The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-05-10
TINE sArrE Of FaAsxl,,s.
By WILLIAM T. CUNNINGHAM,
Fsoesiy Captain Co. p. list Team. tCoafe dsrste)


FssDefiy Captain Co. p. <ist Team tConfe dsfste
Iprom the Phfl,delphia rimesl
Who Of those present on that fine
winter morning, when the sun sent bis
gfateful rays upon the earth, with
something Of summer heat, can forget
the crossing Of Hoods army over the
Tsuneesee, at Florence? Every heart
bounded In anticipation ofeasy victory
and Q warm welcome from the people.
The long campaign In Georgia had
ended With the fall Of Atlanta. The
army had encamped around Loyeioy,
on the Macon Railroad, heartsick at
our continued retreat. Johnston had
been deposed for q man who would
strike one manly blow for Atlanta.
The blow had been struck, Atlanta
bad fallen, and the remnants Of Gen.
Johnston's army. shattered and
torn" lay there almost q disorgAnixed
mob. On the 22d Of July. we had
fought and captured some guns and
colors, bot with all Atlanta fell. and
our loss In men was great. Brigades
weretcut down to the size of regiments,
and regiments to companies. Gen.
Hood consolidated the whole mass
into something like organization. fire.
9uentiy making one regiment out OF
four. All being In readiness, We
vember 10. Eagerly the men re-
sponded to the order. and almost he
fore We were aware of our own posi-
ton. we were facing Sherman at Ala
toona, where a heavy attack was
made by the Missourisns upon the
entrenched camp Of the enemy
While this fight was in progress, the
rest OF the army swung round, threat
ening Rome, aud safely accomplished
the passage Of the Chatfahoochie be
Low Altoona. By Q rapid march down
Browntown valley, leaving Chatta
nooga to the right, Hood suddenly
appeared before Decatur, Ala, after,
In our march through Georgia, cap
turing Dalton, with one thousand
negro troops. The tall flag -staf at
this point, Decatur, waving to the
breeze the stars and stripes, was our
nrst intiniation of the enemy for near
ly three weeks, and "a We slowly de
ployed, completely encirciling the
Tort, the boom of the siege guns quick
~ informing us we were expected.
After considerable skirunishing, keep
ing the enemy amused while our
wagon trains were coming up, Hood
slowly withdrew. The army IN
wound itself, and stretched over hill
and valley rapidly, moved down the
Tennessee, and without opposition
wound its snake like coil through the
valley. and went into camp at Tus-
cumbia. forty miles west. Hood had
outfianked Sherman, leaving him in
Atlanta, and by march through three
States faced the Fedral forces at Tus
cumbia and Florence. The pontoons
being safely laid. the army moved
acroes. "Ho for Tennessee and Ken
lucky" was the watchword; now
we'll have shoes and blankets, and
plenty of rstions.' and with renewed
energy the army took up the march
for Nashville
MANECvERING At SPRING HILL.
We moved quietly north, encounter
ing no imposing force till we reached
Columbia, where We heard the first
gun afler crossing the Tennessee. |
We lay at this point two days. wait
ing for our trains. and resting from
the long march through central Geor-
gia. Al daylight, on the morning of
the 21th of November, we moved up
Duck River six miles, while n heavy
cannonads was going on i'm front. and
crossed Cheatham's and Stewards
Corps. leaving Lee TO amuse the en-
envy in front we had no artillery
and our march was very rapid. At
4 O'CLOCK the ring i'm front ,leyeloped
the enemy I'm force Cbeatbam,s
Corps headed by Cleburne. followed
BY the divisions of Brown and Bates,
were supported by Stewards Corps In
mi. asnk movement. Clehurne
shr.w his division narslleI 10 the
sshv;lIa nike comn,etely command
iny !, and mantainei an active
-s;.,;,. Iii. ~, 49, 0o,,in.;n
..o.;,;n,' ~, Ia r;',ht Cor,tnn ca,,a
n, ,'s.a,,;a,, =, in,,I,,. ,,;ot fnI,oyraa
h., Sfr.hi "a smith rri,h C.his, on
AZ. r;aht Th;s ,ras ,ha ,nen,nr.,I.
Snr;ny hin Of which so ,unch has
-, w,;,,., .,J ,his tho honr a,
-h;.,, 90 80, 80, a.. Ali Tha
r,.a nm ,r,,,ch ,.a var. ,,,,,.h;n,,
a r,cl ~. III n, ,;,,,,, .n,IeS ~
hnrn. ,r.. .ir.s.i,. ~, n,S,,ion m, m.
isf, nf ,h;s rnaJ Rrnwn am m. r;,h,
win Rate. i'm reserve. while stewart
was burrxi,r fnrw,ri Our skirmish 4,
ers were engaged nj short range.
While our brigade filed IN position,
Cheaiham Was sitting ON his horse, IN
the rad n We passed. A courier
up, informed HIM IN loud
voice, that Cieiurne had driven the
skirmishers, and was in possession oil
the pike, and asked for instructions.
'heaiham told him, loud enough Z"
he heard hy several Ia tell Ten. Gle
burne Ia attack as soon a Brown.
who was then getting into position
with his last brigade, was ready. The
other hricsdes had already taken their
places, had piled their knapsacks. and ,
had been served with thirty extra
rounds of ammunition. Time was
passing, the sun WAS almost down, and
we lay waiting Tor the attack To begin
m the right. No sign Of such attack
~as visible. The sun went down.
re still lay quietly In line, when
through the dusk Of the evening we
could see the columns Of the enemy
hy-and their wagons made
no pains tn conceal their movements.
After awhile all were by, and we !,
we're allowed to build fires. Thus
Scofeld very quietly passed Hood at
Spring Hill
rur as,Sp ASSAULT.
~ "as hsn, we WEI nov"s w !
!, FNun' I VIII 'a,e uIe !
INV .ue s'oun" oNe, VIM" We W. $
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