The National tribune., 1906-11-22
BATTLE OF FRANKLIN.
Just the Way II Happened, as Seen by
IN Ohio Veteran.

Editor National Tribune: l have
seen much written of the battle OF
Franklin, but never an entirely correct
account. l was an eyewitness to ii
all. was at the pike and cotton gin till
after the rebels made their second
charge. / viii tell you how l came 20
be there. All writer's do Wagner's men
an injustice. The First Division of the
Fourth Army Corps and one division
of the Twenty-third Corps was left at
Duck River to hold Hood in check and
keep him from crossing the river till
we could get our wagon trains well on
the way to Franklin. Hood left Stev-
enson's Division at Columbia to attend
to us, while he crossed his main army
about three miles above Columbia, and
marched along a road parallel with the
pike our men were falling back on
We held the rebels at Duck River till
we heard cannon firing in our rear
Then we pulled out for Spring Hill,
and got there about o'clock in the
morning, running into Hoods army ly-
ing alongside of the pike. We could
see their fires burning, and the men
standing before them, so we marched
around them thru the fields to Spring
Hill, where We found two brigades of
the Twenty-third Corps. One brigade
of that corps was still back at the riv
er. When they found they were cut
off from the rest of the army they lit
out for Clarksville on the Tennessee
River. We lay down on our arms and
slept little while, leaving Spring Hill
just at daybreak We could see the
rebs cooking their breakfast. We
marched little ways, then halted and
put out heavy skirmish line and
1ankers, then lit out for Franklin with
Forests Cavalry at our heels. l was
on the skirmish line and with great
difficulty kept from being captured, but
we got thru to Atwood Hills, about two
miles from Franklin. There we found
the other two brigades of our division
in line of battle We lay there for a
while watching the cavalry fight on our
left. We saw the rebs march around
to the right of the hills to cut us off
from Franklin, SO We bumped our
selves and lit out for Franklin. MyI
brigade was rear guard. The skirmish
line was put out again. and we -feh
of hundred yards of Wagner's men;
then We were called in. My regiment
being in the rear of the brigade, II
caught up with them just as they were
going thru the works at the cotton gin. |
We could see the rebels coming, three
lines deep, almost to Wagner's men.
We marched back to the left of the |
pike, coming to the right of Opdycke's
Brigade Our division wagon train had
come over the river to bring us ra-
tions and ammunition. My Orderly
Sergeant told me to stop at the wagons
and get a box of crackers Just as II
did this / noticed a new regiment to i
the right of the pike which began to
get uneasy and move around. ] re-
marked to some of the boys, THAT reg
iment is going to break" This regiment
left the works and came back where |
we were, and we told them to go back. |
The rebels sSvarmed into the gap made |
by the new regiment the moment they |
left their position, and struck Wagner's
two brigades on both flanks, doubling |
them up in a confused mass. TheI
enemy never fired shot till Wagner'sI
men got to about 80 yards of the
works: then they poured a volley into
them, firing right down the line. Wag-
ner's men rolled over the works, firing |
after, and landing on top of the men
in blue. Wagner, seeing nothing be-
fore his men but capture If they re-
mained where they were, began to fan
back to the Carter House, where he
hoped to straighten his lines. The whole
line gave way for some distance on
both sides of the pike. Just as Op-l
dyckes Brigade got in line Gen. Stanley
came dashing up from across the river
and ordered it forward. He then rode
over to the new regiment and rallied
them, leading them himself back to the
works. BY this time Wagner got his
men Strengthened out, and they all ad-
vanced together and drove the rebs out
Of the works. This new regiment Fought
like demons when they got at it. Wag-l
ner's men never went back to the riv-l
but the wounded. I shoul-