The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-11-11
FRANKLIN.
The Best Fought Battle Of the War.
A Fight Which Darkness Only ln'
tensiiled.
A Field strewn With Dead Generals and
Line officers.


N. Quad in Detroit FREQ Press
One who rides down tho smooth, broad pike
from Spring Hill TO Franklin can scarcely re-
alze that war ever rolled alongit IL ~ lined
with fire farms and comfortable houses and
well-filled barns, and one must look close 70
to find single scar Of the many inflicted on
that November day.
Schofeld had passed Spring Hill with his
entire army and was making for Nashville,
! Let him once mite with Thomas and the Fed
eral force wonld be large enough to crush
Hood II was therefore the Confederate policy
TO pursue, overtake him ifpossible and inflict
n severe defeat Schofeld had several miles
the start, and it is doubtful il Hood could have
overtakeG him at Franklin. 1t IL not clear
whether no argued that it was his duty 10
make a fight to give Thomas time, or whether
the trick which Hood had served him made
him thirst for revenge. In either event, his
advance had no sooner come within three
miles of Franklin than battle limo was
formed, and the troops began throwing up
breastworks.
As East az the Federal columns came up they
were ~ fll llbNl'lbll. i' l'''''i''' ''' - 80
crossing the pike, and the pike runs on hno
from northeast to southwest The Federal
army had its left flank near the Nashville rail-
road, and ts right on the highway leading 10
Carter's creek, while its centre rested square
across the pike. Slight brcastworks we're
thrown up along this line, but it was not the
intention to fight battle there Two miles
down the pike nearer Franklin strong earth
works we're being thrown up on shorter line.
and there tho real stand was to be made.
As soon as tho Confederate advance appear
cd it filed of to the right and lett, and
formed in battle-line to face the Fedorals'
After hot skirmshing all along the lines tho
Federals slowly fell back to the fortified line,
and then Hood knew just what he had to deal
with Schofield was ready for battle. His
left now rested on the railroad, where swamps
and thickets made it secure, and his right was
on the pike running directly north from tho
town. The center, divided by the pike, rested
on the Carter farm. The natural lay of the
ground furnished no advantage to the FEEDER
ala, but they had seven or eiBhthours in which
to intrench, and the position had been made
very strong
Hood saws no ordered his artillery to take
no part in the action, for fear OF injuring the
women and children in the town below, Tho
fact that a good part Of his gums won't into ac-
ton is beyond dispute, The day l reached
Franklin, only four months ago, an unex-
ploded ten-pound shell fired from one OF
Hoods guns was pfowod up in an orchard in
the centre of the town, and is now u relic IN
The Free Press Office Hood must have ex-
pected that, with sM hours notice OF an ap-
preaching battle, the women anu children
would have gained shelter outside the town.
His reason for not using artillery in the centre
was because there was no position for it, the
fields being almost a plain, and the Fedorals
having the higher ground.
Gen. Hood likewise asserts that his army
was never in such spirit for fight i have
talked with scores of his mon, who condemned
him wtho II measure for ordering an assault
on such position. Few could have had hopes
of victory under the circumstances.
The November day-the last in the month.
was fading away when Hood moved forward
to the attack Stewart was on the right,
Cheatham on the left, and their right and left
TANKS composed the center Lee had had an
all might march, and was coming up 30 slowly
that his corps was held rs a reserve
The Confederates were allowed to formin
battle line in the fields within cannon shot
without interruption, but AZ soon as they be-
gan to advance the fury Of battle broke loose
with the report of the first gun. The gallant
Clebune, who had less than an hour to live,
formed his division i'll three battle lines and
advanced with It,
Ihave conversed with several Confederates
who we're in that advance and they all agreed
that it was filed with horrors 1t was broad
dav, and they were advancing over meadows
almost as level AZ floor, without protection
of any sort During the first five minutes
they were under the full play of the Federal
cannon. Round shot tore through the ranks,
crushing men to pulp, and shell struck them
down by the dozens, and yet the lines did not
break step The appalling noise of the iron
missiles--tho shrieks of the victims--the orders
shouted along the lines--the explosion Of
bursting shells--one wonders how men can
face all this and forget that they are men.
There were hedges and fences along the
nike. and the Confederate lines which adj
vancod on the highway seemed marching upa
lane to death Three pieces of Federal ar
tillery commanded tho pike and one who sees
the position il amazed that it was not swept
clear of human life in five minutes. Men who
saw it after the battle say that it looked as if a
gang of laborers had been blowing it up.
Men who advanced over itsay That the air was
filled with sand and gravel and flying stones,
and troops to the right and loft of the
road were thrown into confusion by this
shower of singing missiles What happens
when solid shot strikes into advancing lines?
II may miss one man by yard, another by
foot, knock third down hy its wind, and then
roll into ditch or plow its way into II hill
But it is Just as certain 10 strike If man IL
hit he il literally crushed ont of existence.
tie may BIO hit in the breast, and yet the
shocl, will break his legs and arms. He is
lifted up, whirled around and thrown down as
a mass OF bloody pulp. The ball goes on,
crushcs a leg-smashos a t0o,-strikcs the
ground and bounds up to encounter II head,
make pulp of another body, and then rest
from its awful work.
$1,000. L L