The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-22
Battle Of Franklin.

ton to pursue Schoticld (who had but
seventeen thousand men, while i,e had
over forty thousand, whom lie hoped
to over,akc and destroy before he
could reach Nashville 1t was u race
between them. Schoiield had passed
through Columbia in rapid march, the
enemy i'll hot pursuit. The next point
he was aiming to reach was the village
OF Franklin. which lies in the bend OF
little river that sweeps around it. Ii
he could but get his artillery and bag
gage-trains safely across that river it
would afford him u line of defense
which he could hold till he could con
tinue the marclin safety. Accordingly
he had sent forward a pressing mes
sage to hnvepontoonsa at that point to
construct n bridge, that he might pass
over without delay. What was his
CONSERVATION on arriving to find that
not a single pontoon had been provid-
cd! Nothing remained but to throwup
hasty earth-works across the river,
and drawing his little army within it i,
to make his stand there, to live or to
die. The confederntes came on in
force, and attacked with the utmost
fury. Drawer men never marched to
battle. The events ofwar. us of peace,
sometimes depend on very slight
causes. 1t is said that the day before,
Hood had been in i'll humor, and had
rrproached his generals for allowing
the federal army to escape Mt Spring
Hill. Suchreproaches stung the proud
spirit OF brave men. and they went III
tn 1,nt La. ,Ntt l, l,st
mncd to leave no chance for reproach
hereafter. nthis mood Cleburne, who
made that gallant charge ut Chicka-
manga, led his division into the fire.
and was actually squirting his horse
over the breastworks, when horse
and lider fell under u shower OF balls.
His death recalls al incident of which
Sum Jones makes very effective use
1t seems that the confederate line, as
it advanced, was entiladedby IL federal
battery. Seeinghis 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
terry" The aide disappeared, and
quickly returned with the message:
"Gen. Cleburne is dead, sir" Again
the commander spoke: "Givemy COM
pliments to Gen. Adams, and tell him
to carry that battery"
The carnage was fearful. In those
five hours nhe battle began at four
O'Clock in the afternoon, and cont ,nue,l
till nine, and at that season-it was
the last day of November, when the
sun sets before five o'clock was
chiefly after nishtfall, so that both
sides could see to fire only by the
flashing OF each others gunsl the con-
federatcs lost SIX thousand men. The
number of officers killed was such as
was seldom known in the war. Mr..
Cunningham, of the Nashville Amcri-
can, says that, though lie was little
more than Il boy he was in the ranks,
and in the vcryfront. The first charge
OF the confedcrates had broken our
line i'll the centre, and though they
were soon driven back, they still held
II portion OF the brcastworks; while
our troops soon formed another line
behind it. The two were but twenty
Vineyards apart, and ut this close range
poured IL mtiruerolls fire into each
other, and that when he came to tho
ditch it was filled with the dying and
the dead, so that he had to climb 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:
but the grim soldier, with German
stubborness, answered only: "kcep
firing!" when he, too, was riddled with
bullets. AS they carried him otf,lyin.
he called for his colonel to turn over
the command to him.. who continued
the desperate battle till he, too, was
shot down; and (as Gov. Cox, OF Ohio,
who was in the battle, and has writ
ten the history of the campaign,
tells the story he was SO walled
in by the slain that he could not
fall, and there was seen in the
gray OF the morning still erect, as if
giving he word OF command to that
"bivouac OF the dead" During all
this rage Of battle, this boy soldier
whose comrades were falling every in
slant beside him expected that the
next minute would be his last. How
he escaped, he cannot tell. To this
day II horror comes over him as he re-.
calls that awful moment when
Cannon to right Of them,
Cannon to left II them,
CannOnin front OF them,
Voliel and Numbered"
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.
John Rusl<in Oh Church Debts.