The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-20
FIGHTING THEM OVER
Thai0ur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOODS LAST CAMPAIGN.

90 franklin.
Enrgnr NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Much has been
written concerning Hoods campaign into Ten
ncsstc in The Fan of ls64 but ] have seen
nothing as 10 how the Wagou-train made the
trip from Columbia to Franklin. AS prelude
30 my article ] viii say that in October, looAr
prior TO 1herman's march 20 the sea, Gen.
Hood, in command of the rebel army, started
on au equally famous march TO Tennessee and
20 destruction with thc Army Of the Ohio
undeT Gen. SchoGeld in his rear on his hanL,
or lu front, a5 opportunities ana CIRCUMSTANCES
best favored. SchofelG's command, on large
portion uf "a Cd least, was stationed al Pulaski
Hood having crossed the Tennessee River
and moving on Columbia from the direction OF
Florence, made ii necessary TO fall back TO
Columbia, II being question OF great lmpor-
tanc1 as 20 which army should get possession
first by forced march Of Schodeld. Hood
lost by about ID minutes and this is how VIC
came 10 he al Columbia Within a few days
DID became evident that ii would not be good
pOlicv 10 have n bout with Hood under the
uulavOuuble conditions then existing; and as
he seemed restless and inclined TO want to
move IBIS army farther north, ana as We had
no available rcinforCemCuts, therefore retro
grade movement was ordered under cover OF
darkness, on the night Of Nov. &C, 1864. The
army had orders to withdraw TO the north
bank Of Duck River, bat on account OF the
p0ntC0n giving way, we did not move until
tho night Of the 9th, when We surrendered
the town to Hood and ourselves TO the north
bank OF the river. The 2sth was spent in
taking position and preparing for the retreat
80 Nashville rs Hood still showed a disposition
90 move farther north.
About ID o'clock on the night OF the 2Sth,
my regiment the l20th lHda was detailed 10
guard the wagon train back 10 Franklin. in
view Of the fact that We had slept but little
tie night OF the 2Gth, none on the 9th, tnon
las. 49, 4s trfgfH
unnecessary. Every old soldier knows just
about THE state Of the atmosphere in that camp.
Occasional remarks would suggest that some of
the BOYS were ft subjects for the spiritual
lHboFs 81 tie Chaplain. But presently troops
and train were moving pleasantly along the
pike. and arrived az Rutherford Greek Just 40
sunrise the 20th Now, while the mule-drivers
feed tac mules and the cooks get breakfast
j will pay my compliments 70 a squad OF 10 or
Us soldiers and a Briradier- General lwho, as
we understood, belonged 10 the Regular ArmvG
who were cucamped near The creek. The sole
occupation Of these soldiers so far rs j could
discover, WAS TO guard the Generals Head
quarters aud TO exercise n certain guardianship
over d mcdium-zizd rorker that seemed 10
have tho freedom OF The commons. While two
of the boys Of the l20.h Ind. were down at
the creek preparing their toilets for breakfast
this same porkeF came down 20 the creek on
his morning Famble, and incurred the eternal
vengeance Of the boys by roofing about their
coats and caps " fOTbeaTanee ceased 10 hc
VIRTUE and they undertook to demolisb him
with stone, but, not being SO expert as David
when Dc cast the stone az Goliath, did not give
him dead shot Then they undertook 90 ride
him down, and the piteOus walls of his pork
ship were toe much FOR the great and philan-
thropc heart Of the General. for lie sent two
OF his TRUSTEES, arrested the boys, aud tied
them mp hy the thumbs,
se
lion was rising i'm the l20th. They did not
propose TO submit TO such outrage, aud
through Col. PratheT demanded the immediate
releasc OF tie men, 70 which demand tho Gen
eral readily aequesccd upon seeing the rcgi-
meEt had GA The war paint.
After a sumptu0ns repast on bareback aud
B0Wbe.ly we logged pleasantly along the pike for
Spring lil, where we arrived just az II o'clock
noon. Now while the train was parked and
the drivers WaLered and fed their teams, VIC
marched out 90 the casters part Of the village
90 Interview the rebel Gen. Forrest. We passed
o female seminary. and the young ladies were
out in force. We soon discovered that they
were what the boys termed she rebels-of all
FrbJs deliver nc from one OF that SEX They
haunted as, Missed 40 Ms, and i do not know
but they would have spit upon us II they could
have held their tongues still long enough.
They Informed Us that Forrest would shortly
tranieT Us 10 the Southern Coufcderacy. The
developments made in The next half hour in
dieated t4At Tor once they were about correct.
But when they were informed that ii Forrest
attacked as that VIC would take possession Of
tie seminary aud occupy "a in conjunction with
theul, and DO our aghtinR there.r0m, their ardOr
was. somewhat dampeued
Only few yards from the sem mary we came in
full view az FORESTS command almost within
Runsbat. They were forming Tor the charge,
front lInc, double column dism0untCd second
line, double column, mounted. There must have
been from 900 90 600 In tie charge while
tle lz0th Iud., with not over 800 men in line.
stood a fOrl0rn hope 10 receive the onset Our
situation was becoming desperate; we knew we
W0uiG b. % Forrest as dry stubbe TO the flame
Comrahcs IL is a test Of patriotism aud bravery
for q iiHc 70 stand firm when every member
knows THAI the inevitable result viii be that
they vii each Do killed on captured. When we
enlisted we offered our lives a sacrifice TO the
Government and ID looked as though now tie
sacrifice WAS 90 be made; bat we were ready
every Bau with b.anchcd check aud batrd
breath awaits IRE issue. We knew not that aid
Wa within ID miles Of u.s. bat happily for Us,
just iH the nick Of time, la our very last ex-
tremitg a battery aud brigade Of the Fourth
C0rfs arrived upon the field a counter-charge
wa ma8r Forrest driven from the field IN dis.
order. aud TIE train saved
Just so Oil = point ] wish 60 digross little TO
correct some Of C0mradc ShclIenbergors state
ments iu Dis article in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
ofJau. 80. Tic says that Wagner Division
Che Second 0f tho Fourth Carps-was ordered
a. SpfuE iill. j. miles to the rear, % guard
Tie reserve artillery and the trains OF the
army and further on he says, IL was s
O'Clock before the order came aud within Is
minute it YVES fairly on the march," As above
stated, tic train arrived aE Rutherford Greek
tiouF nI liaa from Duck RIVER lust al sunrise
under escort of Che 10th Ind, and after a
Elfurt haI % break fast and feed moved ont Tor
Spring lil at least ono hour before Wapucris
Division icil Duck River.
Nov cgmride, do y0u not think that IN Wac.
nel's Division was guarding the train, 10 let Il
get iV1 gl six Miles in advance when ID was
known tH..t Forrest Was nOIth Of Duck River
and Mitlu tAc ahUyg-uamtd distance Of the
tTniu, THAI ID was llLlc risky business a. For
rest might az any moment sWO0p down uBou ID
aud ca tHrc Or destroy ilY
hg..H DE Says II WAS nearly ~ o'clock
when tar Gath Ohio ~ which was mem.
Dor marching lcfi iu ifOut, Aeadiag the column.
halted ou Lbg pike one mile south or Spring
JILL, aud elgssed The fence 10 the right OF Tie
E0ld % drive Oh the advance OF Forests cav
airy"
For thu enlightenment OF Conrad Sball,p-
berger I viii inform him that Forrest mazda
Dis attac.. directly up0a The village of spriDg
Hill formed Ilg line on lie ridge cas-. i'm col
umu as Described above; was met Grst be- The
l21ta Inc, 81 Che Twenty Corps, and Just
ln llme 90 save that regiment from aunihlla.
tlon i Ma- reinforced Do battery aud brigade
81 the Fourth Corp presumably Lanes o.
Opdyt.es. lt could nos have been Bradlcy's