Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-01-01
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
FOUGHT Al FRANKLlN.


ing with various opinions the bloodiest
battle in history" It is recorded that
Grant in one hour lost TO- 600 killed and
wounded at Cold Harbor. but be had
nearly lO0.0 600 70 lose that number from
10 per cent in sixty minutes General
Hood. just before sunset, November 80,
1864, moved about IL, 900 Confederates.
all told. against the strong breast-works
at Franklin. Tenn, where his casualties
wore reported 6, sOO--or about 50 per
cent. in twenty-five minutes.
At Franklin the Union soldiers under
General Schofeld were intrenched TO
the chin. A half-dozen forts belched
their thunder from as many bill-tops-
long lines OF abbatis and cheveaux de
frise impeded every assault-all round
the works shrapnel and grape swept
down the Confederates from fiery en-
brasures as our rapidly thinning lines
advanced through an open field at Shout
der arms.
The casualties of this little army may
be estimated when it is stated that the
Confederates lost thirteen Generals,
killed, wounded and missing Down
this red valley Of death rode no Drawer
soldier than General 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 a fiery steed, his long hair
swept backward by the breath of battle,
as he rode into the maelstrom Of iron
hail He went over the works and was
captured. There fell, his noble breast
pierced through. the invincible Pat Gle
burne, the idol Of his division as Of his
State. General John Adams and his
horse fell dead together across tho
enemy's breast-wOrks. General Thomas
nj. Scott was unhorssd by the explosion
Of she'll
The readers will pardon the egotism
for the we-gotism) II the writer states
that just twenty years afterwards No
vember, 1851 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 leading from the
AcGavock residence our doomed battal-
ions marched. Along that line of fence
beyond his house the brave ranks were
formed. We looked backward across
the tide of twenty faithful years, recall
ing the then light heart and thoughtless
words Of youthful ardor as we moved
into the fight. We saw through mist
of unbidden tears the unreturning brave
who, in the face of that leaden doom.
with dauntless tread passed ''over the
perilous edge OF battle 70 the harvest
home OF th'-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 thoughtless 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 lurlIed just
over the hill, why did We not stop long
enough to clasp one another in a long
embrace?
Revisiting the sweeping plateaus
which we had seen for the first twenty
years before, and only for a few minutes
in the stormy charge, we could almost
vecall every spot passed over in the
fight, as one gathers up the fragments
of broken dream. Surely yonder is
the spot where the writer fell Here.
without doubt beneath this friendly
oak the mimic was cut from the flesh
where "our friends, the enemy" had
embedded it. We know this surgeons
rendezvous" fun well-for along this
pathway we passed TO the friendly shell
ter Of Colonel John McGavock's house
There it stands as it stood then TWEEN
ty years agol How dear to the old
''rebel" heart is the name Of Colonel
John McGavock and his family How
many torn and lleeding bodies were
borne into his asylum. Through all the
long night the good man, assisted by his
wife and daughters, bent like minis
tering angels above the dying and the
dead
Every thing they had (God bless
them) was devoted to their thousand
deeds of mercy. But words lose their
native force az in memory we go back
to that night of their ceaseless minis
trations
In this room died Colonel Nelson, Of
the Twentieth Louisiana Both legs
were crushed by cannon ball and his
bowels torn by iron grape Poor fell
low! Such agony for several hours few
mon ever endured. His eyes, through
exhaustion caused by pain, sank deep
back into his head before death came to
his relief
Give mo forty grains Of morphine, 4"
he called out all through the night.
give me forty grains of morphine and
let me die. Oh can't die9 Is it so l
can not die? My pq2r wife and child
my poor wife and childr
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 dying officer
But to return Over fifty per cent OF
casualties in twenty-five minutes.
Franklin was, indeed. the bloodiest bat
tie Of modern or ancient history.
Those who now talk so flippantly OF
another war. perhaps had no experience