St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-15
BATTLE OF NASHVILLE.
1T rs NviDLY RECALLED 8Y 7HE VET
ERAN GEN. JOHNSON.
TWENTY-NINTH ANNIVERSARY
The Great Victory of Gen. Thomas
Over Gen. Hood-Gen. Grants
Displeasure and the Movement
fments in the Great Conflict of
Dec. IS, 1864.

imeuts in the Great Conflict Of
Dec. 15, 1864,
Special Article for the Globe.
Twenty-Five years ago this morning a
dense fog overhung the city of Nashville
and the surrounding country. envelop-
ing two hostile armies and concealing
the movements of each from the other.
1t was the plan of that magnificent SOL
dier, Gen. George II. Thomas, to attack
the Confederate army under Gen. John
b. Hood at daylight, but the fog was so
dense that friend could not be distin-
gutshed from foe. and SO the army in
line of battle awaited the lifting of the
fog and the signal gun for moving
against the enemy. How many of the
brave men who participated in the fear
full carnage of that day have passed
over the silent river, and how many
boys have grown to be men and know
nothing of the. stirring events of the
great war for the suppression of the
rebellion!
1t will be remembered that Sherman
had gone with the greater part of his
grand army, which had confronted
johnson and Hood during the Atlanta
campaign. On his march to the sea. To
protect the rear, Thomas was left with
the Fourth and Twenty-third corps.
Hood. learning these things, decided on
the invasion of Tennessee, and if he
could capture Nashville and de stroy
Thomas small army there would be
nothing in the way to prevent the march
OF his desperate and needy sQuadrons to
the Ohio river. Accordingly he concen-
trated his forces at Florence, Ala,
where he was delayed for som weeks
In collecting supplies. AS soon
as his dispositions were made
he crossed the Tennessee riv er
and moved in the direction
of Nashville. Gen. John M. Schofield
was in command of the advance, Thomas
being in Nashville collecting together
all the available men to reinforce his
army, knowing that the decisive battle
would have to be fought in front of that
city. Hood moved against Schofield at
Franklin, where was fought one of the
fiercest battles of the war; The Con-
federate loss was great. including seven
general officers. After this battle
Schofield fell back to Nashville; Hood
followed up, and formed his line par
allel with the Federal line. Both armies
entrenched, and Hood quietly held his
line. expecting Thomas to move out of
his Notifications and attack him be-
hind his works. Every day Hood
remained passive strengthened Thorn
as, for in time the right wing
of the Sixteenth army corps, under
Gen. A. j. Smith, arrived, and the con-
valescents in the hospitals, together
with the employees in the quartermaster's
department., were armed and placed
behind the breaStworks. Pending the
completion of these details. great anx-
iety was felt in Washington, and
Thomas was repeatedly ordered to at
tack Hood. Finally he was threatened
with removal from his command if he
longer delayed. His reply was: "Re-
lieve me if you wish, for l Will not
attack until have been SO strengthened
that can move against the enemy with
! reasonable prospect of success"
Gen. Grant was so diSpleaSed at the
apparent hardness Of Thomas that he
ordered Gen. John A. Logan TO proceed
to Louisville and report his arrival in
that city by telegraph. 1t is surmised
hat if Thomas had failed 10 attack bv
the time Logan reached Louisville, then
the latter would have been ordered to
| proceed to Nashville and take command
| of the army. Before Logan reached
Louisville the battle had been fought, a
| great victory achieved, and SO he was
after the death of Gen. Logan,
Gen. Butler, in eulogizing him,
spoke of his magpanimity. in that when
| he arrived in Nashville and learned
| Thomas dispositions and plans, gener-
ously refused to take his command from
| him. The fact is. Logan was not in
| Nashville at all, nor is there an order
or dispatch that | could ever find to
| show that it was Grants intention to
| have him supersede Thomas. nor does
| it seem probable, if Thomas removal
had been decided upon, that he would
! have placed Logan over Schofield, the
| next officer in rank to Thomas, whose
military services and fame as a soldier
| were not second to Logan's. The line of
| battle was formed with the Fourth corps
and the right wing of the Sixteenth
corps supported by the Twenty-thrd
| corps constituting the center. The cavalry
| was on the right and Steadman with his
| colored troops on the lett. At signal
| lIOIil q uu III OlC vi IliC lOILS. Lie ARMY
| Overleaped the breastworkS and rushed
upon the enemy, meeting a stubborn
resistance. but gradually the Confeder-
! ates were forced back, and when the
sun went down, Hood, with his veteran
| army, was In full retreat. The battle
! was continued on the 10th, and till the
| proud army of Hood was driven from
the state thoroughly broken up and de-
| moraliZed and its usefulness as an army
| forever destroyed.
This battle is of interest to our people
because so many of our regiments were
! engaged in it. Col. l.. f. Hubbard, of
tue Fifth, commanded the Second bril-
gade in the First division, Sixteenth
| army corps, and his regiment was COM
handed by Lieut.. Col. w. B. Gere. Col.
| w. r. Marshall commanded the Third
brigade, First division, Sixteenth army
corps. Lieut.. Col. Bradley commanded
the regiment. The Ninth was CON-
manded by Col. Marsh; the Tenth by
Lieut.. Col. Jennlson. These troops
were skillfully and ably handled by
conduct of Co.'s. Hubbard and Marshall,
acting as brigadier generals, ELECTED the
warmest commendatiOn from Gen.
Thomas, who asked for their promotion
to the full rank of brigadier generals,
but there were no vacancies, so the
brevet rank only could be conferred
upon them.
In addition to the foregoing regiments
two others, the Eighth and Eleventh,
contributed to the success of this bat
tie. The Eighth was under Rousseau
at Murfreesboro, and participated in the
defeat of the Confederate division of
Gen. Bale, which Hood sent against that
command. The Eleventh, under Col
James Gilfllan, was at GalIatin, and
held that important post. So, contrib
| ming To the GENERAL rpSult NinnaSnta