The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-03-14
STORIES o.
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HOOD LOST BIG OPPORTUNITY
Commander Accused His Officers and
Men Of cowardlee, Learned
Under Hls Predecessor.

Under HlS Predecessor.
Much has been said and written
about the retreat OF the Fourth and
Twenty-third corps from Pulaski to
Franklin, more especially the night
march from Columbia to and past
Spring Hin, November 20. 1864. 1t is
often referred to as Hoods lost oD-
portunity. In the early morning OF
that day General Cox was In line fac
Ing the river. observing the Confed-
crate pretense OF crossing. which
| could not have been done II opposed
by even heavy skirmish line. When
It became evident that only a feint
was being made, General Wood sent
Posts brigade with some cavalry to
reconnoiter up the river. writes Geo
s. Meyers Of Company f. One Hun
dred and First Ohio, OF Los Angeles,
Cal, in the National Tribune. II was
discovered that Hood was crossing
troops at Huey's Mil and moving to
the north on a converging road. which
| touched our line of retreat at Spring
Hill.
To guard against an attack OF from
that quarter Kimbalrs division, OF
which my regiment was part, was
halted at Rutherford's creek and
faced TO the east, where we remained
until late afternoon, while Wagner'G
division proceeded on to Spring HILL
where, with the assistance OF other
troops, the advanced Confederate
forces were driven back from the
main road.
At dark General Cox withdrew from
Columbus, the wagons having been
dispatched in the afternoon. Kim
balls division followed Cox, who was
in turn followed by General Wood
Thus when the Confederate troops uD,
der Cheatham and Cleburne had ar
rived In considerable force there was
an unbroken line OF blue moving along
the road, which the Confederate Off
GERS declared was too long to attack
with prospect OF success"
General Cheatham states that In
crossing at Huey's Mil the bridge was
broken several times, that the entire
night was spent In crossing. and that
the troops were utterly exhausted
thereby, and by the march over
nearly impossible road. with fankera
out in expectation OF an attack from
us; that the troops had been without
cooked rations for "a hours. He also
states that the grandiloquent speech
Hood claims he made to General Gle
burne and himself was not made in his
presence.
1t is an undisputed fact that Hood
went a mile to the Confederate rear
and went to bed which would have
been a very unusual proceeding on
the part of any army commander at
the opening OF a battle The corps
Of General Lee, the largest In Hoods
army was still at Columbia. Not
piece Of artillery had been gotten
across the river. Hood did not expect
a battle during the night neither did
he expect us to march out of the
pocket before morning.
The night following the first days
battle of Nashville was spent by US
around fire, the weather being cold,
and blankets we had none A pris-
oner or deserter, who through some
'ault was not sent to the rear, sat
through the night at our Ere. This
nan was possessed with more intenl-
sence than the average Confederate
soldier He minutely described the
burial Of the mutilated bodies in front
If our little works at Franklin the
morning after that battle, and also
old Of the hunger and exhausted con.
iition of their men at their arrival
spring Hill He declared that Meth
r officers nor men could have been
riven into fight.
On the morning of the Both, after
aving passed the night In sleep, Hood
ode to the pike to find there had
een no battle and that our army had
made a clean getaway without the
Oss Of a wagon. In his abuse OF his
eading generals he accused officers
nd men alike with cowardiee brought
bout by being allowed to fight be-
ind breastworks on the Atlanta cam
align under his predecessor, Gen. Jo-
eph E. Johnston.
With the light we now have as to
he condition Of the Confederates at
he time we passed their glowing
on that momentous night
November 20, 1864, we realize that
ur nervous feeling was not fully war;
anted. 1t would be reflection on
10 valor OF the men composing the
ourth and Twenty-thlrd corps, test.
on many a hard-fought field, to
elieve they would have allowed
to be turned back by a
emnant of Hoods army at Spring
i'll.