were now superintended by the redoubtable Beauregard—advancing into the
State of Tennessee, in the early part of the month of November. His
design was to defeat the Union forces under General Thomas, and capture
the city of Nashville. On the twenty-third of November his army took
Pulaski, and on the twentieth, after a little skirmishing, entered
Columbia. All this while, as the rebels advanced, the National troops
retired; but, on the thirtieth, when the forces of Hood appeared before
the town of Franklin, where the Federal troops were fortified, General
Schofield felt it to be necessary to make a stand. The original plan had
been, to lure the rebels nearer to Nashville, and fight the final battle
there, with the aid of heavy reinforcements that were expected to arrive
at that point. But the foe pressed on somewhat too precipitately, and it
became necessary to check his advance. The National force here, under
General Schofield’s command, numbered fifteen thousand men. The right
wing was commanded by General Stanley, the left by General Cox.
At about half-past three, in the afternoon of the twentieth, the assault
was commenced by the rebels. Cheatham’s corps was on the right,
Stewart’s on the left, and S. D. Lee’s in reserve, on the centre.
Cheatham threw his whole corps on Wagner’s division with great
impetuosity, and after an hour’s desperate fighting pushed Wagner back
on the second Union line, where Wagner’s men became mingled with those
of Cox and Huger, on the left and centre.
The rebels, encouraged by their success in driving back Wagner, with
loud cheers advanced on the second line. Their order of advance was very
peculiar—a semicircle of two regiments deep, extending all around the
lines, and behind each alternate regiment was placed four others, so
that the assaulting columns were six regiments deep.
General Hood appeared about four o’clock P. M. at the head of his
command, and, pointing towards the Federal lines, said:—“Break those
lines, boys, and you have finished the war in Tennessee. Break them, and
there is nothing to oppose your march from Nashville to the Ohio river.”
Loud and ringing cheers answered the words of the rebel leader, and the
whole space in front of the National troops was crowded with the
advancing enemy.
Captain Lyman, commanding an artillery brigade in the Fourth corps, had
placed his batteries in most favorable positions, and from these storms
of shot and shell were hurled into the charging rebel ranks.
With the most reckless bravery the rebels rushed on. When within a few
hundred yards of the National works, the Unionists opened upon them a
terrible fire of musketry. It seemed impossible for anything to live
before it. But no wavering was perceived in the advancing rebel lines.
On they came, to the very parapets of the Unionists’ works, and stuck
their bayonets under the logs on the opposing battlements.
On the Columbus pike the pressure was so great that some of Cox’s and
Wagner’s men temporarily gave way.
Up to this time the brigade commanded by Colonel Opdyke, of the One
Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio, had been held in reserve; and now Colonel
Opdyke, by orders of General Stanley, came forward, with his brigade, to
restore the broken line.
The rebels, who had crawled over the works, had not time to retire, and
Cox’s and Wagner’s men, who had broken away but a moment before, rallied
and attacked the enemy on the flank, while Opdyke charged on the front.
A desperate hand to hand fight ensued with bayonets and the butt ends of
muskets. A hundred rebels were captured here, and the line was restored.
For two hours and a half the battle now raged all along the lines. The
men of the Fourth and Twenty-third corps vied with each other in
bravery. Riley’s brigade, of the Twenty-third corps, fairly covered the
ground in front of it with rebel dead. The rebel General Adams was
killed. He and his horse fell into the ditch in front of the One Hundred
and Fourth Ohio. Seventeen distinct attacks of the enemy were repelled.
At dusk the rebels were repulsed at all points, but the firing did not
cease until nine o’clock at night.
At least five thousand rebels were killed, wounded and captured. The
National loss was about fifteen hundred.
General Schofield directed the battle from the fort on the north bank of
the stream, where some heavy guns and the batteries of the Twenty-third
corps were placed, which did great service in damaging the enemy’s right
wing.
The following dispatch from General Schofield apprised General Thomas of
the leading facts of this battle:
“FRANKLIN, TENN., NOV. 30, 1864.
“Major-General THOMAS:—
“The enemy made a heavy and persistent attack with two corps,
commencing at four P. M. and lasting till after dark. He was
repulsed at all points with heavy loss—probably five or six thousand
men. Our loss is probably not more than one-fourth of that number.
We have captured about one thousand prisoners, including one
brigadier-general.
“JOHN M. SCHOFIELD, Major-General.”
General Stanley greatly distinguished himself by his personal
intrepidity in this battle. When a part of his command had retired
before the charge of the rebels, he rushed to the front, had a horse
shot under him, and was himself wounded; yet he led on the charge,
waving his hat in the air and calling on his men to follow. By this
means he succeeded in rallying his faltering troops, and repelling seven
successive charges made by the rebels. Colonel Schofield, a brother of
General Schofield, and his chief of artillery, won great credit for his
admirable management of the guns.
The result of the battle of Franklin was to stay the advance of Hood,
and enable General Thomas to complete his preparations for the last and
decisive struggle. During the night of the thirtieth, General
Schofield’s forces fell back on Nashville. The rebels followed, next
day, and cautiously reconnoitered the Union lines; but, deeming it
unsafe to assault, they determined to beleaguer the city. Thus began the
siege of Nashville. It lasted two weeks. At the end of that time General
Thomas, having received his reinforcements and completed his
preparations, sallied out and fought the decisive battle of Nashville.
THE BATTLE OF NASHVILLE, TENN.
DECEMBER 15–17, 1864.
On the evening of the 14th of December, a council of war was held at the
St. Cloud Hotel, in Nashville, at which the plan of the battle was thus
arranged:
The artillery from the forts and advanced batteries to open all along
the line. Major-General Steadman, who commanded on the extreme left, was
to make a heavy demonstration, so as to attract the enemy’s attention to
that point. Schofield, who connected with Steadman’s right, was to hold
himself in readiness to move if necessary. Wood’s corps, the Fourth, was
to move on the Hillsboro’ pike, keeping up a connection with A. J.
Smith’s, and pierce the centre, while A. J. Smith was to attack the
extreme left. Hatch’s division of cavalry connected with Smith’s right.
Some of Major-General Wilson’s cavalry had wheeled on the enemy’s rear,
towards Brentwood, so as to cut off the rebel retreat.
FIRST DAY’S BATTLE.
The booming of guns from Forts Negley and Cassino and several batteries
awakened the inhabitants of Nashville, on the morning of November 15th,
to the terrible reality that a battle was raging outside their city.
There was great anxiety and hurrying to and fro, for the fate of
thousands hung upon the issue. Defeat would be ruin, for it meant the
fall of Nashville. Thomas knew this, and therefore decided on attacking
Hood before he had time to fortify his new position. At early dawn
Steadman’s troops were in motion. The First and Second brigades—colored
troops, commanded by Colonels Thompson and Morgan—took up position to
the right and left of the Chattanooga line. These were supported by an
Indiana battery. Colonel Grosvenor, commanding a brigade formed of
detachments of the Fourteenth corps, took up a position on their left.
The colored troops drove back the enemy’s skirmishers to their main
lines, but wavered under the assault. Grosvenor’s brigade charged,
taking the advance line of works; but, as it was not Thomas’s intention
to bring on a general engagement at this point, General Steadman ordered
them to fall back to their original position, still keeping up a brisk
skirmish fire.
About six o’clock in the morning the Fourth corps broke camp, moving on
the Hillsboro’ pike in the following order, _en echelon_ on the left;
the Second division in front, the First division next, and the Third
division in the rear. The corps moved forward, regulating its movements
by those of General Smith, who was to attack the rebel left flank, it
being intended to make the main assault on this part of the rebel line.
The Fourth corps took up the following position. General Samuel Beatty,
commanding the Third division, on the left, held the front line, the
division of General Nathan Kimball in the centre, came second, and the
division of General Elliot, in the rear, connecting with Garrard’s
division, of Smith’s corps; then came McArthur’s division.
There was heavy cannonading all the morning. About noon Smith’s and
Wood’s skirmishers became engaged. General Wood ordered General Beatty
to charge a hill in his front, held by a strong force of the enemy,
heavily intrenched. The Second brigade of Beatty’s division, commanded
by Colonel Post, was ordered to make the charge. The First brigade,
Colonel Straight, moved _en echelon_ on the left, and in support, while
the Third brigade of Colonel Kneppler (Seventy-ninth Ohio) was held in
reserve. The order was no sooner given for the charge than the Second
brigade rushed forward with a yell. The First brigade supported it by a
spirited fire, and on the order to charge being given, sprang forward in
a spirit of emulation. The rebels occupied a strong position around
Montgomery’s house, near the Granny White pike, which now became the
central point of the battle. The defence of the rebels at this point was
of the most stubborn character. The Unionists fired volley upon volley,
charged them repeatedly, and at last drove them in great confusion
through the grounds of the mansion. Though ordered to halt on dislodging
the rebels from this position, the National troops charged on them as
they fled, capturing over two hundred, and securing their entire line of
works in front of Wood. In the mean time the First and Second divisions
were sharply engaged, pressing back the rebels, and advancing slowly.
The batteries were moved forward to the hills abandoned by the rebels,
and the fight was carried on heavily all the while by Smith’s corps.
About two o’clock General Schofield, who had been in the rear of the
Fourth corps, took up a position on the right of Smith, thus extending
the Union line without weakening it, and soon became engaged. The roar
of artillery and musketry continued fierce along the whole line.
About three o’clock Post’s and Straight’s brigades, abandoning their
_echelon_ formation, formed in line with the First brigade of Beatty’s
division and the Second division of Wood’s corps, and the whole line
again advanced, protected by a fierce artillery fire from Battery H,
Fifth regular, the Second Pennsylvania, the First Illinois, the Fourth
regular, First and Sixth Ohio batteries. The advance of this line was
magnificent, the columns extending in one long line of battle, marching
steadily and strongly forward over a clear plateau and driving the enemy
before it, Post and Straight moving in simple line of battle, with
Kimball’s and Ellicott’s divisions, in column of brigade front. Smith
and Schofield continued to press back the rebel left flank to the hills
in rear of their first position. Garrard’s and McArthur’s divisions
captured the rebel works, and succeeded in turning their left flank and
driving them from hill to hill. The line of the Fourth corps for a
moment halted and laid down to allow batteries to rake the rebel line.
The fire grew nearer and nearer on the right. Soon the rebel lines and
columns were seen to be breaking up in mad panic and confusion. A wild
cheer ran along the lines. The Fourth corps rose and again advanced at a
double quick. The batteries poured shot and shell on the panic-stricken
fugitives. So wild was the enthusiasm that civilians rushed to the
batteries to help the gunners. Union columns now appeared on the right
and connected with the centre, thus forming a V out of their lines.
A deafening cheer went up when Smith’s and Schofield’s columns emerged
with flaunting flags, the rebels flying in confusion before them. A
gallant charge followed the wild cheering, and accompanied by the roar
of artillery, the enemy was pressed back on the centre in confusion, and
only night ended the pursuit.
SECOND DAY’S BATTLE.
During the night of the 15th, Hood withdrew both his wings from the
river, contracted his lines everywhere, and, on the morning of the 16th,
was holding a strong position along Granny White Hills, with his centre
protected by two lines of intrenchments.
The Union troops were disposed in the following order:—Wilson’s cavalry
was on the extreme right. Schofield’s Twenty-third corps, consisting of
Couch’s and Cox’s divisions, was at first held in reserve, but before
the main battle opened it had to take a position on the left of the
cavalry, thus forming the right of the infantry line. A. J. Smith’s
Sixteenth corps, consisting of the divisions of McArthur, Garrard and
Moore, came next on the left of Schofield. On the left of Smith, the
magnificent Fourth corps, General T. J. Wood commanding, comprising the
divisions of Kimball, Elliott, and Beatty, was formed in close order of
battle; and, partially massed, Steadman, with Croft’s division and two
brigades of colored troops, held the left. The Union plan of battle was
to press the advantage gained on the enemy’s left. At about half-past
eight o’clock a hundred pieces opened fire simultaneously along the
Union line. The rebel artillery replied feebly. Schofield, marching down
Granny White pike, carefully concealing his strength, placed his corps
directly upon the enemy’s left flank. Steadman at the same time worked
his force forward. The enemy in the mean time strengthened his advance
line. It was determined to carry this line without delay. Kimball’s
First division moved forward to the charge, firing volley after volley,
but still steadily pressing on until within half a pistol shot, when the
enemy’s fire became so deadly that the patriots, in order to return it
more effectually, came to the “halt.” They remained here, perhaps,
longer than any troops ever remained in such a position. They stood and
fired fast and furious at the enemy, but they could not remain and live.
A few gave way and fled in disorder, and the whole line staggered. Had
the rebels done nothing more than keep up their deadly fire, the
Federals would have been driven back; but the enemy shifted their
artillery, which was received as an indication that they were about to
abandon their lines and retire. Raising a loud shout, the division, with
fixed bayonets, rushed impetuously forward, and swarming over the works
captured such rebels as had not fled, and all the guns except two.
As soon as this preliminary success was achieved, General Thomas, who
was seen during the day in the very front of the line of battle, ordered
a charge along the entire line.
Schofield moved upon the left flank of the enemy, and before his
veterans the rebel lines gave way like frostwork.
The assailed flank crumbled to pieces as Schofield advanced, and rolled
back upon that portion of the line which was just then attacked by A. J.
Smith’s troops with a weight and energy nothing could withstand.
McMillan’s brigade, foremost in the battle, as on the previous day,
rushed right up in the face of three powerful rebel batteries, and
carried at the point of the bayonet the salient point of the enemy’s
works. In a few moments their works were everywhere overwhelmed, their
forces utterly routed, their soldiers captured by thousands, and every
piece of their artillery taken.
Such as escaped death or capture fled towards Franklin pike, to a refuge
behind A. D. Lee’s corps, which held the gap in the hills.
Wood and Steadman had now united on the left, and prepared to assault
the rebel right, which was still unbroken. Under cover of a tremendous
fire from the national guns, Colonel Post’s brigade moved forward.
Straight’s brigade, of Beatty’s division, formed on his right. In
support, immediately on Post’s left, Thomas’ colored brigade was drawn
up, and Morgan’s colored brigade was next on the left.
The enemy reserved his fire until Post’s brigade commenced climbing the
hill, when a perfect hurricane of shot, shell and canister tore through
his ranks. In the face of this fire the men steadily advanced.
Thompson’s men, in endeavoring to pass around to the left, met a
terrible flank fire, which confused their ranks. The troops on the
right, torn in pieces by the fire, paused an instant, and at this
juncture the brave Colonel Post was mortally wounded. In a moment all
order was lost, and the men, whose conduct had ennobled them, rushed
back, confused and scattering, to the line from which they started. Wood
soon reformed his broken battalions and issued orders for the renewal of
the assault, while Post’s veterans again assailed the hill directly, and
Thompson’s Africans moved on the rebel right. Elliott’s and Kimball’s
divisions were hurled like a thunderbolt against the rebel left. Wood
himself, accompanied by all his staff, followed and directed the charge.
The rebel force blazed forth anew, and the patriots, without hesitation
or panic, carried the entire works with all their guns, and drove the
rebels in dismay from the hill. This was the last stand that the rebels
made, and their whole army was now fleeing in rout and panic. The
results of the battle were five thousand prisoners, thirty guns, and
seven thousand small arms.
THIRD DAY.—PURSUIT.
During the night of the 16th, Hood’s army duly improved the opportunity
of retreat, falling back in the direction whence they had advanced. At
eight o’clock, on the morning of the 17th, the pursuit was commenced,
the fighting, of course, being chiefly done by the cavalry, and was
continued beyond Franklin. Many prisoners were captured. The pursuit
thus commenced went on from day to day, till before the close of the
year, the rebels had been fairly chased out of Tennessee. The loss of
the enemy, in prisoners, at the battle of Nashville, was thirteen
thousand one hundred and eighty-nine, including numerous officers of
various grades, and seventy-two pieces of artillery. The National loss
was about ten thousand. Hood retreated into Alabama.
CONTINUATION OF THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON IN 1864.
The siege of Charleston was prosecuted with intermittent activity,
during many months of this year. On the third of January, the besiegers
threw a large number of shells into the city, loaded with Greek fire.
This is one of the most dangerous and deadly agencies of war, and its
use, on this occasion, has been condemned, as barbarous. But, as said by
General Sherman, “war is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.” A
conflagration of considerable violence and extent, was the result of
this bombardment. Its scene was the southern part of the city. The
shelling was continued at intervals, for several weeks. On the sixteenth
of January the Union headquarters were removed from Folly Island to
Hilton Head, General A. H. Terry being left in command at the former
place. Port Royal was all along held as the basis of military operations
on the coast of the State. From this time forward no event of magnitude
occurred in the vicinity of Charleston. The guns and mortars of the
Union rained on it, now and then, from Morris Island, and from the
blockading gunboats, and the rebels responded with occasional shells.
The harbor had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, and the city
was well fortified and bravely defended. Looked at in the light of
succeeding events, it would almost seem as if the capture of Charleston,
at this time, were not especially desired by the United States
Government. But, however that might have been, the city held out against
such assaults as were made, and was only abandoned at last, on the
approach of General Sherman from Savannah, after his great march from
Atlanta, which will be presently described. The Secession State
Government of South Carolina held control of the greater part of the
State throughout the year.
OPERATIONS IN MIDDLE AND WESTERN VIRGINIA IN 1864.
At the opening of the campaign for this year, a force of thirty-one
thousand men, under command of Major-General Sigel, was held for the
protection of West Virginia, and the frontiers of Maryland and
Pennsylvania. While these troops could not be withdrawn to distant
fields without exposing the North to invasion by comparatively small
bodies of the enemy, they could act directly to their front and thus
give better protection than if lying idle in garrison. By such movements
they could compel the enemy to detach largely for the protection of his
supplies and lines of communication.
General Sigel was directed by General Grant to organize all his
available force into two expeditions, to move from Beverly and
Charleston, under command of Generals Ord and Crook, against the East
Tennessee and Virginia railroad. Subsequently, General Ord having been
relieved at his own request, General Sigel was instructed to give up the
expedition by Beverly and to form two columns, one under General Crook,
on the Kanawha, numbering about ten thousand men, and one on the
Shenandoah, numbering about seven thousand men. The one on the
Shenandoah to assemble between Cumberland and the Shenandoah, and the
infantry and artillery to advance to Cedar creek with such cavalry as
could be made available at that moment, to threaten the enemy in the
Shenandoah valley, and advance as far as possible; while General Crook
would take possession of Lewisburg with part of his force and move down
the Tennessee railroad, doing as much damage as he could, destroying the
New river bridge and the salt-works at Saltville, Va.
These movements of the Kanawha and Shenandoah valleys, under General
Sigel, commenced on the 1st of May. General Crook, who had the immediate
command of the Kanawha expedition, divided his forces into two columns,
giving one, composed of cavalry, to General Averill. They crossed the
mountains by separate routes. General Averill’s force comprised two
thousand cavalry. He started on the 1st of May, with three days’ rations
and two days’ forage, and moved day and night over mountain paths until
the evening of the 8th, when a cavalry force of the enemy was
encountered near Jeffersonville, Va. After a slight engagement with the
enemy, General Averill made a detour by way of Princeton. On the 9th he
left Tazewell Court House for Wytheville, in order to cut the railroad
thirty miles lower down than the point where General Crook’s command was
to strike. Averill reached Cove Mountain Gap, near Wytheville, on the
10th, where he learned that the enemy were then in possession of the
latter place. A conflict ensued, in which General Averill sustained a
heavy loss and was prevented from forming a junction with General Crook
at Dublin Station, as first proposed. He however accomplished the main
object of his expedition, and proceeding to New river and
Christiansburg, he destroyed the railroad, several important bridges and
depots, including New river bridge, and formed a junction with Crook at
Union on the 15th.
The rebel General Morgan commanded the troops encountered by General
Averill. General Morgan had made a forced march from Saltville, on
learning of Averill’s expedition, and arrived at Wytheville in advance
of the latter commander, and thus saved that town and its valuable lead
mines from destruction.
The division under General Crook, which started from Charleston
simultaneously with General Averill’s command, consisted of the
Twenty-third, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-sixth Ohio, forming the first
brigade; the Twelfth and Ninety-first Ohio, Ninth and Fourteenth
Virginia, forming the second brigade; the third and Fourth Pennsylvania
Reserves, Eleventh and Fifteenth Virginia, forming the third brigade.