The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-03-10
THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN
Described by Gen. Ellison Ca
pers.
Columbia State,

Eloquently Described by Gen. Ellison Ca
pers.
Columbia State.
The regular monthly meeting IF the
survivors association was held at the
court house at 8 o'clock last night and
the occasion was made unusually inter-
estiDg by On address from Gen. Ellison
Capers. The survivors were out in force
and number of ladies also graced the
occasion by their presence.
Gen. Capers chose as his subject ''The
Battle of Franklin" and as he himself
was a prominent participant in that
memorable sanguinary engagement, no
one could have described it more accu-
rately or more eloquently.
It was, he said, one Of the most stub.
bornly contested fields Of the war, and
although it resulted disastrously to the
Confederate forces engaged it reflected
undying lustre on their courage and he.
roic endurance.
Gen. Capers graphically recouuted the
preliminary movements and outlined the
field of battle and the obstacles in front
Of the Confederates, who had to move
forward through almost impenetrable
masses of ossge orange and other
growths which had been cut down by
order of Gen. Scho6eld, who was in
command of the Federal army. To pass
through such barriers and preserve an
unbroken line was physical impossible.
ity; and the battle was mistake, and
the order to charge blunder ofgeneral-
ship.
In this action forty. four Confederate
regiments, numbering about $4,000 men,
were pitted against forty seven Federal
regiments, numbering $4,000 men, the
flower of the Western army and having
every advantage of position on their
side. The battle began by movement
of cavalry on the right, and the order to
the infantry to move forward was given
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
In The first charge o. The Confederotes,
the divisions under Brown, Cleburne and
French were successful, but Those under
Bates, Walthall and Irving were re-
pulsed. Cleburne and French were then
driven back, but no effort of the enemy
could move the division under Brown.
Almost every Coufsderste general par
ticipating in the engagement was killed
or wounded. Generals Cleburne, Gist,
Stahl, Carter and Adams were killed,
Generals Cockrell, Qusrles, Scott and
Brown wounded, and Gen. Gordon cap
tured in the first charge.
In the second charge, Gen. Granbury
was killed, and Gen. Capers, then Colo
mel of the Twenty fourth South Carolina,
was desperately wounded.
In the third and last charge, Gen.
Manigault was wounded, and many other
distinguished officers were killed or
wounded.
As illustrating the severity of the en-
gagement, Gen. Capers recited the fact
that after the 6rst charge, he, although
only Colonel, was in command of the
whole of Browns Division, every officer
above him in rank being either killed,
wounded or captured; and on the field
of battle, which was but mile long and
one.fourth of mile wide, there we're
1000 killed and 5000 wounded, and
some 1900 prisoners were taken on either
side. Comparing the force engaged and
the number of men killed and wounded
with other great battles recorded in his
tory. the General gave it as his opinion
that none exceeded it in its sanguinary
features.
Gen. Capers's vivid description of this
desperate conflict and bio review OF the
strage.'c movements preceding it were
cose!- and attentively listened to by his
audience and would be we'll worthy of
reproduction in some form that could be
preserved for the benefit of posterity and
the truth Of history.
Gen. Capers closed his exceedingly in
teresting address by reading the follow.
ing letter, received from asergeant of the
9th Ohio regiment, who was partici-
pant in the battle of Franklin:
New STRA1rsv1LlE, o., Oct. II, 1885.
Col. E. Capers, Grecuville, S. c.:
DEAR s1R-In perusing the columns
Of the Cincinnati Commercial. Gazette of
the 9th inst, my attention was called to
a communication to Gen. Schofeld, stat
ing that you had in your possession a
stand of colors captured by your regi'
men, the oath S. C. Volunteers, at the
battle of Franklin, Tenn, belonging once
to the 9th Regiment o. V. I. The flag
you mention WAS captured from US on the
3Oth day of November, 1864, at that
place. You ask that you might be put in
communication with some of the surVl-
vors or representatives of the 9th. l
will just say was member of that reg
imeut from the time it went into the field
until it was mustered out, 4S62-1S65. l
will just say that I had the honor OF be-
ing the first or among the first who re-