Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-01-24

eral Cleburne was abreast of that charging line
He fell just at the left of my brigade. AS the Con-
federates rushed on the Federal line of battle
gray figure a chestnut horse rode diagOnally
across the front of the charging column. The
horse went down within so yards of the breast
works The rider arose, waved his sword, and
led his men foot to the ramparts; then his
brave form staggered and fell against the Federal
line, pierced with mimic balls. His corps was
swept back under a terrific fire of musketry, near
ly one-half either killed or wounded This
Gen. Pat Cleburne. LApplause.l
A few yards on the Confederate right Gen.
George w Gordon of Tennessee, who was also
abreast of the charging line, fell just under the
fresh earth of the breastwOrks. He was wounded
and captured, as he refused to fall back. Near
this spot Gen. John Adams also fell. He stood
upon the parapet and was fatally shot, his horse
falling across the breastwOrks. General Carter
fell MORALLY wounded before reaching the Federal
battle line General Stahl reached the ditch he
stood the bodies Of the dead and gave com
mands and rallied his Just in front of my
line, facing the locust thicket General Cockre
of Missouri was wounded, but not fatally. Not
hundred yards away lay General Granbury dead
He died leading the brave Texans to the works.
minute more and General Stahl fell, mortality
wounded. General Walthall of Mississippi after
ward United States senator, had two horses shot
under him. Twelve Confederate generals were
either dead or wounded. Colonels were command
More generals were killed in that eight hours
struggle in front of that little Tennessee town than
were killed in the two days fight at Chickamauga
or the three days fight at Gettysburg where three
times many soldiers were in battle And let me
emphasize this with the statement that more brig
adler and major generals were killed at Franklin
in that eight hours fight than in the whole world
Of four years and over where nearly 1sOOO.-
600 soldiers were in the hell of battle. [ApplauseI
1 was colonel, commanding the One Hundred
and Eleventh Ohio, just to the right of the old
cotton gin, and just in front of a grove OF black
loeusts Early in the fight Colonel Lowrey of the
One Hundred and Seventh Illinois, and Col Leroy
Clark of the One Hundred and Eighty-1hird Ohio,
were killed. which left me the ranking officer of
the battle line Of the brigade which commanded
to the end Of the struggle, My regiment suffered,
both in officers and men, the largest casualty list
OF any regiment in the Union army. [Applause1
had only eight officers alive and not wounded in
ten companies.
During my four years service was compelled
to witness the agonlzing aftermath Of over 40
batteheds. / saw the brave and intrepid General
Harker go undaunted to his death In the charge
on Kenesaw mountain. General Harker was the
idol of his soldiers. I that splendid Ohio sol
der. General Mcpherson the handsomest mounted
general in our army brought on a stretcher to the
left OF my command at the Howard house in the
Battle Of Atlanta, just as his great soul had de
parted 70 the unknown world.
General Sherman was the commander in chief
of the Union army in the memorable Atlanta cam
paign ] commanded the brigade skirmishers the
day of the Atlanta battle Of July % 1864, and