Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-18
miscellaneous &eadiua.
THE DEATH OF CLEBURNE.
c. f. Robert, in the Philadelphia Times.

THE DEATH OF CLEBURNE.
CE. Robert, in the Philadelphia Times.
It was the 3Oth of November, 1864. At
O'Clock in the afternoon the line of battle was
formed, Stewart on the right, Cheatham on
the left, their right and left TANKS, inter
locked like Parthian shields, composing the
centre Gen. Stephen d. Lees Corps was
held in reserve. Cleburne's position was in
the centre, his division formed in three battle
lines and he at it's head. Thus arranged
Hoods line was nearly two miles long, ad-
vancing, curved like a Mussulmans scimitar,
with the blade to the foe. But let us follow
Cleburne. Bugles were blowing, drums beat
ing and bands playing. A courier dashed up
to Cleburne's presence and soon the word
"Attention !" was given, then Forward,
march !" and the column passed over hill
and through a little skirt of woods. Soon
they emerged into an open field and steadily
they pressed on with 'proper cadence' toward
the rampant of blood and death. The Federal
batteries began to open. First came solid
shot bounding oVerthe searth and tearing and
crashing through the ranks; then the Shrek
ing shell flew through the air on the wings of
destruction bursting under and above and
around the men and at every explosion un-
binding more evils than ever flew from Pam
dora's box. Twilight was coming on. ''For-
ward, men ~ was repeated all along the line.
\ living sheet of fire was poured into their
ranks But the men pressed forward until
the terrific roar ran from centre to flank, from
wing to wing.
Night came and the two armies fought like
two blind giants in despair. Cleburne's old
war cry rang out above the din of arms: FOL
low me, boysr' Once again, and again, and
again, and, seven times, Cleburne's divis-
ion, indeed all of Hoods army, charged the
breastworks. And once again, and again,
and again, and seven times were they re-
pulsed. Every time they formed and reformed
under Il most CALLING fire. At one time, just
before dusk, Cleburne captured portion of
the works and turned the guns Of Federal
battery OH their former owners; but it was
only a for few mOments-a little silver rift
in the battle clouds that enveloped him in the
darkness. 1t was the hottest fire Cleburne had
ever met. 1t was but one stream of blazing
hell. ConfedeIates were on one side OF the
breastworks and Federals on the other. Men
fell fiat on their faces and fired from behind
the bodies of their dead comrades. Dead
soldiers filled the entertainments. Blood made
the earth as slippery as an ice pond. Thus
the firing was kept up until after midnight,
and gradually died out. But both armies
held their own. The COnfederateS passed the
night where they were, just outside the breast
works The Federals only few feet off, held
their cover until near daybreak, when they
quietly marched away and retreated back to
Nashville
HOW CLEBURNE DIED.
But when the morrow's sun began to light
up the sky the surviving soldiers looked out
upon sad battlefield. The dead were piled
one on top of the other in awful heaps and the
>1nl al, f1,a fp1
stars. Horses, like men, had died game upon
the. defences, Clebune's body lay there on
top of the breastworks, ghastly in the sleep
of death, pierced with fOrty-nine bullets,
through and through. His mare had her
forefeet on top of the works, dead in that
position.
Not far from where Cleburne lay was seen
the dead body of Gen. Adams. His horse
had his forefeet on one side of the works
and his hindfeet on the other, dead. The
General seems to have been caught so that he
was to the horses back, sitting bolt upright
in his saddle, as if living, riddled and torn
with balls. Gen. Stahllay by the roadside and
his horse by his side, both dead, and all his
living with his sword, reaching across the
breastwork, still grasped in his hand. He,
too, was dead. Gen. Cranberry, of Texas,
and his horse were seen, horse and rider, right
on top of the breastworks, dead. All dead
Four thousand five hundred soldiers all lying
side by side in death. Thirteen Confederate
generals were killed and wounded. Six BROTH
ers, members of Mississippi regiment, were
all dead. 'This was the bloodiest picture in
the book of Time -
The route over which Cleburne'S command
had marched the day previous to the battle of
Franklin lay through some Of the richest and
lovelest country in all the South. The roads
| from Mount Pleasant to Columbia run through
farming district, fertile as the famous Blue
Grass region of Kentucky, and in the highest
state of Improvement. Six miles from Colum-
bia is what is known as the "Polk and Pillow
Settlement" or as it now called, AshwoOd.
Here the distinguished and wealthy families
bearing those names lived in a style of ele-
gance and ease but few baroniM estates of
Europe could afford. Gen. Leonidas Polk,
the Bishop, was born here so, too, was ex-
President james X. Polk, Gen. Lucius Polk,
Col. William Polk, Col. George Polk, Col.
Andrew J. Polk, Gen. Gideon S. Pillow, Col.
Jerome Pillow, and other prominent and ia
nous persons: Nearly all of these gentlemen
owned large plantations in Arkansas, Missis-
sippi or Louisiana, and had princely incomes
from their cotton and sugar crops, but here, at
Ashwood, they had their superb homsteads,
mansions each with a manor, and their sur
roundings were in keeping with everything
refined taste could suggest and almost unliml-
ted purses could purchase.
CLEBURNE's ROMANTIC GRAVE.
Being Jealous church people these gentle
had built beautiful little Protestant EpiscO-
pal chapel, and hard by was the family burying
ground. 1t was a very romantic place and the
neighborhood quite typical of the flush days of
our Sunny Southland. The chapel was in the
purest Gothic style, and it's walls and sharp
pointed roof were quite concealed by Chamber
ing ivy, while the flowers and the shrutbery
looked fresh and green even on this bleak Nc
vember day. AS Ceburne, with his staff, rode
by the General reined up his horse and linger-
ed for a moment to admire spot of such sim
gular beauty. To him, however, it was the
there seemed ready to fade and wither on the
breast of death the evergreen was waiting
to lay upon his cotfin-lid, and frost glittered
on the fairest rose like jewelled mockery. Gle
burne had presentiment Of the nearness of
death. Turning to one of his staff officers, he
said with a sigh "If I fall in the coming
fight, bury me here at Ashwood." Two days
after his mangled form was placed beneath the
sod at Ashwood. The service of the Episco-
pal Church was said by Bishop Quintard, and
then the soldier slept in the grave he had cho
sen.
A TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY.
Some years after the war-before Cleburnes
remains were removed to Helena, Ark, and a
monument placed over them by the Ladies'
Confederate Memorial lAssociation-thew writer
was riding one day along the Ashwood road,
and paused for moment to pay respect to
Ceburne's memory. A rude head-board OF
cedar, with Cleburne's name in black letters,
o,1y ol,1 oto6 Inv tbar CT