The National tribune., 1906-01-11
DESTRUCTION OF HOODS ARMY.
Thomas and Schofed Foil Hoods Pans-Sch0eds Mastery
Retreat-Narow Escape at Spring -The Fghfu Slaughter
at Frankin-The End Comes Before Nashville.
By LEVI T. scoFIELD, Captain, U. S. v.

While Shermans army was in Chero.
kee County, Ala, Gen. Hood remained
at respectful distance, near Florence
on the Tennessee River. But when oul
great General started with the larger
portion of his army for the Atlantic
Coast Hood believed that the way wa.
left open for him to lead his army where
he pleased, and it would be an easy mat.
ter to sweep away anything that would
oppose him in his triumphal march te
Nashville, Louisville and Cincinnati.
Two Able Generals.
He little counted on the brains and
opposing qualities of the two able Gen.
erals that were left behind to watch
his movements-Thoma and Scofield
The two branches of Sherman's army
parted at Gaylesville, Sherman accom-.
panying the larger portion to the sea.
coast and sending the Twenty-third and
Fourth Corps to Resaca and Dalton
where they took trains and were trans
ported by rail to Nashville and then to
Pulaski.
This campaign was commenced in the
beginning of November, 1864. During
the second week of November we reach
ed Pulaski. This movement was ordered
by Thomas, and was under the direct
command of Schofield. The object was
to watch, oppose and retard Hood, while
ments of troops in the rear; also, to re-
mount, equip and place his cavalry on
better footing to cope with the same
branch Of Hoods army. We were al
the same time waiting for A. ]. Smiths
Corps to arrive from the West, and this
command. together with new organiza-
tions, would swell our force to an equal
or larger number than Hoods, and en-
able us to face him, or even overcome
him.
Hood, however, was not inclined to
wait for our preparations, and was or
dered by Beauregard, who was his su-
perior in command, to push forward
from Florence, which he did on the
10th of November, expecting to flank
Schof1eld at Lawrenceburg and cut off
his retreat by rail from Pulaski. Ca
pron's, Croxton's and Hatch's Cavalry
were covering his front and on the look
out, and sent word to Schofield, who
Immediately prepared to fall back to
Columbia, as he was not occupying a
strategic point.
We left our camps and started on the
Columbia pike on the 22d, and marched
to Lynnyille. where we were joined by
Wagner's Division, Fourth Corps. On
the afternoon Of the 23d we marched to
the junction of the Mt. Pleasant and
Shelbyville roads Before daylight of
the 24th we were ordered to march to
Columbia, and arrived there just after
sunrise. We were met south of the
town by an officer OF Ruger's staff, who
informed us that GaprGll's cavalry were
pouring into the town. and the Confed-
crates we're not far behind them Gen.
Cox took In the situation at once, and
with the instinct Of an engineer, know
ing the lay of the ground. he decided
not to enter the town, but the head of
the column then coming up was double
quicked by a diagonal shortcut around
the town. and arrived on the Mt. Pleas
ant pike just in the nick OF time to meet
the tail end Of Capron's fagged-out cav
afrymen, closely pursued by Forrest IS
exultant troopers. A Captain on splen-
did black charger was in the advance,
shooting our men In the back Of their
heads with his revolver. He was dropped
from his saddle by the first infantry
man that crossed the road. The plucky
Tooth Ohio was in one short minute de-
ployed as skirmishers and advanced rap
idly TO meet them; but, as usual when
cavalry meet an infantry line, they
stopped.
Gen. Cox's Division was soon in posi-
ton, and before noon Gen. Stanley, with
the Fourth Corps, approached Column
bia by parallel road, and with the ad-
dition of Strickland's Brigade, Ruger's
Division. Twenty-third Corps, and rein