Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1914-02-07

that was fought between General
Thomas and General Hoods arm y
les near Nashville, Tenn, on
the 18th and 10th days of De.
cember 1864, given by an eye y
witness, a comrade of the 51st =
Indiana Veteran Volunteers, who -
was a participant in this me.
mortal battle from its beginning
to finish. He now refers to
1t at this late day, fearing that y
history has omitted to give honor =
to whom honor is due.
Perhaps all who may remember the
Incidents leading up to this battle
Will see plainly that it was the turn
ing point to our nation s last no
table achievements. The deciding
issues between, then, the North and
the South depended largely upon the
result of this battle Though let me
hero state that the writer of this
or perpetuate any war spirit as then
existed between those two great ar
mics, but merely to show the de-
tarmined interest each side was TAX
ing to be master of the situation;
Tor many who were then living will
remember that these two armies had
been facing each others guns OIL
scores OF hard contested battle fields,
and now, being thoroughly drilled and
hardened to all the hardships of war,
this last contest was probably to be
the deciding vic, DRY for one side or
the other of these two contending
forces. Notwithstanding the great pre-
parations the two armies We're max
ing for this last struggle, their grim
faces and clothing We're yet stained
with battle smoke they incurred 4
the battle of Franklin ten days be-
fore this event took place, Where
General Hoods armies met with
loss of seven thousand men. He be-
ing on the aggressive side, led his
army of sixty thousand men against
our light breast-works, which We had
hurriedly thrown up; we being ON
the defensive, met the gallant charge,
which was composed of eight ranks
solid mass. Charging right up to the
of our gdns and yet not able to
dlslOdge us after seven desperate
charges, he fell back out of range
of our guns. Night now being upon us
We hurrIldly gathered oar wounded
men together and carried them acr1Ss
the river, placed them in our army
and fell back to Nash
willie during the night. We had hard
ly reached the city, yet without rest
or anything to stay our great hunger,
when our ears We're again created
by the sound of General Hoods ad- |
vance guard throwing shot and shell |
into our ranks. Had it not been for |
our light garrison force at this place, |
with few field guns from Fort Meggly
and the aid OF one or two gunboats |
On the Tennessee river, he would |
have given us a hard show of saving
the city, as his army numbered al
tNNn tn h1tt
Tor two or three days we lost no
time in fortifying our position. The
second night after reaching Nash
vile We We're engaged all nigh le-
moving a stone fence that stood be-
tween us and Hood s men. We carried
stone after stone up long incline
Ind CO )lVert n ! tdem o brta as work.
After We had the wall constructed,
which was composed of stone and
1lrt, we cut down trees standing
along the lime of our breast-work, and
placed the huge trunks upon the wall.
During the few days that now in
5ervened between the two battles,
ieneral Hood s men were busy throw
ng up strong entrenchment in front
If us. This gave us a breathing
spell for a little while. Nothing
more occurred of interest except that
now and then shell would break in
our midst from Hoods reckless guu-
hers. This, with hearing the report
hat the Army paymaster had reach
I'd US and was going to give US cur
ong looked for pay. Also our mail
Vas to be distributed, which gave
myself aid comrades greater joy than
u. things else; and this brings to
ny mind the remarks of an Irish
Jlnrade we had in our company, who
a. enlisted from my neighborhood,
And what did they say about poor
I'D Mtke?" The boys would often
,heer the old comrade, even If they
lad to use imaginary words. | re-
member often when the boys would
get their letters they woud break
'pen the seal and read aloud the
Some would be from par