The National tribune., 1900-01-11
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
HOLDING EN- BACK.
Timely Servics of the sSth Ill. at a Critical
Efoment in the Franklin Battle.

| lfOLDiNN ENl DSSRs
Timely Service of the sSth Ill. at Critical
Efoment in the Franklin Battle.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / do moi
want to be considered a kicker, but ] can
not help saying a word when anyone tries
to take away from the old SSth ILL., any OF
the lallreis won in the struggle of 81 to 60;
and when ! read the article Of A. a. Jones,
Sth Tenn, in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OF
| Oct. 10 claiming for the Twenty-third Corps
the credit of retak ing the works at Franklin.
| thought must write what | saw on that
| bloody field.
The SSth H.. commanded by t.-Col.
Geo. W. Smith, covered the retreat of Stan
ley's Corps from Spring Hill on Nov. 80.
| Eive-and-a-half miles south of Franklin #
a gap we made quite formidable stand.
A little incident took place here that must
relate. saw man riding a gray horse in
the rear of our line As he passed between
him as a rebel scout who had been in the
advance of Hoods line all the way from
Spring Hill After he had passed on lit
tie way L said, Colonel, that is a reb.' y
The Colonel looked at him, but said nothing.
| The rebel rode on to where Gen. Wagner
was ordering a battery into position to
shell a column not more than half mile
down the pike. The scout called out to
those at the battery, Don't shoot; those
are our mel" / lost sight of him for few
minutes. The next l saw of him he was
lying down on his horse going down hill
into the rehel lires.
The SSti', in fact. all of Opdycke's Bri-
gade were ordered to fall back to Frank
lin, being relieved by Gen. Wagner's Bri
gade. We entered the town at 2o'c clock, p.
m. The SSH took position to the west of
the pike and 40 rods to the rear of the
main line. We got our dinner and at 4
o'clock had just fallen into line when Gen.
Stanley came galloping back and ordered
Col. Smith to move his left to the front to
support the main line.
We moved by the left flank across to the
east side of the pike, and then the order was
line of battle fronting south. The order
was "forward-dorIble-qui We had prob
ably gone 10 rods when we met the regi
ment that had occupied the main line be-
tween the pike and "cottongin." They were
in perfect stampede; they rushed through
our ranks; not only men but two caissons
with SIX horses to each, and several Gov
ernment wagons with six mules attached.
These all combined to make our regiment
halt, waver and on the point of going in
the general stampede, when Col. Smith rode
in front of the regiment, and above the din
of battle could be plainly heard, Forward,
follow me-
Every man sprang to his place, and, not
withStanding the men, horses and mules
rushing to the rear, the old SSth went for
ward on the double-quick, and when we
reached the works the rebels were jumping
over on our side. From the cottongin to
tine pike there were not 10 Union soldiers.
We went right up to the works and with the
butts of our guns beat the enemy back over
the works.
Our regiment occupied the works between
the cottOngin and the pike. If the Sth
Tenn. or any other regiment occupied that
part of the works they were in our rear. !
am willing to give due credit to any and all
comrades.
Imay be able to make statement that will
help Comrade Jones Our regiment, of
course, was a single line OF battle two men
deep. After we had been at the works 15
or % minutes, and had driven the rebels
back over the works, they suddenly made
unusual and desperate efforts to drive us
back. They struck over the head log with
axes, picks, and shovels. and threw up guns
with bayonets fixed to have them come
down on our heads, point down.
The fighting was so desperate that was
afraid our single line of battle would be
broken. looked around to see if we had
any support, and for 10 feet back of our
regiment there was solid mass Of men
kneeling down with fixed bayonets. This
may have been the brigade Comrade Jones
referred to; if it is, they never beat John
ny back from or over the works between
the pike and cottOngin. Whoever these
men were, however, they did splendid ser
vice. 1t was hard for us to load and fire
fast enough to keep Hoods men off our
works. Finally, these men in our rear be-
gan to hand up their guns to us to fire, and
we would pass ours back to them to load. |
and in this way lost gun | had carried
two years and thought great deal Of.
After the rebels fell back our regiment
deployed in the works 10 keep back the
rebel advance, while our army crossed the
river. Our Colonel was the last man TO
cross the bridge. 1t was on fire in five
places.
The next day Gen. Wood came to our
regiment at Nashville with Gen. Thomas
and rode up to Col. Smith and said:
Gen. Thomas, this is Col. Smith, who |
saved the army from defeat last night at
Franklin"
Gen Thomas said: Colonel, want to
thank you in the name Of our country for
the noble way in which you led your men
last night"
Col Smith said: General, I only did what
thought was my duty"
Gen. Thomas rejoined: II want You and
your men TO know that the country and
appreciate what you and they did at Frank
lin last night"
After saying few words of encourage
ment to the troops, Gen. Thomas rode on
around the line. If am not mistaken, |
i-"ut.-Col. Smith was promoted to Brevet
Brigadiei General for his services in this
battle. If the S8th did not do what | have
stat.d, then all the Generals in that part of
the army from Gen. Thomas down have
been very badly deceived.-A. f. SrEB-
BINS, Sergeant, Co. c, 6Sth H., Manatee,
Fla.