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The battle began at 8 o'clock with a successful attack by Steedman's division on the earthworks commanding the extreme Confederate left, thus attracting the Confederate attention to that quarter. At 10 o'clock Smith's corps moved against Hood's left and Wilson's cavalry corps of 9,000 horsemen and 3,500 dismounted men swung off in a wide circle against the left and rear of the Confederate works, one division extending to the river below the city and forcing back Hood's cavalry reserve under Chalmers. Forrest's main body had been sent to attack Murfreesboro. Smith's corps moved obliquely along the Hardin Pike against the Confederate left flank and took it in reverse. Schofield with the 23d corps, by a wide detour, penetrated still farther to the rear, Wood at the same time assaulting in front. Wilson, moving along Richland Creek, carried several earthworks, captured 27 guns and swept clearly into the rear of the Con

federate left. These movements compelled the Confederates to withdraw for two miles. The next afternoon these same tactics were continued by Smith, Schofield and Wilson, while Wood on the Union centre and Steedman on the left pushed forward to Hood's new line which had been formed with Cheatham on the left, Stewart in the centre and Lee on the right. At 3 o'clock two of Wood's brigades and one of Steedman's made an unsuccessful attack upon Hood's right. Soon after 4 o'clock Smith's and Wood's corps on the front, with Schofield operating on their right and against the Confederate left flank, attacked in force, soon covering the entire line. According to Hood: "The position gained by the enemy being such as to enfilade our line caused in a few moments our entire line to give way and our troops to retreat down the pike in the direction of Franklin, most of them, I regret to say, in great confusion, all efforts to re-form them being fruitless." At this place 54 guns were captured. For several days the pursuit was continued by Wilson's cavalry when the remnant of Hood's forces crossed the Tennessee. Up to this time no rout during the war had been more complete. There are no reports of the Confederate dead and wounded, but in two days Thomas captured 4,462 prisoners* with a total loss to himself of a little over 3,000. The records do not show

the number of men with whom Hood reached Tupelo. He claims that there were 18,500 remaining, after 3,000 had been furloughed. He further says that of 14,000 that left Tupelo to join Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina 9,000 deserted. Johnston reported that when Hood's force reached him they numbered 3,953 officers and men. Had it not been for Forrest, who soon joined Hood, the remnant of the Confederate army would have been captured. Forrest says: "The Army of Tennessee was badly defeated and is greatly demoralized and to save it during the retreat from Nashville I was compelled almost to sacrifice my command.'* John Forsyth wrote to Bragg: "Hood's army is not worth the value of a regiment if that officer is retained in command. It is a shattered debris of an army now and needs careful yet vigorous handling to hold it together." It was said also: "Great numbers are going home every day, many never more to return. Nine-tenths of the men and line officers are bare-footed and naked." On reaching Tupelo, Mississippi, Hood on January 13 requested to be relieved of further com

H. Thomas at Nashville; Cox, The March to the Sea Franklin and Nashville, chaps. vi.-vii.: Hood, Advance and Retreat; biographies of Thomas by Piatt, DePeyster, Johnson, Van Horne, and Coppée; Confederate Mitiary History, vol. v., p. 345; vol. vii., pp. 219–220; vol. viii., pp. 161169; vol. ix., pt. ii., pp. 155–157.

* Official Records, vol. xlv., pt. ii., p. 756. Ibid, vol. lii., pt. ii., p. 808.

Ibid, vol. xlv., pt. ii., p. 775.

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mand of the army and as his request was promptly granted he bade farewell to the remnant of his army on January 23, 1865. Shortly afterward he went to Texas to gather another army, but at last surrendered to General John W. Davidson at Natchez on May 31.*

Meanwhile, further to the northwest, several engagements had occurred. On November 8, 1864, General Gillem, who with a brigade was at Henderson's Depot, hearing that General Breckinridge was advancing to reconquer east Tennessee, fell back to Greenville on the 9th and to Bull's Gap on the 10th where, on the morning of the 11th, he was attacked by Duke's cavalry brigade. Duke was repulsed, but on the morning of the 12th Breckinridge renewed the attack with artillery and then assaulted in front and rear with cavalry, but he too was defeated. On the 13th the attack was renewed and maintained throughout the day. Being out of ammunition and without food for his men and forage for his horses, Gillem abandoned his position during the night and fell back toward Russellville, where his rear was attacked by Breckinridge with the brigades of Duke and Vaughan. The Union troops were thrown into disorder, became panic-stricken, could not be rallied, and retreated through Russellville to Strawberry Plains. Gillem lost 41 killed and wounded and 200 captured,

Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. x., pp.

22-37.

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lances and 300 horses.

Thomas thereupon ordered General Stoneman to concentrate his forces in Kentucky and drive Breckinridge back into Virginia or North Carolina. He was also to destroy the salt works at Saltville and the railroad from the Tennessee line as far into Virginia as he could go without endangering his command. Stoneman had a body of mounted troops under General Burbridge that had been doing duty in Kentucky the Tennessee brigade of General Gillem and some infantry and dismounted cavalry under General Ammen- in all about 8,000 men. The 4th Tennessee and 3d North Carolina Union troops were sent to Paint Rock to hold the pass over the mountains into North Carolina and Stoneman concentrated his command at Bean's Station on December 11. He started from that point on the 12th with Gillem's and Burbridge's commands of about 5,700 men, and Gillem in advance reached the north fork of the Holston River opposite Kinston during the night. After a sharp engagement he crossed and on the morning of the 13th attacked and routed Duke's cavalry under Colonel Morgan, capturing Morgan, 80 men, and the wagon train.

During the day Burbridge pushed on to Bristol to intercept Vaughn who had been holding Greenville with about 1,200 men. Stoneman and Gillem joined Burbridge at Bristol early on the 14th and, fearing that Vaughn would escape in the

Saltville, Burbridge was pushed forward to Abingdon. Stoneman then moved on to Wytheville, Gillem overtaking Vaughn at Merriam, routing him and pursuing him to Wytheville, capturing his trains, artillery and 198 men and destroying the town. Having torn up the railroads and bridges some distance distance beyond Wytheville, Stoneman set out on his return journey to demolish the salt works at Saltville and on the 17th encountered Breckinridge at Merriam, the latter having moved out of Saltville with about 2,000 men. Burbridge, who was in advance with two brigades, attacked Breckinridge but as night was approaching the general assault was postponed until morning. Stoneman maintained a stiff resistance and the Confederates made no headway. Buckley was supposed to be coming up in the afternoon and Gillem was sent around Breckinridge's left, thus cutting him off from the salt works. The skirmishing through the day was accompanied with considerable loss on both sides and as soon as night set in Breckinridge, finding himself nearly surrounded, withdrew by the road leading over the mountains into North Carolina and escaped.

The

12th Ohio set out in pursuit but soon returned, and that night Stoneman concentrated his command at Glade Springs.

On the 20th Stoneman advanced toward Saltville in two columns. Colonel Stacy with the 13th Tennessee