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

wagon road aud railroad bridge,
Hoods army was the same which had
confronted Sherman during The long
Atlanta campaign, reinforced for this
movement until II has been yarl0ualy
estimated at from 1900 10 $1,000 men,
Cheatham and STEWARDS corps fought
the engagement on their side with
Forrehta cavalry operating on Their
Hanks, The other corps, >, ID, Lees,
did not got up IN time from Duck river
10 engage. Hood hoped 10 destroy our
smaller army, compelled aa II was 10
halt with the river In our rear, In order
10 give the wagon train time 10 get
across and well on los way 10 Nash.
Vile, also 10 give time 70 Gen, Thomas
10 concentrate tho troops which were
arriving from Chattanooga and Mlh'
souri, for the defense OF Nashville,
Nor was II expected perhaps that the
attack would be made 30 soon, That
II came when II did the only alternative
was 10 fight, and still fight ON, or take
~ the water ~ disastrous retreat,
We were oheered after the march
from Spring llill by the sight OF the
rest of our troops, comparatively fresh,
occupying u line OF works erected early
ia the day, Troops OF the 23rd corps
which had arrived on the ground liIat,
among which We noticed the lOith U.
V, L., which was stationed near the
pike, and part OF the ith corps, occupied
the line and troops In reserve lay ~ the
rear of the famous cotton gin, These
we're Opdyckes brigade OF the 2nd d.
vision, lth c0rpa, and u brigade OF the
28rd, Our regiment marched through
the works and the streets OF the village,
deserted by its inhabltante, and halting
near the rlVer began " engage IN Tile
grateful occupation OF cooking coffee,
We had no more than begun this when
from the works through which We
had passed came crash upon crash
of muaketry, aud, sounding
above all, the rapid firing OF cannon
ana the cheers OF men, all OF which
soon grew into an endless roar, with
one impulse, coffee boiling having lost
Ia charms, We fell In ranks, took our
muBkela from the stacks and were
marched across the river 10 a position
along side OF an old fort near both
bridges. From this position, which
gave ua n view OF almost the whole
held, including the village, scene
presented itself, zone glance nj which
were worth years OF peaceful
life" The day had been one OF
sunshine, and, where the smoke did
not interfere, the ground In front OF
our breaBLwOrkB, across the river, was
strewn with the dead and wounded OF
the enomy over which heavy col
umnB OF men advanced 10 the
charge, only 10 be moved down
with merclltBa slaughter. Many reach
I'd our lines, their C0lorB waving over
them, and were shot down In the ditcn
In front. Their officers were bent on
making amends for their failure ut
Spring Hill, ana hat or sword IN hand,
rode along their ranks urging them on
10 repeated chargea, only 70 meet with
blUOuy delGdti yeC nlghi cumlug uu
they 6tlll charged, when the mu9ketry
twinkled along the breastw0rks, aud
the flash Of the batteries would show
the artillery men working nlmbly NJ
their guns, A simultaneous attack
on different parts OF our line
had been planned by the Conted'
crates, and OF course they did not get
OIL together, but made, one alter an'
other, and were whipped each time,
Two brigadeB OF the 4th Corps mad been
posted out IN front with orders 10 fall
back IN the main line on their near up
proach, but they remained TOO long, AID
were near being OYerrun In the tlrst
rush of the rebels, aud, ~ they gained
our works the enemy followed them In,
our men being compelled TO reserve
their fire until their comrades had
reached them. This part of our liue
remained for moment In their hands,
but the defenders OF the rest OF the
line paid no attention 10 this tempo.
rary disaster, and,did not slacken their
nre for u moment, They were prompt
ly driven out by OpdyCke'B reserve
brigade IN u hand ~ hand encounter
capturing many prisoners, Having
made seven dlstlnct aud iruitless
charges, they retir d beyond our lire,
when silence succeeded the roar OF the
battle.
About midnight our troops began TO
eyacuate their works and passed silent
ly, save for the groans Of the wounded,
over the bridge by our position, When
the end OF the column had passed our
regiment, which was one OF those 10
whom the work was assigned Of burn
lug the bridges, began los work by Gov
ering them with pitch and TAR While
80 engaged, n solitary rebel horseman
rode from the direction of their lines,
his horses hoofs sounding loudly on the
paved road and coming near, he turned
aud rode rapidly away. In u short time
they had run battery TO the other
side with which they swept the bridge
aud road beyond with grape shot. we
then retreated from II ana by keeping
away from the road escaped with little
loss. The railroad bridge burned
readily, but the other, heavy struc.
ture, they saved, over which they fol-
lowed us closely TO the lines Mt Nash
vile. Near this place we encamped
the next day at 3 o'clock p III, We
here gave them aual aud crushing do,
feat under Pap Thomas on the 10Th and
10Th of December. The repeated dis
aslers the Oonlederates encountered
under Hood dumpened their ardor,
They did not fight with their Gus.
tOmary spirit at Nashville, AT Frank.
lin, thirteen of their general officers
alone were killed, their whole loss be
ing $500, OF when 200 were prisoners,
The Union loss was 2,326. The Confed.
crate General Adams rode his horse on
the parapet where II was shot and he
was pitched headlong, mortllly wound.
ed, among our men, General Pat
Cleburne was shot In the ditch In front
Of our line and number of other gem
erals. Hood unwisely permitted his
soldiers TO wander over that bloody
battle ground the next day and the
memory OF II became spectre which
stalked among them with liyld, distort.
ed features, with blood streaming
wounds and horror stricken eyes.
Franklin was plckett's Mills over Rpain