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diff --git a/24740.txt b/24740.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2dbb801 --- /dev/null +++ b/24740.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1347 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee, by +John K. Shellenberger + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee + read after the stated meeting held February 2d, 1907 + +Author: John K. Shellenberger + +Release Date: March 3, 2008 [EBook #24740] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF SPRING HILL, TENNESSEE *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +Military Order +OF THE +Loyal Legion of the United States + +COMMANDERY OF THE +STATE OF MISSOURI + +The Battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee. + +PREPARED BY +Companion Captain John K. Shellenberger + +READ AFTER THE +STATED MEETING +HELD FEBRUARY +2d, 1907 + + + + +PREFACE. + + +More than twenty-five years have passed since I began to collect the +materials from which this pamphlet has been evolved. As a substantial +basis, to begin with, I was an eye-witness of all the fighting in the +vicinity of Spring Hill, that amounted to anything, from the time +Forrest attacked the 64th Ohio on the skirmish line until Cleburne's +Division recoiled from the fire of the battery posted at the village. + +Since I began collecting I have neglected no opportunity to increase my +stock of information by conversation, reading or correspondence. I have +twice revisited the battlefield. I have the Government volume containing +the official reports, all of which I have carefully studied. Among my +correspondents, on the Union side, have been Generals Stanley, Wilson, +Opdycke, Lane and Bradley, besides many others of lesser rank. I am as +confident, from their letters, that my paper would have the approval of +those named, who are now dead, as I am sure it has the approval of +General Wilson, to whom a manuscript copy was submitted for criticism. + +Among other Confederates, I wrote to General S.D. Lee, who referred me +to Judge J.P. Young, of Memphis Tennessee, with the statement that he +had exhausted the subject on the Confederate side. He was present at +Spring Hill as a boy soldier in Forrest's cavalry, and for years has +been engaged in writing a history of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, +to which he has given an enormous amount of careful research. To him I +am indebted for much of the most valuable part of my information +concerning the Confederate troops. From the materials thus gathered I +have tried to give, within the compass of a Loyal Legion paper, a clear +and truthful account of the affair just as it happened. That opinions +will differ, is shown by the fact that Judge Young holds General Brown +responsible for the Confederate failure, while I believe that Cheatham, +Stewart and Bate were all greater sinners than Brown. He was acting +under the eye of Cheatham, who could easily have forced an attack by +Brown's Division if he had been equal to the occasion. + +By a curious coincidence General Lee was present as the guest of the +Missouri Commandery at the meeting when the paper was read, and, in +commenting on it, General Lee stated that I had told the truth about as +it had occurred. The deductions made from the facts stated are my own. + + + + +THE BATTLE OF SPRING HILL. + + +It may be fairly claimed that the success of General Sherman's famous +March to the Sea hung on the issue of a minor battle fought at Spring +Hill, in Middle Tennessee, the evening of November 29th, 1864, when +Sherman and his army were hundreds of miles away in the heart of +Georgia. It will be remembered that when Sherman started from Atlanta +for Savannah his old antagonist, General Hood, was at Florence, Alabama, +refitting his army to the limit of the waning resources of the +Confederacy, for an aggressive campaign into Tennessee. If Hood's +campaign had proved successful Sherman's unopposed march through Georgia +would have been derided as a crazy freak, and, no doubt, the old charge +of insanity would have been revived against him. By how narrow a margin +Hood missed a brilliant success, a truthful account of the Spring Hill +affair will disclose. Much has been written by interested generals of +both sides, and by their partisan friends, to mislead as to the real +situation. With no personal friendships or enmities to subserve, it is +the intention of this paper to tell the truth without any regard to its +effect on the reputation of any general, Federal or Confederate. + +The Administration gave a reluctant consent to Sherman's plan on the +condition that he would leave with General Thomas, commanding in +Tennessee, a force strong enough to defeat Hood. On paper Thomas had +plenty of men, but Sherman had taken his pick of infantry, cavalry, +artillery and transportation, leaving the odds and ends with Thomas, +consisting largely of post troops garrisoning towns; bridge guards in +block-houses along the railroads; new regiments recruited by the payment +of the big bounties that produced the infamous tribe of bounty jumpers; +negro regiments never yet tested in battle; green drafted men assigned +to some of the old, depleted regiments in such large numbers as to +change their veteran character; dismounted cavalrymen sent back to get +horses, and convalescents and furloughed men belonging to the army with +Sherman who had come up too late to join their commands, organized into +temporary companies and regiments. + +Moreover, Thomas' forces were scattered from East Tennessee to Central +Missouri, where General A.J. Smith, with two divisions of the +Sixteenth corps, was marching for St. Louis to take steamboats to join +Thomas at Nashville. The only force available for immediate field +service consisted of the Fourth and the Twenty-third corps, the two +weakest corps of Sherman's army, which he had sent back to Thomas. These +two corps, temporarily commanded by General Schofield, were thrown well +forward towards Florence to delay Hood long enough for Thomas to +concentrate and organize from his widely scattered resources a force +strong enough to give battle to Hood. + +Passing over all prior operations we will take up the situation as it +was the morning of November 29th. General Schofield had then well in +hand on the north bank of Duck River, opposite Columbia, Tennessee, the +divisions of Kimball, Wagner and Wood, composing the Fourth corps, and +of Cox and Ruger, of the Twenty-third corps, Ruger's lacking one brigade +on detached service. Across the river were two divisions of General S. +D. Lee's corps of Hood's Army. The preceding evening Hood, himself, with +the corps of Cheatham and Stewart, and Johnson's division of Lee's +corps, had moved up the river five and one-half miles to Davis' ford, +where he was laying his pontoons preparatory to crossing. His plan was +to detain Schofield at the river by feinting with two divisions while he +would lead seven divisions past the left flank and plant them across +Schofield's line of retreat at Spring Hill, twelve miles north of Duck +River. As Hood greatly outnumbered Schofield, his plan contemplated the +destruction of Schofield's army. + +During the evening of the 28th General Wilson, commanding our cavalry, +had learned enough of Hood's movement to divine its purpose. In view of +its vital importance, to insure a delivery, he sent a message in +triplicate, each courier riding by a separate road, informing Schofield +of what Hood was doing, and advising and urging him to get back to +Spring Hill with all his army by 10 o'clock, the 29th. General Wilson +has stated that his couriers all got through, the one riding by the +shortest road reaching Schofield's headquarters at 3 a.m. of the 29th. + +From the reports sent him by Wilson, General Thomas at Nashville had +also correctly divined Hood's intention, and in a dispatch dated at +3:30 a.m., of the 29th--but by the neglect of the night operator not +transmitted until 6 o'clock, when the day operator came on duty--he +ordered Schofield to fall back to Franklin, leaving a sufficient force +at Spring Hill to delay Hood until he was securely posted at Franklin. + +I was commanding Company B, 64th Ohio Regiment, Bradley's brigade, +Wagner's division. The brigade was under arms that morning by 4 o'clock, +and had orders to be ready to march on a moment's notice. It is assumed +that all the rest of the army received the same orders, and that this +action was taken on account of the information brought by Wilson's +courier at 3 o'clock. But nothing was done until 8 o'clock, when the +movements began which disposed of our army as follows: + +Wagner's division was sent to Spring Hill to guard the reserve artillery +and the wagon trains, all ordered to Spring Hill, from any raid by +Hood's cavalry. General Stanley, the corps commander, went with Wagner. +Cox's division was posted along the river, and was engaged all day in +skirmishing with the two divisions under Lee, which kept up a noisy +demonstration of forcing a crossing. Ruger's two brigades were posted +four miles north of Duck river, where the pike to Spring Hill crosses +Rutherford's creek, to hold that crossing. The divisions of Kimball and +Wood were aligned between Cox and Ruger, facing up the river towards +Hood's crossing. At 9 o'clock Post's brigade, of Wood's division, was +sent up the river to reconnoiter, and before 11 o'clock Post had reached +a position where he could see Hood's column marching towards Spring +Hill, and repeatedly reported that fact. + +Nevertheless none of the four divisions near Duck river were started for +Spring Hill until after 4 o'clock, when Schofield had heard from Stanley +that Hood was attacking at Spring Hill. + +After the campaign Schofield claimed that its success was due to his +intimate knowledge of Hood's character, gained while they were +classmates at West Point, which enabled him to foresee what Hood would +do under any given conditions, and then make the best dispositions for +defeating him. When, two months later, Schofield was in Washington, +where they knew nothing about the details of the campaign, he so +successfully impressed his claim on the Administration that he was given +the same promotion with which General Sheridan had been rewarded for the +victory at Winchester, jumping at one bound from the rank of captain to +that of brigadier-general in the regular army. But it is plain that +after five hours' of deliberation that morning Schofield had reached a +wrong conclusion as to Hood's intention, for if "Actions speak louder +than words," there can be no question that Schofield's dispositions were +made under the conviction that Hood would march down the river, after +crossing, to clear the way for Lee to cross. And so deeply infatuated +was he with this self-imposed delusion that, disregarding the order of +Thomas and the advice of Wilson, he cherished it for about five hours +after Post had reported that Hood was marching towards Spring Hill. + +Wagner's advance, double-quicking through Spring Hill at noon, and +deploying just beyond on a run, interposed barely in time to head off +the advance of Hood's cavalry, Wagner arriving by the Columbia pike from +the southwest and the cavalry by the Mount Carmel road from the east. +General Forrest, commanding Hood's cavalry, had used his superior +numbers so skillfully as to push back Wilson with our cavalry just north +of Mount Carmel, which is five miles east of Spring Hill, before noon. +Leaving one brigade to watch Wilson, Forrest then crossed over to Spring +Hill with all the rest of his three divisions of cavalry. If Wagner had +arrived a few minutes later he would have found Forrest in possession at +Spring Hill. + +General Cox, in his book on this campaign, claims that General Wilson +committed a grave error in not crossing over to Spring Hill, in advance +of Forrest, with all our cavalry. But in justice to Wilson it must be +remembered that at Mount Carmel he acted under the belief that Schofield +was following the advice he had given early that morning. If Schofield +had been at Spring Hill at 10 o'clock, as Wilson had advised, with all +his infantry, what reason could there have been for the cavalry joining +him there? + +When Bradley's brigade, the rear of Wagner's column, was nearing Spring +Hill some of the cavalry approached the pike through the fields to +reconnoiter, and the 64th Ohio was sent to drive them away. With the +right wing deployed as skirmishers and the left wing in reserve, the +regiment advanced steadily, driving before it the cavalry, without +replying to the harmless long-range fire they kept up with their +carbines, but always galloping away before we could get within effective +range. About a mile east of the pike we crossed the Rally Hill road. +This was the road by which Hood's infantry column approached. It there +runs north nearly parallel with the pike to a point 500 yards east of +Spring Hill, where it turns west to enter the village. Leaving one of +the reserve companies to watch the road, the rest of the regiment kept +on in pursuit of the cavalry until our skirmishers were abreast of the +Caldwell house, about 800 yards east of the road, when a halt was +called. A few minutes later, at 2:30 o'clock, the left of our skirmish +line, north of the Caldwell house, was attacked by a line of battle in +front while the cavalry worked around our left flank. At the time we +believed the battle line to be a part of Hood's infantry, and in a +letter from General Bradley he states that it caused great consternation +at headquarters in Spring Hill when Major Coulter, of the 64th, came +galloping back with the information that the regiment was fighting with +infantry. But investigation has disclosed that the battle line was +composed of mounted infantry belonging to Forrest's command. They were +armed with Enfield rifles, and always fought on foot like ordinary +infantry, using their horses for traveling rapidly from place to place. + +The four reserve companies were thrown in on a run at the point of +contact, but our line was soon forced to fall back by the cavalry +turning our left flank, where they cut off and captured three of our +skirmishers. One of the three was badly wounded that evening in trying +to escape, a bullet entering from behind and passing through his mouth +in a way to knock out nearly one-half of all his teeth. We found him in +a hospital at Spring Hill when passing through in pursuit of Hood's army +after the victory at Nashville. In relating his experience he stated +that when they were captured they were taken before some general, name +unknown to him, who questioned them closely as to what force was holding +Spring Hill. The general was probably Forrest, for he was personally +directing the attack on the 64th, but may have been Hood himself, for he +was on the Rally Hill road, less than a mile away, soon after the men +were captured. They all declared that they knew the Fourth corps was at +Spring Hill, and they believed all the rest of the army. Their +declaration must have carried greater weight on account of their own +faith in what they were telling, for at that time the whole regiment +believed that all the rest of the army had followed to Spring Hill close +on the heels of Wagner's division. + +Eventually the 64th was driven back across the Rally Hill road, where a +last stand was made in a large woods covering a broad ridge abutting on +the road about three-fourths of a mile southeast of Spring Hill. While +in these woods, occurred a bit of exciting personal experience. A +bullet, coming from the right, passed through my overcoat, buttoned up +to my chin, in a way to take along the top button of my blouse +underneath the coat. That big brass button struck me a stinging blow on +the point of the left collar-bone, and, clasping both hands to the spot, +I commenced feeling for the hole with my finger tips, fully convinced +that a bullet coming from the front had gone through me there and had +inflicted a serious and possibly a mortal wound. It was not until I had +opened the coat for a closer investigation that I found I was worse +scared than hurt. Some of the enemy had secured a position on our right +flank, where they opened an enfilading fire, and it was one of their +bullets that had hit me. To get out of that fire the regiment fell back +towards the interior of the woods, where it was so close to our main +line that it was called in. + +It was then about 3:30 o'clock, and by that time the situation of our +army had become so critical that nothing short of the grossest +blundering on the part of the enemy could save it from a great disaster, +and there was a fine possibility for destroying it. + +Wagner's division had so much property to protect that it was stretched +out on a line extending from the railway station, nearly a mile +northwest of Spring Hill, where two trains of cars were standing on the +track, around by the north, east and south, to the Columbia pike on the +southwest. Behind this long line the village streets and the adjacent +fields were crammed with nearly everything on wheels belonging to our +army--ambulances, artillery carriages and army wagons to the number of +about 800 vehicles. The nearest support was Ruger's two brigades, eight +miles away, and it was about an hour later before Ruger had started for +Spring Hill. Opdycke's brigade was covering the railway station and the +Franklin pike on the north, and Lane's brigade the Mount Carmel road on +the east. They had a connected line, but it was so long that much of it +consisted of skirmishers only. They had in their front detachments of +Forrest's cavalry feeling along their line for an opening to get at the +trains. Bradley's brigade occupied an advanced, detached position, on +the ridge to the southeast that has been mentioned, to cover the +approach by the Rally Hill road. There was a gap of half a mile between +Lane's right in front of Spring Hill and Bradley's left, out on the +ridge. Bradley had in his immediate front the main body of Forrest's +three divisions of cavalry and the three divisions of infantry composing +Cheatham's corps, while four more divisions of infantry were within easy +supporting distance. In brief, ten of the twelve divisions, cavalry +included, composing Hood's army, were in front of Spring Hill, and at 4 +o'clock Hood was attacking with his infantry Wagner's lone division, +guarding all our trains, while Schofield was still waiting for Hood at +Duck river with four divisions from eight to twelve miles away. If +Wagner's division had been wiped out, a very easy possibility for the +overwhelming numbers confronting it while stretched out on a line about +three miles long, without any breastworks, the rich prize of our +ambulance train, six batteries of artillery, and all our wagons with +their loads of supplies would have fallen into Hood's hands, and the +retreat of the four divisions would have been squarely cut off, while +having a short supply of artillery and no food or ammunition except what +the men were carrying in their haversacks and cartridge boxes. The +escape of our army from this deadly peril was largely due to the great +skill with which General Stanley handled the situation at Spring Hill, +but manifestly no amount of skill on the part of Stanley could have +saved us, where the disadvantages were so great, if the enemy had +improved with a very ordinary degree of vigor and intelligence the +opportunity opened to them by Schofield's delusion as to Hood's +intention. General Hood rode with the advance of his column until after +it had crossed Rutherford's creek, two and one-half miles south of +Spring Hill. It was then about 3 o'clock. There was no bridge, and his +men had to wade the creek, which caused some delay. A short distance +north of the crossing Hood met Forrest, and got his report of the +situation at Spring Hill as he had developed it during the three hours +preceding. He had met with resistance on so long a line that no doubt he +greatly overestimated the force holding Spring Hill, and such an +estimate would agree with the story told by the captured 64th men. + +On the other hand, a courier had arrived with a report from Lee that +Schofield's main body was still in his front at Duck river, and Lee's +report was confirmed by the sounds of the heavy cannonading that had +been coming from his direction. These reports disclosed that a part of +Schofield's army was at Spring Hill and a part at Duck river, but they +conflicted as to which position was held by his main body. In the +uncertainty thus arising Hood decided, as his dispositions clearly show, +that his first move must be to plant Cheatham's corps on the pike +between those two parts. Developments would then determine his next +move. Cleburne's division was the first to cross the creek, and marching +up the road until his advance was close to the woods where Forrest's men +were fighting with the 64th Ohio, Cleburne halted and formed his battle +line along the road facing west towards the Columbia pike. If the +intention had been to make a direct attack, his line would have formed +facing north towards our line in the woods, where its position had been +developed by Forrest. The intention unquestionably was for Cleburne, +avoiding any encounter with our line in the woods, first to cross over +to the pike and then change direction and advance on Spring Hill astride +the pike, while Bate's division, following Cleburne's, received orders +as reported by Bate, to cross to the pike and then sweep down the pike +towards Columbia. Hood himself gave the orders to Cleburne and Bate, and +then established his headquarters at the Thompson farm house, near by, +about 500 yards west of the Rally Hill road, and nearly two miles south +of Spring Hill, where he remained till next morning. To save time +Cleburne started for the pike as soon as he was ready, and Bate, then +forming on Cleburne's left, followed as soon as his formation was +completed. + +While Cleburne and Bate were moving out, General Cheatham was at the +crossing hurrying over Brown's division. When Brown got over he could +support either Cleburne or Bate, as developments might dictate. Uncandid +statements have been made that Cheatham's divisions were moved around in +a disjointed manner and without any plan. There was not only a logical +plan but a successful plan, if it had been carried out, in the orders +given to Cheatham's divisions. The other four divisions were halted +south of Rutherford's creek, and fronted into line facing west towards +the Columbia pike. This proves that it was then Hood's belief that +Schofield's main body was still at Duck river. If it should march up the +pike and attack Bate, the four divisions would be on its flank. If it +should attempt to reach the fortifications at Murfreesboro by cutting +across the country south of Spring Hill the four divisions would be in a +position to intercept it. + +General Bradley had four regiments in line in the woods on the ridge, +with the left towards the Rally Hill road and the right trending away +towards the pike. They faced in a southeasterly direction. To cover more +ground there were short gaps between the regiments. The 65th Ohio was +the right regiment of the four, and to the right rear of the 65th was a +gap of a couple hundred yards extending out into cleared land, where the +42d Illinois was posted, refused as to the 65th and facing south to +cover that flank. To the front, right and rear of the 42d was a broad +expanse of rolling fields extending on the right to the pike, about +1,000 yards away, where two guns were posted to sweep the fields in +front of the 42d with their fire. To the left of the 42d an extension of +the woods ran out into the fields and concealed the 42d from Cleburne +until he had advanced almost abreast of its position. When the 64th came +off the skirmish line it was sent to the support of the 42d. The 36th +Illinois, Opdycke's only reserve, was hurried across on double-quick +from the other side of Spring Hill to support the two guns at the pike. +As many guns of the reserve artillery as could be utilized were placed +in battery around the southeasterly skirt of the village, looking +towards Bradley's position. Bradley's men very hastily had constructed +weak barricades of rails or anything else they could lay their hands on. +The 42d had such protection as was afforded by a rail fence. + +Shortly before 4 o'clock, having completed his formation, Cleburne +started to march across to the pike. His division consisted of four +brigades, but one was on detached duty, and he had three in +line--Lowrey's on his right, then Govan's, then Granbury's. First +crossing a field in his front, Lowrey entered the extension of the woods +that has been mentioned, and on emerging on the other side his right +came in view within easy range of the 42d, and that regiment opened an +enfilading fire, Lowrey's line being then almost perpendicular to the +line of the 42d. It was this accident of Lowrey's right passing within +range of the 42d that led to the failure of Hood's plan, which, up to +that minute, had been a great success. When the 42d opened fire the two +guns at the pike also opened, their fire crossing that of the 42d, and +the 64th, running forward and intermingling ranks with the 42d, poured +in their fire. When our fire had thus developed our position, out in +those wide fields they could see just what we had. They pulled down the +rims of their old hats over their eyes, bent their heads to the storm of +missiles pouring upon them, changed direction to their right on +double-quick in a manner that excited our admiration, and a little later +a long line came sweeping through the wide gap between the right of the +42d and the pike, and swinging in towards our rear. Our line stood firm, +holding back the enemy in front until the flank movement had progressed +so far as to make it a question of legs to escape capture when the +regimental commanders gave the reluctant order to fall back. The contact +was then so close that as the men on our right were running past the +line closing in on them they were called on with loud oaths, charging +them with a Yankee canine descent, to halt and surrender; and, not +heeding the call, some of them were shot down with the muzzles of the +muskets almost touching their bodies. By the recession of the two +regiments on the flank the rear of the four regiments in the woods +became exposed. They were attacked at the same time by Forrest in front, +and by Cleburne on their right and rear, and were speedily dislodged. +The attack was pressed with so much vigor that in a few minutes after +the 42d had opened fire Bradley's entire brigade was in rapid retreat +towards Spring Hill, with Cleburne in close pursuit, and pouring in a +hot fire. In falling back we had to cross the valley of a small stream, +and I never think of our strenuous exertions to get out of a +destructive cross-fire, while running down the easy slope leading to the +stream, without recalling the story of the officer who called to a +soldier making the best time he could to get out of a hot fire: "Stop, +my man! What are you running for?" + +"Because I have no wings to fly with," called back the soldier over his +shoulder while increasing his efforts to make better time. + +As we descended into the valley we uncovered our pursuers to the fire of +the battery at the village, which opened with shrapnel shells, firing +over our heads. General Stanley, who was in the battery, reported that +not less than eight guns opened fire. As soon as Cleburne encountered +that fire he hastily drew back over the ridge, out of sight. All pursuit +with its accompanying direct and cross-fire having thus ceased, +Bradley's men stopped running and walked on back to the vicinity of the +battery where a new line was formed without trouble or confusion. When +coming down the slope towards the stream Major Coulter, whose horse had +been killed, was running a few feet in front of me, and I was just +speculating whether my short legs could keep up with his long ones, when +he called back over his shoulder: "Rally at this fence," meaning a rail +fence we were approaching. I had a poor opinion of the fence as a place +to attempt a rally, for we would still be exposed to a cross-fire, but +wishing to obey orders I made for the strongest looking fence corner in +my front, and, jumping over and stopping behind it, looked around to see +if any concerted effort would be made to reform behind the fence. In my +brief halt there I had some opportunity to observe the effect of our +artillery fire on the enemy. I saw by the smoke where a number of our +shells exploded, and they all seemed too high in the air and too far to +the rear, for I could not see any men knocked down by them. No doubt the +fear of killing some of our own men caused our gunners to aim high, and +it is probable that the noise made by so many guns and exploding shells +had more to do with stopping the enemy than the execution that was done. +Their after-actions showed that they believed Bradley's brigade to have +been an outpost; that our main line was where the battery was posted, +and that so much artillery must have a correspondingly strong infantry +support. + +General Bradley reported a loss of 198 men in his brigade, nearly all of +it falling on the three regiments on the exposed flank, the other three +regiments falling back with light loss because their position had become +untenable. He was disabled with a wound, and Colonel Conrad, of the +15th Missouri, then assumed command of the brigade. By the casualties in +the 65th Ohio the command of that regiment devolved upon the adjutant, +Brewer Smith, a boy only 19 years old, and possibly the youngest officer +to succeed to the command of a regiment throughout the war. + +A regiment of the 23d corps which had come to Spring Hill as a train +guard, and was placed in support of the battery at the village, has +persistently claimed that the salvation of our army was due to the +heroic stand it made after all of Wagner's division had run away. In a +historical sketch of the regiment occurs this statement: + +"At Spring Hill the regiment had another opportunity to show its pluck. +A division that had been sent forward in charge of the trains was drawn +up to resist any attack the rebels might make while the regiment, being +with the headquarters train, was ordered to support a battery so placed +as to sweep an open field in front of the troops. The enemy, emerging +from the woods, marched steadily up to the National lines, when the +entire division broke and ran." That is pretty strong language in view +of the battle record of Wagner's division, for of the four brigades out +of all the brigades serving in all the Western armies, given prominent +mention by Colonel Fox in his book on regimental losses as famous +fighting brigades, two, Opdycke's and Bradley's, belonged to Wagner's +division, to say nothing of the very awkward fact that the brigades of +Opdycke and Lane were on the other side of Spring Hill, out of sight of +Cleburne's attack, but it is seriously so stated--"the entire division +broke and ran, leaving the regiment and the battery to resist the +attack. Fixing bayonets the men awaited the onset. As soon as the enemy +came within range they poured a well-directed fire into their ranks +which, being seconded by the battery, caused them to waver. Portions of +the retreating division having rallied, the rebels were compelled to +betake themselves to the woods." + +And in a paper on this campaign by a captain of the regiment, he relates +how the officers of the regiment tried to stop the flying troops, and +taunted their officers with the bad example they were setting their men; +how the regiment opened a rapid, withering fire from a little parapet of +cartridges which the officers, breaking open boxes of ammunition, had +built in front of the men, and how their fire proved so destructive at +that close range that it stopped Cheatham's men who then fell back and +commenced building breastworks. In calling them Cheatham's men, did the +captain wish to insinuate that Cheatham's whole corps was charging on +the regiment? He uses the words "withering," "destructive," and "that +close range," in a way to raise the inference that the contact was very +close. The actual distance was shrapnel-shell range, for the battery +stopped Cleburne with those missiles before he had crossed the little +stream more than 1,000 yards away, so that instead of a cool regiment of +exceptional staying qualities delivering a destructive fire at very +close range, as pictured by the captain, the truth discloses a highly +excited, not to say a badly scared regiment, wasting ammunition at too +long range to do any damage. That this was the truth is proved by the +very significant fact, not deemed worthy of mention in either of the +accounts quoted, that the regiment did not lose a single man killed or +wounded; not one, and it was not protected by breastworks. With +impressive mystery the captain describes the regiment as what was left +of it after the way it had been cut up in the Atlantic campaign, with +the same artful vagueness used in the matter of the range, seeking to +create the inference that the battle losses of the regiment had been +very extraordinary. Again, to be specific, the regiment lost in its +three years' term of service two officers and thirty-seven men killed or +died of wounds, less than one-third the average loss of the six +regiments composing Bradley's brigade, and it stands 109th among the +infantry regiments of its State in the number of its battle losses, or, +excepting six regiments that spent most of their time in garrison duty, +at the bottom of the list of all three years' regiments sent from the +State. It would appear that the 103d Ohio had become pretty well imbued +with the spirit characteristic of the headquarters with which it was +associated, to claim credit in an inverse ratio to services rendered. + +When Cleburne changed direction his left swung in so close to the pike +that the two guns and the 36th Illinois were driven away and Cleburne +could then have extended his left across the pike without meeting with +any further opposition. + +Lowrey and Govan made the change in line of battle while Granbury faced +to the right and followed their movement in column of fours. Afterwards +Granbury about faced, and moving back some distance in column, then +fronted into line and advanced to a farm fence paralleling the pike at a +distance variously stated at from 80 to 100 yards. His line there halted +and laid down behind the fence. Cleburne and Granbury were both killed +next day, and it is not known why Granbury did not go on and take +possession of the pike. The brigades of Lowrey and Govan had become so +badly mixed up in the pursuit of Bradley, and in the recoil from the +fire of the battery, that their line had to be reformed. When this was +accomplished the intrepid Cleburne was about to resume his attack +towards Spring Hill when he was stopped by an order from Cheatham, who +had brought up Brown's division on Cleburne's right, and had also sent a +staff officer to recall Bate with an order for him to close up and +connect with Cleburne's left. This proves that developments, probably +the fire of so many guns opening on Cleburne, had convinced Cheatham +that the force holding Spring Hill was strong enough to demand the +attention of his entire corps. His intention was for Brown to lead in an +attack, Cleburne to follow Brown, and Bate, when he got up, to follow +Cleburne. But on getting into position Brown reported to Cheatham that +he was out-flanked several hundred yards on his right, and that it would +lead to inevitable disaster for him to attack. The 97th Ohio, of Lane's +brigade, was to the left of the battery, in front of Spring Hill, with +the left of the 97th extending towards Mount Carmel road. The 100th +Illinois was on the other side of the road, several hundred yards in +advance of the 97th Ohio, and the two regiments were connected by a part +of the 40th Indiana deployed as skirmishers. That was the force that +paralyzed the action of Brown's veteran division. Cheatham then directed +Brown to refuse his right brigade to protect his flank, and to attack +with the rest of his division, but Brown, still hesitating, Cheatham +then concluded that the force holding Spring Hill was too strong for his +corps alone to attack, for he reported to Hood that the line in his +front was too long for him, and that Stewart's corps must first come up +and form on his right. But before Stewart could get up, night had come. + +It is notable that Brown's only excuse for not attacking was that he was +out-flanked on his right, for the claim has been made that Hood arrived +in front of Spring Hill too late in the day to accomplish anything, and +Schofield himself has stated that his action was based on a cool +calculation, made from his intimate knowledge of Hood's character, who +had been deficient in mathematics as a cadet, and could make no accurate +computation of the time required to overcome difficulties; that Hood, +marching by a muddy country road, would arrive in front of Spring Hill +tired, sleepy, and so much later than he had calculated, that he would +defer all action until next morning. Between "shortly after daylight," +when he started from Duck river, and 3 o'clock, when he had crossed +Rutherford's creek. Hood had ridden about ten miles--too short a +distance to tire him out, and too early in the day to become sleepy. He +then sent forward Cheatham's corps with plenty of time before night came +for Cheatham to have made a secure lodgement on the pike, or to have run +over Wagner's division, the way it was strung out, if Cleburne's attack +had been promptly followed up with anything like the vigor with which he +had jumped on Bradley's brigade. Hood's arrival in front of Spring Hill +that afternoon was clearly a contingency unlooked for by Schofield, for +it caught our army in a situation to leave no reasonable hope of escape +without dire disaster, and Schofield himself, as will appear, was +thoroughly frightened by the situation. That his after-version of the +saving merit of his cool calculation was fully accepted by the +Administration is proved by the promotion he was given, when, in fact, +his bad miscalculation was responsible for getting the army into a trap +from which it escaped through the failure of the enemy to shut the door. +Of the miracle of that escape much remains to be told. When Wagner was +coming to Spring Hill the 26th Ohio was detached from the column to +guard a country road entering the pike more than a mile southwest of +Spring Hill. Captain Kelly, of the 26th, informed me that the regiment +was driven off that evening by a line of battle so long as to extend far +beyond either flank of the 26th. That was Bate's division, and after +driving off the 26th there was nothing whatever to prevent Bate from +sweeping down the pike towards Columbia. If he had diligently obeyed +that order he would have progressed so far before Cheatham's recall +order reached him that he would have met Ruger coming to Spring Hill, +and then the cat would have been out of the bag. Bate declined to obey +Cheatham's first order because it conflicted with the order direct from +Hood, under which he was acting, and Cheatham's order had to be +repeated. When the second order reached Bate he was still loitering +where he had encountered the 26th Ohio. He had wasted more than an hour +of precious time in doing nothing, for he had not only disobeyed Hood's +order to sweep down the pike, but he had not even made a lodgement on +the pike. It was then about 6:30 o'clock, after dark, and Ruger's +advance was just coming along. First leaving orders for the other +divisions to follow after dark, about 4:30 o'clock, Schofield had +started with Ruger to reinforce Stanley. Ruger skirmished with Bate at +the place and time indicated, but as Bate was off to the east side, +instead of astride the pike, where, by Hood's order he should have been, +Ruger had no difficulty in pushing past Bate. Granbury's brigade was +still lying behind the fence, close to the pike, and after passing Bate, +Ruger had to run the gantlet of Granbury's line. Granbury had been +notified that Bate was coming from the left, and hearing Ruger marching +along the pike in the darkness, he mistook him for Bate, so that +Schofield himself, with Ruger, rode along right under the muzzles of the +muskets of Granbury's line, in blissful ignorance of the danger they +were passing. Captain English, Granbury's assistant adjutant-general, +advanced towards the pike to investigate, but was captured by the +flankers covering the march of Ruger's column, belonging to the 23d +Michigan. Elias Bartlett of the 36th Illinois, was on picket on the pike +at the bridge across the creek a half mile south of Spring Hill, and he +informed me that when Schofield came to his post he began eagerly to +inquire what had happened, saying that he had feared everything at +Spring Hill had been captured; that while they were talking, a +Confederate picket, near enough to hear the sound of their voices, fired +on them, and Schofield then rode on. A little later Bate came up through +the fields, Granbury fell back from the fence and Cleburne and Bate then +connected and adjusted a new line with Bate's left brigade refused so as +to face the pike and all the rest of their line running across the +country away from the pike. + +Bate had utterly failed to grasp the significance of Ruger's passage, +claiming that his flank was in danger, and his representations to that +effect were so urgent that Johnson's division was brought up between 9 +and 10 o'clock and posted on Bate's left, Johnson's line and the line of +Bate's refused brigade paralleling the pike at a distance of not more +than 150 yards. Many contradictory statements have been made relative to +the distance of that part of the Confederate line from the pike. The +owner of the land pointed out to me a small plantation graveyard as +being just inside their line that night. He said that the position of +their line was marked, after they had gone in the morning, by the rail +barricades they had built, and by the remains of their bivouac fires, +and he very positively asserted that no part of their line, facing the +pike, was distant more than 150 yards from the pike. All the intervening +space was cleared land. When the divisions of Cox, Wood and Kimball came +up from Duck river later in the night, they marched along unmolested +within that easy range of the Confederate line, and could plainly see +the men around the bivouac fires. A staff officer was stationed on the +pike beyond Johnson's left, where the fires first came into view, to +caution the troops as they came up to march by the fires as silently as +possible. Captain Bestow, of General Wood's staff, has related that when +the officer told Wood, riding at the head of his division, that the long +line of fires he could see paralleling the pike so closely on the right +was the bivouac fires of the enemy, the veteran Wood was so astounded +that he exclaimed: "In God's name, no!" When they came abreast of the +fires one of Wood's orderlies, believing it to be impossible they could +be the enemy, started to ride over to one of the fires to light his +pipe, but had gone only a short distance when he was fired on, and came +galloping back. A colonel of Johnson's division has stated that he held +his regiment in line, momentarily expecting an order to open fire, until +his men, one after another, overcome with fatigue, had all dropped to +the ground to go to sleep. Some of Johnson's men, on their own +responsibility, went out on the pike between the passage of the +different divisions, to capture stragglers for the sake of getting the +contents of their haversacks. They were the men who made it unsafe, as +reported by General Stanley, for a staff officer or an orderly to ride +along the pike when a column of troops was not passing. + +General Hood had gone to bed in Thompson's house when he was informed +that troops were marching along the pike. Without getting out of bed he +directed Colonel Mason, his chief of staff, to send an order to Cheatham +to advance on the pike and attack, but Mason admitted the next day, as +stated by Governor Harris, of Tennessee, who was serving as a volunteer +aide on Hood's staff, that he never sent the order. This strange neglect +of the part of his own chief of staff affords a fitting climax to all +the rest of the imbecility that contributed to Hood's failure after he +had personally led the main body of his army to a position where by all +ordinary chances success should have been certain. + +There is a bit of Stanley's report that gives a clear glimpse of the +situation as Schofield and Stanley believed it to be after they had met +that night: "General Schofield arrived from Columbia at 7 o'clock in the +evening with Ruger's division. He found the enemy on the pike and had +quite a skirmish in driving them off. My pickets had reported seeing +rebel columns passing, east of our position, as if to get possession of +the hills at Thompson's Station, and the anxious question arose whether +we could force our way through to Franklin. It was determined to attempt +this, and General Schofield pushed on with Ruger's division to ascertain +the condition of affairs." + +Another vivid glimpse is afforded in the statement of O.J. Hack, a +conductor on the railroad, who was also interested in a store at +Columbia. He came down the road that day on the last train southbound, +having in charge some goods for the store, and at the Spring Hill +station met the last train northbound, and from the trainmen learned +that the army was retreating. The two trains stood at the station that +afternoon. Some time after dark, being anxious to save his goods, Hack +went over to Spring Hill in quest of a guard to run the trains back to +Franklin. On inquiring for headquarters he was directed to a large brick +house where he found Schofield and Stanley together. Schofield, recently +arrived from Duck river, had just been getting Stanley's account of the +situation, and Hack said that Schofield was in a condition of great +agitation, "walking the floor and wringing his hands." When Hack had +told what he wanted, Schofield sharply replied that the enemy had +possession of the road north of Spring Hill, and the trains could not +move. The report of Stanley and the statement of Hack concur in showing +that it was then Schofield's belief that Hood had possession of the +Franklin pike; that the army was caught in a trap; that the only way out +was the desperate expedient of forcing a passage by a night attack, and, +failing in that, he must fight a battle next day under so many +disadvantages that ruinous defeat, with the probable loss of the army, +was staring him in the face. It would be interesting to know what +Schofield then thought about his intimate knowledge of Hood's character, +and his cool calculation based thereon, for which he afterwards so +unblushingly claimed so much credit. + +The two trains stood at the station until daylight was beginning to dawn +when a detail of men came and began to build fires to burn the cars, but +the detail was driven away, and the fires were extinguished before much +damage was done, by the advance of the enemy. The two trains thus +captured afforded the transportation to which Hood alluded in a letter +to Richmond, written when he was in front of Nashville, wherein he +stated that he had captured enough transportation to make use of the +railroad in bringing up supplies. But Schofield ignored the loss of the +two trains, for, in his official report, he explicitly states that with +the exception of a few wagons, and of a few cattle that were stampeded, +he arrived at Franklin without any loss. + +When Schofield "pushed on with Ruger's division to ascertain the +condition of affairs," on his arrival at Thompson's Station, three miles +north of Spring Hill, he found camp fires still burning, but the +brigade of cavalry that had been in possession there, withdrew without +making any resistance. This very considerate action on the part of the +cavalry was another of those lucky fatalities that so notably +contributed to the escape of our army when such special fatalities were +a vital necessity for its escape. After posting Ruger there to hold the +cross roads Schofield returned to Spring Hill, where he arrived about +midnight at the same time with the advance of Cox's division coming from +Duck river. With this division he then hurried through to Franklin, +picking up Ruger as he passed along, and thus saddling Stanley with all +the risk of saving the artillery and the trains. + +If they had been lost Stanley would have been the scapegoat, but with +the same skill with which that afternoon he had bluffed off ten-twelfths +of Hood's army with a single division, Stanley that night saved the +artillery and the trains. At 3 o'clock in the morning, when only a part +of the trains had pulled out, the long column on the pike was brought to +a standstill by an attack some place in front. The situation was so +critical that General Wood, who was then with Stanley, believing it +would be impossible to save both troops and trains, advised that the +trains be abandoned. But Stanley persevered until the attack was beaten +off and the column again in motion. The two trains of cars had to be +abandoned because a bridge had been destroyed north of the station, and +about forty wagons were lost in the attacks made by Forrest between +Thompson's Station and Franklin. Everything else was saved. + +And, by the way, Stanley was one of the many good soldiers who were +overslaughed by the big promotion obtained by Schofield. Stanley +outranked Schofield, both as a captain in the regular army and as a +major-general of volunteers, but by assignment of the President, gained +by his extraordinary ability in the arts of diplomacy instead of by +fighting ability displayed on the battle field, Schofield was a +department commander while Stanley was a corps commander, and it thus +happened that Stanley was serving under his junior in rank. + +Wagner's division was the last to leave Spring Hill. When night came +Bradley's brigade began to intrench the line it was on, and kept at this +work until nearly midnight when the men were called under arms, and +spent all the remainder of that anxious, weary night on their feet. +While standing in column we could hear to our left the rumble of the +wheels while the artillery and the wagons were pulling out, and much of +the time could be heard the dull tread of many feet and the clicking of +accoutrements that told of the march of a column of troops along the +pike, but there was no other sound--not even the shout of a teamster to +his mules or the crack of a whip. All the surroundings were so +impressive as to subdue the most boisterously profane men. In expressing +their dissatisfaction with the situation they were always careful to +mutter their curses in a tone so low as to be inaudible a short distance +away, for, looking to our right, we could see the glow on the sky made +by the bivouac fires of the enemy, and in some places could see the +fires with a few men about them cooking something to eat, or otherwise +engaged, while most of their men were lying on the ground asleep. Every +minute of those anxious hours we were looking for them to awake to the +opportunity that was slipping through their fingers and grab hold of it +by advancing and opening fire on the congested mass of troops and trains +that choked the pike. Occasionally our column would move on a short +distance. Any orders that may have been given were spoken in a low tone +at the head of the column. You would be apprised that the column was +moving by the silent disappearance in the darkness of your file leader. +You would hurry after him, and taking, perhaps, not more than a dozen +steps, would be brought to a sudden halt by running against him, +immediately followed by the man in your rear bumping up against +yourself. Then would follow an indefinite wait until the column would +again move on a short distance. The wearing suspense of the long +waiting, while standing on our feet; the exasperating halts following +those false starts, when everybody was almost frantic with impatience to +go on; the excessive physical fatigue, combined with the intense mental +strain when already haggard from much loss of sleep during the three +days and nights preceding, make that night memorable as by far the most +trying in nearly four years of soldiering. It afforded unspeakable +relief when, just as daylight was beginning to dawn, our column finally +got away in rapid motion for Franklin, the enemy dogging our heels with +their close pursuit. + +The location of Hood's headquarters was central as to the position of +his troops until nightfall, and was, therefore, a proper one. But he was +too far away to get any personal knowledge as to what was going on at +Spring Hill, and he had to rely on the reports of his subordinates who +were in contact with our troops. The character of those reports is +unmistakably indicated by the second move that Hood made. His first +move, as has been shown, was based on the correct theory that a part of +Schofield's army was at Spring Hill and a part at Duck river, and it +contemplated thrusting in Cheatham's corps between those two parts. His +second move, made after the fighting was all over, and he had received +the reports of that fighting, was based on the theory that all of +Schofield's army had reached Spring Hill, for, abandoning all purpose of +cutting off any part south of Spring Hill, it contemplated seizing the +pike north of Spring Hill and cutting off Schofield's retreat to +Franklin. + +Between sunset and dark, as stated by General Stewart, which would be +about 5 o'clock at that season of the year, he received orders to cross +Rutherford's creek with his corps, to pass to the right of Cheatham's +corps, and to extend his right across the Franklin pike. After about +five hours Stewart finally went into bivouac with his right more than a +mile away from the Franklin pike. His explanations for his failure were +the lack of a competent guide, the darkness of the night, and the +fatigue of his men. To accomplish Hood's orders required a march of a +little less than four miles by Stewart's head of column--about three +miles by a direct country road leading into the Mount Carmel road, and +the remaining distance across the country lying between the Mount Carmel +road and the Franklin pike. It would seem that a guide might have been +found among the cavalry who had explored the country that afternoon in +developing the position of our line between the Mount Carmel road and +the railway station, west of the Franklin pike; or there were men in +some of the Tennessee regiments whose homes were in that vicinity, who +were thoroughly familiar with the ground. That no great difficulties +were involved in the march is proved by the fact that Johnson's division +made a similar march in about two hours, later in the night, to get into +position on Bate's left. The night was as dark, the men were as tired, +the distance was as great, and the way was as difficult for Johnson as +for Stewart. In view of these plain facts it is a fair inference that +Stewart made a very lukewarm effort to accomplish Hood's orders; that it +was possible for him, by a display of no more energy than Johnson +displayed, to have extended his right across the Franklin pike as early +as 8 o'clock, and then when Schofield started north with Ruger's +division about 9 o'clock, he would have found the way effectually +barred. + +The prime cause of Hood's failure was apparently the lack of confidence +in his generalship on the part of so many of his subordinates. They had +been dissatisfied with his appointment to the command of the army, and +their dissatisfaction had been greatly increased by the failure of his +attacks on Sherman's lines in front of Atlanta. With the poor opinion +they held of Hood's ability it was not possible for them to give to any +plan of his that whole-hearted, unquestioning support that gives the +best guarantee of success. Simple as his plan was, they all failed to +grasp the importance of getting possession of the pike and, Cleburne +excepted, they all acted as if they were expecting a repetition of the +disastrous experience that had followed the attacks on Sherman. The +promptness with which Cleburne turned and rolled up Bradley's brigade +when he was so unexpectedly assailed on his own flank, was the only +energetic action on the part of any of them after they had crossed +Rutherford's creek; and, no doubt, if Cleburne had not been halted by +Cheatham's order, he would have gone on until he had reaped the full +measure of success made so easily possible by the faulty situation of +our army. But amid all the exciting occurrences of that eventful evening +it is amazing that no inkling of that faulty situation seems ever to +have entered the mind of any one of those veteran generals. + +Hood made a mistake, as stated by himself, in not taking Bee's corps on +the flank march instead of Cheatham's corps. He believed that with Bee +in Cheatham's place he would have succeeded, and in view of the skill +with which Lee executed the part assigned to him to hold Schofield at +Duck river, it is more than probable he would have given at Spring Hill +far better support than Cheatham gave. Hood led Cheatham within sight of +an easy and brilliant success, and it was the hesitation displayed by +Cheatham. Brown and Bate at the critical time, that defeated Hood's plan +and saved Schofield's army. That their hesitation was not due to any +lack of courage on their part, or on the part of the troops they +commanded, was abundantly proved by the unsurpassed courage with which +they assaulted at Franklin next day when it was everlastingly too late. +If they had fairly utilized at Spring Hill one-tenth part of the courage +that was thrown away on the breastworks of Franklin they would have +changed the later current of the war with results too far reaching to be +estimated. + +The prime purpose of Schofield's campaign was to delay Hood. How well he +succeeded in that purpose can be significantly stated in a single +sentence: The evening of November 29th he was at Duck river, and the +morning of December 1st he was at Nashville, more than forty miles away. +Then followed the panicky feeling displayed by the Administration, and +by General Grant, because General Thomas was not ready to attack Hood +immediately on his appearance in front of Nashville. If Schofield's +orders at Duck river had been to make no effort to delay Hood but to get +inside the fortifications of Nashville with the least possible delay, he +would not have covered the distance in so short a time without the spur +of Hood's flank movement, and the celerity with which he ran out of the +country was due to the scare he got at Spring Hill. + +From Franklin next day he wired General Thomas at Nashville that he had +come through, but that the least mistake on his part, or the fault of +any subordinate, might have proved fatal, and he did not want to get +into such a tight place again; that a worse position for an inferior +force than the one at Franklin could hardly be found; that he had no +doubt Forrest would be in his rear next day, or doing some worse +mischief, and that he ought to fall back to Brentwood at once. In short, +his Franklin dispatches, read by the light of Stanley's report and of +Hack's statement, clearly show that his mind was still dominated by the +fright of Spring Hill, and that he could feel no security short of +Brentwood, where he would be backed up too close to Nashville for Hood +to have room to repeat that terrible flank movement. Not even the +wrecking of Hood's army on the breastworks of Franklin that evening +could reassure Schofield. He insisted on retreating to Nashville that +night when thousands of the men were in such a condition from more than +forty hours' of incessant marching, fortifying and fighting that they +dozed on their feet while they were walking, and in spite of the manly +protest of General Cox, who was so urgent in his efforts to persuade +Schofield no more running was necessary, that he offered to pledge his +head he could hold the position. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Battle of Spring Hill, Tennessee, by +John K. 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