Today in History:

601 Series I Volume XLV-I Serial 93 - Franklin - Nashville Part I

Page 601 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.

already serious demoralization of the enemy. I was disappointed, however, in my anticipations of Genera Croxton's aid. I was informed late in the evening that orders form Brever Major-General Wilson prevented his complying with my request. I learned this when it was too late to make other dispositions in time to follow up my advantage in case my attack should succeed, and accordingly, after throwing my mounted men ot my left, I went into bivouac, ordering everything to be in readiness for movement by 4 o'clock on the following morning, and instructing Colonel Harrison, with the first break of day, to execute the movement which I had requested General Croxton to make. I must not neglect to mention that in this day's operations were captured near fifty horses, so rapidly were our lines advanced.

At break of day on the following morning Harrison advanced, as I had instructed him only to find the enemy's works' abandoned. I pushed Harrison forward on the road by which he had retreated, moving with Harrison and the battery myself, and ordering Colonel Biddle to follow with his dismounted brigade and my ammunition train of four wagons. We marched down the Charlotte pike near a mile; there following the enemy's trail we diverged by a dirt road to the left, crossing the Hardin pike at the brick church, nine miles from Nashville. From there, following the valley of the Little Harpeth, I reached the Hillsborough pike about 2 p. m., where, posted on the ridges north of Murray's house, we found the enemy in some force and with artillery, which they opened upon us. The first round rom Lieutenant smith' guns, however, silenced their battery, and at our first advance they retired, after exchanging a few shots with our skirmishers, their main force by the road east toward the Franklin pike,a nd a few down found a brigade of General Knipe's division upon it in my rear, and, having had no communication with the brevet major-general commanding the corps during the day, I halted and dispatched a messenger to notify him of my whereabouts and to request instruction.s At nightfall the messenger not having returned, and General Knipe's troops being still in position in which I found them, I went into bivouac, covering the pike and the cross-road by which the enemy had retreated. In our haste to overtake the enemy, on discovering their evacuation of the position they had taken at Davidson's, we left behind us a battery of six guns abandoned by the enemy. They were afterward discovered, as I am informed, by the forces of the gun-boat flotilla and sent into Nashville. I submit that I am entitled to calif these as the capture of my division.

Open the morning of the 17th I moved at 4 o'clock in the morning down the Hillsborough pike, driving the enemy's pickets, whom we found in barricades on the ridges beyond Brown's Creek; forded the Harpeth where I struck the flank of the rebel rear guard of cavalry,w ho were there posted to prevent the passage of the river by General Knipe's division, which had advanced down the Franklin turnpike. On discovering my approach they immediately withdrew their artillery, and as my skirmishers advanced they retired precipitately down the Columbia pike to the high ridges south of the town. Here there fell into our hands all of the rebel and our own wounded of the late battle of Franklin, besides some 17,000 rations. The Seventh Ohio Cavalry, charging through the town, captured some fifty of the enemy's rear guard, and would have pressed the pursuit farther had I not sent them word to


Page 601 Chapter LVII. CAMPAIGN IN NORTH ALA. AND MIDDLE TENN.