Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-12-04

--a Horne wrote his
history Of the Army Of the Cumberland
at the request Of General Thomas from
Thomas private journal and other doc
uments furnished by him.
In concluding his summary of Frank
lin Van Horne says: 1.-THE salient fea-
lures of this battle were the position
and action of the two brigades posted
in front Of the main line and the gal
lantry Of the Third after the enemy had
carried the intrenchments on Carter's
Hill The brigades referred TO were
Conrad S, Lanes and Opdycke's, con.
stituting Wagner's division of Stanley's
Fourth corps, and the trenches on Car
ter's Hill, carried by the enemy and re-
covered through the actiyiX of OPP
dycke's brigade, were in the Twenty
third corps line. Opdycke's brigade, in
charging forward, recaptured eight guns
seized by the Confederates III the bro
ken Twenty third corps line.
General Thomas said that the battle
Of Franklin saved Nashville and that
the battle Of Franklin itself was saved
by Opdycke's brigade of SANKEY'S
Fourth corps. Using the same course Of
reasoning General Stanley saved the
battle of Franklin by his activity and
frmness during the preceding "a hours.
The forces engaged at Franklin, the
Fourth and Twenty third corps, be-
longed to tho army of General Thomas,
who was at Nashville The two corps
were acting as one body, and General
Schofeld commander of the Twenty
third corps, was in command. Thomas
had ordered Schofeld to march in retro
grade before Hoods army Of Confeder
ates from the banks of the Duck river
along the Columbia pike, past Franklin
and across the Harpeth river at that
point, with all possible haste toward
Nashville But Hood nearly spoiled the
game the evening before Franklin was
fought by throwing Forests cavalry
and the advance of two corps of infantry
around Schofeld's column on each flank
and intercepting the retreat at Spring
HILL several hours march south of
Franklin.
Stanley and his corps had the lead of
Schofield S column, and with an energy
all too rare III the war he drove Forrest
away from Spring Hill, bluffed Hood
corps and division commanders, and kept
the Confederates at arms length, while
Schofield's wagon trains and artillery
and infantry of the Twenty third corps
marched through under cover of the
darkness on the retreat toward Frank
lin AT daylight on the 30th Hood
again pushed forward, and SANKEY'S
troops, bringing up the rear kept the
Confederates in check all the way to
Franklin
Schofeld had no intention of making
stand at Franklin, but i'll order to
cover the CROSSING of Harpeth river sta
toned his own Twenty third corps upon
line around the village from bank to
bank on the south side.
He did not expect attack on the south
bank, but thought that Hood would at
tempt to pass around the tanks as he
had done the day before and cut the
army off completely from Nashville He
took all the artillery of the Twenty
third corps with him to the north bank
and portion of the Fourth corps artil-
lery. One of the three divisions of Stan
ley's corps, Woods was ordered by
Schofeld to cross to the north bank.
Stanley, who was i'll, accompanied
Woods corps
The pike along which the army had
marched from Spring Hill bisected the
Twenty third corps line of defense on
the south bank, and where it passed
through a gap was left for the move
ment of wagons and troops. At that
point much of the Fourth corps artil-
lery was massed. Wagner division of
Stanley's corps brought up the rear and
took position two miles in front of
Franklin About 2 80 p M, finding
his flank turned by heavy columns of
the enemy, Wagner decided to with.
draw his command to position about
a third of mile in front of the TWEEN
ty-third corps center-that is, where
the pike passed through the fortified
line. Opdycke's brigade passed inside
the works as reserve to the Twenty
third corps line ON the pike, 200 or
800 yards in rear
The interest of the battle turns upon
the action Of Opdycke's brigade and of
Conrad's and Lanes at the extreme
front The Confederate attack, when it
came about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
was very sudden, and Wagner ordered
Conrad and Lane to fight This they
did stubbornly, checking the advance
Of the Confederates When at last, be-
ing overwhelmed in front, their right
and left tanks turned, they did retreat
they were followed with rush by the
Confederates. who felt sure that Scho-
field army was in a trap and that they
would drive it into the river Yelling.
Go into the worksP they swept from
the trenches the soldiers of the Twenty
third corps on each side Of the pike and
captured the guns, which were under
the protection Of the Twenty third corps
troops The soldiers of Conrad and Lane
reached the works with broken ranks
Nevertheless they had sufficient self
control to rally and take part in the