The National tribune., 1906-10-11
COLUMBIA TO NASHVILLE.
"A Illinois Comrades Memories of the
March.

Al u
March.
Editor National Tribune: AS Mr. ].
b. Hood has been holding the attention
Of the readers of the soldiers paper for
some time, and as 1 am one of the par
ticipants in the little scrap that extend
ed from Columbia to Nashville, Tenn,
and asking the courtesy of your col
umns to say a word or two, if it is
thought worthy a space.
Now, l am going to write from my
NJ emory altogether, and If l make any
mistakes there need be no changes of
the history of the United States nor
none of the comrades need be offended
in the least as it is all in good faith and
loyalty and love for them that bore the
hardships, and they shall have all the
honors they earned which are not in
excess Of the duty performed. Well, we
were sent to Columbia, where We stayed
two days, and then moved to Duck
River, where it became little interest
ing, as there is where the rebels came
up to us and where we had some skir-
mishing with them across Duck River,
which did not prove very serious. from
the fact that they We're trying to hold
us back until they could get their
propose to let them do if it was in our
power to prevent, and we thought we
could and we did. On the 29th of
November, about II o'clock a. m, we
were ordered to fall in to march, which
We did with some little reluctance, on
account of the full rations which had
just arrived and which we had TO leave
behind. as they had been just thrown
out of the cars that morning, and there
W. mn
not lose any morale on that account,
as Mr.. ]. B. Hood thinks proper to call
Southern courage. We soon found our
b-lyes on the road to Spring Hill. We
got along without any trouble until we
came to the Female Seminary, where
our cavalry had brush with some
rebel cavalry that came in on to the
road just ahead of US, and there was a
little race for a while. 1t did not de-
tain us but little bit. Just previous
- this / saw strengthening wagon
standing in the road, and thought l
would examine it, more through curioS-
itv than otherwise, and found it to be
a rebel provision wagon that had been
hurriedly dropt, and the team and driv-
er left to make their escape. 1t will be
as well to say here that the Union army
and the rebel army were both march
ing on parallel roads and about one
mile apart and in the same direction.
and both trying t. get into Spring Hill
first. The Union troops got there first,
and held the place until we got thru.
Just before my brigade was ordered to
turn off to the right of the road and
form a line about 20 PAGES from the
road. We could hear the rebels talk
and the noise of the men making their
bivouac, which was not more than 200
yards away. We did not get into
fight at that time, for wonder, but
being after dark may account for it.
During the time we were standing at
that point the artillery and wagon trains
were passing into Spring Hill on the
road to Franklin. While standing in
line of battle an officer came riding up
in our rear and asked US to let him
thru the line, as he wanted to go out
to the pickets, which he did and did
not come back. Our videts reported
that he continued to go directly to the
rebel camp. We could not distinguish
his uniform in the darkness. If there is
any comrade who can explain it, let
him speak up, be he either blue or
gray. After staying there about two
hours we were ordered to fall into col
umn and marched about two miles
north of Spring Hill, where we We're
duty in cornfield. We stayed there
until the morning of Nov. 80, with but
one attack After the exchange of one
volley We were not disturbed until
morning, when there was more Sc
we're attack made on our wagon train,
when the rebels succeeded in Destroy
ing about 20 of our wagons and killed
the mules. After this We went into
Franklin without further hindrance.
We rested there for about one hour.
We got our dinner, looked over the
ground a little, and then were assigned
to our places about 500 yards west Of
the turnpike and not far from the To-
Gust grove, the left of the regiment
covering the northwest corner, where
we worked as hard as we could t. for
tify our front. We did this fairly we'll
with the limited supply of material at
hand. The battle opened about $3.50 in
the afternoon of Nov. 80, with Pat Gle
burne's Division formed in three lines.
/ saw him riding forward, urging his
raen on, and 1 sent him my compfi-
ments from my Enfield rifle. l can't
say whether he received them or not,
but / did not see him again. He was
found on the field near where / had
seen him. His horse was killed at the
same place. The fighting was most des-
perate from that time until the battle
was ended, which was not until about 2
o'clock a. m, Dec. /. At least, that is
about the time we We're ordered out of
the trenches crossed the Harpeth Riv-
er and started to Nashville. We halted
on the road in the vicinity of Brent
wood and got our breakfast, which was
very acceptable, as we were nearly W orn
out. After arriving at Nashville we
were distributed around the city, where
best suited for camping, until we got
ready to make another move, which we
did not do for some two or three weeks,
since we wanted to make a finish of
that crowd when we got ready to take
them in hand again. After a few days
rest, and getting things fixed to suit us,
the order came to be ready to move at
a moments notice, and then the battle
Of Nashville was on.-Fletcher Hedges,
Sergeant, Co. G, 10th ILL.,, Second Bri-
gade, Second Division, Twenty-third
Corps, 313 Meade St, Pittsburg, Pa.