The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-05-06
Gen. Forests Anger at the Spring
Hill Mistake.

BILL Mistake.
To the Editor of the Herald -
notice that in the last installInen
published of The Duck River Rifle
r men. that | omitted some facts re
lated by Mr.. Gregory of that Tuesday
night, Nov. 20. 1864. when the Con
federate officers were enjoying Capt.
Thompson hospitality near Spring
Hill.
The Federals were under the impress,
sion that Mr.. McMeen S house, about
half mile north of Capt Thompson S,
was the Confederate headquarters fol-
the night; they turned their artillery
on it, which set it on fire, and it
burned to the ground just about dark.
This was after the Duck River Rifle
men and Strahl's advance were in
position just east of the Columbia pike,
and after the skirmish there had begun.
Gen. Forrest had a soma mere boy
who was wounded that afternoon in
the calf of the leg by mimic ball, and
who had been sent to Capt. Thomp-
sons for surgical attention. But For
rest himself had pressed ON north with
his cavalry and had crossed the pike,
burning several wagons and loads of
supplies on the pike and at Thomp-
son s Station few miles further
north.
About midnight Forrest came back
to Capt Thompson to see how SER
iously his boy was wounded and how
he was getting on. AS he rode up he
seemed astounded at the drinking and
carousing going on among the higher
officers, and at once asked for Gen.
Hood. who with Governor Isham G.
Harris, had retired. On being shown
to the room by Mr.. Gregory, Forrest
told Hood that the yankees were get
ting through on the pike, Z" and sug
gested and urged in his emphatic way
that force of infantry be thrown for |
ing column on the Columbia pike.
He told of his burning the wagons and
the stampede of the teamsters and
guards some miles up the pike near
the Duck River Ridge, and of his sue
cess at Thompson S Station a few hours
previously. Gregory says that Hood
was not at all excited then, nor had
been that evening when the skirmish
was going on, and he heard him fire.
quently remark to Forrest in his calm,
way, that he'd find the ,
yankees in the morning.
After this interview with Hood, l
Forrest went out to where his wounded
boy was lying, muttering to himself !
such rush of explosives that might |
show what task it was for his 7
preacher colonel the Rev. David i
9. Kelley, to convert him into the G
christian he finally became. Il
Franklin, Wedn esday Evening.
In the battle of Franklin the Twenty .
fourth Regiment was on the left of v
Strahl's Brigade in the supporting $
inc, following the advance of r
Vaughan S Brigade, at a distance of h
lbout 200 yards, just west of the Co ii
umbia pike, and directly south of
carter S Brick House. where the Fed q
rail- breastworks were very high and q
strong. II
Wagner Federal division had built v
! hasty barricade of rails on the pike G
n front-of the main line of works, a
md with more bravery than discretion fl
leld this until the Confederates were ot
light on them; and when they retired, OF
he Federals and Confederates were so ~
that the Federal fire was
from the mass of blue and q
ray that crowded pell-mell through s,
he turnout gap in the pike, and over ii
he breastworks at the Carter house.
he Confederates captured the artillery m
at this point and turned it m
gainst it's late owners. II
1t was at this critical moment for a,
he Federals that Colonel Emerson AZ
'pdyke, of the 125th Ohio, advanced of
is reserve line from the north side of
1e Carter house, and regaining posses ov
on OF the breastwoIks. captured m
early 400 OF the Confederates who h1
ere inside and recovered possession in
the artillery whicl had been lost a M
wv minutes previously. ne
Many of Wagner s men were cap
lred by the Confederates in the rush
! the outer barricades, and twelve
embers of the consolidated Company in
which the Duck Rifiemen formed as
lrt, went with these prisoners to the hi,
ar. The four commissioned officers ma
I'd the remaining "a privates pressed p 81,
| with the rest of the command to ,nf
e Federal line, but their advance .n
as retarded by an abatis about twenty A,
rds in the front of the Notifications. 80
going over this obstruction, Lieut.. va,
ndall had four bullet holes put no,
rough his hat. 'O'
When these men got on top of this
gh Federal breastworks, Lieut..
ndall says that right in front were
ar lines of Federal infantry, stand
g with fixed bayonets glistening in I
. setting sun, and the rifle barrels hol
emed big enough to crawl in. A llc'
nfederate Captain, who was con- 1e
cuous from having on a brand-new Law
form, ran from near the pike on cal
} of the works, down to the position PAT
the Twenty fourth, and urged the Il
N to come on and get on the inside wo
Federal soldier immeditely stopped cer
jaw by bayonetting him in the +
eek; the irate Captain called to rec
ne of the men in the ditch on the lost
m, Give me gun to kill this - wol
lkee rascal. - TIndall handed him had
word with which he slashed at the tive
10 soldier, and in doing so, the II
known Captain fell among the Lar
my lml
he Federal line having by his time Ia
n restored just east at the pike and ada
house. Strahl was subjected to a the
wy enfilading fire, in which the ar a sd
60, u,r, IN ,.sx