The National tribune., 1906-06-21
ARMY OF THE
CUMBERLAND.


fC0ntinueA from page -
human firmness. the troops were hug
| ging the soil, prone upon their bellies.
| But even here the round shot OF the
| enemy plowed through the ranks, tear
| ing one to shreds here, another there;
yonder q man riven and scattered by
bone was left to testify that there had
been a man-some blood, some CORY
strips or flesh, q few patches of sky
blue cloth! Twenty men in a single
| brigade were thus annihilated. But
scarce a man stirred from his position.
Our heroic soldiers, steadfast and true.
chung to their posts with almost un-
equaled fortitude and devotion.
| THE slaughter Of the foe was still
more frightful. Hideous gaps were rent
| in their massive columns. You could
| track the course Of a shell or round
shot in the whitening ranks. Still they
careered to the front with determine
ton only matched by our own. A line
| OF lurid flame necessarily leaped from
their terrible front, and carried destruc-
| ton before it. On the skirt of the
thicket on the right they swarmed like
| legions OF fiends. Now column shot
to the edge Of the cedars on the right.
Volumes Of canister and musketry were
poured into them. Then plunging back
into cover, they rallied and surged
| again like great pillows, vainIy striving
to reach our lines, until 1t seemed none
would be left to charge. 1t was as If
they were meeting the consuming flames
of hell. In the cause of liberty and
| right, the daring courage OF those des-
peradOes would have won immortal
| fame. The brunt Of this horrible as
sault fell upon Palmer and Wood Ha-
zen held the center Of this front and its
key, Thoms, Thompson and Bond were
sent down repeatedly by the Gen
eral to encourage those heroic soldiers
in that destroying conflict"
| Thomas came into the council late,
| and sinking upon a stool. leaned back
| against the wall and went to sleep.
Some one walked him, told him briefly
as to what was being said, and asked
his opinion.
This army must not retreat" an
swered Thomas, and went to sleep
again.
The main anxiety was as to rations
and ammunition. Wheeler's Cavalry
| had reached the Nashville road, and
burned up some miles Of wagons.
Rosecrans galloped back to examine
Overall's Creek. The inspection was
| not favorable. When he got back it
munition had beenfound to fight an
other battle.
We will fight it right here" he an
nounced. I'VE may have to live on
| parched corn, but we can stand 1t until
we have won a victory"
McCook had in the meanwhile sue
ceeded in getting his corps pretty well
reorganized, and ROsecrans issued or
ders for such changes in the line as
would put the army in shape for re-
newal Of the battle in the morning.
Hardee's Account.
The paragraphs from Gen. Hardee's
| report relating to the ending of the bat
| tie on the right are as follows:
"A portion of Cleburne's Division was
| repulsed, but, after bloody combat,
| the enemy were finally dislodged. On
our right their lines remained unbrok-
en-. With our inferior numbers no fur
| Their advance could be haZarded until
all my forces were collected. Wood,
having fallen back for ammunition, was
detained to protect the ordnance train.
The remaining brigades occupied the
cedar brakes and fields near the Nash
vile road. The command OF Cleburne
was now reformed, and about o'clock
| he essayed again to rout a fresh line of
the enemy near the Nashville turnpike.
| The enemy were again broken with
IheaVy loss. Johnson's Brigade was con-
spicuous in the conflict, in which the
brigade Of Preston Smith also shared.
| 1t was now past 3 O'Clock. In moving
| through the open fields to drive the
enemy from the last positions they held
near the railroad a fierce and deStruc-
| tive enfilading fire of artillery was pour
ed upon the right Of Cleburne's Divi-
| sion from batteries massed near the
| railroad embankments. At this critical
moment the enemy brought up a fresh
| line to oppose our wearied troops. Our
| ammunition was exhausted. Smiths
Brigade recoiled In confusion. Johnson
and Polk followed, and the division was
repulsed. 1t was rallied and reformed
| in the edge of the cedar woods, about
400 yards in rear Of the most advanced
position we had won. Brig. Gen. Polk
| in this conflict suffered very severely,
| but, while we sustained, we inflicted
great loss.
AT 4 o'clock our line was almost par
allel with the Nashville turnpike for
about two miles, stretching from the
point Of woods near the Cowan house
| toward Overall's Creek. Preston Occu-
pied the extreme right of my line. and
| the divisions Of Cleburne and McCown
| extended northwest, almost parallel
| with the railroad. Liddell's Brigade
| formed the extreme left. The enemy
occupied the ground northwest Of the
| River, toward Nashville. Here they
massed a vast strength Of artillery and
infantry. Their right had been COM
pletely turned, crushed and beaten back
| for more than three miles. Great con-
| fusion prevailed, but their strength was
| still such that we could not undertake
| to force the position without unwise
| hazard. We had lost nearly a third of
the commands engaged. II, at the mo-
| ment when the enemy were driven from
the thick woods north Of the Wilkinson