The National tribune., 1904-02-04

| right flank. and connect with the right Of
Smiths command. We took the fields
around by the .HilIsboro Pike. COUGHS
Division of the Twenty third Corps drove
the enemy from their advanced works late
i'm the afternoon of the 18th, and took up
position about half mile i'm front of
Smith. Cox's Division formed on the
right. and went into position before dusk
right under Hoods Notifications on Shy's
Hill. There strong line of earthworks
was thrown up at the edge of the corn
field near the wood-skirted hills. Our Skin
| mishers and the enemy's were within 100
Yards of each other, shielding themselves
! behind trees.
Our artillery was placed where we could
| plant every shell right i'm their emhra-
| sures. Capt. Cockerell. our Chief of Ar
tiliery, was an excellent gunner. and the
| first shell he fired from one of our steel
ltodmans cut off the head of a Confederate
giant who must have been quite seven
| feet in hight. for when we advanced in
pursuit my horse jumped through an en-
| brasure and over his headless body, which
was more than six feet in length.
On the morning of the 18th we were
confined mostly to artillery and skirmish
hl1ng. About ; O'Clock i'm the afternoon
Gcn Wood pushed the Fourth Corps for
ward supported by Steedman on the left,
to try the strength of the enemy's line.
| but were repulsed with great loss: Col.
Post, a brigade commander. being wounded.
After noon. Gen. Wilson's cavalry. sup
ported by Hendersons Brigade of Cox'~
Division. moved around further on Hoods
left flank. This movement was made cas-
Ter by reason of the absence of Forrest $
cavalry at Murfreesboro. This mistake
of Hoods in allowing such useful branch
as the cavalry had been i'm his support
to he absent on this day, contributed more
TO his easy defeat than any other single
GAUGE. 1t enabled Wilson TO dismount his
men and crowd around in the rear of Chal-
mers. who was supported by Govan's Bri-
gade.
Here. with their repeating rifles. they
kept up an incessant firing which made
Hood extremely anxious, not knowing but
one-half of our army, was in his rear In
Corps, had discovered that Bates's position
| had been weakened I'm looking after the
flank, and reported TO Thomas that an at
tack on Shy's Hill would probably meet
with success. Thomas approved of the sug-
eestion, and rode over with his staff TO
where Gems. Schofeld and Cox had made
their headquarters. From this point every
move could be seen Macarthur placed Nc
Millan's Brigade in position for assault
The artillery from all our advanced bat
teres opened with an intense fire on the
| hill, and our sklrmish lines We're pushed
to the utmost. McAfillan's double line
went up the hill as steadily as troops in
review. Occasionally a rebel gun could
be depressed enough TO make a gap i'm the
line. but it would Immediately close up
and press on i'm superb alignment. This
was about O'Clock.
Gen. Thomas, the grand old hero, had
dismounted from his horse, and stood in
the pouring rain watching the movement
closely through his feld-glass. Steadily
forward moved the lines: gradually they
4 II n.
1 time Wilson's rattling din of arms in their
rear was as continuous as hell's clamOr
now they were up to their works only for
a moment they hesitated. which was fol-
lowed by rapid exchange of fire. face-to-
face, and fierce hand-to-hand clubbing
of rifles, then the line broke.
Logan remained at Louisville. Thomas
had been standing as rigidly as statue Of
bronze, but quietly turned to SchofieId and
said: General. will you please advance
your whole line"
| The order was repeated to Cox. and the
staff officers rode at a plunging gait over
! the fields TO the different brigades. But
the orders were not given TO the troops !:
| they had been watching the movement.
too. and followed it without orders. Ii
| was one of those momentous occasions
when immediate action was justified, and
| time was too precious to await formal in
structions. From this point the whole of
Hoods army crumbled right and left. Their
backbone had been broken two weeks be
fore at Franklin. There was no fight left
in them.
No such stubborn resistance as when
| they repulsed our pounding charges at
Kenesaw and Lost Mountain. Their Off
GERS, of fine ability. who held them with
their lines with such tenacity during the
Georgia campaign, were lying cold and
stiff on the southern banks of the Harpeth.
Without the leadership they could not
stand. and pell-mell they scattered over
the Granny White Pike to the Frank
lin Pike. flying as if old what's-his-
was after them. Artillery stuck in the
mud. cartridges. guns and accouterments of
every description bestrewing the ground.
as though they never again expected to
have any need of them, but as if their only
possible between themselves and the dread
full Yankees. Oh. it was a glorious picnic
to rush them from one hill to another.
shouting all the way. Brave WalthalI
checked us occasionally with his strong
rear guard: but Wilson harassed his TANKS
until he had to fall back again. Little
heed was taken of time and approaching
darkness. One officer was so carried away
with enthusiasm that he became separat-
ed from the staff and pushed over to the
Fourth Corps, who were in pursuit. and
then on with the cavalry over the Brent
wood hills. so that he did not find his way
back to headquarters until ) O'Clock the
next morning. and there found the General
and staff stretched out in the mud, each
one having two fence rails for a bed, no
blankets. no fire. and a drenching rain TO
cool off the ardOur of the previous day.
CThe end.)
This Will Interest Many.