guns of the fort down the river bank and around to the rear of the enemy's pits, clearing them of their occupants, and capturing one hundred and twenty prisoners belonging to Cheatham's division, besides killing and wounding a number. The same day the Fourteenth United States colored troops, Colonel Morgan commanding, carried one of the enemy's batteries up the river, after driving off the sup. ports; the guns were spiked and the command returned to Decatur. Our loss was three officers killed and several officers and men wounded. him back, and his cavalry in heavy force pressed Croxton across Shoal creek to its east bank. Orders were immediately sent to General Stanley to concentrate the Fourth corps at Pulaski and await further instructions. In the mean time Forrest was moving eastward from Corinth, Mississippi, and from Paris, Tennessee, making his appearance on the twenty-eighth at Fort Heiman, an earthwork on the west bank of the Tennessee, about seventy-five miles from Paducah, where he captured gunboat No. 55 and two transports on the thirty-first, having previously burned the steamer Empress. His General Granger estimated the force opposing force was composed of seventeen regiments of him at one corps, and his scouts informed him cavalry and nine pieces of artillery. On the there was also a corps at Warrenton, Alabama, second he had succeeded in planting batteries with Russell's brigade of cavalry at Guntersville, above and below Johnsonville (one of our bases on the river; Roddy's division of cavalry was of supplies on the Tennessee river, and the picketing the south side of the Tennesse from western terminus of the North-western railroad), Decatur to Tuscumbia, and Forrest, with the completely blockading the river and isolating main cavalry force, was reported at Corinth, at that place three gunboats, eight transports, Mississippi, with outposts at Eastport and and about a dozen barges. The garrison was along the west bank of the Tennessee. On the composed of about one thousand men of the twenty-ninth General Granger reported the ene- Forty-third Wisconsin, Twelfth United States my in his front to be withdrawing from Decatur colored troops, and a detachment of the Eleventh toward Courtland. The same day General Tennessee cavalry, all under command of ColCroxton, commanding a brigade of cavalry onel C. R. Thompson, Twelfth United States colpicketing the north bank of the river, reported ored troops. The naval forces under command the enemy crossing at the mouth of Cypress of Lieutenant E. M. King attacked the enemy's creek, two miles below Florence, stating at the batteries below Johnsonville, but were repulsed same time that he would move with all the after a severe contest, but not before they reforce he could spare to drive the enemy back. captured from the enemy one of the transports Directions were sent to General Hatch, com- above mentioned, having on board two twentymanding a division of cavalry at Clifton, on the pounder Parrott guns and a considerable quaneast bank of the Tennessee, to move to the sup-tity of quartermasters' stores, and forcing the port of Croxton at Florence, impressing upon enemy to destroy the gunboat No. 55, captured both commanders the necessity of keeping the on the thirty-first. enemy from crossing to the north side of the river, until the Fourth corps, already on its way from General Sherman in Georgia, could arrive and get into a position to meet him. Hood's plans had now become evident, and from information gained through prisoners, deserters, and other sources, his intention was to cross into Middle Tennessee. To enable him to supply his army he had been repairing the Mobile and Ohio railroad for some time previous, and trains were now running as far north as Corinth, and thence east to Cherokee station, bringing his supplies by that route from Selma and Montgomery. On the fourth the enemy opened on the gunboats, transports, and on the town, from batteries posted on the opposite bank of the river, to which the artillery of the garrison and the gunboats gave a brisk response. The latter becoming disabled, and as great fears were entertained of their being seized by the enemy, it was resolved to fire them, as also the transports, to prevent their falling into his hands. În carrying this into operation the flames spread to the buildings of the commissary and quartermas ter's departments, and also to a large amount of stores on the levee, soon converting the whole into a mass of ruins. The loss to the government, as far as estimated, is set down at one and a half million dollars, of which about three hundred thousand dollars belongs to the subsist The advance division (Wood's, of the Fourth corps), reached Athens on the thirty-first, the other two divisions of the corps following along rapidly. The Twenty-third corps, Major-Gene-ence department, and the remainder to the quarral J. M. Schofield commanding, having been ordered by Major-General Sherman to take post at Resaca and report to me for orders, was immediately ordered by me to Pulaski (as soon as I learned Hood had appeared in force on the south side of the Tennessee), and was also on its way, moving in rear of the Fourth corps. termaster's department. I believe there was no cause to apprehend that the enemy could effect a crossing at Johnsonville, and the destruction of public property was consequently unnecessary. On the morning of the fifth the enemy again opened fire on the garrison, and after a furious The enemy effected a lodgement for his infan-cannonade of more than an hour's duration, try on the north side of the Tennessee, about withdrew from his position across the river three miles above Florence, on the thirty-first, and disappeared. He crossed the Tennessee notwithstanding Croxton's endeavors to drive labove Johnsonville by means of two large flat DOCUMENTS. boats constructed by his men, and two small boats belonging to one of the gunboats, and then moved off in the direction of Clifton. Major-General Schofield, with the advance of the Twenty-third corps, arrived in Nashville on the fifth, and was immediately started toward Johnsonville by rail, reaching that place the same night, and finding the enemy had already reDirections were then sent General treated. Schofield to leave a sufficiently strong force for the defence of that post, and with the balance of his command proceed to carry out the instructions already given him, namely, to join the Fourth corps at Pulaski, and assume command of all the troops in the vicinity, watch the movements of Hood, and retard his advance into Tennessee as much as possible, without risking a general engagement, until Major-General A. J. Smith's command could arrive from Missouri, and Major-General J. H. Wilson could have time to remount the cavalry regiments dismounted to furnish horses for Kilpatrick's division, which was to accompany General Sherman in his march through Georgia. At this time I found myself confronted by the army which, under General J. E. Johnston, had so skilfully resisted the advance of the whole active army of the Military Division of the Mississippi from Dalton to the Chattahoochee, reinforced by a well-equipped and enthusiastic cavalry command of over twelve thousand men, led by one of the boldest and most successful cavalry commanders in the rebel army. My information from all sources confirmed My plans and wishes were fully explained to him. of cavalry; the other two corps (Stuart's and General Sherman's uncertain position at Kings- The enemy's position at Florence remained when he moved Cheatham's corps to the north unchanged up to the seventeenth November, side of the river, with Stuart's corps preparing infantry, said to be Lee's corps, moved up the to follow. The same day part of the enemy's Lawrenceburg road to Bough's Mill on Shoal creek, skirmishing at that point with Hatcher's cavalry, and then fell back a short distance to some bluffs, where it went into camp. The possibility of Hood's forces following General Sherman was now at an end, and I quietly took measures to act on the defensive. Two divisions of infantry, under Major-General A. J. Smith, were reported on their way to join me from Missouri, which, with several one-year regiments then arriving in the department, and detatchments collected from points of minor importance, would swell my command, when concentrated, to an army nearly as large as that of the enemy. Had the enemy delayed his advance a week or ten days longer, I would have been ready to meet him at some point south of Duck river, but Hood commenced his advance on the nineteenth, moving on parallel roads from Florence toward Waynesboro, and shelled Hatch's cavalry out of Lawrenceburg on to retire slowly toward my reinforcements, dethe twenty-second. My only resource then was laying the enemy's progress as much as possible, to gain time for reinforcements to arrive and concentrate. General Schofield commenced removing the From the first to the tenth of November the public property from Pulaski preparatory to fallenemy's position at Florence had remained mate-ing back toward Columbus. Two divisions of rially unchanged. He had laid a pontoon bridge | Stanley's corps had already reached Lynnville, by mooring it to the piers of the old railroad a point fifteen miles north of Pulaski, to cover bridge at that place, and had crossed over one the passage of the wagons and protect the railcorps of infantry (S. D. Lee's) and two divisions road. Capron's brigade of cavalry was at Mount Pleasant, covering the approach to Columbia alry having been interrupted and the line of refrom that direction; and in addition to the reg-treat toward Franklin being threatened, Geneular garrison, there was at Columbia a brigade ral Schofield made preparations to withdraw to of Ruger's division, Twenty-third Army Corps. Franklin. General Stanley, with one division I directed the two remaining brigades of of infantry, was sent to Spring Hill, about fifRuger's division, then at Johnsonville, also to teen miles north of Columbia, to cover the move, one by railroad around through Nashville trains and hold the road open for the passage to Columbia, the other by road via Waverly to of the main force, and dispositions were made Centerville, and occupy the crossings of Duck preparatory to a withdrawal, to meet any attack river near Columbia, Williamsport, Gordon's coming from the direction of Huey's Mills. Ferry, and Centerville. General Stanley reached Spring Hill just in time to drive off the enemy's cavalry and save the trains; but later he was attacked by the enemy's infantry and cavalry combined, who engaged him heavily, and nearly succeeded in dislodging him from the position, the engage ment lasting until dark. Although not attacked from the direction of Huey's Mills, General Schofield was busily occupied all day at Colum Since the departure of General Sherman about seven thousand men belonging to his column had collected at Chattanooga, comprising convalescents returning to their commands, and men returning from furlough. These men had been organized into brigades, to be made available at such points as they might be needed. My command had also been reinforced by twenty new one-year regiments, most of which, how-bia, resisting the enemy's attempts to cross ever, were absorbed in replacing old regiments whose terms of service had expired. On the twenty-third, in accordance with directions previously given him, General Granger commenced withdrawing the garrisons from Athens, Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama, and moved off toward Stevenson, sending five new regiments of that force to Murfreesboro, and retaining at Stevenson the original troops of his command. This movement was rapidly made by rail, and without opposition on the part of the enemy. That same night General Schofield evacuated Pulaski and moved toward Columbia, reporting himself in position at that place on the twenty-fourth. The commanding officer at Johnsonville was directed to evacuate that post after removing all public property, and retire to Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland, and thence to Clarkesville. During the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth the enemy skirmished with General Schofield's troops at Columbia, but showed nothing but dismounted cavalry until the morning of the twenty-sixth, when his infantry came up, and pressed our line strongly during that day and the twenty-seventh, but without assaulting. As the enemy's movements showed an undoubted intention to cross above or below the town, General Schofield withdrew to the north bank of the Duck river during the night of the twenty-seventh and took up a new position, where the command remained during the twenty-eighth undisturbed. Two divisions of the Twenty-third corps were placed in line in front of the town, holding all the crossings in its vicinity, while Stanley's corps, posted in reserve on the Franklin pike, was held in readiness to repel any vigorous attempt the enemy should make to force a crossing; the cavalry under command of Brevet Major General Wilson, held the crossings above those guarded by the infantry. About two A. M. on the twentyninth the enemy succeeded in pressing back General Wilson's cavalry, and effected a crossing on the Lewisburg pike; at a later hour part of his infantry crossed at Huey's Mills, six miles above Columbia. Communication with the cav Duck river, which he successfully accomplished, repulsing the enemy many times with heavy loss. Giving directions for the withdrawal of the troops as soon as covered by the darkness, at a late hour in the afternoon General Schofield, with Ruger's division, started to the relief of General Stanley, at Spring Hill, and when near that place came upon the enemy's cavalry, but they were easily driven off. At Spring Hill the enemy was found bivouacking within eight hundred yards of the road. Posting a brigade to hold the pike at this point, General Schofield, with Ruger's division, pushed on to Thompson's station, three miles beyond, where he found the enemy's camp fires still burning, a cavalry force having occupied the place at dark, but had disappeared on the arrival of our troops. General Ruger then quietly took possession of the crossroads. The withdrawal of the main force from in front of Columbia, was safely effected after dark on the twenty-ninth; Spring Hill was passed without molestation, about midnight, and, making a night march of twenty-five miles, the whole command got into position at Franklin at an early hour on the morning of the thirtieth, the cavalry moving on the Lewisburg pike, on the right or east of the infantry. At Franklin, General Schofield formed line of battle on the southern edge of the town, to await the coming of the enemy, and in the meanwhile hastened the crossing of the trains to the north side of Harpeth river. On the evacuation of Columbia, orders were sent to Major-General Milroy, at Tullahoma, to abandon that post and retire to Murfreesboro, joining forces with General Rousseau at the latter place. General Milroy was instructed, however, to maintain the garrison in the blockhouse at Elk river bridge. Nashville was placed in a state of defence, and the fortifications manned by the garrison, reinforced by a volunteer force which had been previously organized into a division under Brevet Brigadier-General J. L. Donaldson, from the employes of the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments. This DOCUMENTS. latter force, aided by railroad employes, the enemy's advance, and gave General Schofield Not willing to risk a renewal of the battle on General Steedman's troops reached Nashville about dark on the evening of the first of December, taking up a position about a mile in advance of the left centre of the main line, and on the left of the Nolensville pike. This position being regarded as too much exposed, was changed on the third, when, the cavalry having been directed to take post on the north side of the river at Edgefield, General Steedman occnpied the space on the left of the line vacated by its withdrawal. The enemy followed closely after General Schofield's rear guard in the retreat to Franklin, and upon coming up with the main force formed rapidly, and advanced to assault our works, repeating attack after attack during the entire afternoon, and as late as ten P. M. his efforts to break our lines were continued. General Schofield's position was excellently chosen, with both flanks resting on the river, and his men firmly held their ground against an overwhelming enemy, who was repulsed in every assault along the whole line. Our loss, as given by General Schofield, in his report, transmitted During the afternoon of the second, the eneherewith (and to which I respectfully refer), is one hundred and eighty-nine killed, one thousand and thirty-three wounded, and one thou-my's cavalry in small parties engaged our skirsand one hundred and four missing, making an mishers, but it was only on the afternoon of the aggregate of two thousand three hundred and third that his infantry made its appearance, twenty-six. We captured and sent to Nashville when, crowding in our skirmishers, he comseven hundred and two prisoners, including one menced to establish his main line, which, on the general officer and thirty-three stands of colors. morning of the fourth, we found he had sucMajor-General D. S. Stanley, commanding Fourth ceeded in doing, with his salient on the summit corps, was severely wounded at Franklin while of Montgomery Hill, within six hundred yards engaged in rallying a portion of his command, of our centre, his main line occupying the high which had been temporarily overpowered by ground on the south-east side of Brown's creek, an overwhelming attack of the enemy. At the and extending from the Nolensville pike-his time of the battle the enemy's loss was known extreme right-across the Franklin and Granny to be severe, and was estimated at five thou-White pikes in a westerly direction, to the hills sand. The exact figures were only obtained, however, on the reoccupation of Franklin by our forces, after the battles of December fifteen and sixteen, at Brentwood Hills, near Nashville, and are given as follows: Buried upon the field, The block-house at the railroad crossing of one thousand seven hundred and fifty; disabled and placed in hospital at Franklin, three thousand eight hundred, which, with the seven hun-Overall's creek, five miles north of Murfreesdred and two prisoners already reported, makes boro', was attacked by Bate's division of Cheatan aggregate loss to Hood's army of six thou-ham's corps, on the fourth, but held out until sand two hundred and fifty-two, among whom assistance reached it from the garrison at Murwere six general officers killed, six wounded, freesboro'. The enemy used artillery to reduce The important results of the block-house, but although seventy-four shots and one captured. this signal victory cannot be too highly appre- were fired at it, no material injury was done. ciated, for it not only seriously checked the General Milroy coming up with three regiments south and south-west of Richland creek, and down that creek to the Hillsboro' pike, with cavalry extending from both his flanks to the river. Artillery was opened on him from several points on the line, without eliciting any response. of infantry, four companies of the Thirteenth Indiana cavalry, and a section of artillery, attacked the enemy and drove him off. During the fifth, sixth and seventh, Bate's division, reinforced by a division from Lee's corps and two thousand five hundred of Forrest's cavalry, demonstrated heavily against Fortress Rosecrans, at Murfreesboro', garrisoned by about eight thousand men, under command of General Rousseau. The enemy showing an unwillinguess to make a direct assault, General Milroy, with seven regiments of infantry, was sent out on the eighth to engage him. He was found a short distance from the place, on the Wilkerson pike, posted behind rail breastworks, was attacked and routed, our troops capturing two hundred and seven prisoners and two guns, with a loss of thirty killed and one hundred and seventy-five wounded. On the same day Buford's cavalry entered the town of Murfreesboro', after having shelled it vigorously, but he was speedily driven out by a regiment of infantry and a section of artillery. been detached from my command at the instance of Governor Andrew Johnson, and were then operating independently under Brigadier-General Gillem. From a want of cooperation between the officers directly under my control and General Gillem may be attributed in a great measure the cause of the latter's misfortune. Following up his success, Breckinridge continued moving southward through Strawberry Plains to the immediate vicinity of Knoxville, but on the eighteenth withdrew as rapidly as he had advanced. General Ammen's troops, reinforced by fifteen hundred men from Chattanooga, reoccupied Strawberry Plains on that day. About this period Major-General Stoneman, left at Louisville by General Schofield to take charge of the Department of the Ohio, during his absence with the army in the field, started for Knoxville to take general direction of affairs in that section, having previously ordered Brevet Major-General Burbridge to march with all his available force in Kentucky by way of On retiring from before Murfreesboro, the ene- Cumberland Gap to Gillem's relief. On his way my's cavalry moved northward to Lebanon and through Nashville General Stoneman received along the bank of the Cumberland in that vicin- instructions from me to concentrate as large a ity, threatening to cross to the north side of the force as he could get in East Tennessee, move river and interrupt our railroad communication against Breckinridge, and either destroy his with Louisville, at that time our only source of force or drive it into Virginia, and if possible supplies, the enemy having blockaded the river destroy the salt-works at Saltville, and the railbelow Nashville by batteries along the shore. road from the Tennessee line as far into VirThe Navy Department was requested to patrol ginia as he could go without endangering his the Cumberland above and below Nashville with command. November twenty-third General the gunboats then in the river, to prevent the Stoneman telegraphed from Knoxville that the enemy from crossing, which was cordially and main force of the enemy was at New Market, effectually complied with by Lieutenant Com- eight miles north of Strawberry Plains, and manding Le Roy Fitch, commanding Eleventh General Burbridge was moving on Cumberland division, Mississippi squadron. At the same Gap from the interior of Kentucky, his advance time General Wilson sent a cavalry force to expecting to reach Barboursville that night. Gallatin, to guard the country in that vicinity. On the sixth of December, having received inThe position of Hood's army around Nash-formation from East Tennessee that Breckinridge ville remained unchanged, and with the exception of occasional picket firing, nothing of importance occurred from the third to the fifteenth December. In the mean while I was preparing to take the offensive without delay; the cavalry was being remounted under the direction of General Wilson as rapidly as possible, and new transportation furnished where it was required. During these operations in Middle Tennessee, the enemy, under Breckinridge, Duke, and Vaughn, was operating in the eastern portion of the State against Generals Ammen and Gillem. On the thirteenth November, at midnight, Breckinridge, with a force estimated at three thousand, attacked General Gillem near Morristown, routing him and capturing his artillery, besides taking several hundred prisoners; the remainder of the command, about one thousand in number, escaped to Strawberry Plains, and thence to Knoxville. General Gillem's force consisted of fifteen hundred men, composing three regiments of Tennessee cavalry, and six guns, belonging formerly to the Fourth division of cavalry, Army of the Cumberland, but had was falling back toward Virginia, General Stoneman was again directed to pursue him, and destroy the railroad as far across the State line as possible, say twenty-five miles. Leaving him to carry out these instructions, I will return to the position at Nashville. Both armies were ice-bound for a week previous to the fourteenth December, when the weather moderated. Being prepared to move, I called a meeting of the corps commanders in the afternoon of that day, and having discussed the plan of attack until thoroughly understood, the following Special Field Order, No. 342, was issued: "Paragraph IV. As soon as the state of the weather will admit of offensive operations, the troops will move against the enemy's position in the following order: "Major-General A. J. Smith, commanding detachment of the Army of the Tennessee, after forming his troops on or near the Harding pike, in front of his present position, will make a vigorous assault on the enemy's left. 66 Major-General Wilson, commanding the cav alry corps, Military Division of Mississippi, |