The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-15
Battle Of Franklin.

histories VI tpe COHHl;C HAVE peCh sc
bitterly partisan as to spoil their value
as serious review of great subject.
.'The battle Of Franklin (Tenn.),
November, 1864 is described and
studied by Jacob d. Cox, late Major
General, commanding Twenty-thirl
Army Corps. The book is published
by the Scribners and contains many
maps of the territory in question.
General Cox states that he promised
to write the story of the battle, upon
which hisfriends insisted, if he should
live to sec the completion Of the great
work undertaken by the Government
in printing the "Oficial Records Of
the Union and Confederate Armies. y
AS the last volumes Of the principal
series Of those records are passing
through the press, General Cox re-
deems his promise.
The situation OF the forces OF the
Union and Confederacy in the fall Of
1864 was this Grant was watching
Lee in Virginia. Sherman was at At
lanta with large army: and Hood s
forces were in camp in Northern Gcor-
gia. 1t appears that it was Hood s
idea to turn Sherman's position by q
somewhat wide detour to the west OF
Atlanta, and to carry the war again
into Northern Georgia, OF even into
Tennessee. Sherman decided to con-
centrate his own forces # Atlanta,
and to send an army under the COM
mand of Thomas in pursuit Of Hood.
General Cox is very complimentary
to Hood. He remarks upon his mill
tary ability and energy of character.
The author says: "The effective force
under General Thomas, in Middle and
Southern Tennessee, was $4,000, Off
GERS and men present for duty, equip
ped, which was the official phrase in
dicating complete readiness for active
service. The aggregate present was
some 10000 more. These figures do
not include the troops in Schofeld' s
department of the Ohio in East Ten
nessee and Kentucky, nor those of the
military division between the Tennes-
see and Mississippi Rivers, all of
which we're subject to Thomas orders.
Hoods army in the field numbered
42, 600 or $4,000 men Of al ,aasi,;g ssii,s;gg''aud
had. been veryS S1ssely Estimated by
Genera! Sherman.
= IS early as October 80, Sherman,
in promising to send Schcfeld back,
had urged Thomas to break up all
minor posts and get about Columbia
as big an army as you can. and go at
him. Again, two days later, he reit-
Grated: you must unite all your
men into one army, and abandon all
minor points, if you expect to defeat
Hood. ,"
General Cox's purpose in writing
his book was principally to controvert
many statements and misstatments Of
some Of his colleagues in the Union
Army. He has designed his book as
military study. He reviews, in
separate chapters, the work of the "a
rious divisions Of the armies. Here
is the description Of the Confederate
attack which the author quotes from a
speech Of General George w. Gordon
at the unveiling Of a statute to Gen
eral Cleburne. General Gordon was
captured by the Union Army in this
engagement:
'.As the array" said General Cor
don, with a front Of two miles or
more in length, moved steadily down
the heights and into the valley below
with flying banners, beating drums
and bristling guns, it presented a
scene of the most imposing grandeur
and magnifcence. When we had ar
rived within about 400 PAGES OF the
enemy's advanced line Of intrench-
mcnts our columns were halted and
deployed into two lines of battle pre-
paratory to the charge. This .advanc-
ed position of the enemy was not a
continuous, but detached line,
manned by TIVE brigades and situated
about 600 PAGES in front of his main
line of formidable works, and was i'm
mediately in front of Cleburn S left
and Cheatham's S right. When all was
ready the charge was ordered. With
wild shout, we dashed forward upon
this line. The enemy delivered one
vollcy a: our rushing ranks, and pre-
:ipitately fled for refuge to his main
and rear line. The shout was raised,
Go into the works with them This
cry was taken up and vociferatcd from
a thousand throats as We rushed on