OVERTON’S HOUSE, HOOD’S HEADQUARTERS AT NASHVILLE,
From a photograph taken in 1884.
ing clouds; the waving flags; the smoke slowly rising through the leafless tree-tops and drifting across the valleys; the wonderful outburst of musketry; the ecstatic cheers ; the multitude racing for life down into the valley below,— so exciting was it all, that the lookers-on instinctively clapped their hands, as at a brilliant and successful transformation scene, as indeed it was. For, in those few minutes, an army was changed into a mob, and the whole structure of the rebellion in the Southwest, with all its possibilities, was utterly overthrown. As soon as the other divisions farther to the left saw and heard the doings on their right, they did not wait for orders. Everywhere, by a common impulse, they charged the works in front, and carried them in a twinkling. General Edward Johnson and nearly all his division and his artillery were captured. Over the very ground where, but a little while before, Post's assault had been repulsed, the same troops now charged with resistless force, capturing fourteen guns and one thousand prisoners. Steedman’s colored brigades also rallied and brought in their share of prisoners and other spoils of war. Everywhere the success was complete. . . .
Note.—Tlie repulse of Hood virtually ended the war in the West north of Tennessee River. Thomas remained at Nashville, and Schofield, with the Army of the Ohio, was sent to North Carolina.
Hood retreated to Tupelo, and detachments of his army went to Mobile and to join Johnston in the Carolinas.
In January the Sixteenth Corps was organized from troops in Thomas’s department, and sent to New Orleans under General A. ,T. Smith, to join in attacking Mobile. Mobile was defended by an army under General Dabney H. Maury, and the fleet of Commodore Farrand. General E. R. S. Canby, who had succeeded Banks, invested the place, and on the 8th and 9th of April, Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely fell by bombardment and assault, and tho city was evacuated on the llth.
Meanwhile, Wilson, starting from the banks of the Tennessee in March, had driven Forrest into central Alabama. He defeated him and captured Selma on April 2 and entered Montgomery on the llth, the day Canby gained Mobile. From Montgomery Wilson moved eastward into Georgia, where his troopers intercepted the flight of Jefferson Davis. (See p. 320.) On May 1 Canby received the surrender of all the Confederate forces in Alabama and Mississippi.
beyond the extreme left flank of the enemy, and was moving northward over the wooded hills direct to the rear of the extreme rebel left.
General Thomas, who had been making a re-eonnoissance, had no sooner reached Schofield's front than General McArthur, who commanded one of Smith’s divisions, impatient at the long waiting, and not wanting to spend the second night on the rocky hill he was occupying, told Smith that he could carry the high hill in front of Couch,—the same that Couch himself had told Schofield he could
carry,— and would undertake it unless forbidden. Smith silently acquiesced, and McArthur set to work. Withdrawing McMillen’s (his right) brigade from the trenches, he marched it by the flank in front of General Couch’s position, and with orders to the men to fix bayonets, not to fire a shot, and neither to halt nor to cheer until they had gained the enemy’s works, the charge was sounded. The gallant brigade, which had served and fought in every part of the Southwest, moved swiftly down the slope, across the narrow valley, and began scrambling up the steep hillside, on the top of which was the redoubt, held by Bate’s division, and mounted also with Whitworth guns. The bravest onlookers held their breath as these gallant men steadily and silently approached the summit amid the crash of musketry and the boom of the artillery. In almost the time it has taken to tell the story they gained the works, their flags were wildly waving from the parapet, and the unmistakable cheer, “the voice of the American people,” as General Thomas called it, rent the air. It was an exultant moment, but this was only a part of the heroic work of that afternoon. While McMillen’s brigade was preparing for this wonderful charge, Hatch’s division of cavalry, dismounted, had also pushed its way through the woods, and had gained the tops of two hills that commanded the rear of the enemy’s works. Here, with incredible labor, they had dragged by hand two pieces of artillery, and, just as McMillen began his charge, these opened on the hill where Bate was, up the opposite slope of which the infantry were scrambling. At the same time Coon’s brigade of Hatch’s division, with resounding cheers, charged upon the enemy, and poured such volleys of musketry from their repeating-rifles as I have never heard equaled. Thus beset on both sides, Bate’s people broke out of the works, and ran down the hill toward their right and rear as fast as their legs could carry them. It was more like a scene in a spectacular drama than a real incident in war. The hillside in front, still green, dotted with the boys in blue swarming up the slope ; the dark background of high hills beyond; the lower-
nal position, losing in those few minutes nearly 300 men; while the supporting brigade on its left lost 250.
Steedman had promised to cooperate in this assault, and accordingly Thompson’s brigade of colored troops was ordered to make a demonstration at the moment Post’s advance began. These troops had never before been in action and were now to test their mettle. There had been no time for a recon-noissanee, when this order was given, else it is likely a way would have been found to turn the enemy’s extreme right flank. The colored brigade moved forward against the works east of the Franklin Pike and nearly parallel to it. As they advanced, they became excited, and what was intended merely as a demonstration was unintentionally converted into an actual assault. Thompson, finding his men rushing forward at the double-quick, gallantly led them to the very slope of the intrenchments. But, in their advance across the open field, the continuity of his line was broken by a large fallen tree. As the men separated to pass it, the enemy opened an enfilading fire on the exposed flanks of the gap thus created, with telling effect. Inconsequence, at the very moment when a firm compact order was most needed, the line came up ragged and broken. Meantime Post’s assault was repulsed, and the fire which had been concentrated on him was turned against Thompson. Nothing was left, therefore, but to withdraw as soon as possible to the original position. This was done without panic or confusion, after a loss of 467 men from the three regiments composing the brigade.
When it was seen that a heavy assault on his right, at Overton’s Hill, was threatened, Hood ordered Cleburne’s old division to be sent over to the exposed point, from the extreme left, in front of Schofield. About the same time General Couch, commanding one of the divisions of the Twenty-third Corps, told General Schofield that he believed he could carry the hill in his front, but doubted if he could hold it without assistance. The ground in front of General Cox, on Couch’s right, also offered grand opportunities for a successful assault. Meantime the cavalry, on Cox’s right, had made its way
But one avenue of escape was now open for Hood— the Franklin Pike. Gen Thomas hoped that a vigorous assault by Schofield’s corps against Hood’s left would break the line there, and thus enable the cavalry, relieved from the necessity of operating against the rebel flank, to gallop down the Granny White Pike to its junction with the Franklin, some six or eight miles below, and plant itself square across the only remaining line of retreat. If this scheme could be carried out, nothing but capture or surrender awaited Hood’s whole army.
Meantime, on the National left, Colonel Post, who had so gallantly carried Montgomery Hill the morning before, had made a careful reconnoissanee of Overton’s Hill, the strong position on Hood’s right. As the result of his observation, he reported to General Wood, his corps commander, that an assault would cost dear, but he believed it could be made successfully; at any rate he was ready to try it. The order was accordingly given, and everything prepared. The brigade was to be supported on either side by fresh troops to be held in readiness to rush for the works the moment Post should gain the parapet. The bugles had not finished sounding the charge, when Post’s brigade, preceded by a strong line of skirmishers, moved forward, in perfect silence, with orders to halt for nothing, but to gain the works at a run. The men dashed on, Post leading, with all speed through a shower of shot and shell. A few of the skirmishers reached the parapet; the main line came within twenty steps of the works, when, by a concentrated fire of musketry and artillery from every available point of the enemy’s line, the advance was momentarily checked, and, in another instant, Post was brought down by a wound, at first reported as mortal. This slight hesitation and the disabling of Post were fatal to 1 lie success of the assault. The leading and animating spirit■ gone, the line slowly drifted to its origi-
SOUTH-WEST FRONT OF THE CAPITOL AT NASHVILLE.
From a photograph.
The view is toward the hattle-fleld. Near the base of tin; first column is seen in the distance the flag of Fort Negiey.
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