The National tribune., 1901-02-21
THAT DREAD DAY AT FRANKLIN.
What 60th Ohio Comrade Has to Tell-Dis
agrees With Comrade Castle.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In reply
to the article of Capt. Henry A. Castle
published in your issue of Dec. 9, l wish
for the sake of history, 10 correct the
comrade on some of his assertions con
cerning the battle of Franklin, and will
say / was present with Co. B, 50th Ohio
We will accept the Captains statement
as substantially correct up TO the time OF
the charge to the front at Franklin. But
first we must sec the conditions on the
front line, where my observations were
taken.
The Third Brigade of the Second Di-
vision, Twenty third Corps, was stationed
at the works on the Columbia Pike, with
| right extending west. The 50th Ohio be-
ing on the left of the brigade, its left,
| Co. Il, lay up to the pike Oh the west side,
supported by regiment of men scarcely
| three weeks from home, which did give
way and left the 50th to bear the brunt
of what followed.
So, when the rebel charge was on, in
stead of coming over the works held by
the 50th Ohio, the enemy crowded in on
the pike, which had been left unforti-
| fed, overlapped our rear, and demanded
our surrender, to which my company
commander was compelled to accede.
Co. Il went into that engagement with
% men; of these 10 were prodded out of
the works as prisoners and went to Ca
haba; three were killed outright; three es-
capped TO the rear Immediately after sur
render (the writer being one of the three,
and six lay down in the trench and were
missed, got out about IL o'clock at night,
and Joined the regiment the next day.
This is only the history of one COM
pany. The same, believe, is true Of the
entire regiment. But l want this to be
an unvarnished statement Of what oc-
CURED within my own observation. So in
reply to the statement Of Capt. Castle 1
deny that the front line south Of the Car
ter house ingloriously retreated. Neither
did live rebel ever get over the works
occupied by the 50th Ohio until the regi-
ment was literally hacked to pieces from
the rear. Nor were they a new regiment
The battle of Franklin was really their
51st day on the firing line, these men hay-
ing been engaged from Perryville to Jones'
boro.
Now, with my experience on the front
line and the knowledge Of the state Of
things, l was in position to observe fur
ther operations. On going to the rear of
the Carter house l could see the rebels
in full possession of the space between
the front works and the Carter house, with
three regimental colors, showing that the
remnants of at least three rebel regiments
were in there. On going out on the street
east of the house / was gratifed to see
the gallant Opdyeke and mis- brave boys
dashing to the rescue, with the left in
front, time being too precious to counter
march to get right in front. At this point
the column was joined by about all the
soldiers in that vicinity. Charging on up
the column they struck the rebels, and
then the music was by the full band until
every rebel was either chased out, killed
or captured.
Opdycke's command filed to the right,
fronted by the rear rank, and established
their line of battle 20 steps in rear Of
main line of works. Opdycke's brave
boys never took possession Of the front
line, as stated by Capt. Castle. / know,
because / was with them. The west end
Of their line was 'in the air" just west
of the Carter house and grounds, possibly
IS yards.
l personally distributed ammunition
three times during the evening the entire
length of the line, from the Columbia pike
west, getting the ammunition just few
yards north Of the Garter house, from
wagon driven up there.
In 1895 l visited Franklin, Tenn, and
made the acquaintance of Col. Carter,
who was at home on parole and was un-
able to get away during the battle on ac-
count of sick sister-in-law. While there
paced the distance from the front line
of works to the line established by OPP
dycke's Brigade, with the result as stated.
asked the genial old Colonel about the
story Of a brother Of his being killed on
his doorstep. His reply was that it was
romance; that he had no brother killed
there at all; but every other live thing on
the place was killed except one cat.
Nothing can ever dim the laurels of the
brave boys of the gallant Opdycke's Bri-
gade. Brave men were they. Let us give
credit where credit is due.---J. FREDRICK,
Co. 3, 50th Ohio, Dawson, o.
s'The Old Shanty.'' A correspon-