The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-04-24
WAR
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TALE BY HoSKINS BRIGADIER
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
cago the other day by z. T. Hoskins.
1243 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 r.
val the stirring conditions under
which the army Of the revolutionary
war labored in It's battle for inde-
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. Schofield Of the Yankees re-
treated to Nashville and Gen. Hood
established US around the city. For
fourteen days-from the 1st to the
14th OF December, 1864-we waited
for the attack Of the union men. Fl
nally early In the morning of Decem-
Der 10, Gen. Thomas ordered the ad-
Tho union And
US and 1t seems to me that the blue
coats could have killed US, every one.
| don't understand to this day how it
was that a 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 1 have yet to
find 1t as cold as 1t was during our
disastrous retreat. Snow had fallen
and then crust had formed and prog
ress 1t seemed was next to impos-
sible. Many OF the boys were bare
footed. Bloodstains on the snow were
plain as blazed trail. for the Jagged
edges of the thick snow crust cut like
the edges Of saw. The army was
poorly clothed and the suffering was
intense. have been in Chicago when
the thermometer registered IA de-
grees 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, 1t seemed, was warm, and the
snow and Ice disappeared. 1t was
our salvation. But for those rains
think we all would have frozen ia
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 was killed:
1T was what Is called the battle
befor Atlanta, July %. 1854" he be
gan. Gen. Mcpherson was In com
mand of the army Of the Tennessee
and Gen. Hood was leading us. Gen
Hood and Mcpherson had been class
mates at West Point.
I'VE had just begun firing on the
Yankees when a general was seer
coming galloplng down the road, head
| ad richt for Ollr forceR IT 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 group of our men be
fore he saw that we were of Gen
Hoods army.
HE wheeled his horse suddenly ir
a desperate effort to escape capture
A low hanging limb of nearby scrut
oak brushed his cap from his head al
he fled. He had scarcely gone rod
however, when bullet from a cor
poral of our troops laid him low. W.
regretted his death as much as thu
union army did, for he was once ;
southern favorite He was killed out
right.
II was a confederate soldier" smil
ed Mr.. Hoskins. Il guess I'm prett!
nearly 'Yank' now. I've been herr
in Chicago long enough to get &C
customed to northern ways. Ant
we're all under one flag together"