The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-22
THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN.
Gen. Packard Responds to Adverse
Criticism of the Twenty-Third Corps.

Most of what has been written concern
Ing the battle of Nov. 30. 1864, at the little
town of Franklin, Tenn, have read. That
1t was important battle-was in fact
one of the decisive battles of the warts
attested by the fact that 1t cowed the Con-
federates and demoralized them two weeks
before the battle of Nashville and also by
the large amount of war literature it has
produced on both sides. On the enemys
side in that bloody conflict there were three
army corps-Cheatham's Stewards and
Lees; on the Union side there were two
thirds of two corps-the Fourth and the
Twenty-third, commanded respectively by
Generals Stanley and Cox. There were
only two sides to the battle, but in the lit
erature Of it there seems to have grown
up two sides OH the Union side of it, This
ought not to be so, for all the troops en-
gagged fought equally well. But, though
l regret to have to say 1t, it is a fact that
have seldom seen an article written by
Fourth Corps man that did not aim at dis
arrangement of the work of the Twenty
third Corps. 1 have never seen an article
written by Twenty-third Corps man that
made any such attempt in regard to the
Fourth Corps. This depreciatory spirit is
prominently exhibited in a communication
published in the Journal of the 10th inst,
and signed Army of the Cumberland"
1 have not read General Coxs late book
on Franklin, but | was there when the
fight was on, and I visited the old battle
field last July, and that visit and private
memoranda made at the time enable me
to recall much that has been asleep for
years. l was therefore surprised to read
the communication to which / have allud-
ed; The inaccuracy of It can be excused
1t was not a participant in the battle. For
historyS sake | note few of the errors.
Army of the Cumberland says that ION
the Atlanta campaign and also at the battle
of Franklin there were in the Twenty-third
Corps two small divisions" During a large
part of the Atlanta campaign there were
kels and CoXs. He states that 1T is a
fact that the two divisions of the Twenty
third Army Corps under Cox were on the
Corps, under Stanley, had the left of the
line" This exactly reverses the position of
the two corps. The right of our line was
Corps; Ruger's, of the Twenty-third,
was in the center, and Reilly's division
division of the Fourth Corps was out in
front about half a mile. He says: THE
grand old Fourth Corps was three times
Twenty-third Corps There were two d.
visions of each corps in the battle, Woods,
/ Of the Fourth being on the north side OF
Little Horpeth river, where it was not en-
gagged. The Fourth Corps, including
Woods division, numbered 1896, officers
have numbered about $4,000. The two di-
visions of the Twenty third Corps were
1887 strong. The men of the Fourth
Corps who fought were not three times as
many as those of the Twenty-third Corps,
nor twice. nor one and half times as
many.
of the night march from Columbia, past
Spring Hill, to Franklin, for General STAN
ley and the Fourth Corps, and he says;
Without this celebrated night march Cen
eral Cox could not have written very
glowing story of the battle of Franklin"
eral Stanley was at Spring Hill at noon of
Nov 20 with Wagner's division and did
most important and valuable work there in
preventing Hoods advance from Selling the
place and the Columbia pike. but he had
nothing to do with the night march from
division was the last to let go at Column
bia, and led the march from there to Frank
lin, followed by Wood and Kimball, of the
Fourth Corps, all passing within half
mile of Hoods campfires.
Notwithstanding the claims of your cor
respondent for General Stanley, for whom
l have only words of praise. it is an I'M
questionable fact that General Cox was
placed in command of the battle line and
assigned the divisions to their places The
following orders prove 1t, at least by impli-
Headquarters Army of the Ohio.
Franklin, Tenn, Nov. 80.
General Kimball-The commanding gen.
eral directs that you report with your COM
mand to Brig. Gen. J. d. Cox for position
~. A. CAMPBELL. Maj. and A. A. c.
Captain Bridges, commanding the artil-
lery. was ordered also TO report four bat
teries from your command to Brig, Gen. J.
d. Cox for position on the line to-day. It
may be that Stanley was the ranking offi-
GER but he was i'll in the morning and had
north of the Harpeth, until he heard the
lannon's opening roar" Then he fastened
to join Opdycke'S brigade, already moving
up to mend our broken line.
need make no defense of General Scho-
field, who was in command Of the whole
force: but l must say that in by Judgment
the criticism upon him for his position dur
| ing the battle is unjust. He was In the
best possible position for the commanding
general. From the fort north of the Little
Harpeth the whole field OF operations was
in view. He was near the bridges which
had been constructed earlier in the day
over which communication was easy and
speedy. He could not be certain that HOOD
would attack in front. RE might MAKE
| only a demonstration in front and attempt
to throw the main body OF his army across
the river below, where ForT Isy;II caValrS
such a move should be attempted 1t was
wise for him to be where he could see it at
once and throw Woods division against 1t.
Undoubtedly it is true that the prompt
movement of Opdycke's brigade and other
troops saved the day when our line was
broken near the center and OpdycRe.
brigade belonged to the Fourth Corps. But,
when attributing the days victory to that
corps on this account, 1t should be remem-
DereQ InaL 1t was d - "a
Corps division commander that made OPP
dycke's movement necessary II wagner
had withdrawn from his position at the
proper time there would have been no
break in the line the battle would nave
ended sooner than it did, and the loss of
life would have been mucn Tess. our losses 1
were 1886 They would not have been
more than half that but for Wagners fatal
There is another fact which ought to be
mentioned here The two Kentucky reg1-
ments commanded by Colonel White, which
had been left longest at Coiumpla, reached
Franklin after our line was established and
was nIaced in reserve as a second line.
They belonged to Reilly's brigade or CoA
division of fine TWenty-third Corps. when
the limo was broken Colonel WHITE charged
against the enemy, pouring through the
break as promptly as Opcycke ul9. anu
both without waiting for orders Colonel
Wbi+e heinp nearer, reached the parapet
6ret so that it was not the men of the
Fourth Corps alone, but men Of both corps
who averted that extreme peril.
ONLY one point more l wish to nouce.
your correspondent says: when the rebels
broke our line in their celebrated charge
G - UeT Cox was on the extreme right and
aid NOT know of it until il was over" That
is a most astonishing statement. General
Gov was on an elevated spot in Stiles's
brigade on the left OF the Inca good
Doint for observation, and where saw him
more than once during the battle. From
TO and beyond the Columbia pike, in the
left center and he was one of the first TO
see the break and was very soon at the
spot Joining Stanley on the pike at the
n1oment when the men were already NOV
ing rapidly forward knowing Just what
orders from either one OF the corps com
pandprS.