PERSONAL NARRATIVE--FRANKLIN
The Battle of Franklin was fought on the 30th of November, 1864, and was
one of the bloodiest of the war. On that dismal November day, our line
of battle was formed at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and marched directly
down through an open field toward the outer breastworks of the enemy. A
sheet of fire was pouring into the very faces of our men. The command
was: "Forward! Forward men!" Never on earth did men fight against
greater odds, but they advanced towards the breastworks,--on and
on,--and met death without flinching. The roar of battle was kept up
until after midnight and then gradually died away, as the enemy
abandoned their interior line of defences and rapidly retreated to
Nashville.
We had about 23,000 men engaged. They fought with great gallantry, drove
the enemy from their outer line of temporary works into their interior
line, captured several stands of colors and about one thousand
prisoners. But our losses were about 4,500 brave men, and among them
Major-General Pat Cleburne, Brigadier-General John Adams,
Brigadier-General O. F. Strahl, Brigadier-General Gist,
Brigadier-General Granberry and Brigadier-General John C. Carter was
mortally wounded. Among the wounded were Major-General John C. Brown,
Brigadier-Generals Manigault, Quarles, Cockrill, Scott and George
Gordon.
General John Adams, on reaching the vicinity of Franklin, had
immediately formed his line of battle near the residence of Colonel John
McGavock and led his troops into the fight. A more gallant set of
officers and men never faced a foe. General Adams was calm, cool and
self-possessed and vigilantly watched and directed the movements of his
men and led them on for victory or for death. He was severely wounded
early in the action and was urged to leave the field. He calmly replied:
"No, I will not! I will see my men through!" and at the same time gave
an order to Captain Thomas Gibson, his aide-de-camp and Brigade
Inspector. When he fell he was in the act of leaping his horse, "Old
Charlie," over the outer works. Both horse and his rider were instantly
killed,--the General falling within our lines, while old Charlie lay
astride the works. The General received two wounds in the right leg,
four balls entered his body, one ball passed through his breast and one
entered his right shoulder-blade. These wounds were all received
simultaneously and his death was instantaneous.
Major-General Cleburne's mare was dead on the works and the General
himself was pierced with no less than forty-nine bullets. The bodies of
these two brave Generals were brought from the battlefield in an
ambulance and taken to the residence of Colonel McGavock, whose house
and grounds were literally filled with the Confederate dead and wounded.
Mrs. McGavock rendered every assistance possible and her name deserves
to be handed down to future generations as that of a woman of lofty
principle, exalted character and untiring devotion.
Captain Gibson, General Adams' aide and Brigade Inspector, although
badly wounded, accompanied by Captain Blackwell, conveyed the body of
his commander to the residence of the General's brother, Major Nathan
Adams, in Pulaski. I officiated at the funeral and his mortal remains
were placed in the cemetery by the side of those of his father and
mother.
As a soldier, General Adams was active, calm and self-possessed, brave
without rashness, quick to perceive and ever ready to seize the
favorable moment. He enjoyed the confidence of his superiors and the
love and respect of his soldiers and officers. In camp and on the march
he looked closely to the comfort of his soldiers, and often shared his
horse on long marches with his sick and broken-down men.
He was a member of the Episcopal Church and a sincere and humble
Christian. For a year or more before his death he engaged, morning, noon
and night in devotional exercises. He invariably fasted on Friday and
other days of abstinence appointed by the Book of Common Prayer. He was
guided in all his actions by a thoughtful and strict regard for truth,
right and duty. In all the relations of life he was upright, just and
pure. There is no shadow on his memory and he left to his children the
heritage of an unblemished name and to coming generations the sublime
heroism of a Southern Soldier.
After the battle General Strahl's horse lay by the road-side and the
General by his side,--both dead. All his staff were killed. General
Strahl was a native of Ohio, but he had come to Tennessee in his youth,
and was as thoroughly identified with the latter state as any of her
sons. He gave to the Fourth Tennessee Regiment its drill and discipline
and made it a noted regiment before he succeeded General A. P. Stewart
in command of a brigade. He was just recovering from a dangerous wound
received at Atlanta the previous July when he entered upon the Tennessee
campaign, which ended for him fatally.
General Gist, of South Carolina, was lying dead with his sword still
grasped in his hand and reaching across the fatal breastworks. General
Granberry of Texas, and his horse were seen on the top of the
breastworks,--horse and rider,--dead! I went back to Columbia, hired a
negro to make some plain coffins, helped him to put them into a wagon,
drove with him about sixteen miles, and buried these brave men,--Strahl,
Gist, and Granberry,--under the shadow of the ivy-mantled tower of St.
John's Church, Ashwood,--with the services of the Church. Then I
returned to the field.
Major-General John C. Brown, General George Gordon, and General Carter
were seriously wounded,--the last named, mortally. After ministering to
these and many another, I returned to Columbia to the hospital in the
Columbia Institute. Here I found Captain William Flournoy and Adjutant
McKinney of the First Tennessee Regiment, both severely wounded. There
were hundreds of wounded in the Institute.
I buried Major-General Cleburne from the residence of Mrs. William Polk.
A military escort was furnished by Captain Long and every token of
respect was shown to the memory of the glorious dead. After the funeral,
I rode out to Hamilton Place with General Lucius Polk. There I found
General Manigault wounded in the head and Major Prince, of Mobile,
wounded in the foot.
Returning to Columbia, I met Captain Stepleton and through him paid the
burial expenses of my dear friend, John Marsh,--three hundred dollars.
The dear fellow had given me a farewell kiss as he entered the battle. I
also gave the Rev. Dr. Pise one hundred dollars and left myself without
funds. While in Columbia I sent wagons down to the Webster settlement to
procure supplies for our wounded at Franklin.
Having visited the sick and wounded in the hospitals at Columbia, I went
with Captain Stepleton towards Franklin. I reached the house of Mr.
Harrison, about three miles from Franklin, at dark, and stopped to see
my friends, General Carter, General Quarles, Captain Tom Henry, and
Captain Matt Pilcher. Captain Pilcher was shot in the side. Captain
Henry was wounded slightly in the head. Both were doing well. General
Quarles had his left arm shattered. General Carter was shot through the
body and his wound was mortal. I knelt by the side of the wounded and
commended them to God. I had prayers with the family before retiring.
All that night we could hear the guns around Nashville very distinctly,
but all I could learn in the morning was that our lines were within a
mile and a half of the city.
The following day was the Second Sunday in Advent, December 4th. I rode
to Franklin to see Dr. Buist, the Post Surgeon. All along the way were
abundant marks of the terrific battle,--dead horses and burnt
wagons,--but at the line of the breastworks near Mr. Carter's house,
where the heaviest fighting was done, there was a great number of horses
piled almost one upon another. Mr. Carter's son was shot within a few
yards of his home. Returning to Mr. Harrison's house with Dr. Buist, who
went down to attend to the wounded, I visited them all and had prayers
with them. The Doctor and myself returned to Franklin in the evening and
William Clouston called and took me to his house for the night.
There I found General Cockrill of Missouri, wounded in the legs and in
the right arm but full of life and very cheerful. Lieutenant Anderson,
one of his staff, who had lost a part of one foot at Vicksburg, was now
wounded in the other. Captain John M. Hickey, in command of a company in
a Missouri regiment, while charging the main lines of the works just in
front of the cotton gin, was desperately wounded, his leg being
shattered. He fell into the mud and while in this deplorable condition,
his left arm was badly broken by a minnie ball and soon afterwards he
was shot in the shoulder. With thousands of dead and wounded lying about
him, he lay upon the field of battle for fifteen hours, without food,
water or shelter, in the freezing cold, and half of that time exposed to
the plunging shot and shell of both friend and foe.
I devoted my time while in Franklin, to visiting the hospitals. In one
room of Brown's Division hospital, in the Court House, I dressed a
goodly number of wounds, after which I went to visit General Cockrill
and thence to army headquarters at the residence of John Overton. I met
with a most cordial welcome, not only from General Hood, but also from
Mr. Overton's family and several ladies from Nashville.
On Wednesday, I rode with Governor Harris to Franklin and thence to Mr.
Harrison's, to be with General John C. Carter who was nearing his end. I
found General Quarles and Captain Pilcher both doing well. Major Dunlap
was also improving. Lieutenant-Colonel Jones of the Twenty-fourth South
Carolina, however, was not doing so well, having had a profuse
hemorrhage. On visiting General Carter, I read a short passage of Holy
Scripture and had prayers with him for which he thanked me in the most
earnest manner. In his lucid moments my conversation with him was
exceedingly interesting. But his paroxysms of pain were frequent and
intense and he craved for chloroform and it was freely administered to
him.
He could not be convinced that he was going to die. "But," I said,
"General, if you should die, what do you wish me to say to your wife?"
"Tell her," he replied, "that I have always loved her devotedly and
regret leaving her more than I can express."
I had prayers with all the wounded and with the family of Mr. Harrison,
and sat up with General Carter until half past twelve o'clock.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jones died some time in the night. General Carter
died the following Saturday. I wrote to the Rev. Dr. Pise at Columbia to
attend his funeral as his body was to be taken there for temporary
burial. It was bitterly cold and the roads were very slippery.
General Carter was a native of Georgia but a citizen of Tennessee. He
had been advanced for merit from a lieutenant at the beginning of the
war to the command of a brigade. He had a wonderful gentleness of manner
coupled with dauntless courage. Every field officer of his brigade but
one, was killed, wounded or captured on the enemy's works at the
dreadful battle of Franklin.
The following Sunday, (Third Sunday in Advent,) I celebrated the Holy
Communion at army headquarters. That night General Forrest shared my bed
with me. One of the men remarked: "It was the lion and the lamb lying
down together."
The following day, in the Methodist Church at Brentwood, I united in the
holy bonds of matrimony, Major William Clare and Miss Mary Hadley, of
Nashville. The Major's attendants were Dr. Foard, Medical Director, and
Major Moore, Chief Commissary. A large number of officers were present.
After the marriage, the party returned to the residence of Mr. Overton
where a sumptuous dinner was provided. My empty purse was replenished by
a fee of two hundred dollars, besides which a friend sent me, the
following morning, fifty dollars in greenbacks.
I left headquarters the following day in Dr. Foard's ambulance for
Franklin and on the way picked up a couple of wounded men and carried
them to the hospital. We met Governor Harris and Colonel Ray, Secretary
of State. I spent the evening at Mrs. Carter's with my friends, Colonel
Rice and Captain Tom Henry. The next day I made efforts to purchase
shoes for my family. The merchants had hidden their goods and were
unwilling to dispose of them for Confederate money. But by offering to
pay in greenbacks, I not only secured shoes but all sorts of goods.
Meeting Captain Kelly, of the Rock City Guard, then off duty in
consequence of wounds received in the recent battle, I proposed to him
to go to Georgia for clothing for the soldiers. To this he agreed and we
left for Columbia. While there I attended a meeting of the ladies, the
object of which was to organize a Relief Association.
Distressing reports began to come in of a reverse to our arms at
Nashville. At first I did not credit them, but later I met Colonel
Harvie, the Inspector General, who not only confirmed the very worst of
the reports, but expressed both indignation and disgust at the conduct
of our troops.
General Lucius Polk sent a buggy for me and I drove out to Hamilton
Place and spent the night. The next day, (Fourth Sunday in Advent,) I
celebrated the Holy Communion in the parlor at Hamilton Place, and after
administering to the company assembled there, carried the consecrated
elements to the rooms of General Manigault and Major Prince, that they
might also receive the Comfortable Sacrament. In the afternoon I drove
back to Columbia and assisted the Rev. Dr. Pise at the marriage of Miss
Hages to Major William E. Moore, Chief Commissary of the Army. After
this I rode to the residence of Mr. Vaught, where I found General Hood
and his staff.
I was glad to find the General bearing up well under the disaster to our
arms. It was now a very serious question whether General Hood should
hold the line of Duck River, (even if it were possible for him to do
so,) or fall back across the Tennessee. One officer remarked to the
General in my presence, that while God was on our side so manifestly
that no man could question it, it was still very apparent that our
people had not yet passed through all their sufferings.
The General replied that the remark was a just one. He had been
impressed with the fact at Spring Hill, where the enemy was completely
within our grasp, and notwithstanding all his efforts to strike a
decisive blow, he had failed. And now again at Nashville, after the
day's fighting was well nigh over, when all had gone successfully until
the evening, our troops had broken in confusion and fled.
Early the following morning, General Forrest reached headquarters and
advised strongly that General Hood withdraw without delay south of the
Tennessee. "If we are unable to hold the state, we should at once
evacuate it," were the words of General Forrest. At nine o'clock in the
morning, cannonading began at Rutherford Hill. After a couple of hours,
word came from General Cheatham that he had repulsed the enemy, and the
firing ceased. General Hood finally decided to fall back south of the
Tennessee; and Governor Harris, in whose judgment I had great
confidence, thought it the best we could do. Still it was a dark day to
me, and the thought of leaving the state of Tennessee once more, greatly
depressed me.
Tuesday, the 20th of December, was a day of gloominess. I felt in
bidding farewell to Columbia, that I was parting with my dearest and
most cherished hopes. I recalled the days of our march into Tennessee,
so full of delightful intercourse with Strahl, and Marsh and other
friends. After saying "good-bye," I rode on to Pulaski, thirty miles,
where I was cordially received at the home of Mrs. Ballentine. The next
day I baptized six persons there, and later at the headquarters of
General Hood, in the residence of the Honorable Thomas Jones, four of
Mr. Jones' children. After this baptism Mr. Jones joined us at prayers
in General Hood's room. The General said, "I am afraid that I have been
more wicked since I began this retreat than for a long time past. I had
so set my heart upon success,--had prayed so earnestly for it,--had such
a firm trust that I should succeed, that my heart has been very
rebellious. But," he added, "let us go out of Tennessee, singing hymns
of praise."
The weather was exceeding inclement. So many of our poor boys were
barefooted that there was very great suffering. The citizens of Pulaski
did all they could to provide shoes. I dined on Wednesday with Governor
Harris, at Major Nathan Adams' and spent the night with Colonel Rice.
The General informed me the next day that the enemy effected a crossing
of Duck River at Columbia at noon, and began shelling the town. But
Forrest told them by flag, that if the shelling were not stopped, he
would put their wounded directly under the fire. The firing consequently
ceased.
Our forces all moved on towards Bainbridge. General Hood left the
following morning. I joined Governor Harris as he was not to be detained
en route. We rode thirty miles to a little town called Lexington, where
Colonel Rice, Captain Ballentine and myself obtained rough
accommodations for the night. The next day, we started for Lamb's Ferry,
thinking to find a boat there, but learned that General Roddy had
ordered it to Elk River to cross his command. I therefore had another
journey of eighteen miles to make. Just at the close of the day I found
my friend, Major-General Clayton, camped by the road-side, and not
knowing General Hood's location, I decided to accept General Clayton's
very cordial invitation to spend the night with him. It was Christmas
eve. After supper the General called up all his staff and couriers and
we had prayers.
The next day, Christmas day and Sunday, was very sad and gloomy. I had
prayers at General Clayton's headquarters, after which I rode down to
the river and watched the work of putting down the pontoons. Some one
brought me a Christmas gift of two five dollar gold pieces from Mrs.
Thomas Jones of Pulaski.
The following day I crossed the river at nine o'clock. On crossing the
river on our forward march, I had sung "Jubilate." Now I was chanting
"De Profundis." I joined General Hood at Tuscumbia on the 27th and found
the General feeling the disaster more since he reached Tuscumbia than at
any time since the retreat began. And after various adventures, I
reached Aberdeen on Saturday, the last day of 1864. Though an entire
stranger in Aberdeen, I received a most cordial welcome at the home of
Mr. Needham Whitfield, whose family were church people. And thus ended
the year 1864.