The National tribune., 1902-05-01
BATTLE OF FRANKLIN.
A Defense of the conduc. of Gen. schofeld.

| fore me that ISSUE oI your valuable paper
containing the sad news of the death of
Gen. Stanley. | also read your editorial
record of his military career with much
| interest and, ! may add, no little surprise.
Such tribute to the memory of our dead
heroes touches within me n responsive
chord, and brings wildly to mind those
emergencies of long ago, when ones life,
the probable duration of which had an ex-
tremely short reckoning.
| was ut the battle of Franklin, Nov.
| 80, 1864, and, as the phrase has it, was
strictly in it." My place of observation
was in the Carter-House door-yard, and
on down TO our line, n few rods farther
down the pike. Thus | was from first 10
last within a few feet of the Columbia
Pike, on the CarterHousc side.
do not propose in this to enter into all
the details of this memorable battle, Of
which. so far as l know, we have no aI-
thentic history and descriptions, if | may
except. perhaps, that of Greeley; and yet
il was one of the most impOrtant-fully
ms much at stake as ut Gettysburg. of as
much consequence to both the North and
the South, more sanglinary to the enemy,
more men killed or disabled in proportion
to the number engaged than in any other
battle of the civil war. And why this
mcager mention. 1t is easily explained.
Neither Schofeld nor Stanley had asso-
ciated with the newspaper men. Those
assigned to the Army of the Cumberland
had gone with Sherman to the sea. or,
being left without rations, had gone home.
Neither was it a healthy place, and all
nOn-combatantS, supernumeraries, We're
well on the road to Nashville. You will
notice the unexpected suddenness Of the
contest, when, as you say, both our Corps
Commanders We're asleep, quietly rest
ing"
Yes, the onset was so sudden that no
man asleep 200 yards away could arouse
himself and be on hand to restore the
lines. Five minutes from the first rebel
yell the breach was made and restored.
Ny place in line and point for observation
was in close proximity to the Columbia
Pike, On the Carter-HOuse side, in the
dOOryard. and along down to our breast
work, a few yards farther. Another rea-
son why ! should speak advisedly in this
matter is that my regiment, the 10Th
Ohio, was stationed at Franklin. and had
done outpost duty from February to May,
1863. Many days we had spent ION pick
ct" over this identical ground. We helped
to build Fort Granger. The site Of this
fort was Mt point at the beginning Of
the bend in the river, which circles the
town. From it the approaches to Frank
lin We're commanded. AS our breastworlls
We're constructed from river to river
again, il will be seen that our fort was
fact the only place for viewing the field
to be found But Of this later on.
You say in your editorial that Stanley
commanded; that he Outranked, etc. This
is all strange news to me, and, without
doubt. to all those old comrades who
fought in the battle of Franklin. Up to
this time we have always thought that
John NJ. Schofield commanded; that Gen.
Stanley was along. and did his part nobly,
as he always did. He did not reach us at
that OpportuDe moment, as you are led to
believe. The line had been fully restored,
the tide of battle turned, before Gen.
Stanley reached us. j saw him riding up
the pike with horse at fun gallOp, closely
followed by his staff. When at Il point
directly in front of the CarterHOuSe door
saw him struck by a bullet. grazing his
neck 50 that the blood flowed freely.
Without dismounting, he turned and rode
back toward the town. His horse was
neither killed nor touched. We called the
act at the time, "HeroisIn uncalled for"
In this connection there was another
act OF determined bravery which, in my
entire Nation; and if medals are in order
the fag-bearer of the old Fourth Corps
should have them without stint. When
the alarm was sounded, and Opdycke'S
Brigade was moving on the doubIe-quick,
with bayonets lowered, this man ON horse
back came galloping up, holding aloft the
colOrs which we had so often most stub
bornly followed, rode among the foremost
until the breastwOrks were reached, and
continued riding back and forward until
the line was fully restored. / expected to
see him fall at any moment.
As to the date Of rank of these Gener-
ais ! think you will agree with me that
a mistake is made in yonr memorandum.
Both Stanley and Schofeld received com
missions as Brigadiers of Volunteers in
November, 1860. In November, 1862 |
Schofeld was commissioned Major Gen
eral Of Volunteers and Stanley not until
year or more later
| noticed n letter written by q comradc |
whose name ! have forgotten in which he
cenSures i'll strong terms the conduct of
Gen. Schofeld during this battle. / am
sure he knows but little whereof he
speaks. He would have Fort Granger a
place Of safety, miles away. The reader
will notice il was the only and proper
place for the General commanding. And
here LET me put in evidence that Gen. |
SchOfeld, the gallant old hero that he |
was, never for once failed TO be the right |
man in the right place. Both he and
Stanley, where other men had gone down
under military chickering's, had for fully
three years constantly risen in the favor
of superior and inferior, until they then
held a place in that galaxy of American |
Generals never to be again equalled, either |
in the Old World or the New. | saw
SchOfeld the night before at Spring Hill. |
/ was on picket with MY company at the |
upper tOll-gate, on the Columbia Pike just |
outside the borough. The enemy had en-
tirely surrounded u.s. The campfires of |
Hoods mighty host showed plainly the |
circle of woe. About midnight, when we
were bitterly thinking of the morrow, / |
was aroused by the head of column ap-
from the friendly side |
halted them, in my right. That |
was the first and only time | met Gen |
Schoheld in personal interview. What
lights are those there in the road ahead? |
The enemy were there at dark" Turning |
to a member of his staff, he directed him |
10 go back and send up the first section of |
artillery and the first company of infan- |
try. These came up more promptly than |
l can write.
'DOuble-shot your gun with grape and |
said Schofcld TO the Captain, |
"and clear the road mp there of all Cb- |
These gallant fellows were |
far more prompt to act than any fire bri |
gadc. Our courage, too, was receiving |
benefit. The horrors of rebel prison were |
At sunrise we fell in with position in |
rear of column-rearguards. AS to the |
details of what followed, the happenings |
of Nov. 30 would require volumes |
to fully write. Schoied reached Franklin |
soon after sunrise. He found the cross |
ing of the river there wholly inadequate /
to allow all our wagon transportation time |
to cross. The roads and ground on either |
b9nk were a quagmre. Time must be |
A tln a.,