The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-07-30

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Cleburnes men was so impetuous that the
soldiers on the parapet were literally run
over and in few minutes or before the
reserves in the third line comprehended the
crisis, Cleburne's banners waved over
them, his men occupied a breach the W idth
of "a regiment and, intoxicated with tr-
umph were dashing ahead along thy pike
20 pounce upon the reserves.
Meanwhile Opdycke's soldiers, unmind.
full of the affairs at the extreme front, had
been taking the breathing spell richly earn
ed by serving as rear guard on the march
that day.
Opdycke gave no orders except to rest his
troops. The soldiers were getting ready
their suppers or munching raw rationS
when the breastworks they had just
marched past were carried by lightning
rush of the Confederates, who then were
at their heels. The men instinctively
threw down their handfuls of. bread and
pork and took up their weapons.
A Double Quick Bayonet Charge.
The moment the soldiers in gray were
seen swarming and shooting on the line
where they had no business to be OPP
dyckes commands rang out as calmly and
clear cut as though he had rehearsed them,
though surely no such combination of Or
ders had ever been called for heretofore.
First brigade, fall in! Charge bayonets?
Double quick - were the words
Leaping into the saddle Opdycke spurred
his horse toward the point of danger,
shooting right and left with his revolver
After emptying the chambers he dubbed
the weapon and finally jumped from his
horse, discarded the revolver for a musket
dropped by a wounded soldier, and with
that cleared pathway to the works. One
of his seven regiments kept close at his
heels, two deploying behind that, and
three in third line spread out so as to
cover the gap, which was reached by the
whole brigade in good order before the
enemy had time to form for battle inside
of it.
Appalling Slaughter.
Opdycke's men had leveled their bay
onets at the beginning of the charge, but
when they struck the swarm of Confeder-
ates found muskets more effective used as
battering rams, butt end first. The melee
will not attempt to describe. 1t was
combat at arms length, and did not end
when Cleburne's men were driven back
over the works. The baffled Tennesseeans,
heavily re-enforced, charged again and
piled the ground with their dead Eight
cannon were recaptured by Opdycke's men
and turned and worked by them with aw
full havoc in the enemys crowded ranks.
Opdycke had been in the thick of the
slaughter at Shiloh and Chickamauga, but
he declared that he never saw corpses SO
thick as they were in front of his line at
Franklin.
Hoods Soldiers Paralyzed.
A Mississippian who was in Hoods
army that day says:
Eight o'clock, 8 O'Clock, 9:3O, and we
were still fighting, still dying, still tram
pling our dead and wounded comrades
into the earth. Then we gave 1t up.
eve were awake early the next morn
ing, to discover that the Yankees had
crossed the river during the night and
were we'll on their way to Nashville We
were mighty glad they had gone. Hood
seemed stupetied at the disaster III had
befallen as. He allowed his disP@NaeY 4
army to remain in camp on thai Wy
| aeid, l s-Sver before or after st{ = So va
frightful battle-ground. Many ofVhe dead
were shot TO shreds.
Franklin was the only battle-ground -
ever saw where the faces of the dead ex-
pressed supreme fear and terror. Dead
mems faces were drawn awry. Their eyes
were wide open and staring. Their very
attitudes as they lay prone upon the
ground told the tale of mental agony en-
dured before death released them.
ave could not fight at Nashville. We
lost that fight because the specter Of
Franklin livid with distorted features,
with blood streaming wounds, with ghast-
ly, horror stricken eyes, stalked among US.
1t was in the columns as we marched. 1t
rode astride the Napoleon guns. 1t sat by
our campfres 1t stood in the trenches at
Nashville. "
Opdycke Stood Alone.
The crisis at Franklin was met by the
readiness, courage and energy of one man.
General Wagner, whose division was H.
volved had been at the front line when Gle
burne rushed upon it and was carried back
in the throng of retreating soldiers so was
practically out of the fight for the moment
Stanley reached the scene at gallop, but
was only able to catch up with the last Of
/ Opdycke's charging regiments. In his Of
fetal report of the battle be said: " | saw
Colonel OpdyCke near the center OF his line
urging his men forward. l gave the colo
mel no order, as l saw him engaged in do
ing the very thing to save us-viz, 20 get
! possession OF our line again. Inc retreat
ing men of Colonel Conrnd's brigade,
and, believe, the men of the Twenty
third corps, seeing the line OF Opdycke's
brigade start for the works, commenced to
rally"
General Cox, commander of the Tween
ty-third corps troops, in the main line, was
some distance away and hesitated about
ordering his men to fire on Cleburnes for
fear of killing as many friends as fees.
Schoheld, the commander OF the army,
was north of Harpeth river
The Hero Only Colonel
The rank of Opdycke at the time was
simply that of colonel. His division gen
eral was in front of him, his corps general
fastening toward him and the commander
of the broken line was within signal range,
yet the gallant Ohio colonel stopped for
nothing. Ten minutes wait would have
been fatal Recommendations for OPP
dycke's promotionwere Immediately made
by Wagner and Stanley and later by Wood,
the successor of Stanley in command Of the
corps, and Thomas.
Thomas Endorsement upon the back of
the Recommendations was as follows:
"At the battle of FRANKLIN Opdycke dis
played the very highest qualities as COM
mander. 1t is not saying too much to de-
clare that but for the skillful dispositions
made by Colonel Opdycke, all of which
II