The National tribune., 1890-05-22
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
NASHVILLE CAMPAIGN.
The Last Troops TO Enter the CITY Before tn
Battle.

written los J. X Shellenhergor on the part
taken by The Fourth Corps in the franklin and
Nashville campaigns, IN which he scores Gen.
Schoield severely, with some appearance OF
Justice, my attention was called particularly
To this passage Ia the correspondence between
Gen. Thomas aud Gen. SChoieid: a" greatly
fear the TROOPS below Columbia, on Duck River.
viii be lost"
History is silent in regard TO these troops.
These troops were the First Brigade Second
Division. Twenty thiId Corps. Gen. J. A. Cooper
commanding. Ii was made MP 81 the alth AID
ls}d Ohio. Sd and 9th Tenn, 18th Mich, a.!i
l29lh Ind. Two sections OF the 18th Ind. cat
terry were part of this brigade. My regiment
tthe 99th ohiol formerly belonged TO the Fourth
Corps but was transferred 10 the Twenty. third
Corps near kenesaw. IN The chase after Hood
We followed the rai! road back to Tunnel Hill.
there took the cars, and were rushed 10 john
sOnvIllc. on The Tennessee River. Forrest had
given that post a scare ami burned a few pro
vision transports. A week laterwe were rushed
of IN great hurry 10 guard ford at Center
vile. on Duck River, is mics below Columbia.
Gucrillas picked up several Of our men who
gave Oat The ambuiances aEd wagons could
not accommodate ali the exhausted. Few
Tdtious We're carried i'm the wagons.
From CeHteryilie 10 Franklin is - miles. and
10 Nashville about - miles. The 99th Ohio
WAS detailed 10 forage on Nov. Is; returned at
O'Clock the next morning, and were ordered
10 be ready 10 move at daybreall Lieut. Wn
b. Richards. Of Co. u, told me there had been
battle fought In oar rear; that hey had heard
the guns ia the evening while guarding the
feTd. aud that an Orderly with an escort of
seven men, iat come 10 the ford with a dis
patch with this lacouic order, e Make Nash
vile II sou can signed hy Gen. Couch. COM
maHdinc division. As The 99th aud ali the
wagons were cut ioraging and did not return
70 camp until after midnight no move could
be made until they came in. Ar that time the
rebel army WIS crossing the Harpeth River al
Franklin, % miles in our rear. As the Irish
man said, e our rea- was ia front"
We pulled out at early dawn, with a citizen
as guide followed a country road most of the
day, and made rather slow time, as il was bad for
wagons and artillery. We were aiming for
pike that led direct 10 Nashville. We biyou.
acked at the side Of the road about 10 at night
aud made an early start the next morning,
the 99ih in front About o'clock staff OIL
Ger clad IN gray, who had been sent TO pilot us
through, met the head Of the column and re-
ported tie situation. We were halted and or
dered 70 strip Tor the race Overcoats and
blankets were cut aud torn into shreds, so they
could not be used. and we fell in and started.
The mounted escort that brought the dispatch
10 Oentcryiie acted as advance guard. From
our night biyouac 70 Nashville was 30 miles,
and good plke ali the way. We could do that
easily Our rAiiOns were gone so we did not
halt Tor dinner. for we had none TO cat. We
crossed the Big Harpeth just before night,
where the escort captured an entire cavalry
outpost. As darkness came on we could see
camphres 10 the right and left. About three
miles from the river We saw, by the light Of
camphres, horses tied near house. The es-
corr ana siad officer were sent out 10 bring in
q citizen q one could be found. comrade
and myself went ahead a little way. We could
see line Of camphres, men moving about aud
guns stacked al the side Of the pike a quarter
Of q mile away. AS We went back the field
officers were gathered at the head Of the COL
UNA, with citizen among them. We under
stood that tie line Ia front was rebel infantry,
and the bres 10 right and left were cavalry
cainPhFes. Nhcw. here WAS fix sure, and
The stencil oi Tris0n-pcHs was already in our
n0strils. Or viii We fight the whole rebel
armyl Gen. Cooper wished 10 break through
the rebel lines, but the Major OF the 9Th Tenn.
objected, on the ground that the time Of his
men had expired, aud he wished TO take tire
lew that were left home with him. The citi-
zen wished 70 20 back 10 bis house said there
were % rebels there for supper. The council
broke up by Cooper ordering the citizen onto a
horse, the officers 70 couutermarch their COM
mands, while guards were placed over tho CHI
zen, and the retreat was begun. The head
quarters wagon WAS disabled aud left az a prob
len Tor the rebels 10 speculate over when they
~ I'd u. We went back the pike 10 the Big
haTPcth, flied right On lis east bsnk, and spent
tue night marching a mighty poor road
helping the wagons and guns over Washouts
We E1adc about y miles. Near day che of our
company began 70 sob.
The Lieutenant said: Nike, what's the
matterg"
Ny God, Lieutenant. don't see how ! can
50 ANY further; me feet are so sore 4"
Ihe Lieutenant replisd: We'll, Mike, you
car fail OUT
DID don't march till my legs are
worn OF 10 the knees first /" replied Mike
We reached . road running east aud west at
daylight and threw ourselves on the wet
ground u was rainngJ for little rest. We
could bear the rebel mules braying all night
HE escort rode D tie east, but came back in
few sninUtes and said You'll have % get
out Of this The rebel cavalry is Just down
here little way" We pulled out. aud crossed
the Big Harpeth At q ford Several men were
drowned here. The men we're weak aud the
current swift and the river wide Some dis
tance beyond the river we halted for half an
hour or 50. One Of my mrades bad lshed q
hoE's jaw oct Of larrel inst west Of the
river. and another had a little meal; 50 we
bolied the jaw few minutes, made a paste of
the meal, sud when il was halfdone at, il. /
don't know how that meal would taste 10 me
now; then It was delicious. and tie broth the
very q" nectar Of the gods" We marched 10
tun Dcrlanc Furnace that night drew and
coniscated q littlc from the citizens for Uncle
SANS credit, 10 BndeFpin for tie next DAVIS
work Great Cesar! What sore bones We All
badi u WIS Ike tearing muscles to move the
next morning. 10 wonder, for we had made
aDo8t - miles "a two days aud one night. aud
on = good deal les than q square neal
We limped OF early, reaching GAINESVILLE,
- miles below Nashville, about the middle Of
the afternoon. We passed several refugee
wagons, Or rather the remains Of them, still
smoking which had been burned By guerrlIas.
and some 81 the refugees killed. Cos u and
81 the 18Th were stationed 10 q thickct
about two miles from the ferry, 70 give any
gueFTIllas who might follow Us a warm recep-
uoB. None came, however, aud when the resi-
q the brigade WAS over We followed, crossing
o. the Old rope ferry.
Mcrested there a few days and then moved mn
the north side Of the Cumberland River 10 Nash.
Fiile, where we arrived the day after the sleet
fcI. The capture Of the cavalry pickei-post
ana darkness are the greatest items ia our es-
eaDc. We arrived ia Nashville late ia the
evening stacked arms, and were told % make
ourselves comfortable Without wood Or any
means q putting uD our pup" tents, we in-
teFprcied this 70 mean there are lots Of houses
around here" One man who tried 10 make
himself comfortable on the icy ground that
HlRbt a|OEe ID another country. 1 inadyert-
entity entered the house where Gen Thomas
was issuing bis orders on the night Of Dec. IA
saw no sign that the house Was occupied by
20 great parsonage. HIS staff we're all 0ut
with orders for the next days move SUPPOSE
lie asked me what command belonged 10.
Tod him, and began 70 excuse myself, saying