The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-11

rebels charged them repeatedly, and made des
perate efforts to dislodge them, but in vain
They held the position unalded, against large
adds, for two or three hours, when the arrival
of other troops caused the enemy to retire. The
battle of Spring Hill ranks scarcely more
than skirinish. Only two brigades were act
lively engaged on the Union side, but the casual
| ties were severe. The regiment to which l be
| longed-the Sixty-ffth Ohio-lost in those two
during the two days fighting at Chieka-
manga. Throughout the engagement Gen
eral Stanley exhibited marked GOODNESS
and courage, and few changes in the line were
made with mastery skill Not many times dur
ing the war did force confront an adversary so
relatively strong with such weighty consequences
| depending upon its ability to maintain its po-
sition Had proved unequal to the task there was
help at hand, and dire disaster would have
| dimmed the shining stars of the army of the
| Cumberland 1t is undoubtedly true that the
hesitancy of General Cheatham was singulary
! fortunate for the Union army. His orders, as
| General Hood states, were clear and absolute to
push forward and occupy the pike. His force
was ample to accomplish this had he used it to
| the best advantage, but the bold front and Wig
orous resistance of Wagner's division deceived
him into the behalf that the force opposing him
was much larger than it really was. In sub
sequent investigation of his conduct he urged
| this in his defense.
THE WELCOME DARKNESS.
Never were the shades of night more welcome
than when, at the close of that perilous day,
| they settled down upon Schofelds weary
soldiers, as they struggled along the stony pike.
During the fight of the afternoon, the wagon
train had been rushed forward guarded by
force of cavalry and infantry. The troops were
kept moving as rapidly and quietly as posi-
BILE. The bivouac fires of the enemy were
in plain view, some of them not a half mile
distant and lighted up the evening sky with a
ruddy glow. His pickets at some points were
within hundred yards of the pike. Every Off
| Ger and soldier realized that the hour of extreme
| danger had not yet passed. Strung out In
| long line for miles upon the highway, marching
| by the flank the army was in no condition to re
sist an attack. A bold dash of single brigade
at almost any point would have broken the col
umn in two, and this, followed by general
movement, would have resulted in utter defeat
and rout 1t is now matter of record that be
| tween dusk and midnight Hood sent forward to
| Cheatham the most emphatic orders to effect
Judgement on the pike at any cost. But he was
| timorous of night attack, and the orders were
disregarded. Hood was furious at his non-com-
| pliance, and soon afterward relieved him from
| his command
The rebel leader had many brave and tried
| generals in his army and had these commands
| been given to any one of them beside Cheatham,
| they would doubtless have been instantly
| obeyed The gallant Pat Cleburne, who the
next day was pierced by half a dozen bullets
as he rode at the head of his division up to tn Q
| very WORKS IN the charge al Franklin, WOulu
have hestated a moment to execute such an or
| der. Every man in blue who participated in
| that fearful march knew Just what the result of
such an attack would be. 1t was the timidity or
overcaution of Cheatham that saved Schofeld's
army that night. Hood in his book cited above,
| Pollard in his Lost Cause" jeff Davis in his
''Rise and Fall, and, indeed all Southern writ
ers upon this campaign, agree that this was the
most inviting opportuni ty offered to any confed-
crate army during the war, and no language is
| found strong enough to condemn the fatal hest
fancy of Chatham Hood is also censured for
not going in person to the front and directing
| the movement that promished such great re-
suits. During the few succeeding months be-
fore the war closed, the events of that day and
night were often discussed in the bivouacs of
the Army of the Cumberland, and never without
| a unanimous vote of thanks to the stars of
"good luck" that twinkled upon Schofeld's army
| out of that midnight sky.
The hours and the troops dragged YEARLY on,
and the attack so much expected and feared was
not made. The 'fankers" moved cautiously on
either side of the pike, with the strictest orders
to avoid stirring up" the enemy. If fired upon.
| the fire was not tc be returned unless required
| by absolute necessity At times they almost
brushed the rebel picket post as they CROPPED
| their way through the woods and fields. On the
pike the column marched steadily along Every
man trod lightly, as if the noise of his step on
| the finty road might provoke the enemy. Scarce
| ly a word was spoken, and when commands were
necessary they were given in hoarse whispers
that revealed the intensity of the anxiety and
| apprehension. Occasional shots from the enc
mys pickets, startling by their nearness, was
| heard and then every man frightened his grasp
upon his loaded musket, expecting the fateful
moment to be at hand On and still on, every
| step diminishing the peril AS the cleaning
| fires of the enemy's camp grew more and more
indistnct the jaded soldiers breathed fer
vent sigh Of relief, and there were doubtless a
| few devout ones who lifted up their hearts in
thanks to the Almighty-and Cheatham- for de-
! liverance.
THE FIGHT AT FRANKLIN.
| The rebel soldiers were as much exhausted as
those of the Union army, and rested in their
bivouac a considerable part of the night Scho-
field continued on till daylight, when brief halt
was made for rest. Men dropped upon the
ground, and were unconscious in a moment.
Many of them had not slept an hour in two days
and nights. But early in the day the cavalry
brought tidings that Hood was moving The
order was given to fall in" and the troops,
weary and footsore resumed their march. Soon
after noon the advance of the army reached
Franklin The town was literally blocked with
wagons of the train, which were struggling in
mad haste to get across the Harpeth river by
means of pontoOn bridge. AS fast as they sue
ceeded, the drivers dashed the mules into gal
| lop for Nashville, some fifteen miles distant
| But there was much delay from the giving away
of the bridge and the breaking down of vehicles,
for the rebel army was hard at the heels of Scho-
field, and there was panic among the trainmen.
A second bridge was hastily thrown across the
stream, and the wagons were hurried over at the
utmost speed. The average driver needed no
urging for fear gave strength TO his arm, fury to
his lash, and unwonted vehemence to his pro-
family.
The enemy was crowding so closely that I'M
less stand made, a large number of
wagons and their contents would have to be de-
stroyed or abandoned, and it was determined to
| fight if an attack was made. The troops were
in poor condition for the fatigue of battle, but
those of the enemy we're in no better, and it
seemed the best thing to do under all the cir
cumstances AS fast as the divisions arrived
they were Immediately disposed of in semi
circular line inclosing the town, the tanks rest
ing upon the river on either side. Intrench-