The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-03-15
GEN. PAT. cLrsuaNE.
A Vivid Description Of the Battle
Of Franklin.

c. Z. Robert In Philadelphia Times.
1t was the 30th of Novembe
1854. At 4 o'clock in the afternoo
the line of battle was formed, Stew
art on the right, Cheatham on th
left, their right and left TANKS, in
terlocked like Parthian shields, com
posing the centre. Gen. Stephe
D. Lees corps was held In reserve
Cleburne's position was in the cen
tire; his division formed in thre
battle lines and he at its head. Thu
arranged, Hoods line was nearl,
two miles long, curved like a Mus
sulman's scimiter, with the blade Il
the foe. But let US follow Cleburne
Bugles were blowing, drums beat
ing, and bands playing. A couriet
dashed up to Clebuine's presence
and soon the word Attention p wa.
given, then Forward, march, anc
the column passed over q hill and
through the little skirt Of woods
Soon they emerged into an oper
field and steadily they passed or
with proper cadence toward the
rampant of blood and death. The
Federal batteries began to open
First came solid shot bounding over
the earth and tearing and crashing
through the ranks; then the Shrek
ing shells few 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 Pandora's box. Twilight was
coming ON. Forward, menu was
repeated all along the line. A liv-
ing sheet of fire was poured into
their ranks. But the men pressed
forward until the terrific roar ran
from centre to flank.
Night came and the two armies
fought like two blind giants in de-
spair. Cleburne's old war cry rang
out above the din of arms: ''Fol
low me, boysT Once again, and
again, seven times, Cleburne's divis-
ion, and indeed, all Of Hoods army,
charged the breastworks. And
once again, and again, and again,
seven times, were they repulsed.
Every time they formed and re-
formed under a most CALLING fire.
AT one time, just after dusk, Gle
burne captured a portion of the
works and turned the guns of q
Federal battery on their former
owners; but it was only for a few
moments little silver rift in the
battle clouds that enveloped him in
darkness. 1t was the hottest fire
Cleburne had ever met. 1t was but
one stream of blazing hell. Con
federates were on one side of the
breastworks ard federals on the
other, Men fell fat on their faces
and fred from behind the bodies of
their dead comrades. Dead soldiers
filled the intrenchments. Blood
made the earth as slippery as an
ice-pond. Thus the firing was kept
up until after midnight and gradu
ally died out. But both armies
held their own. The confederates
passed the night where they were,
just outside the breastworks. The
federals, only a few feet of, held
their cover until near daybreak,
when they quietly marched away
and retreated back to Nashville.
But when the morrow's sun be-
gan to light up the sky the surviv-
ing soldiers looked out upon cad
battlefield. The dead were piled
up one ON top of the other in awful
heaps and wounded seemed thicker
than the uncounted stars. Horses,
like men, had died game upon the
defenses. Cleburne's body lay
there on top of the breastworks,
CHASTITY in the sleep of death,
pierced with 40 bullets, through
and through. His mare had her
foreteet on top of the works, dead in
that position.
Not far from where Cleburne lay
was seen the dead body of Gen.
John Adams, of Pulaski, Tenn. 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
held to the horses back, sitting
bolt upright in the saddle, as if liv-
ing, riddIed and torn with balls.
Gen. Stshl lay by the roadside and
his horse by his side, both dead,
and all his staff. Gen. Gist, from
South Carolina, vas lying with his
sword, reaching across the breast
work, 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
dead. Ali dead! Four
thousand five hundred soldiers all
lying side by side in death. Thir-
teen confederate generals were killed
and wounded. Six brothers,
members of Mississippi regi-
ment, were all dead. "This was
the bloodiest picture in the book OF
timer Ralva
The route over which Cleburne's
command had marched the day pre-
vious to the battle of Franklin lay
through some of the richest and
loveliest country in all the south.
The roads from Mt. Pleasant to Co
lumbia ran through farming dis
trict, 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 Set
Element" or, as it is now called,
Ashwood. Here the distinguished
and wealthy families bearing those
names lived in style of elegance
and ease but few baronial estates of
Europe could afford. Gen. Leoni
das Polk, the bishop, was horn here;
so, too, was ex-president James X.
Polk, Gen. Lucius Polk, Col. Will
liam Polk, Col. George Polk, Col.
Andrew j. Polk, Gen. Gideon 5.
Pillow, Col. Jerome Pillow, and
other prominent and famous per
sons. Nearly all of these gentlemen
owned large plantations in Arkan
sas, Mississippi or louisiana, and
had princely incomes from their
cotton and sugar crops, but here ut
ek-ooI fhov, had thar enrort,