The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-03
When it became evident that Grant

When it became evident that Grant
would compel a surrender, Pillow, who
had no taste for prison life within the
walls of ''Northern bastile,' turned
the command over to Floyd, and he.
for similar reason, relinquished in
favor Of Gen. Buckner, who was too
honorable to run away and abandon
the command to its fate, but like =
true soldier remained to share it's for
tunes. Pillow and Floyd escaped nv
boat to Nashville. where they arrived
on the Sabbath morning while the
good people were in attendance upon
divine service. The news of their ar
rival flew through the city s'like a hue
and cry through country village.''
The Yankees are coming!! Congre-
cations were dismissed without the
usual benediction and all who could
get aWay-wOmen, children, and Con-
federate soldiers, left before the hated
Yankees arrived.
Floyd remained in the city long
enough to cut the wires of the suspen-
sion bridge and precipitate that grand
structure, in shapeless mass, to the
bottom of the river. The rear of the
column of fugitives was scarcely out
of the city when Buell., with his mag
nlticent army, arrived on the north
side OF the Cumberland river, oppo-
site to the city. Boats were procured
and the work of crossing began at
once. By nine o'clock at night the
troops were all over and Nashville was
in the hands of the Union army.
The scenery through which Buell's
army passed just before reaching
Nashville was simply grand. The
earth was carpeted with fresh green
grass, dotted here and there with the
beautiful and variegated hues of ten
der, opening flowers. Forests, fields
and lawns succeeded each other in
rapid succession. Grand and majestic
trees encircled with their giant arms
and clustering foliage, old ancestral
homes. hoary with age and golden
memories. A people who had been
protected by the government gather
ing around them so many comforts
and luxuries, should have been slow
to raise their rebellious hands against
it. The Federal army found a very
bitter feeling to prevail in Nashville
against the Yankees. From the break
ing out of the rebellion, orators, poets.
the press and the pulpit had united in
Installing into the hearts of the igno-
rant and deluded populace the most
deadly hatred against the Federal gov
eminent. The soldiers were charac-
terized as Lincoln hirelings and
likened unto the offspring and de-
scendants of those old Norsemen, who
in the long-ago of English history had
been the terror and shame of the
world. The people had been told that
when the sunny South was disgraced
by the tread of mercenary soldiers.
barbaratles and atrocities worse than
those ever perpetrated in the deepest,
darkest night of English heathenism,
would be heaped upon them by the
Northern vandals. Under the mild
and humane treatment of Gen. Buell.,
the Southern people soon became con-
WINGED that their leaders had imposed
upon them, and from that time on
ward the Union feeling gained
strength from day to day.
The army did not remain long at
this point. A messenger arrived from
Gen. Grant urging Buell. to move with
all possible dispatch to Pittsburgh
Landing. Reducing the baggage to the
lowest limit, Buell. began his march.
When within thirty miles of his desti-
nation, the muttering of distant artil-
lery was heard. A battle was being
fought with the odds against us. The
gallant Nelson lead the column and
overcame all difficulties. When his
approach was observed, word soon
passed through Grants army that re-
Inducements had arrived. The al
ready jaded troops picked up new
courage, the lines were closed up and
as soon as Buell. could take his proper
place from right to left, the Union
troops moved forward. Beauregard
wavered F.; soon his line broke and his
entire army was demoralized and in
full retreat, with the victorious Fed
erals in hot pursuit.