Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-10-10
THE BLooDiEsT BATTLE IN HIS
/. TORY.
A Southern Editor Declares that Frank
lin, Tenn, Was the Most Desperate.

%EA
A Southern Editor Declares TINT Frank
lin, Tenn, Was tic Most Desperate.
Jacksonville (Fla.) Standard: Sew
eral of our exchanges are discussing
with various opinions "the blcodiest
battle in history" 1t is recorded that
Grant in one hour lost 10, 900 killed and
wounded at Gold Hasbor, but he had
nearly 100000 to lose that number
trom-lO per cent. in sixty minutes.
Gen. Hood, just before sunset, Nov. 80,
1850, moved about 12,OOO Conlederates,
all told, against the strong breast
works at franklin, Tenn, where his
casualties We're reported 6,SOO-or
about so Per ceut. in twenty five min
utes.
At Franklin the Union soldiers I'M
der Gen, Schofeld were entrenched to
the chin. A half-dozen forts belched
their thunder from as many hill-tops-
long lines Of abattis, and cheveaux
de frise imreded every assault
and oil round the works
shrapnel and grape swept down
the Confederate ranks from fiery en-
brasures rs 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,
killed, swounded and missing. Down
this red valley of death rode no drawer
soldier than Gen. 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 bat
tie, 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. Gen. John Adams and
his horse fell dead together across the
enemy's breastworks. Gen. Thomas
NJ. Scott was endorsed by the explo-
sion Of o shell.
The reader will pardon the egotism
Cor the we-gotism) if the writes states
that just twenty years afterwards, (No-
vember, 1891 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 leaning
from the McGavock residence our
doomed battalions marched. Along
that line of fence beyond his house the
brave ranks were formed. We looked
backward across the tide of twenty
fateful years, recalling the then light
heart and thoughless words of youth
full ardor as we moved into the fight.
We saw through mist of unbidden
tears the un-returning brave who, in
the face of that leaden doom, with
dauntless tread passed lover the peril
GUS 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 thought
less 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 the last time, knowing
that death lurked just over the hill,
why did we not pause long enough to
clasp one another in long embrace!
Revisiting these sweeping plateaus!
which we had seen for the first time
twenty years before, and only for a few
minutes in the stormy charge, we could
almost recall every spot passed over in
the fight, as one gathers up the frag-
ments of broken dream. Surely yon-'
der is the very spot where the writer
fell. Here, without doubt, beneath
this friendly oak the mimic was cut
from the flesh where sour friends, the
enemy had embedded it: We know
this Surgeons rendezvous" full we'll
for along this pathway we passed to the
friendly shelter of Col. John McGav-
ock's house. There it stands as it
stood then-twenty years ago! How
dear to the old Rebel" heart is the
name of Col. John McGavock 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 daug hters
bent like ministering angels above the
dying and the dead.
Everything they had (God bless
GuGul ~ Was O0VOt6u w VAC4L oAOusesuN
deeds of mercy. But words lose their
native force as in memory we go back
to that night of their ceaseless minis
trations.
In this room died Col. Nelson, of the
Twelfth Louisiana. Both legs were
crushed by cannon ball and his bowels
torn by iron grape. Poor fellow! Such
agony for several hours few men ever
endured. His eyes, through exhaus-
ton caused by pain, sank deep back
into his head before death came to his
relief. Give me forty grains of NOR
phine," he called out all through the
night, "eive me forty grains Of morphine
and let me die. o, can't 1 die? Is it
so cannot 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 diving officer.
But to return. Over so per cent. of
casualties in twenty-five minutes.
Franklin was, indeed, the bloodiest
battle of modern or ancient history.
Those who now talk SO fippantly of
another war perhaps had no expert
euce of the first.