Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-06-03

kfaDDInk on elmer side or above me.
We advanced close TO the works, and
again We broke and fed for cover. The
Yankees, now thoroughly angry, and
merciless, began to shoot at every liv-
ing object within range Of their rifles.
Wounded Confederates, who moved
leg or an arm, were instantly selected
as targets, and were literally shot to
pieces.
Darkness descended and still the
battle-torn Confederates were formed
into charging columns and launched
against the Yankee works We ad-
vanced, stumbling over our dead and
wounded. The latter shrieked a. we
trod on their mangled limbs. Powder
smoke hung over the field In clouds,
which reflected the lurid that blazed
along the Yankee parapets. Eight
o'clock, 0 o'clock, $50 and we are still
fighting, still dying, still trampling our
dead and wounded comrades into the
earth. Then we gave it up. We had
made five desperate charges. Pat Gle
burne's men had made six and he fell
dead whi.e leading the last. Every
general officer In the army, excepting
hood, was killed or wounded. Our
losses had run high up in the thousands.
We stacked our arms ahd lay down.
All night our wounded comrades crawl
ed of the field and sought comfort and
rest and wateramong the unhurt BROTH
ers. Men with one leg trailing on the
earth behind them, Others with shat
tered shoulders, or torn entrails, or
CHASTITY flesh wounds, oc with smashed
jaws, or eyes shot out would crawl,
walk or be led into our ranks, where
they would sink beside rs and murmur:
I arm glad to get home to you. It was
hell itself, boysv And they would sink
into sleep or death.
"We weH awake early the next morn
ing to discover that the Yankees had
crossed the river during the night, and
were probably well on their way to to-
wards Nashville. We were mighty
glad they had gone. Hood seemed to
be stupefied at the disaster that had BE-.
fallen us. He allowed his discouraged
army to remain in camp by that bloody
battlefield. The men, already dispirited
and doubtful of his ability as comman-
der, were permitted to roam at will
over the corpse-strewn field. Inever
before or after saw such frigitful bat
tie ground. Many of the dead were
shot to shreds. And / saw scores of
men who had been wounded--legs bro
ken probably-who had put their
thumbs into their months and had
0chewed them into shreds to keep from
crying, coward, as they lay exposed
to the merciless fire of the Yankees,
waiting for death to keep them from
voic;1g- their fear. Franklin was the
only batIle ground / ever saw where
the faces of the majority of the dead
expressed supreme fear and horror.
Dead mems faces were drawn. awry.
Their eyes were wide open and fear
staring. Their very attitude as they
lay prone on the ground with extended,
earth-clutching fingers, and with their
faces practically buried in the soil, told
the tale Of mental agony they had en-
dured before death relesaed them. Aud
then, the chewed thumbs, showing the
direful necessity they had TO brace
themselves to receive death, was mex
pressibly affecting.
"The repeated disasters we had en-
countered under Hood mad dampened
our ardor. The unwise rambling OF
our men over the battlefield of Frank
lin broke their spirit. We would not
| figat at Nashville; we lost that field be-
cause the specter Of Franklin, livid,
with distorted features, with blood
streaming wounds, with CHASTITY, hor-
ror stricken eyes. chewing and crunch
ing its thumb, stalked among us. It
was In the columns as we marched. 1t
rode astride Of Napoleon guns. 1t sat
1 hv nvIr n0rnn firna Tt atnnd in tba
trenches at Nashville. 1t lay in the
riff . pits o. nights
Thomas ceased talking and looked
lintently and sorrowful.y into the fire,
as though he were searching for the
faces of the comrades he had lost. /
did not intrude on his grief, buf quietly
rolled myself in my blankets and lay
down, not to sleep, but to think Of the
horrors of the war and Of the bloody
fields of Virginia, on which had
worked at cannon's muzsle.
| FRANK WILKESON.
| New York, May rs.