The National tribune., 1911-02-23

once changed front and drove the pur-
suing enemy back. The fight ended as
darkness came on; but, realizing the
superiority of the force in their front.
Gen. Stanley and Gen. Wagner became
quite anxious as to support from the
remainder of the army, which had been
ordered TO follow them to Spring Hill.
Gen. Wagner therefore sent the 36th
ILL.,, under Capt. Chickering, back on
the Columbia pike to find the head of
the advancing column. The only troops
which they discovered were Gen. Whit
aker's Brigade of KimbalFs Division.
which came on into the village and
formed on Wagner's right. The 26th
Ohio, which had been sent out a mile
from Spring Hill, was attacked by the
enemy in the evening. but succeeded in
repulsing the assault, tho II fell back to
the main body, with loss of three
killed, three wounded and one missing
The Eventful 29th of November.
Every hour of Nov. 90, 1864, was big
with events. possibilities and conse-
quences. Hood had his swift-marching
kyeterans well in hand, was now in close
touch with the Union army, and in a
country where he could make tell his
superiority of numbers. The opportunity
for which he had been planning was
now in sight just as he had planned it.
Apparently his antagonist, Gen. Scho-
field, was doing exactly the Things ne
wanted him to do.
: The day had opened with Lees two
divisions of infantry and much artil-
lery occupying the high bank south Of
Duck River and keeping up a pretense
that the whole of Hoods army was at
that point, ready TO force q crossing.
In reality the other seven divisions of
the enemys infantry had, unknown to
Schofield, crossed somewhere from five
to six miles above Columbia, and were
then marching with all haste upon
Spring Hill, IL miles in Schofeld's rear,
to strike the railroad and cut off the
Union retreat.
Schofield had a strong position at CO.
lumbia, and was confident of being able
to resist front attack. Here the Duck
River makes deep bend TO the south.
with the town on the south side at the
point of the bend. The ground on the
north side was open, and sloped up to
ridge on which Schofield had his men
posted with sufficiency of artillery.
For Hood to attack him there would
have been like Burnside's attack on Lee
at Marye's flights.
Under orders from Gen. Thomas Gen
Granger had abandoned Decatur,
: Athens and Huntsville, and concentrate
ed the garrisons of those places at Stew
enson, 100 miles to the eastward. This
movement, which was intended to pre-
vent Hood from capturing those garri-
sons in detail, relieved him of all APP
prehension as to his right flank. Con-
sequentiy he was entirely at liberty to
swing his right around Schofeld to
Spring Hill At O'Clock in the even
ing of Nov. 20 all that lay between him
and this coveted position was Gen.
Stanley's small force. consisting Of three
brigades of Wagner's hard-fghting vet
eran division.
Hood had arrived with his seven di-
visions within two miles of Spring Hill
at p. N. His advance was led by the
famous division of Patrick Cleburne
who was entitled the Stonewall Jackson
of the West. Altho Browns Division
came up to aid Cleburne, the rough
treatment they received from BradIey's,
Lanes and opdycke's Brigades gave
CIeburne, and probably Hood as we'll
food for thought. The extremely spirit
ed audacity with which WaGner's men
attacked Hoods heads of columns and
their stubborn defense when the attack
was returned made Hood think that
probably Schofield had not been so bad
Iy deceived as he had imagined, and
that the Union commander had brought
the bigger part of his army up to meet
his flank movement. The fight did not
at all resemble the crushing flank at
tack ut Charlottesville or any other
Of the turning movements with which
: Hood was familiar. Therefore Hood
IODT precious HODTss Aiidl ~. from
to Z p. M, when all that was in front
of his seven divisions of infantry and
the coveted prize of Spriag Hin, with
The destruction of Schofald's army, was
Wagner's indomitable' little division OF
less than 6,5o0 men.
These troops occupied line so long
that IL was hardly more than skir-
mish line. Col Lane held the 9th
Ohio Immediately in front of the town
with the Tooth III. nearly a mile in ad.
vance and the only men between them
, company of the tooth I'll. The rest
OF the brigade was deployed as Skin
mishers on the left of the Tooth III. Col
Opdycke stretched ont his men in a
thin line to the left of Lane. and KEPT
his reserves in constant motion to de-
ceive the enemy as to his strength.
Heads of Columns Blown of.
Cleburne's heads of column were
blown off promptly, as they advanced
from cover, By the eight pieces of artil-
lery which Stanley had placed near the
town. Lanes advance force also did
some very effective enfilade firing
Cheatham reported to Hood that the
line was a little too long for him to at
= tack, and he waited for Stewart to come
up to form on his right. 1t appears
from the reports that Cheatham kept
back Bate from attacking with his divi-
sion after Hood had ordered him to do