The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864
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Htbrarg Hntorattg of fttlfiburgli T>arlington Aiemorial Library (!Ila00 BATTLE OF FRANKLIN THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN TENNESSEE NOVEMBER 30, 1864 ^ Jlonograpl) By JACOB D.'^COX Late Major-General Commanding Twenty-third Army Corps WITH MAPS NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1897 Copyright, 1897, By CUAKLES SCRIBNEU'S SONS. ^anibersttg Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A. COKTEI^TS CHAPTER I Introductory Results of the Atlanta Campaign — Hood's Movement on Sherman's Communications — Jefferson Davis's Relations to it —Beauregard's — Hood's March across Alabama — Delay at Tuscumbia— Sher- — man's Decision to March to the Sea — Thomas left iu Tennessee Schofield joins him — Strength of contending Forces — Problem of Concentration — Schofield at lulaski — Hood's Advance — Scho- — Offer of Battle — Confederate Disaster field's Retreat to Franklin — — Tactical Problems — Comparisons — Erroneous Accounts Official Records of the War — Schofield as Commander. CHAPTER n From Columbia to Franklin 21 be held The Line of Duck River — Thomas urgent that Hood should back — Positions of the Armies — Hood begins the Flank Movement Telegraphic Correspondence — How not to do it — Division of Confederate Forces —Schofield's Cavalry lose Communication with him — Combat at Spring Hill — Midnight March to Franklin. CHAPTER HI Taking Position at Franklin 37 back Arrival at Franklin —No Bridge or Pontoons — Hood to be held — Schofield's Oral Directions — His Correspondence with Thomas you hold — Delay in Arrival of Reinforcements at Nashville — Can The Posi- Hood back three Days ? — Orders to continue Retreat — and the River tion at Franklin — The Carter House — The Town Repairing Bridges — The Field in Front —The Defensive Line- Ruger's — Twenty-third Corps Positions — Reilly's Division — across Division — The Works on Carter Hill — Retrenchment Turnpike — Kimball's Division. vi Contents CHAPTER IV PAGE The Rear Guard — Wagner's Division ..... 64 Guardiug the Trains — Collectiug tlie Stragglers — Halt on Winstead Hill — Coudiiional Orders — iSkiriuisliiiig with Forrest — Hood's Infantry press close — 'W' ill he turn the I'ositiou or attack ? — ^Vaguer withdraws Lane's Brigade to Pj-ivet Knob — Conrad's far- ther in Kear — Updyckc 's within our Works — Wagner's Message toStanle}' — His Colloquy with Opdycke — His Orders to Lane and Conrad to Eight — The Sergeants to fix Bayonets — Ruger's Prep- arations — Confederates forming for the Attack. CHAPTER V The Confederate Array 83 Hood at Spring Hill — Discovers Schofield's Escape — Cavalry in Pursuit — Infajitry hastening after — He decides to Assault — His Cavalry Positions — The Infantry — Deployment and Formation — Stewart's Corps on Hood's Right — Cheatham's in Centre and Left — Part of Lee's in Reserve — Artillery in Intervals — Chalmers's Cavalry on extreme Left — Hood's Headquarters. CHAPTER Yl The Assat'lt on "Wagner's Outpost 91 View from the Knoll on our Left — Skirmishing in Front — The Out- post trying to intrench — Confederate Advance — Colonel Capers's Description — Artillery opens on hoth Sides — Surgeon Hill's View from Fort Granger — Orders sent along our Line — To Opdycke in Reserve — Retreat of the Outpost — My Ride to the Centre — Momentary Break there — Reilly's Rally — Opdycke's Rush for- Avard — Strickland's Rally — Meeting Stanley — The Din of Battle — Stanley wounded. CHAPTER VH The First Fight at the Centre 102 Hood's Advance retarded by the Outpost — His Right Wing farthest forward — My Staff at the Carter House — Wagner also there — Contents vii Messages from the Outpost — Wagner's Replies — Marshall's Guus come in — Disorgauized Retreat of the Outpost — Wagner's Efforts to rally — Swept along to the Town — Cannon in the Enemy's Hauds — But soon retaken — Fight over the Batteries — Reilly's Second Line charges — Fight at the Cotton-Giu — Destruction of Confederates — Heroism of their Officers — Reilly's Report — Opdycke's Formation for the Charge— Position of his Regiments — Of Strickland's— Focus of the Fight— Two Lines on Carter Hill— Turn of the Tide. CHAPTER VIII PAGE The Fight of Our Left Wing ........ 121 Advance of Stewart's Corps — The narrowing Field — Thorny Hedges — Changes in the Array — Walthall's Report — Loring's Division strikes Stiles — Fighting in the l^ailway Cut — Batteries at Close Range — Loriug Repulsed — The Attack on Casement — General Adams's Death — Our Line successfully held. CHAPTER IX The Fight of Our Right Wing 130 Cheatham's Corps — Convergent Attack of Cleburne and Brown — Line of Lane's Retreat — Moore's Brigade Front unmasked — Our Artillery Cross-fire — Advance of Bate's Division — Battery at the Bostick Place — Close Quarters at jMoore's Centre — Help from Kimball — Chalmers's Cavalry attack Kimball — Infantry attack Repulsed. his Left — Cavalry his Centre and Right — Confederates CHAPTER X The Situacion at Sunset 1^1 Strickland's Determined Fighting at the Centre — Examination of Second Line Line - Enemv holding outside of his Works — The Orders to the — Relative Position of Opdycke and Strickland — Visit to extreme latter — Visit to Ruger — Wagner reorganizing — Left — Reinforcements for the Centre. viii Contents CHAPTER XI FAOE From the Confederate Standpoint 148 Multiplication of Lines of Attack — How caused — Walthall's Descrip- tion of the Assault — In the Abattis — Repulsed in Confusion — The Ditch at tlie Cotton-gin — Brown's Attack on Kiglit Centre — Bate overlaps him — Johnson's Attack after Dark — Hood's Description — S. D. Lee's — Colonel Capers's — Capture of Gordon — His Account of the Charge — Cleburne falls. CHAPTER Xn The Battle after Dark 160 In the Locust Grove — The Two Lines — The 1 12th Illinois — Reilly's Detachment — Sweejjing the Ditches — Captain Cunningham's Story — The Sergeant Major's — General Strahl's Death — Hood's Reserves — Rallying on them — Later Alarms — Orders to Wood's Division — Preparations for Withdrawal. CHAPTER XIII Wilson's Cavalry Engagement 172 Morning Positions — Covering both Flanks of the Army — Forrest's Advance — The Fords of the Harpeth — Confederates cross at Hughes's Ford — Wilson attacks — Sharp Combat — Enemy re- treat across the River — Covering the March to Nashville. CHAPTER XIV Our Withdrawal ISO The Medical Department — Field Hospitals — Ambulance Train — Sick and Wounded sent to Nasliville — Work of Surgical Corps during the Battle — Artillery gradually withdrawn — Arrangement of Skirmish Lines — Movement of the Infantry — Orders as to Kim- ball's and Wagner's March — Misunderstanding — Marcli of Ruger, Opdycke, and Reilly — A burning Building — The Field in Front — The March to Nashville. Contents ix CHAPTER XV PAGE Franklin after the Battle ]l!j1 Miduight Hood's Order — Condition of his Army — Discussion of Probabilities — Confederates move by the Flank — Experiences of the Carter Family — Colonel Carter's Story — Defensive Armor — Refuge in the Cellar — The terrible Night — Captain Carter's Fate — Private Gist's Adventures — General Cooper's Retreat. CHAPTER XVI Results and Lessons 207 Sources of Statistical Knowledge — Hood's Forces before the Battle Schofield's — Numbers actually engaged — Hood's Casualties — Loss of Officers — Schofield's Losses — Analysis of them — The Problem of Attack and Defence - Fire Discipline. CHAPTER XVII Discussion of Wagner's Conduct 220 Natural Rise of Controversies — Corps Feeling — Good Comradeship — Wagner's Personal Situation — Disposition to befriend him — Criticisms by his Subordinates — Efforts to allay the Irritation — Correspondence — Preliminary Reports — Conrad's Report — Wagner retired from the Division — Leaves the Army. CHAPTER XVIII Double Breastworks on Carter Hili 233 The Two Lines at our Right Centre — Conflicting Memory of Eye- witnesses — Confederate Testimony — Solution of the Matter — Bullet Marks on Brick Smoke-house — Summary of the Evidence. CHAPTER XIX The Rallying of the Outpost Brigades .... 243 Value of Detailed Reports — Landmarks — Lines of Retreat from the Outpost— Crowding toward the Centre — Significant Omissions — Lists of Missing — What they Teach — Reports Compared — Inci- dents relating to Captured Flags — Statements of various Officers — Conclusions from the Facts. X Contents CHAPTER XX PAGE An Unexpected Contkoveksy „ 258 Colonel Stone's Taper in Centuiy War Rook — General Stanley's Criticism — A Violent Attack — Earlier Correspondence — Nine Points — Two Corrections — Basis of a Historical Narrative. CHAPTER XXI Controverted Points 266 Work assigned the Twenty-third Corps — Detachment of Fourth Corps Batteries — Orders to Kuger and Kimball — Detachments often Necessary — Articles of War and Kegulations — Questions of Command — Stanley on North Side of liiver — His Kide to the Front — Soon Wounded — He Retires — Statements of (,)ilicers — At the Field Hospital — At Schofield's Headquarters — Summary — Official Reports — Analysis of Stanley's — Contemporaneous Records — Conclusion. APPENDICES A. General Schofield's Report 305 B. General Cox's Report 311 C. General Wood's Report 323 D. General Stanley's Report 327 E. Colonel Dow's Statement 332 F. Colonel Cox's Statements ... = .... 336 INDEX 341 BOOKS OF FREQUENT REFERENCE Their Full Titles Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I. Referred to by the initials O. R., with the numbers of the original volumes in parts. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. 4 vols. The Cenlnry Co. 1884-88. Referred to as Century War Book. Sketches of War History. Papers published by the Ohio Coin- mandery of the Loyal Legion. Referred to as Ohio L. L. Papers. History of the Army of the Cumberland. By Thomas B. Van Home, Chaplain U. S. A. 2 vols. 8vo, and Atlas. Cincin- nati : Robert Clarke & Co. 1875. Referred to as Van Home's Army of the Cumberland. The Life of Major General George H. Thomas. By Thomas B. Van Home, U. S. A. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons. 1882. Referred to as Van Home's Life of Thomas. Narrative of Military Operations directed, during the late War between the States, by Joseph E. Johnston, General C. S. A. New York : Appleton & Co. 1874. Referred to as Johnston's Narrative. Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government.