The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-23
Battle OF Franklin.

HOOD could not resist the tempta-
ion to pursue Schotield (who hasa tut
eventeen thousand men, while he had
,ver forty thousand y whom he hoped
o overtake and destroy before he
:ould reach Nashville. 1t was a race
between them. Schofield had passed
through Columbia in rapid march, the
,nemy in hot pursuit. The next point
le was aiming to reach was the village
ii Franklin, which lies in the bend OF
! little river that sweeps around it. Ii
lie could but get his artillery and bag
.age- trains safely across that river it
would afford him a line of defense
which he could hold till he could con-
.inue the march in safety. Accordingly
ae had sent forward pressing mes
sage to have pontoons at that point to
construct a bridge, that he might pass
over without delay. What was his
:Apsternation on arriving to find that
lot a single pontoon had been provid-
I'd! Nothing remained but to throwup
lasty earth-works across the river,
and drawing his little army within it,
20 make his stand there, to live or to
lie. The confederates came on in
orce, and attacked with the utmost
Jury. Drawer men never marched to
Dattle. The events ofwar. as peace,
sometimes depend on very slight
;auses. 1t is said that the day before,
Hood had been in i'll humor, and had
approached his generals for allowing
.he federal army to escape at Spring
Hill. Suchreproaches stuns the proud
spirit q brave men. and they went III
10 battle with a bitter feeling, deter
mined to leave no chance for reproach
hereafter. In this mood Cleburne, who
made that gallant charge at Chicka-
mauga, led his division into the fire,
ard was actually squirting his horse
over the breastworks, when horse
and lder fell under a shower OF balls.
His death recalls an incident of which
sam Jones makes very effective use.
1t seems that the confederate line, as
it advanced, was entiladed by federal
battery. SeelEghls men cut to pieces,
Gen. Hood sent one OF his aides with
the following order: 'Give my compli-
ments to Gen. Cleburne, and tell him
TO do me the favor to take that bat
tery." The aide disappeared, and
quickly returned with the message:
'Gen. Cleburne is dead, sir" Again
the commander spoke: "Give my COM
pliments to Gen. Adams, and tell him
to carry that batteryH'
The carnage was fearful. In those
FIVE hours 1.-THE battle began at four
o'clock in the afternoon, and continued
till nine, and at that eeason-it was
the last day OF November, when the
sun sets before five O'Clock Kit was
chiefly after nightfall, so that both
sides could see to fire only by the
flashing OF each others guns) the con-
tederates lost six thousand men, The
number OF officers killed was such as
was seldom known in the war. Mr..
Cunningham, OF the Nashville Ameri.
can, says that, though he was little
more than q boy he was in the ranks,
and in the very front. The first charge
OF the confederates had broken our
line IN the centre, and though they
were soon driven back, they still held
portion OF the breastworks; while
our troops soon formed another line
behind it. The two were but twenty
tiveyards apart, and at this close range
poured a numerous fire into each
other, and that when he came to the
ditch it was filled with the dying and
the dead, so that he had toclimb over
them to get to the breastworks
Those standing in the ditch loaded the
rifles, and passed them up to those in
front, who thus keep up a constant
firing; but expecting every moment. as
the assault seemed hopeless, to receive
an order from Gen. Stahl, who was
standing just behind them, to retreat:
out the grim soldier, with German
5tubborness, answered only: "keep
,irlng"' when he, too, was riddlad with
bullets. AS they carried him offdying
he called for his colonel to turn over
the command to him, who continued
The desperate battle till he, too, was
shot down; and las Gov. Cox, of Ohio,
who was i'll the battle, and has writ
ZEN the history OF the campaign
tells the story he was so walled
in by the slain that he could not
tail, and there was seen in the
gray OF the morning still erect as if
giving the word OF command to that
'bivouac OF the dead" During all
this rage OF battle, this boy soldier,
whose comrades We're failing every in
slant beside him expected that the
next minute would be his last. How
ne escaped, he cannot tell. To this
lay q horror comes over him as he re-
calls that awful moment when
Cannon to right OF them,
Cannon to left of them
Cannon in front OF them,
Fo,ied and thundered
And how he WAS saved
"Out of the jaws OF death,
Out OF the mouth OF hell -
IS one of the mysteries OF his life.-N.
Y. EVANGELIST.