The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-02-20

ny an Old Soldier Of tho 10th o, " /
Who Participated IN Those Memorable
aud Desperate struggles
s
II was my fortune 10 have been q sol
dier OF tho army OF Gen. Thomas
which Ia tho fail OF "a wah opposed u
the Confederate forces OF ll00n, Wheli
after the TALL OF Atlanta, that rash Gen
eral passed around 10 tho rear OF Sher'
mans army ana started on hlhinYaAlon
OF Ienne6hte. Many OF The scenes then
witnessed aud dangers passed VIII mol
be forgotten while memory laath'
Az the time my narrative properly
begins, our oOrpA, the dll, aud the sdfd
both Numbering about 10000 men, hhl
been detached from hhermanB main
army ~ GalrHYille, Alabama, before he
began his celebrated march W tho sea-
and after a tOilsOme march from the
latter place, were enGamped ~ Pulaski
Tenn, eighty miles south Of Nhnhi HE,
The weather, unuhually cold for That
season OF thu year, " belng November
admOniahtd ua OF tho approach OIL WIN
ter, ana We rank and lile, not being ae,
Quainted with the grand strategy" OF
Lhe campaign about " DO opened, hhd
anugly prepared our quarters Tor the
winter. Wo had been paid Oil-the
iiIht time for nearly a year-rhtlona
we're plentiful ana we had begun 10
promise ourselves period OF RELIEF
from hard marching ON hoanty rationA
IN all kiuds OF weather, ana constant
lighting, which had been our expert
ence all the preceding SUMMER, when
late one evening the camp Waa startled
by the "tear down" call Of the bugle,
Prompt aud unquentloning oDedience
10 a good hOldierly quality, ana IN = iew
moments after tho Dugleu OF the dliier'
ent regiments sounded tho order 10
strike tents, knapaaGka were packed,
we had loft our comfortable quarters
aud we're huIrylng along lhe stone pike
Ghat led 10 Nashville, while already llf
ing could be heard between the rear
.iard and the enemy We were i0l
lowed by droyea OF negroes OF oil ages
and sexes, who promptly TOOK up Tue
march with ua. They were loaded down
with bed clothes, cooking utensils ANA
food. Unable 70 Keep up Win the
uOopB, the most OF them disappeared
from the march.
Columbia, thirty miles from Pulaski,
was reached next day ana llne Ot
breaaJwoIka thrown up, ~ was the Gus
tom when In the vicinity Of the enemy,
They promptly appeared ana uklrmlbh
cd with the plchets, ana lud ub 10 OK
pect u general attack for several days,
La the meantime two corps OF Hoods
army, Uhoatham'B and htowartB, hhd
crO6Bed Duck river, ON which tho town
of Columbia IN situated, below uB 80 aB
10 get on the road which was our line
of retreat TO Nashville, and take uH
ln," while their third corps, Lees, wah
left 10 amuBe us m front, lle crossed
Duck river, which lay behind us, one
dark, rainy night on pont00ns ana TOOK
position on the north side, where We
we're entertained the next day by the
battery which we supported Smelling
the rebel wagon train m the lenr OF
their lines across the river We com
mon soldiers NJ least did not know
what tho movement OF that long line
of trains meant, aud II was llne fun 10
SOC the mule drivers whip their teams
10 hurry over u hill on which they were
especially exposed We were taking
our laugh then, aud II was well that we
aid, for there was little occasion for
laughter, as we we're soon 10 learn.
The most OF the troops had marched
toward Franklin, leaving linnlly but
our division, the Ord Of the llh corps,
Toward evening the 2nd brRaur,
Posts, started on q reconnaissance TO-
ward one of the fords above us, aud re'
turned after having learned that the
rebel army was crossing, and that they
must be already between us aud
Franklin. There had BEEN some
very heavy lighting that day NJ
Spring Hill, about half way TO Frank
lin and they oncamped within u halt
mile OF theroad ard with the enemy
In front aud rear OF us, our division ~
least---Our capture must have seem
cd 10 them u mere matter OF FORM
We marched when night came right on
the pike toward the trap which Tho
strategy OF the campaign had permit
ted them 10 set for us, and reached
Spring Hin about midnight, whore our
would be capt0ra awaited us, But
through some failure 10 carry out their
part OF the program, after having out
marched ana out.manoevred us, they
slept. And no we came along their
thousands OF camp lires burned bright
ly In the crisp November night, within
a few rods OF uB, and save for the few
shots of their pickets we marched by,
unmoested. We were ordered TO
march In the utmost silence. Coffee
pots, tin cans, frying pans and, every
thing that might disturb their elumber
were quleted Many tired etraggler
on that night, mlataking their camp
Ares for an oncampment OF our own
troops, walked right among them TO
hnd rest and comfort, and was captur'
ed and afterwards experienced the hor-
rors OF Andersonyille.
Daylight found US marching IN three
columns, the wagons on the road with
one and one on each side, llanked by
artillery, which unlimbered NJ inter
yals and shelled the rebel cavalry, which
could be seen In the woods aud fields,
Not far from Spring Hill we came to u
place where Forrest had made u dash
On our wagon train the day before,
wagons upturned, dead mules and rlAed
baggage scattered along the road for u
good distance. When Che rebels awoke
AZ Spring Hill aud found we had
marched by, they we're mad; report
hath IL that they "swore more terribly
than the armies did In Flanders" ac-
cording 10 Uncle Toby and that Pat
Oleburn's Texans on this occasion fully
sustained the reputation OF their State
for original, disoursal swearing, ana
chat they suddenly fell into column and
marched after us, They followed us
closely but we marched leisurely now,
and, on q ridge overlooking the plain
on which Franklin lays, we stopped in
line OF battle for long time TO give
our wagon train time TO get well
through the village and on It's way to