Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-15
rxf lAsr Us 0f eENEaAL HATr0N.
A Graphic Sketch By sUryTor Of MS orr
qQde.
Woman at Home.

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gnde'
Woman at Home.
The evening of May 2s, 1852
was the last day Of quiet General
Hatton ever knew. About sun
down. under orders from General y
A. Smith, he moved his brigade
from left to right, and when in col
umns of platoOns by regiments, nc
delivered to them that iInpasSioned
piece OF eloquence known in the
brigade as Hatton's last speech. III
is AN irreparable loss To southern
literature that we were not able, 10
save ii.
The writer remembers TO have
been impressed with its similarity
to the great speech of Patrick Hen
ry: and also that of Logan, the
Mingo .Chief-the fiery zeal and
| youthful ardor of the one, and the
plain implicit confidence in the JUS
tiee of his cause OF the other. Az
its conclusion, the old veteran Col
onel Turney threw his broad hat
high i'm the air and started one OF
those famous old rebel yells, which
it was the writer's privilege to hear
often after this, but never one equal
| to it.
Devious marching and naneu-
vering found the brigade a few
miles In rear of the now famous
| battlefield of "Seven Pines" The
survivors of the Army of Northern
Virginia will still remember tho
! tremendous rains of that day, aud
the peculiar fact that not a breath
of air was felt during the whole
seven hours of incessant rain.
General Hatton placed his brigade
on level plateau covered with
pines. The army was without
tents or covering, only such as were
| improvised for this occasion. The
writer remembers to have seen Gen.
| Hatton sitting at the base OF a large
pine deeply engaged reading let
ter written in clear, bold, ieml-
nine handwriting. In answer To
the remark, "News from home z"
"Yes, letter from my wife" 1t is
the writer's opinion that this letter
was at least a month old, but so
deep was his OBJECTION that letters
from home were never old.
Torrents. OF rain commenced TO
fall about 10 "A. M, aud so hard aud
INCREASINGLY did 1t fall that the
ground was soon covered. Tents
were made OF blankets stretched;
few had dog tents--very poor
protection from this binding rain.
Trenches were dug to carry off the
Water-these soon filled; others
again were opened, which In their
turn Overflowed.
Toward evening nature seemed
to have exhausted herself, ana the
rain eeased. Then | saw General
Hatton sitting on stump with his
oil cloth, taking the weather as the
humblest soldier.
Early next morning, the weather
still damp and cloudy, reVellle
sounded Great bodies OF troops
were seen moving, and ourselves
among the rest. About 3 p. M,
General G. A. Smith passed I'm his
carriage down the road, his pa
ralysis making it difficult for him
to ride horseback. Soon every
thing moved in the same direction.
Longstreet's guns opened on our
right, and gradually extended 10
the left. BY this time things were
getting lively. General Hatton
double-uuicked his brigade for some
distance in the deep ChickahOniny
bottoms. For the first time this
Tennessee brigade was going To
smell gunpowder. Some looked
pale, some anxious, some indiiier-
ent. 1t is a picture for an artist to
paint-the expression of different
faces on the eveof battle. Equally
brave, and all stamped in natures
numbers, but of unlike tempera-
ment.
Colonel Forbes sat his horse with
that quiet, stately dignity oil his
youthful training. The OLD "Nlr-
ginia gentleman" Colonel Turney,
"Old Pete" had that rigid couunte-
nance, close compressed lips ana
deep breathing from his nostril5
which would have attracted Napo.
leon; had he seen them, he would
have made him a marshall on the
spot. He remained close To his be-
loved hog-drivers (his pet name for
his regiment). Gaueral Hatton
was still different. He dashed
along the line, and never seemed to
be gayer. Amidst the deafning
roar of artillery, he would return
the salute of his admirIng men
with the courtesy that characterized
him when on the hustingS. In
deed. three men could not have
been braVer or more unlike. The
quiet, modest Forbes; the man OF
iron, Turney; the dashing Hatton
the characters OF the three OLD
commanders.
The long line formed just before
sundoWn, with Turney on the
right, an open field in front, Good
ner's (Hatton's old regimenD in the
center. In our rear WAS dense
thicket and swamp. Forbes was
on the left.
The writer remembers to have
seen General Hatton then some
wards in front Of the battery. Old
Bald had been killed, and in iall-
ing had fastened General Hatton's
pistols under him. The writer
never saw the general aiterward.
The storm OF battle was more
than human nature could endure.
The line retired. Death had a rich
feast. VIrginia's soil drank deeply
of the blood OF Tennessee's valO-
rous sons. Quite a number have
claimed the honor OF carrying Cen
erai Hatton off the field II belongs
TO a young man nambed Davis,
company G., and Thomas ). Hol-
loway, company Ii, Seventh Ten
nessee. Davis yet lives, near
Statewide, Tenn, to mtest the
truth, but the proud soul Of Tom:
Holloway went from the CORY held
of Gettysburg To JOIN the dear one
who preceded him Il few months
from The dark and bloody field 81
Seven Pines
Ne Humored Nm.