Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-27
CLEBURNE's DEATH
On the Bloody Field OF Franklin, Ten
nessee-The Hottest Contest of
the War.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia Times
writes from Franklin:
We hitched to the locust tree by the gate
where Captain Carter, whose name is men,
toned affectionately in the chronicles of his
comrades, was said to have fallen and
walked around the house. The southern end
shows many marks of mimic balls, and a
frame structure adjoining seems to have
been peppered with small shot. So, too, the
outbuildings and the trees offer evidences of
the conflict, for here the Federal center was
boldly salient, the TANKS resting on the river
10 the right and left. The present owner of
he plantation, Colonel Carter, looked as
wsrlike as his battered premises when We
caught glimpse OF him, with a gun on his
shoulder, striding in from locust thicket,
where be had been shooting birds. The gun
was less laxative than the colonel, however
and he not only forgave the intrusion, but
kindly showed me that part OF the field.
From his yard he pointed out the hills
whence emerged Hoods lines of battle and
indicated all places to be famous in history.
Neither through love nor money could 1
have found go good guide. This was the
very ground of slaughter and Colonel Carter,
was not only trained observer in the fury
of the fight, but for eighteen years he has
trod with his heel and turned with his hoe
the bloody soil. "At the time of the fight"
he said, Il was home on parole. Generals
Schofeld and Cox had their headquarters in
my fathers house, where also many of our
neighbors gathered" His chat was mainly
of grim Renaissance, yet now and then
flash of humor would be observable. So hot
was 1t once that he went into the cellar to
calm the fears OF the women and children,
and happening to look out through The win
dow bars he saw sight that made him laugh
in the midst Of dying groans. Before his
eyes stretched a comets-tail of men in blue,
u,rNh had KIrrht hol Lao Of he
cape the bullets, and who swung TO and fro
the battle surged around the building.
These were the towards whose claim to mau-
hood was that they were bipeds-had each
TWO legs to run with.
Looking from an opposite window on the
other hand, he saw in the duck line OF
Confederates dash upon the earthworks with
bsyonet at each other over hedge and fence,
and hundreds were slain in his sight. Gen
eral Adams, riding with head bare and
sword uplifted, spurred directly against the
absttis. A sharp fence-rail pierced the
horses belly, transfxing him dead in air,
and Adams, veteran comrade of Scott at
Vera Cruz, was himself lifted dead from the
saddle by Federal bayones. As darkness
came on fresh battalions swept over the
red glare of artillery. Midnight saw no
cessation, and when at last Hood sank
aghast at the slaughter, with Generals Gle
burne, Adams, Strahl Gist and Cranberry,
a hundred line officers and many barefooted
braves dead around him, Colonel Carter heard
familiar whirr overhead and then counted
two tinkles upon the little clock. Between
tina! hour and day break Scho6eld, unhurt,
crossed the Harpeth with his trains and left
on the field a victor who had broken his
own arm, his prestige and his heart in the
frantic and fruitless blow.
After the battle the farm, like others adj
joining, was in utter wreck. The house
alone stood. All the fences were down. Mud
was knee deep in the yard. Dead men and
horses were thick about. Hoods first charge
was made at O'clock" said Colonel Carter,
"and it fell upon this point, as did all the
heavy assaults. You see this locust thicket
on our right? That thicket then covered five
acres, but after the fight it was forest of
tooth picks. In the vegetable patch 10 our
left General Cleburne fell dead. There ia
nothing to Indicate the exact spot, but it is
within twenty yards OF where we stand. The |
corn field to the left of the pike was filled |
with dead and dying, and the corn to the
right OF the pike was counterpart of the |
other. In this yard and in that garden L |
could walk from fence to fence on dead bod !
les mostly those OF Confederates. In trying |
to clear up l scraped together half bushel |
of brains right around the house, and the
whole place was dyed with blood. Nothing
in the shape of horse, mule, jack nor
jenny was left in the neighborhood. In fact,
remember that it was not until Christmas,
twenty-five days afterward, that was enabled
70 borrow yoke of oxen, and 1 spent the
whole of that Christmas day hauling seven
een dead horses from this yard.
There was big rainsorm not long after
he battle, and as the earth was washed out
If the trenches he saw a line of human hands
ticking up-some with fingers shut tight,
ome pointing and all SO gnastly that they
we're covered hurriedly. Before the bodies
,ot 10 be bones, and it was not long, because
his was among the last of the terrible bat
les, they were removed to the cemeteries.
Now bones are uncommon sights and the
,lowmsu is not startled as at some wilder
rounds which / have visited.