The National tribune., 1900-12-06
TWO WEEKS TREATMENT FREE

tured in the wild rebel rush. but was re-
captured and served by men of the 73d
Ill. during the remainder of the engage
ment. In ALL 394 rebel prisoners and nine
battle flags were captured by Opdycke' S
Brigade in this charge, majority of them
by the SSth Ill. The breastworks were
regained; the advancing Confcderates were
lchecked; disgraceful defeat was changed
to final victory.
But Hood did not yet abandon his des-
perate attempt. At least five distinct
the lines occupied by this brigade, each of
which was CALAMITY repulsed. 1t was re-
cOgniZed on all sides that this was the key
of the position. The fighting was through
out much harder here than at any other
point. The brigade front was so short that
many men could not get into the trenches.
These lay fiat in the rear, loaded guns and
passed them to comrades in front, thus
doubling their efficiency. The brigade lost
i'll the aggregate PIG men killed and
wounded, no prisoners. The conclusion Of
these bloody charges has been thus de-
scribed from a Confederate standpoint by
one of the participants:
Darkness descended and still the bat
tle-tOrn Confederates were formed into
charging Columns and launched against
the Yankee works. Our dead lay in win
dows. The wounded shrieked as we trod
on their nfangled limbs. Eight o'clock,
O'Clock and we we're still fighting, still dy-
ing, still tramplilIg our dead and wounded
into the earth. Then we gave it up. We
had made five desperate charges; Pat Gle
| burne's men had made six, and he fell
dead while leading the last one. Every
general officer. in Our army except Hood
was killed or wounded. Our losses had
run high up in the thousands. We stacked
our arms and lay down"
| One Confederate Nj a tort InnpfaI and his
horse fell inside Opdycke's lines, both rid
er and horse dead--such was the desperate
valor displayed. Gen. Garter, brother of
the occupant of the Carter house, was
killed within few rods of home. The
! Confederate loss was estimated by Gen.
Thomas at ,75O killed, $500 wounded, 702
prisOners-total, 6,252.
| Attempts have been made at intervals
since the close OF the civil war, to fight the
battle of Franklin without the help of OPP
dycke's Brigade, i shall engage in no con-
troversies. The above plain statement of
| facts is sustained by the evidence of in
Vulnerable witnesses, many of whom are
still living. Their collected testimony is
given in the history of the I'D Ill. 1t is
confirmed by official reports and contem-
porary history. Gen. George III. Thomas,
most careful and just of commanders, rec
commended Col. Opdycke for promotion in
the following words:
AT the battle of Franklin, Opdycke dis
played the very highest qualities as lead
er. 1t is not saying too much to declare
that but for his skillful dispositions (all
entirely on his own Judgment, the prompt
ness and readiness with which he brought
| his command into action at the decisive
moment, and the signal personal gallantry
displayed in a counter assault on the enc
my, when he had broken our lines disaster
instead of victory would have fallen on us
at Franklin"
Gen David S. Stanley, the Corps Com
mander, said in an address before the So
cicty of the Army Of the Cumberland in
| 1896:
81 rode quietly to the left of Col. OPP
| dycke's Brigade, 100 yards in the rear of
the main line, and called upon them to
charge. At the same time | saw Opdycke
in front of his brigade urging them for
ward. / sent him no orders, nor was it
necessary, as he was under my eye and
doing the only thing that could save the
day. The critical part of that battle was
over in less than 20 minutes from the time
Opdycke's Brigade jumped to their feet"
7, Horace Greeley says, in his History of
the American Conflict:
"Our caissons and men streamed wildly
to the bridges, surprising the day utterly
lost. Swiftly, steadily, grandly, Opdycke's
Brigade rushed through the retreating rab-
BILE on the foe; brief but bloody struggle
ensucd, and at the close no rebel remained
inside the works but the dead and wound
ed and 300 prisoners. Our guns were re-
covered; 10 rebel battlehags were taken
our line was restored and Opdyckes head
quarters established on the pike, where
they remained until the last shot was fired
that night"
BY 10 o'clock at night the fighting
ceased At IL o'clock the lines were or
dered to be quietly withdrawn. The trains
had all crossed the river and We're well on
their way TO Nashville. The sleepy, stag
gering, stumbling heroes who had scarcely
| slept or eaten for three days, plodded
along all that night and until II 80 a. m
next day, Dee. /, when they marched in
side the dcGenses of Nashville. Utterly
| exhausted, they threw themselves on the
frozen ground and slept a foodless, dream
less, welcome sleep, lasting, in most cases,
from "a to 30 hours.
History has told how Hood closed I'D
around Nashville, aggressiyeJy investing
it, creating CONSERVATION through the
North and at Washington, where few real
crippled and dishenrtened by his fatal ex-
perience ut Franklin. Thomas deliberate
ly prepared TO attack him-too deliberate
ly, it was thought. but how effectively!
Dee. II, just two weeks after its arrival
within the lines, Opdycke's Brigade, re-
freshed and, newly equipped. fell into its
allotted place and took its part in its last
conflict of arms, the battle of Nashville.
Its movements We're subordinate to those
of Gen. A. J. Smiths Sixteenth Corps, on
whose left it was stationed. At 10 a. m
its lines of battle charged the enemy S
works on the crest of ridge. under n
heavy artillery fire, and captured them. AT
4 p. IL. another charge was made. result
ing in the capture of three guns, one battle
flag and many prisoners. Dec. 16. after
skirmshing many hours, the brigade
lstormed the enemy's works near the
Franklin pike and captured them, with 2OJ
prisoners. It's losses We're eight killed IS
wounded and four missing-total. 80 men.
Hood retreated that night, and his defeat
ed, disorganized, routed army never made
another stand against the soldiers of the
Union.
Such is the record Of Opdycke's Brigade
in the campaign and battle of Franklin
and at Nashville: 1t had good help snd
much of it. 1t did not unaided put down
the rebellion. But on this occasion it rose
to the full measure Of splendid oppor-
lrcsults ON the fortunes of war.