Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-09-18
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
THE eLooDIEsT BATTLE.
A Southern Editor Declares That 1t Was
Fought at Franklin. Tenn.

sing with various opinions ''the blood
lest battle in history" 1t is recorded
that Grant in one hour lost 10. 600 killed
and wounded al Cold Harbor, but he had
nearly 100 600 to lose that number from
10 per cent in sixty minutes. General
Hood, just before sunset, November go
1864, moved about IL, 600 Confederates,
all told. against the strong breast-works
at Franklin, Tenn, where his casualties
were reported 6,SOO-or about so per
cent in twenty-five minutes.
At Franklin the Union soldiers under
General Schofeld were intrenched to
the chin. A half-dozen forts belched
their thunder from as many hill-tops-
long lines Of abattis and cheyeaux de
frise impeded every assault-all round
the works shrapnel and grape swept
down the Confederate ranks from fiery
embrasures as our rapidly thinning
lines advanced through an open field at
shoulder arms.
The casualties Of this little army may
be estimated when it is stated that the
Confederates lost thirteen Generals, kill
ed, wounded and missing. Down this
red valley Of death rode no Drawer sol
der than General George w Gordon
the youngest Brigadier in our Western
army. We can see him in fancy now, as
we saw him then for the first time,
mounted on fiery steed, his long hair
swept backward by the breath Of battle,
as he rode into that maelstrom of iron
hail He went over the works and was
captured. There fell, his noble breast
pierced through, the invincible Pat
Cleburne, the idol Of his division as Of
his State. General John Adams and his
horse fell dead together across tho enc
my's breastworks. General Thomas NJ.
Scott was endorsed by the explosion Of
a she'll
The readers viii pardon The egotism
(or the wegotism) if the writer states
that just twenty years afterwards No
yember 1850 he revisited the field Of
Franklin There on the right still stood
the old gin where gathered the central
whirlwind Of that November storm.
Across the open fields leading from the
McGayock residence our doomed battal-
ions marched Along tn&t line Of fence
beyond his house the brave ranks we're
formed. We looked back ward across the
tide Of twenty Hateful years, recalling
the then light heart and thoughtless
words Of youthful ardor as Va moved
into the fight We saw through mist
of unbidden tears the unreturning brave
who, in the face of that leaden doom,
with dauntless tread passed over the
perilous edge Of battle TO the harvest
home of death swept in the twinkling
of an eye from our sight forever into the
shoreless gulf We wondered as we sat
there and recalled that terrible day how
we could have been so though tless and
unconcerned As we formed in line to
move upon the foe youthful eyes flashed
fire and downy cheeks flushed with the
rapture Of the coming fight All, as we
looked upon loved ones then for tho last
time, knowing that death lurlzed just
over the hill, why did we not pause long
enough to clasp one another in long
embrace!
Revisiting the sweeping plateaus
which we had seen for the first twenty
years before, and only for few minutes
in the stormy charge we could almost
recall every spot passed over in the
fight, as one gathers up the fragments
of broken dream Surely yonder is
the spot whore the writer fell Here,
without doubt, beneath this friendly
oak the mimic was cut from the flesh
where "o,r friends, the enemy" had
embedded it. We know this surgeons
rendezvous full well-for along this
path way we passed To the friendly shell
ter u Colonel John McGavocks house.
There it stands as it stood then-twen-
ty years ago! How dear to the old rebel"
heart is the name Of Colonel John Me-
Gavock and his family! How many torn
and bleeding bodies were borne into his
asylum. Through all the long night
the good man assisted by his wife and
daughters bent like ministering angels
above the dying and the dead
Every thffs they had God bless them9
was devoted to their thousand deeds of
mercy But words lose their native
force as in memory we go back to that
night of their ceaseless ministrahons.
In this room died Colonel Nelson. of
tAAN a N'AAt At tsttt4NlAAisA- AfOk&A AA@S NttAt
crushed by a cannon ball and his bowels
torn by iron grape Poor fellow. Such
agony for several hours few men ever
endured. His eyes, through exhaustion
caused by pain, sank deep back into his
head before death came to his relief
Give me forty grains Of morphine"
he called out all through the night, give
me forty grains OF morphine and let mo
die. Oh can't die? Is it so | can
not die? My poor wife and child-my
poor wife and child"
Hard soldier as the writer then was,
he went down the steps and far out be-
meath the stars to escape the prayers Of
the dying officer.
But to return. Over fifty per cent OF
casualties in twenty-five minutes. Frank.
lin was, indeed, the bloodiest battle Of
modern or ancient history.
Those who now talk SO fiippantly Of
another war perhaps had no experience
of the first. jacksonville ella. Stand
ard.
a SOL DIERtS HEROISM.