The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-01-18

armies 1t was a field marked by heroic
deeds and matchless Individual prowcss,
vet noted for the absence Of anything Ike
strategy or tactics. Hoods so, 900 soldiers
Attempted to run down and overwhelm
Schofeld's 20, 900. The resultant struggle
was a purely physical one, and had Soho
fledd lost the day the disaster might have
changed tho face OF things In the west
Two features Of the battle Of franklin
placed 1t among the brilliant and bloody
contests Of the time-namely, the merry
charge of General Clebuxns's Confederate
division and the equally herce counter
charge Of General Opdycke's Union br1-
Rade, and there was something unusual ON
foot acting as spurs to martial valor.
Hood had entered upon the march from
Columbia toward Nashville In hopes OF
surprising the defenders OF middle Ten
nessee. and Sohoheld, with an inferior
force placed across the Confederate front,
had impeded the march Only the day be
fore. Hood had almost surrounded Sohodeld
at Spring HILL but owing, as he asserted
to the sl0wnoss Of his subordinate gem
erals In attacking, the Union forces had
slipped out Of the trap in the night and
nv a forced march reached Franklin, on
the south bank of the Harpeth river.
At Franklin Schofield halted his col
umns on the southern border OF the town,
where a line Of slight intrenchments was
hastily constructed, and the weary SOL
diers lay down on their arms to enjoy
brief rest while the long army trains were
crossing the river over a couple or rude
bridges to a safer position north OF the
stream. The troops Of Schofeld's Twenty
third corps, commanded by General y. ~.
Cox. occupied the main line OF works,
which extended across the Columbia and
Nashville pike, along which Hood was
marching in active pursuit. The extrem-
tiles Of the works rested on the river bank
above and below the town, and the only
break I'm the line was at the point where
the pike ran through: There a gap had
been left in order to accommodate the
trains and artillery as well as the br1gades
bringing up the rear. These latter, three
in number, belonged to General ID. M.
StanIey's Twenty fourth corps and consti-
tuted Wagner's division. Stanley crossed
the Harpeth with Woods division of his
corps, leaving Wagner to handle the rear
guard. OF the three brigades in Wagner
division two, Comrades and Lanes, were
halted by General Cox's order on knoll
half a mile in front Of the general line
and covering the gap in the works at the
6Ikss>- Wagner's third brigade, led by
General Emerson Qpdycke, acted as e1
treme rear guard throughout the marcf
from Spring Hill TO Franklin and severa
times checked the impetuous Confederate
through the gap into the works at Frank
lin, and the men rested in reserve behinC
Cox's own division, close to the pike.
Schofleld had no object in accepting bat
tie at Franklin except to defend his pas
sage over the river, which was to commenc
Mt dark But Hoods main body reaches
the vicinity soon after noon, and the opel
nature Of the ground enabled the antago
nists to view each others movements Il
Hoods men the spectacle was tantalizin
an the extreme for there, with river a
his back lay the foe that had so ofte
eluded their blows. Besides, the words c
recrimination over the issue at Sprin
Hill spoken by Hood that morning an
the night before burned in the veins OF hi
generals, and the spirit aroused by theI
communicated itself to the men. Gle
burne especially, renowned and gallan
leader, was deeply cut by Hoods declare
ton that his favorits troops, naming Cl'
burne's, had disappointed his hopes at tn
most critical point in the campaign.
When the Confederate lines were form
ing for the attack, Cleburne's divisio
held the right and rested on the pike col
fronted by the Union works and troops a
ready described Hood stated to his sui
ordinates that he desired that the enem
be driven into tho Harpeth river at a
hazards and anticipating hot work Gil
burne asked permission TO form his div
sion into three lines Of one brigade eacl
Hood granted the request, although Stew
arts corps of his army had not come u
and his line was shorter than he desired
After forming his column Cleburne roC
back to Hood and said, General, a.
ready and have more hope in the final su