The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-04-05
desperate fellows fought and barely held
.heir own. At length, after midnight
the firing ceased. h"s'
THE BATTLE WAS OVER.

'' -'ai ii.f vas OYER.
Inc last gun sounded on the cool night
air. Ihe dead in silence lay, and the
stars kept watch over the dismal scene
Inc federals departed before the dawn
OF day, leaving their dead and diving
Just where they fell. The mornings s,,n
rose bright and clear, but, Oh What a
sight. Sun never rose on scene so sad
Everywhere lay the gallant dead. like
auiumnal leaves, upon the blood. stained
Iie'a. Ihe ground Tas strewn with dead
and dying, and The pleading cries for
water came from many parchng Iips.
federals and Confederates were piled
together, and across each other As they
teii IN the hand to hand struggle. Some
lell In the trenches and some e diving
on the breastworks. Some wer on their
faces, and some, still in death, we're vet
ciasping their guns, the muzzles pointing
to the foe. But, | turn away from this
sIckening scene.
Lees corps remained on the battlefield
until about , O'Clock D. n when the
dead having been buried aud the wound.
ed cared for we resumed the march, and
marched four miles in the direction Of
Nashville. We arrived III 'front.' Of Nash.
vile on the evening of December . and
went into position there. Cheathams
corps occupied the right, Stewards the
left and Lees the centre. Nothing of
much Importance occurred for two weeks.
except almost daily skirmishes with the
Federal pickets. The weather had be.
come very cold. everything was frozen
up, and the ground covered with sleet.
On the 18th of December, the enemy
having been heavily reinforced made an
attack on both flanks, but they were re-
pulsed with heavy loss. Early on the
morning of the 10th the attack was re.
newed with vigor along the whole line,
accompanied with heavy artillery fire.
They seemed especially to have concen-
trated their artillery upon Lees corps.
From 8 o'clock until nearly IL m. this
terrible cannonading continued, while
the ground was literally ploughed with
shot aud the air filled with the kissing,
bursting shells. When this cannonading
partially ceased they made charge after
charge upon his line, but were repulsed
every time With great slaughtere Thus
the battle ragged in Lees front until be.
tween 3 and 1 o'clock p. IN.
The firing i'll his front at this time had
almost ceased, when suddenly one divis-
ion OF Stewards Corps having given way,
the Federals, as countless as the stars,
came curing in, and our men to the left
began rushing to the rear in the greatest
confusion. Officers did all in their power
to rally them, but all to no purpose. AS
Lees Corps was the first to cross the
Tennessee so it devolved upon it to cover
the retreat. Although it moved in some
disorder when about to be flanked by
the enemy, yet it did not at any time
lose its organization, and before it was
over did good fighting and captured
many prisoners. Never was Federal
cavalry SO daring, aud never did they try
so hard to turn retreat into rout
Never before during the war were Fed
erals and Confederates 80 mixed up.
They made charge after charge upon
Lees line. On the 18th, in desperate
charge near Franklin, Gen. Lee was
severely wounded, and the command
deyolved upon Gen. Stephenson, one of
his division commanders. The Federals
continued the pursuit until Hoods army
recrossed the Tennessee, when it marched
to Tupelo, Mississippi.
Thus the campaign ended. Not that
it was not ably and skillfully planned,
not that the Western Army was not COM
posed of good material, for there were
no Drawer men, Us the battles around
Atlanta and Franklin will show. But |
overpowering numbers, the same that |
induced Gen. Lee, in Virginia. to sur
render, caused the Tennessee campaign to |
come to naught.