The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-01-23
A TERRIBLE FIGHT.
Reminisence of the battle OF
Franklin.


An cxConfe,leraie officer who
recently visited the SPOT where the
battle CT Franklin, Tennessee, was
fought says: 'sThe good people Of
Franklin may enjoy the distinction
Of having furnished the locaIify Of
tbe bloodiest battle in history, an.
cient or modern. Ii il recorded
that Grant IN Que hour lost 10000
killed and wounded at Cold Har-
Dor, but he had nearly 100, ono to
lose that number from-10 per cent
in sixty minutes Gen. Hood, Just
before sunset, Nov. 80. 1854, Inov-
ed about 1900 Coufedsrntes
against the strong breast works at
Franklin, where his casualties we're
reported AS 6,S0O, or about 90 per
cent In twenty minutoa
The soldiers under Gen. Scho-
field were intrinched to the chin. A
half dozen forts belched their thun.
der from ss many hill-tops-loug
lines Of abattis aud chevaux de-
frise impeded every assault-all
round the works shrapnell aud
grape swept down our ranks from
fiery embrasures.
The casualties In this handful of
men may be estimated when IL 10
stated that We lost thirteen gener.
ais killed, wounded and missing.
Down this red valley OF death rode
no braver soldier than Gen. George
w. Gordon, the youngest Brigxdier
in our Western army. | can s~s
him In fancy now, as | saw him
then for the hrst time, mounted on
u fiery steed, hls loug hair swept
backward by the breath OF battle,
as he rode into this maelstrom Of
iron hail. believe he went over
tue works aud Was captured. There
fell, his n0Lle breast pierced
through, the invincible Pat Cls-
hurne, the idol Of his division a. OF
bis State. Gen. John Adams and
bis little bay both fell dead togeth.
er across the snemy's breastworks.
Gen. Thomas NJ. Scctt was On.
hol sed BY the explosion OF . shell.
On the right Of the McCavock
pike stauds the old gin where
gathered the central whirlwiud Of
the storm. Across the broad, open
fields leading from the McCavock
residence our doomed battallions
marched. l look hack across the
tide OF twenty hateful yaars, recall.
ing the then light heart and
thoughtIess words Of youthful ar.
dor as we moved into tho hght.
seen ow, through mist OF unbid.
den tears, the unrsturning braves,
who, in tho face OF that leaden
doom, With daunIless tread, passed
'over the periIous edge Of battle to
the harvest home OF DEATH swept
in the twinkling of an eye from our
sight forever into the shorcless
guilt. wonder now, rs l ait hero
and recall that terrible day, how
we could have been 30 thoughtlesa
aud unconcerued. As wo formed
In line to move upon the toe, youth.
ful eyes flashed fire and downy
cheeks glowcd With the rapture of
the coming hght. / know this
surgeons rendzvous' full we'll, tor
along this pathway, after tho sur.
gerry, We passed ia. the friendly
shelter Of Col. McCavock's house. :
There 1t stands a. il stood then
twenty years ago! How dear to
the Rebel heart is the name Of
Col. John McCavock and his fa,ni.
ly! How many torn aud bleeding
bodies were borne into this asy lum |
Through all the long night tho
good man, assisted BY his wife and
daughters, bent like ministering
angels above the dying and dead,
Everything they had (God blesa
them) was devoted to their deeds
of mercy. But words lose their
native force 40 In memory l Gu
back to that night Of oeaseless min
istratlons.
There died Col. Nelson, of the.
Twelfth Louisiana. Roth legs
were crushed by cannon ball and !
bis bowels torn BY iron grape.
Poor fellow Such agony Tor sev.