The National tribune., 1885-03-19
THE MARCH TO FRANKLIN.
Graphic Recital of Nights Experience Passing
Cheathaws EivOaac.


Graphic Recital of Sishts Experience Passing
Cheathaps HivOuac.
To THE EDITOR: ! have noticed number
of communications Concerning The mastery
retreat of our army under the immediate com
mand of Gen Sch0ficId. including the battles
of Columbia, Spring Hill, and Franklin, Tenn,
that were of particular interest to me. There
are several things connected with that retreat
that have never been recorded in any book
that l have seen, and, if you will permit me-
| will try TO relate a few incidents that oC
Cured between Columbia and Franklin on the
29th and Both days OF November, 1864.
On the 29th our army lay confronting Hood
on Duck River, except that portion ordered
back to Spring Hill. During the afternoon
information was received at headquarters that
Hood had effected q crossing and was making
around the left flank OF our army. Our corps
(the Twenty third was at once put in motion
towards Spring Hill. After marching q few
miles, orders came for Col. Orr TO take his regi-
ment and station it at intervals on the right of
the road on which our army was retreating, and
to advance his line half way between this road
and the one on which Hood was moving The
two roads were about mile apart and running
parallel. Co. G was the first company sta
toned; the next was Go. |; the next were
Co.'S T, G and II, under command of Lleut.-Col.
Neff. The other companies We're under the
farther to our left. We advanced and took
position, with orders to hold the line if pos
sible but if crowded too hard to rally on the
part commanded by Col. Neii.
From our advanced position we could see
Hoods army hurrying along to our rear on
one road and our army on the other. Suddenly
we heard firing away off in the direction of
Spring Hill. Presently the booming of artil-
lery was heard, and there was no longer any
don hi that there n hattie in DrnTrpGS some
six miles away and in our rear. 1t grew dark,
and still the cannon doomed. But the firing
gradually slackened, and finally ceased alto
gcther. We still held post and Hoods
men continued to stream along the road. The
familiar chuck of the gun carriages could
be heard, the details for the night had been
made and our vdets thrown out, hut there
was no going to sleep that night. We sat to-
gether on the ground, guns i'll hand, talking
the situation over. Some thought that we had
been forgotten and would not be relieved, and
all knew that if we stayed there all night the
next move that we would make would he in the
direction of Andcrsouville. At about 10 o'clock
while we were sitting around discussing the
situation, we were startled by the step of some
one in our rear, and only few feet away. AS
soon as he observed us he said, Is this Co |? y
at is" was answered by Lieut. Howell. Fall
back to the Franklin pike and hurry on to
Franklin as fast and noiselessly as possible
was the order, and he was gone and out OF
sight in second. In a minute We were on
our way back to the pike, where we expected
to find our regiment, but when we reached
the pike it was as silent as the grave. We
realized that We had been left to make our way
as best we could.
We numbered Just 35 oil told and were 10
miles from Franklin, with Hoods army be-
tween us and our place of destination. We
hurried along the pike, and after going several
miles we noticed bright fires burning ahead of
and to the right of u.s. We did not know who
they were. Some said that it was the Fourth
Corps in camp. others sand that it was rebels.
We passed Spring Hill and saw none of our
troops there, bnt the fires burned brightly on
the right of the road, and the men could be
| seen standing aud sitting around them. 1t
was Cheatham's Corps OF Hoods army in BIZ
vouac. We had gone but short distance
/ when we came to a deserted wagon-train. The
mules and drivers were all gone. The wagons
were left in the road-somc were upset on the
side of the road and everything was in chaos.
The train guard had goneL The wagon master
came galloping back; to us and implored us to
| help him save his train. He said that there
were teams ahead that were moving on to
| Franklin. We hurried along the deserted
| train in advance of us, and to the left of the
| road there was house on fire that lighted up
| the whole road.
| Just before we came to it rebel cRvalryman
was seen sitting on his horse, reaching into
| one of the wagons helping himself to some
| grub. Jesse Mcfarland drorYed his Enfield on
| him and fired, and he tumbled from his horse.
| Lieut.. Geo. Specs picked up his carbine and
| moved on. When we came in front of the
| burning house we were fired on from the right
| of the road We Immediately came to front
and returned the fire. After firing a few
rounds in order TO make the game of bluff of
greater magnitude land it was all bluff, we
were deployed as though We were but the adj
| vance of some column, the rebels gave way
and we heard them gallop off. We returned
| to the pike and resumed our march i'll The di-
rection of Franklin, expecting to be attacked
any minute. We hurried on and reached
Franklin next morning ST about 10 o'clock,
where we found all OF our regiment except Co.
c, which had not been relieved. They re-
manned ut their post and were made prisoners
next morning and started for Andersonville,
where they remained until the close of the
war.
On reaching Franklin orr brigade had been
assigned place in the front line to the left of
the cotton GIN As to the manner in which it
acquitted Itself on that memorable day, that is
a matter of history. Gen. Opdycke is no doubt
entitled to the credit of bringing up the rear,
but we claim that no troop or command ever
held more perlous position than we, and
withdrew from it, passing through country,
for distance of II miles, swarming with reb-
els and escaping without losing man. One
fact that | wish to establish is that the rebels
were in possession of the Franklin pike and
we left one dead body there to attest the fact.
l would like TO ask Comrades W. E. Hutch
inson, of the SSth H., and Remington, of the
73d H., what was the time of night when they
passed the deserted wagon train.-T. II. STE
VEINS, Co. |, l2ith Ind, Second Brigade, Third
Division, Iwenty-third Corps.