The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1896-07-04

ing lines reeling and falling to the
ground fatally stricken, as the dense
smoke settled, to be lifted again and
again by rapidly successive flashes. In
this second grand assault Cranberry,
GOvan, and Polk stormed the retrench-
ed line at the pike and attempted to
capture the angle. Cranberry was
killed in his desperate charge, and the
three brigades repulsed with great
slaughter.
French stormed the works at the
Clubhouse, with Sears and Cockrell's
brigades, and was repulsed, losing in
these assaults sixty five per cent from
history Of bis con. mand, almost ami.
hilating his division. Walthall as
saulted the works with his division,
and Reynolds, Shelley's, and Quarle's
brigades were likewise repulsed and
almost destroyed.
Loring assaulted the works with his
division, and Featherstone 5, Scott's
and Adams brigades were repulsed
with heavy loss, leaving the brilliant
and gallant young Colonel Ferrell, of
the Fifteenth Mississippi, and many
others, Immediately under the works,
mortally wounded.
Brown still held the works in Ruger's
liue, and Notwithstanding the repeat
ed efforts of the enemy, could not be
dislodged. Ruger constructed hasty
barrieade in front OF Brown: Strick
land occupied the line behind it, and
engaged Brown at close range, Strck-
land was reinforced from Stiles bril-
gade on the left, and yet Brown could
not be driven from the captured line.
Darkness ended the great conflict.
The Confederate troops, repulsed in
their repeated assaults, had retired,
but Browns division held the works
captured by it in the first grand charge.
Brown was wounded. Gist and Strahl
killed, Carter mortally wounded. and
Gordon captured within the intrench-
ed line.
Immediately after dark General
Hood ordered Johnson's division, of
Lees corps, which arrived during the
action, to assault the works to the
left Of the Columbia pike. This fine
division, without support. in dense
darkness, moved gallantly over the
field thickly strewn with the dead and
wounded, and charged the works held
by Ruger's division. The storm OF
battle was again renewed. kimball
and Ruger delivered deadly fire into
johnson, and Managualt fell severely
wounded, and his brigade, with
Sharpe's, Brantley's, and Deas bri-
gades, suffered heavily, and were re-
pulsed. After this ragged firing con-
tinued, with occasional volleys, until
ten o'clock. Stovall's brigade, OF Clay
tons division, Lees corps, was moved
forward on the Columbia pike, an6 oc-
cupied the line in front of the centre.
from which Lane and Conrad had been
driven in the commencement of the
action.
Notwithstanding the repulse at
Franklin, attended as it was with fear
full loss Of life, Hood, undismayed, re-
ing morning; and to that end he issued
orders to his corps commanders to hold
their troops in hand, and take position
in front Of his artillery. which had ar
rived from Columbia, and at given
signal to assault the works at the
point of the bayonet. Schofeld. how
ever, evacuated Franklin at midnight
and retreated on Nashville. When
the first information that Schoield
was Withdrawing from his works was
received, the artillery opened on
Franklin with heavy cannonade
There being no response, it was then
evident that Schofeld had successful
ly withdrawn his forces and retreated
to Nashville.
About 3 o'clock several OF US rode
into town and got a bite to eat. the
first had tasted that day. Just at
day break We rode upon the field, and
such d sight never saw and can never
expect to see again. The dead were
piled up like shocks Of wheat. or
scattered about like sheaf of grain.
You could have walked all over the
field upon dead bodies without step
ping upon the ground. The fierce
flame of battle had neal ~ all been con
fined within range of 80 or - yards. |
except the calvalry fight on the other
side OF the river. Almost undcr your
eye nearly all the dead. wounded. and !
dying lay In front of the Carter
House the bodies lay in heaps, and to
the right Of it locust thcket had
been moved off by bullets as if by u
scythe. 1t was wonder that any man
escaped alive from the storm of lead
and iron missiles.
To properly understand why the
battle was fought at franklin. it is
necessary to give II short account of
Hoods blunder at Spring Hill. Scho
field did not want or intend tr fight
"a battle at this point. The bridge
across the Harpeth river had pre-.
viou-ly been destroyed, the fords were
In bad condition. and the pontoons
that Schotield had asked Thomas 10
send him from Nashville had not ar.
rived when the artillery and wagon
trains arrived. After consultation