Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-05-29
THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN,


Thomas, and I were prospecting in the
foothills of the Sierra Madra mountains
N Wyoming. Thomas was an ex-con,
federate soldier, Mississippian. He
was tall, slender, lean thanked, thin faced
black-eyed and AZ years old. On the
evening of May 30 we sat by blazing
camp fire in Bear Creek valley. The
1srk, pine-clad highlands behind us re-
sounded with the noise of falling watel
md the mournful signing of the swayine
pines. We sat silently looking at the
Fire, here dying down, there suddenly
glowing into heat, as if it were alive and
swayed by gust of passion. The fire
md the day recalled memories of the
:Thomas," said, ''to-day is decora-
ton day. Throughout the north the
graves of the men who fell in defense OF
the union have been strewn with flowers.
The memories of the war are being re-
oGlled around thousands of hearthstones
70 night. You never speak of the war.
Bseak your rule TO- night and tell me a
battle story"
Thomas looked at me inquiringly for
m instant and then said, sadly: II do
mt like to talk of the war. My father
md brothers were killed in battle, our
home was burned, our slaves freed, our
lands made valueless. Ny friends and
comrades were shot dead by the score.
Other scores, weakened by starvation
and hard work, and thinly clad, died.
Tho memories of the war are exceeding
~ painful to me. But" he added, as he
shrugged his shoulders to my entreaty
not to talk, "pile some wood on the fire
while I cut couple of pipefuls of to-
baoco, and then l will tell you OF the
hercest battle was in"
piled logs high Oh the fire. We Lit
our pipes on the glowing Goals. Then,
wrapped in our blankets, We sat On the
ground and I listened attentively to my
rebel friend.
81 belonged to Joe Johnston's army
said Thomas; tive had ceased to talk of
our victory at Kenesaw. The daily fight
ing during the long retreat before Sher-
man had. been almost forgotten. Our
lost opportunity on Peach Tree creek
lost by the removal of Johnston-had
ceased to trouble u.s. The loss of Atlanta
and thousands of our comrades who fell
in the battles around that town was still
fresh in our memories And fresher still
was the recollection of the bloody as
ssult on the two redoubts near Allatoona
that were held by couple of thousand
Yankees. We had lost Johnston, In
whom we had unbounded confidence
Hood, whom we did not consider a safe
soldier, was in command. We feared
that some of the belief as to the fighting
capacity of northern men held by The
slaveholders before the war fingered in
his mind We privates had prompt
discovered that the Yankees we're
s0icient fighters as we for two days, and
car superiors if the battle lasted three
-four or five days. We had saving
which was founded on fact. It was: Yam
KEGS must be whipped in two days, o.
tAey cannot be beaten at ALL
1--WE marched north, south, east, west
in any direction Hood eaw fit to lead us
nd Sherman trailed after us. At Gales
burg he tired Of the pleasures of tn
Ghnse, and abandoned us. We campet
Hoc few days, then crossed the Tennes
- river few miles above Florence, ant
marched rapidly toward Columbia. Her
- bad our first hard fighting in forcing
fhe passage of Duck river. We pushes
the fcderals from the river, and thel
made a furious march, fighting as vi
vent, so as to intercept the retreat O
Hcho6eld's army. We outmarched them
md slept near Spring Hill When W
tivOuacked we knew that we had Soho
6sld in trap, and that he was oure."
Thomas ceased talking. He looke
eloomily into the fire for an instant, an
Chen said regretfully:
ssYes, we oatmarched Scho6eld, an
then We slept, and while We slept Scho
6sld marched marched within a hal
. mile OF our camp fires. l have neve
seen more Intense rage and profound dis
gust than was expressed by the weary
hotsore, battle-torn confederate soldier
when they discovered that their officer
had allowed their prey to escape. Sullen
" We fell into column and resumed tn
chase. We pushed Schofeld closely. 81
struck the Harpeth river at Franklin
vAere the stream makes q right angle
We vere so Close to Sohofeld that b
didn't dare to attsmpt to crss the rive
1or asar Of losing. not only his trains, bu'