Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21

| en,y soon began enliiading our lines, and
after half an hours fighting In this posi-
| ;;on and hoping in vain for Johnson
reserve. 1t was plain that we must es-
| cape by fighting back to our lines. or De
| ca ptured or killed. Especially destruct-
| i've was their crossElre in the outer dttci'
| of the redoubt where the embanlinent
| Vas too high for the men to climb. y
few surrendered but most took chances
| of escape, protected somewhat by the
smoke and darkness. The position of the
| First Alabama was III front OF the re-
doubt and TO the left. Hood had used only
| two pieces Of artillery in the battle out
about z. NJ. ana after the ConleoeiateS
had fallen back he opened heavy can
nonade on the enemy's line and followed
il with it with q charge of johnsons
division hut was repulsed with great
loss. Until midnight. and long after an
the attacks from the ConIederates ilau
ceased the enemy kept up an incessalll
fire to the front as if Confederates were
charging.
# was nearly day when the enemy's
picl5ets fred their last gun. and hasten
ed 10 join their army. then Ie!red11i n
ID the Nashville pike, beyond Big Itat-
hattie that tie ratio of killed to wound
ed Is so grt t as was In this and the
| reason is plain. 1t being night. no nag
of truce could be obtained lor lne L.
novel of the wounded. AS the enemy
swept the field in front until late h4I i
at night every wounded SOLDIER not aple
to carry himself from the field nor rsacn-
ed by a litter-bearer. was shot 10 dedth
where he fell Many of the First Ala
hama were mangled beyond recognltlon
and could be identified only by their ON
ing. Sam Chappell, OF COMPANY ~ 80 d
youth OF is, was an example, whose ooos
had been pierced By seventeen minnie
balls Viewed next morning by Gay,
light. the space between the outer ana
inner lines to the right Of the pike was
heartrending General Hood is said ~, TO
have went when he beheld 1t. The budleS
OF our dead Cor there were no Wounueu
on the field next morning. Ia, eHlc.el
TO the inner line and in the dit les 'heE
were literally banked UP TIRES or our
men deep. The immense ditch in frons
of the redoubt was nearly full OF our
dead. There we're also many lying along
the top of the breastworkS. ana some
even within the enemy 5 hnes. Nldie
the loss Of men was great that OF ollE
GERS was much greater owing 20 thell
reckless exposure Among the Killed were
Ma jor- General Cleburne and BrlGadier-
Generals Gist, Adams, Strahl, ana Gran
icr-Generaf Brown and Brigadier-Gene-
rails Custer. Mongault, Quarles. Cooke
rell, and Scott
shall not pause to refute the absurd
spoke dispara singly Of the conduct OF
his army at the battle Of Franklin Cen
eral Hood was incapable either OF false-
hood or improperly.
ADVANCE ON AND BATTLE or
NASHVILLE.
After burying our dead we took last
farewell of our loved commander, MAJOR
S L, Knox. marched about two miles up
Big Harpeth river, and encamped for the
night. Next morning we crossed the
river, swung around to our left, and
struck the Nashville tpike about four
miles above Franklin
About a. NJ, December Sd. VIC came
in view of the enemy, entrenched on
range of hills extending across the hills
borough and Franklin pixies; ana ~. apo .,e
three miles south of Nashville, The poe
sition of the ConfederateS on the lett Oh
the Franklin pike occupied by our (SteW-
arts corps was valley bounded on INC
north west, and south by d range oi
high hills, and on the east by the frank
lin pike forming rectanSle about one
and a half miles north and south, ana
three-fourths of a mile east and west
Driving back the enemy's skirmishers
we entrenched at the loot OF the mn,
about 200 yards below the position OF me
enemy and facing north. AT the western
extremity of our line we constructed d
redoubt which our regiment occupied a
few DAYS and then turned over to the
defence of barefooted men, moving back
3, Quarter of a mile into the valley. we
all knew from the activity of railroads
and steamers in Nashville that the enemy
was receiving heavy reinforcements Our
men were daily occupied IN strengthen
ing our works the weather was intense
~ cold. snow several inches deep cover
ed the frozen ground, and about one
third our men without shoes, We're gong
about with their feet wrapped with rags,
while the rest were poorly shod. Details
We're sent out every morning in the
country to impress leather, and all the
old shoe-cobblers in the army were peg
gins away. Even in this extremity the
citizens showed US no substantial SYM
pathy but looked at US aSkance when
we made known our mission and told
them we would pay fancy prices in Con-
federate money. We got no leather eN-
cept what we found concealed, and which
the owners let US have out of sheer re-
spect for our muskets. Every farm
house we visited had its hogs, goats,
sheep imprisoned under the house; While
horses, mules. and COWS We're penned up
in the chimney corner. In Tennessee. as
in Maryland,
I'VE found the patriots very shy