CHAPTER XXI.

PEACE.

THE

HE surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox, April 9th, 1865, was the signal for the surrender of all the other armed forces of the great rebellion. It would take a little time for the news to reach all the Confederate commands, and there would yet be some hesitation, some movements in a spirit of sheer desperation, some chaffering about terms, but the war ended there, and peace was assured. Grant reached Washington on April 13th, and at once set about reducing the military expenses of the government. His grand work, his victory, was for the good of the nation, and now he would prove that "Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war."

On consultation with the President and Secretary of War, an announcement was made to the country April 13th, to stop all drafting and recruiting in the loyal states; to curtail all purchases of muniments and supplies and reduce the military establishment; to reduce the number of officers to the actual needs of the service; to remove all military restrictions on trade and commerce, so far as may be consistent with public safety. This was the country's written guarantee that peace was sure, the official proclamation which fixed and crowned the grand results of four years of sacrifice. A yearning nation now broke out into rejoicing. From sea to sea there went up one voice of jubilation and thanksgiving, and all the land burst into glorious illumination. Ecstacy never reached sublimer heights nor assumed more impressive forms. The next day, April 14th, it was announced that Grant would be present at

papers that Sherman was within seventy-five miles of Savannah. And here was where Thomas' delay was cramping the Lieutenant General's plans. Canby had been ordered to send a large force from the Mississippi to co-operate with Sherman, either on the Gulf coast, should he strike it, or on the Atlantic coast. But so long as Hood remained in Tennessee, Canby did not dare deplete his strength at Memphis, Vicksburg, or anywhere along the line of the Mississippi river. Thomas was fully apprised of this by Stanton.

At length Grant's patience was exhausted. Not wishing to injure the fame of Thomas by summary dismissal, without knowing of the situation personally, he resolved to go to the scene at Nashville and, in case he found removal necessary, he left an order with General Logan to take command in Tennessee. He started for Nashville on December 14th, but when he got to Washington (December 15th), news awaited him that Thomas had moved on that day and had attacked and beaten Hood.

While Thomas had permitted Nashville to be invested and the surrounding country to be overrun, he had planned a magnificent battle according to the careful and conservative theories of his school. Hood lay before him, his lines stretching from the Cumberland above the city to the river below. Cheatham held the right, Stewart the left, S. D. Lee the centre. Hood's position was admirable. It was upon slopes backed by hills, and commanded by fortified prominences, some of which were within six hundred yards of the Federal works. He had railroad communication to his rear, and a moving force of two brigades of infantry and two of cavalry under Forrest, which had been doing irreparable injury to the country and Thomas' communications.

Thomas' left was held by Steedman, his centre by Wood's Fourth, (Stanley had been wounded at Harpeth) his right by A. J. Smith. Schofield was in reserve ready to support

Wood. The cavalry was massed on Smith's right. Steedman had 5000 men, Wood 13,526, Smith 9990, Schofield 9719, Wilson from 4000 to 5000 cavalry. Hood's entire force was not much in excess of twenty thousand men, but he was strongly fortified, and felt able to repel any attack.

On December 15th, at an early hour and amid a dense fog, Steedman moved his left upon the enemy's right. At the same hour Wilson's cavalry moved on the enemy's left. Both these movements were feints. As soon as Steedman was well out of his works, the artillery began to play, and the gunboats joined their volleys. Covered by their fire, he deployed on the Murfreesboro pike and hurled his columns on the Confederate right flank. Meanwhile, Smith and Wood were massing for an attack on the enemy's left, with Schofield in their rear. Steedman is ordered to attack stronger. He is already in the midst of a terrific assault and the battle is on in earnest. Hood is surprised at the impetuosity and success of the Federals. He sends whole brigades to strengthen his imperilled left. Batteries are run up to sweep the attacking lines. The battle waxes hot and deadly. All Hood's energies are directed to Steedman and his overmatched ranks. The order is given to fall back, and the Federals retire, still keeping up a threatening front. The Confederates congratulate themselves on victory. But their ears catch the sound of thunder on their left. Thomas has started his columns and sent them crashing through Hood's extreme left entrenchments. They are even now pressing toward his centre. It is nearing noon, and the dense fog has lifted. Hood sees the dismounted cavalrymen sweeping in on his extreme left, and the infantry of Wood and Smith vying with each other in the capture of his outer forts on the Knobs. He opens with all his artillery, and every entrenchment sends forth. a storm of smaller missiles. Wood's Fourth charges in heavy column on Montgomery Hill, the strongest Confederate salient, and captures it. Hood had fatally weakened his left. Thomas

was taking every advantage of his carly morning tactics. Hood makes haste to recall his brigades from his right. But too late; his left is turned; his advanced lines there are no longer tenable.

Schofield now pushed his reserve corps well around Hood's left and toward his rear. Again the Federals advance, and while Hood is forced to shift his lines to meet Schofield, the Fourth Corps dashes over his second line of works in front. Baffled, bewildered, beaten, but still fighting obstinately, Hood yields his entire line of works and is crowded back toward the Overton Hills. He loses battery after battery and flag after flag. Will his columns break before the resistless Federal onsets, before gradually concentrating ranks filled with the enthusiasm of victory? Wood is already beyond the Granny White road and has half the Confederate lines in his possession. Schofield has scaled the heights two miles beyond Wood, and is battling with Lee's and Cheatham's men for a point in the Granny White road. Smith's men have captured ridge after ridge, hurling conquered division back upon division. Wilson is well to the south with his cavalry, feeling for the Franklin pike and Hood's rear. Sunset and darkness come to Hood's rescue. He is saved until to-morrow, but he has lost seventeen guns, twelve hundred prisoners, his entire line of works, a vast number of men killed and wounded and, worst of all, a battle which he courted and for which he waited till waiting must have become irksome.

Thomas' plans of battle had all been carried out successfully, and his losses had not been great. His slowness had come to his rescue and he had redeemed provoking tardiness with sweeping victory. He had been true to his resources and methods, had operated cautiously, acted conscientiously, and there was something substantial to speak for it. It was of this victory that Grant learned on the morning of December 15th at Washington, and over it he joined his congratulations with those of

the President and authorities. None were warmer than he in their tributes to Thomas' strategy and perseverance, and none felt relief from such a load as the old veteran's dispatch gave: "Attacked enemy's left this morning; drove it from the river, below city, very nearly to Franklin pike, distance about eight miles." Grant need not now go West, nor further entertain the, to him, disagreeable thought of disturbing one whose ability he admired, whose character he loved, whose methods only had become the subject of question.

All the night Hood was busy forming his lines and fortifying his position on the Overton Heights, five miles south of Nashville. Here he would be more concentrated and stronger than before. He was brave, seemingly not discouraged, eager for another fray, which he expected on the morrow of December 16th. Thomas too was cager. Cavalry fighting began at dawn. Again Thomas pushed Steedman forward on his left. The Fourth moved southward along the Franklin pike, feeling for the enemy. By noon the Federal columns were in front of the Confederate position, and it was apparent that even a harder battle than that of the day before must be fought. Wood was on Steedman's right, and Schofield and Smith further to the right. Thomas reconnoitered the enemy's position for a long time. It was not until 3 P. M. that he ordered an attack. Again Steedman and Wood were to bear the brunt of it. The artillery opened, and they marched up the rugged slopes to the assault on the enemy's right. The Federal ranks suffered fearfully, but despite the wide gaps hewn through them, they clambered up the steep fronts and broke over the parapets. Colored troops vied with white in this bloody onset. Ere they could plant their flags, the Confederate reserves rose up and poured volleys of musketry into the ranks of the exulting Federals. They melted away before this merciless close range fire, and at last broke in retreat, leaving the ground strewed with dead and wounded. They