The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-09-07

of command or change in position
was ordered on the Confederate side.
Two hours elapsed after day
break before the order to march
came. The troops took the pike that
led toward Franklin. All along the
road we found disabled wagons that
had been set on fire so that they
might not be used by the Confeder-
ates. General Schofeld and his entire
corps had escaped capture and was
two hours ahead of us on the road to
Franklin to unite with the Federal
force there.
After the war I met General Cheat
ham and, recalling the. foregoing
facts, asked him why General Scho-
field and his corps had been permit
ted to pass his front without hind
rance. His answer was that somebody
was drunk.
Nearing Franklin, battle was i'm
minent. A short rest gave opportu-
nifty to parch small supply Of corn.
The men were hungry and fatigued
but in the highest spirits and best OF
humor.
|: About 2 o'clock in the afternoon
of November 80, General Hood sum-
moned his officers to a council of war
1T residence beside the road. There
was the usual discussion and inter-
change of ideas. The council over
ruled the plan submitted by General
Hood. About the same hour that
the council met Major-General Pat
.Claburn opened the battle on the
right of the pike, as one looks to-
wards Franklin from Columbia.
Cheatham's corps occupied both sides
of the pike. s.l.!sitM~''
At 4; o'clock the entire corps was
on the firing line and general ad-
vance ordered. The oath South Caro-
lima regiment and Second Georgia
Sharpshooters were short distance
from the pike. Colonel Ellison Capers
was in command of the Gath. was
coming down the line after having
posted a rear guard when I met Col
onel Capers. AS we stopped to talk
we watched Claburn's onward sweep
on the right. On a hill top, fair in
our front, was a battery that was en-
fading Claburn's command. In a
moment an aide came dashing up to
General Guest with a command that
the 24th South Carolina right and
Second Georgia Sharpshooters should
take the battery. The next moment
q ten-rail fence was scaled and rush
was made across hundred acre corn
field, thick with heavy corn stalks.
A second rail fence of similar height
was crossed before the rebel yell
sounded across the field. A charge of
q quarter Of a mile up the hill car
ried the soldiers through the screech-
ing, whizzing and kissing rain of shot
and shell and rifle balls from the bat
terry on the heights. -.
In the charge many fell dead, but
the rushing yelling host made the
welkin ring. The hill top is reach
ed. There is hand to hand conflict.
The roar is deafening, the scene mad
dening. There is q lull then long,
resounding yen that echoes and
reechoes over the hills. UP goes the
standard Of the 24th. UP goes the
standard of the Second Georgia
The enemy is in fight and
their guns are pouring death in their
flank. =
While this little incident was
transpiring, the battle was still rag
ing on every hand. Claburn had
fought his way to the breastworks.
Brown had proved that he had lost
none of his old time dash and de-
cisiveness Of action. Guests sword
flashed brightest where the battle
ragged fiercest. Adams and Carter,
withal, and Cranberry were in the
thickest of the fight. On and on
passed the whole bright line with
never a faltering step. From a
o'clock till past midnight the battle
of musketry and the roar Of cannon
rang out over the bloody field. Vic