Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-30
WHOLE NO. 2,2S4.

, use Oh cavalry 10 arrest ana C1pIu
i retreating infantry, which deserv'
d the especial study OF military mel
d 1t was subsequently copied by She
i idan in the capture of Gen. Lee, AN
: if it had been practiced by Wilso
!, on Hood as he retreated from Nasi
e vile, the Confederate army woul
/ have been captured.
g l think / risk nothing in sayin
| if Forrest had been in command G
2 our army, Gen. Schofield woull
: never have marched by Sprinl
Hill, and the disastrous battle O
t Franklin, where the gallant Gle
? burne and so many brave men fell
) wou,l never have been fought.
: Poor tAeburne! he was a nobl
: specimen of the Irish gentleman
knew him as a promising youny
: law yer, and watched with interes
, his brilliant career in arms. HI
supplied my division with ammu
milton on the morning Of Franklin
and we pa ted to meet no more.
shall never forget the solemn scene
that occurred when his body passed
through Memphis, after the surren,
der, to its final resting place i'm his
adopted State of Arkansas. Like
the burial of Sir John Moore, it was
sad and silent scene as we laid
him down on the steamers deck.
Around him stood Jefferson Davis,
Isham g. Harris, and the few Con-
federate Generals then in Memphis.
Respect for the prejudices Of our
recent captOrs prevented a greater
demonstration. An Irishman APP
preached, and in humble accents
asked permission to kiss the coffin
! of his dead commander. Mr.. Davis
nodded a silent assent. lEneeling
and making the sign of the cross on
his breast, the humble soldier lin
gered moment in prayer, and
then pressed his lips with fervor on
the head of the coffin. Not q word
was said but each hat was involun-
tarily lifted from the head and silent
! tears stole down the manly cheeks
of those who were present.
THE RETREAT FROM COLUMBIA.
Another incident of this disas-
trous campaign deserves especial
mention, as illustrative of the char
acter and service of Gen. Forrest.
When Hoods army had been de-
feated at Nashville and driven back
in almost utter despair to Column
bia, where it stood broken and sui
len on the south bank of Duck riv-
er, Gen. Forrest, who had been Op-
Grating around Murfreesboro, came
in on the 18th of December. The
inspiring effect of his presence was
felt by all, and was thus described
by my Adjutant, Capt. w. A. Good
man, man of brilliant intellect,
cool in battle and untiring in his de-
votiOn to the cause and the dis
charge of his duty: "At no time in
his whole career was the fortitude
of Gen. Forrest in adversely and his
power of infusing his own cheerful
ness into those under his command,
more strikingly exhibited than at
this crisis. Broken and defeated, as
we were, there were not wanting
many others as determined as he to
do their duty to the last, and who
stood out faithfully to the end but
their conversation was that of men
who, though determined, were with |
out hope, and who felt that they
must gather strength from despair;
but he alone, whatever he may have |
felt (and he was not blind to the |
danger of our pOsition), spoke in |
his usual cheerful and defiant tone,
and talked of meeting the enemy |
with as much assurance of success |
as he did when driving them before |
him month before. Such a spirit |
is sympathetic and not man was
brought in contact with him who |
did not feel strengthened and inVig- !
Grated, as if he had heard of a rein 1
forcement coming to our relief"
Forrest was by unanimous
consent selected to cover the retreat
from Columbia, and to assist his cav
airy, now reduced to three thOus-
and, he was assigned a division of
selected infantry, numbering only
fifteen hundred, but composed of as
brave men and gallant officers as
ever lived-nOt the least of whom
was that gallant Mississippian, Gen.
whosesubsequent CON
duct at Sugar creek deserves to be
long remembered.
The advance Of the enemy crossed
Duck river on the night of the 21st
and on the 22d Forrest
fell back slowly until he reached a
gorge between two hills, three miles
from Columbia. Here he had slight
but held his position
easily for the night. On the oath
Wilson's cavalry corps, ten thous-
and strong, and Woods division of
infantry, crossed, and the pursuit
began in earnest. There was heavy
ighting during the day, in which
both infantry and cavalry were en-
gagged, and at night he camped at
Pulaski. On the morning of the
18th he fell back to a strong position
IN Anthony's hill, seven miles be-
1ond Pulaski. The situation now
seemed desperate. 1t was only for
" miles to the Tennessee river,
where Hood was crossing, and the
Infantry had not all reached there,
While the trains were some distance
behind. Wilson with ten thousand
.avalry, and Woods division Of in
antry, were close on him, while A.
!. Smith and Schofield We're NOV
ne on from Columbia. Forrest,
With his forty-tive hundred, as un-
launted as Xenophon with his cele- [
Irated ten thousand, calmly await :
ID their approach, and his men
gathered courage from their leader. I
Wilson came on, and, as Gen Thorn |
$ says, "WoOd kept well closed up
IN the cavalry;n and ] give the
esult in the language of General
rhomas's report: "During the after
loon Harrison's brigade found the
.nemy strongly entrepohed at the
lead of a heavily wooded and deep
avlne, through which ran the road
nd into which Colonel Harrison
Irove the enemy's skirmishers. He
hen waited for the remainder of
he cavalry to close up before at :
ackingi hut before this could be
coomplished the enemy, with
Of his former boldness,
allied from his breast-works and
IroVe back HarrisOn's skirmishors." !
n this fight, which Gen. Thomas
reats as a mere skirmish, the Con-
ederates captured fifty prisoners,
hree hundred cavalry horses, one
'un of Company !, Fourth United
itates artillery, with eight horses, ,
nd the killed and wounded were !
at one hundred and fifty,
While the brilllancy and vim of the !
confederate charge astonished the |,
1ederals so much that they attacked
10 more that day. Forrest then re-
ired to Sugar creek and halted for :
mother fight. Having selected an I