St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-18
BATTLE OF
Ex-Gov. Marshall Corrects &C
LchEson on One Point.

Jchnscn on One Point.
To the Editor OF the Globe.
have read with interest Gen. john
sons account of the battle of Nash
vile. today. the 10th, being the ami
versary of the final victory.
Gen. johnson is in error in saving
that no order had been given Logan to
supersede Thomas. In Gen. Grants
Memoirs. vol. 2, p. 3S2, he saws:
Zen. Logan happening to be at City
Point about that time, and knowing
him as a prompt. gallant and efficient
ofhcer, l gave him an order to proceed
to Nashville to relieve Thomas. l di-
rected him. however. not to deliver the
order or to publish it until he reached
there, and if Thomas had moved. then
not to deliver it all, but to communicate
with me by telegraph. A fter Logan
started. In thinking over the situation,
L became restless, and concluded to go
myself. l went as far as Washington,
when a dispatch was received from Gen.
Thomas announcing his readiness at
last TO move, and designating the time
OF his movement. l concluded to wait
until that time. He did move, and was
successful from the start. This was on
the 18th of December. Gen. Logan was
at Louisville at the time this movement
was made, and telegraphed the fact to
Washington and proceeded no further"
To this, from the memoirs, may be
added the following dispatch:
"WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. Is, 1884,
Maj. Gen. Thomas. Nashville, Tenn: I
was just on my way to Nashville, but
receiving a dispatch from Van Duzen
detailing your splendid success today, l
shall go no further. Push the enemy
now, and give him nc rest until he is en-
tirely destroyed. = 4
~. S. GRANT. Lieutenant General"
Thus was Gen. Grant saved from
what would have been a great injustice
to DIE who is coming to be recognized
as one of the greatest generals OF the
war.
- Gen. johnson in making such honor
able mention of Minnesota troops in the
battle of Nashville might properly have
spoken of his own part in that great
final victory of the national army. The
general, indeed, is entitled to the claim
Smelling direct from West Point in 1S49.
He married here, his wife being a sister
of Mrs. Gen. Sibley and Of Franklin
Steele, and here he has resided for the
last quarter of a century.
l am tempted to supplement his
sketch of the battle with one incident of
his service, especially honorable.
He vas in command of a cavalry
division, which, at the close of the sec
ond days fighting, was ordered by Gen.
Thomas to cross the Harpeth river,
move up on the south side and attack
the retreating enemy in the flank at
Franklin. 1t had been raining in tor
rents-thiS was the 17th-and the river
was rising rapidly. With great difficulty
the division crossed. A few minutes
could not have been forded. Gen. john
son reached a summit overlooking
Franklin to find that no part of Thomas
army was in position to cooperate
by crossing at Franklin direct.
Either the bridge had already been de-
stroyed OF was so commanded by the
enemies artillery as to preclude a cross
ing. Gen. Johnson's division was alone
on the enemies side of what was then
an unpassable river, and had either to
retreat or boldly attack.
He decided IN the latter. He ordered
the battery commanded by Frank G.
Smith-also a Minnesotian, son of the
late Dr.. Franklin Smith-in position on
the crest OF the hill, to load and fire all
the six pieces at once. This was done,
uLO ZIG CnCC1 was SuCu tlldL 1OOu
thought the greater part of Thomas
army vas across the river. and precipi-
lately retreated without firing a gun,
leaving the way clear for the cross
ing of the army on pOntoons.
For this and other services at the battle
of Nashville Gen. Thomas recommend
ed Gen. Johnson's promotion to the
rank of major general. The battle Of
| Nash vile was memorable to MinneSo-
tians as the one of the war
In which the largest number
of Minnesota soldiers took part,
and in which Minnesota officers held
more high commands than any other
the siege of Mobile ranking next and
very close to Nashville in these re-
spects. These were the important clos
ing battles and siege of the great wal In
which it was an honor that our state
was largely represented as she was by
the gallant First regiment in the open
ing battle of the war, Bull Run.
VIM. r. MARSHALL.
st. Paul, Dec. 16.