Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-24
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TALE BY HOSKlNs BROADER
Confederate Veteran Gives Interesting
"reminiscences Of Civil War
Wonders at Escape.

interesting "reminiscences of the civ
Il war from the point of view of the
confederate veteran were told in Chi
ago the other day by T. T. Hoskins,
1913 Michigan avenue, who enlisted
IN the army Of the south when he
was only fourteen years Of age. He
served in what is known as Hoskins'
brigade, commanded by his brother,
Capt James A. Hoskins. Stories OF
hardship related by Mr.. Hoskins ri,
val the stirring conditions under
which the army of the revolutionary
war labored in its battle for indie
pendence.
Its wonder to me-" Mr.. Hoskins
explained, that there is a single one
of our soldiers alive to tell the. story
Of those days Of hardship. 1t was at
the battle of Nashville that I remem-
Der incidents that make me wonder
how am of US pulled through.
After the battle of Franklin. in
which engagement we were badly
licked and 5000 of our men killed,
Gen. Schcfeld of the Yankees re-
treated to Nashville and Gen. Hood
established US around the city For
fourteen days-from the 1st to the
l4th of December, 1864-we waited
for the attack of the union men. FL
nally early in the morning of Decem-
Ger Is, Gen. Thomas ordered the ad-
vance. The union army surrounded
US and it seems to me that the blue.
coats could have killeG US, every one.
don't understand to this day how 1t
was that single man escaped With
his life. Those Of US who did get
away suffered terrible hardship
Il have seen cold weather." Mr..
Hoskins continued, ''but I have yet to
find it as cold as it was during our
disastrous retreat Snow had fallen
and then crust had formed and prog
ress it seemed was next to impos-
sible. Mary of the boys were bare
footed. BloodstaiHs on the snow were
plain as sblazed trail, for the jagged
edges Of the thick snow crust cut like
the edges of a saw. The army was
poorly clothed and the suffering was
intense. I have been in Chicago when
the thermometer registered IA de-
grc2s below zero, yet the day did not
seem as cold by half as those during
which we fed across Tennessee.
I'VE all expected death by freezing.
The boys had lost heart and were lit
orally staring death in the face when
a series of heavy rains fell. The wa
ter, it seemed, was warm, and the
snow and ice disappeared. 1t was
our salvation. But for those rains |
think we all would have frozen to
death.
The narrator also had an interest,
ing story to tell of the manner in
which Gen. James B. Mcpherson met
his death. On this point history diff
fers slightly. Mr. Hoskins declares
that the following is the true account
Of the manner in which the union
leader vas killed:
1T was what is called the battle
befor Atlanta, July %. 1864 he be.
gan. Gen. Mcpherson was in com
mand of the army of the Tennessee
and Gen. Hood was leading US. Gen.
EIOOu anu MCEuGI5Ou ndu pS0u ClelSS-
mates at West Point.
1--WE had just begun firing on the
Yankees when a general was seen
coming galloping down the road, head.
ed right for our forces. 1t was Gen.
Mcpherson. He had fingered at the
Howard house talking with Gen. Sher
man, and hearing the firing he was
hurrying to join his men. He rode
directly into a group of our men be.
fore he saw that we were of Gen.
Hoods army.
He wheeled his horse suddenly in
a desperate effort to escape capture
A low hanging limb of a nearby scrub
oak brushed his cap from his head as
he fed. He had scarcely gone rod
however, when bullet from a cor
poral of our troops laid him low. We
regretted his death as much as the
union army did, for he was once q
southern favorite He was killed out
right
Il was a confederate soldier" smil
ed Mr. Hoskins, Il guess I'm pretty
nearly a 'Yank now. I've been here
in Chicago long enough to get &C
customed to northern ways. And
we're all under one flag together"