of the
war 81 was never loyal except from
the teeth outward Professedly they
were loyal, but their ''true inward
ness was not in accord with their pro-
LESSONS. 1t is, however, a source of
deep qualification to know that the
stars and stripes wave unhindered over
every portion of the American sdo-
main, respected and honored by all
classes of our citizens.
a nation, whose loyal sons are her
soldiers, a nation where the people
themselves are the bulwarks of militia.
ny strength, may bid defiance to the
march of time and the revolutions of
change. External assault and internal
revolts are alike powerless to shake it's
throne in the affection of it's citizens.
Enemies without and enemies within
can never shatter it. Foreign war
may exhaust it's powers, and domestic
treason may expend all the rebellious
efforts of it's hate upon that nation,
and it will live and strengthen and
! succeed in spite Of them all. The 10y
atty of her children shall work out
her redemption, and their faith and
fealty shall make her immortal. That
outburst of popular affection-that ex-
| hibitiOn Of patriotic resOlutiOn-that