port, giving him, with the troops already in Tennessee, and the command of A. J. Smith, then on the march thither from Missouri, an ample force to withstand Hood; and he was directed to continue to entice Hood northward and fight him in the neighborhood of Nashville, if possible. But if the rebel general should take the alarm and follow Sherman, then Thomas was to follow Hood, who, placed between two large armies, would be in no enviable position. The new campaign projected by Sherman will be hereafter related; at present we have to do exclusively with events in Tennessee.

Upon its arrival at the Tennessee, the army of Hood was re-enforced by twelve thousand mounted troops under Forrest, who, on his way thither from Corinth, had captured two Union transports and a small gunboat at Johnsville, an important dépôt of supplies. With needless precipitancy the garrison destroyed public property estimated to be worth several millions of dollars. Hood remained for some time on the south side of the river, sending over only Lee's Corps with some cavalry, and it was not until the 17th of November that he moved his remaining troops across, timing his advance with that of Breckinridge, who was operating in Eastern Tennessee. On the 19th he commenced his march northward from Florence on parallel roads, and on the 23d a portion of his force took possession of Pulaski. Thomas and Schofield, who were directly in the way of Hood's march, covering the approaches to Nashville, retreated slowly in the direction of that place. The whole Union force was not yet concentrated, and Thomas wisely determined to fight the decisive battle of the campaign with all the troops his department could furnish, and as near as possible to his base. On the 26th, the enemy occupied Columbia, Schofield, who commanded the Union rear-guard, retiring across Duck River towards Franklin, twenty miles south of Nashville, where he arrived on the 30th. Here he formed his line of battle on the southern edge of the town, to await the coming of the enemy, and, in the mean while, hastened the crossing of the trains to the north side of Harpeth River.

The enemy meantime pressed closely upon Schofield's rear-guard. At noon of November 30th, the main body of our army, consisting of the Fourth and Twenty-third Corps, and the detachments which had been collected from various points, was concentrated at Franklin. At that hour several bodies of Forrest's Cavalry were discovered hovering on the flanks, and reconnoitring the position which Schofield had taken close to the town. Between three and four P. M., Hood approached rapidly, and, forming his column with the quickness for which he was famous, hurled them at once against the centre of the line, which was held by portions of the two corps of Stanley and Schofield. The assaulting columns consisted of divisions belonging to the corps commanded by Generals Cheatham and Stewart, and the impetuosity of the charge carried these troops over the breast works and into the heart of Schofield's position. The first blow fell upon the centre of the line, breaking it and driving the defenders back in disorder. Through the gap thus made the Confederates swarmed fiercely, and for upwards of an hour the fight raged with terrible fury. Hood's troops pressed vigorously against the lines of Generals Wagner, Huyer, and Cox, and,

driving the command of the former back from their breast works, threw the other lines into wild, but, fortunately, temporary confusion.

By the first charge the Confederates obtained possession of the first line of defences, and shortly after four o'clock they advanced against the second. By this time some of the reserves were brought to the front, which enabled Cox and Wagner to reform their broken lines. As the Confederates moved against the second line of breast works, they were met and checked by the reserves and such of the other troops as had been rallied. Again they essayed to charge, but were again checked by Cox, Wagner, and Opdyke, the latter commanding a reserve brigade of Stanley's Corps. When order was fully restored at the second line and the troops rallied to the front, a charge was ordered to expel the Confederates from the line which they had captured. In the mean time, however, Hood made several successive attempts to follow up the advantage gained by the first assault, but without success.

About five P. M. the greatest struggle took place. When Cox and Stanley attempted to drive back the enemy they met the most stubborn resistance. The men on both sides were within arms' length of each other, fighting like demons with the bayonet and with clubbed muskets. At the same time batteries were pouring storms of shot and shell into the enemy's ranks, but this was almost unheeded. Finally, when it was too dark to continue the battle, and when Hood found that it was impossible to obtain all that he desired, he retired from the line captured at the opening of the action.

The Federal loss was about fifteen hundred. The loss of the enemy amounted to six thousand two hundred and fifty, viz. : buried upon the field, one thousand seven hundred and fifty; disabled and placed in hospital at Franklin, three thousand eight hundred, and seven hundred prisoners. Among their casualties were six general officers killed, six wounded, and one captured. This repulse of the enemy gave Schofield time to remove his troops and trains to Nashville, where on the same day arrived the advance of A. J. Smith's army from St. Louis by transports, and also General Steedman, with a command numbering five thousand men, composed of detachments belonging to Sherman's column, left behind at Chattanooga, and also a brigade of colored troops.

Hood followed closely upon the retiring troops of Schofield, and by noon of the 1st of December the Union line of battle was formed oa the heights immediately surrounding Nashville, with A. J. Smith's command occupying the right, his right resting on the Cumberland River, below the city; the Fourth Corps (Brigadier-General Wood temporarily in command) in the centre; and General Schofield's troops (Twenty-third Army Corps) on the left, extending to the Nolens ville pike. The cavalry under General Wilson was directed to take post on the left of General Schofield, which would make secure the interval between his left and the river above the city. Steedman's troops took up a position about a mile in advance of the left centre of the main line, and on the left of the Nolensville pike. This position, Leing regarded as too much exposed, was changed on the 3d, when, the cavalry

having been directed to take post on the north side of the river at Edgefield, General Steedman occupied the space on the left of the line vacated by its withdrawal.

On the 4th the enemy established his line with his salient on the summit of Montgomery Hill, within six hundred yards of our centre, his main line occupying the high ground on the southeast side of Brown's Creek, and extending from the Nolensville pike-his extreme right across the Franklin and Granny White's pikes in a westerly direction to the hills south and south west of Richland Creek, and down that creek to the Hillsboro' pike, with cavalry extending from both his flanks to the river. Artillery was opened on him from several points on the line, without eliciting any response.

Hood seems to have learned nothing from his mistake at Atlanta, whence he sent Wheeler's Cavalry to operate upon Sherman's rear, at the very moment he most wanted them to protect his own flanks, thus enabling Sherman to surprise his lines at Jonesboro'. This same mistake he now repeated. At the moment Thomas was preparing to move against him, and was only waiting a remount of cavalry, Hood sent Forrest and Bates to support a column of Cleburne's old troops, in an attack upon Murfreesboro', held by Rousseau, who was prepared for them. The block-house, five miles north of Murfreesboro', was attacked by Bates's Division of Cheatham's Corps on the 4th, but held out until three regiments of infantry, four companies of the Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry, and a section of artillery, under command of General Milroy, came up from Murfreesboro', attacked the enemy, and drove him off. During the 5th, 6th, and 7th, Bates's Division, re-enforced by a division from Lee's Corps, and two thousand five hundred of Forrest's Cavalry, demonstrated heavily against Fortress Rosecrans, at Murfreesboro', garrisoned by a considerable force, under command of General Rousseau. The enemy showing an unwillingness to make a direct assault, Milroy, with seven regiments of infantry, was sent out on the 8th to engage him. He was found a short distance from the place on the Wilkerson pike, posted behind.rail breast works, was attacked and routed, our troops capturing two hundred and seven prisoners and two guns, with a loss of thirty killed and one hundred and seventy-five wounded. On the same day Buford's Cavalry entered the town of Murfreesboro', after having shelled it vigorously, but he was speedily driven out by a regiment of infantry and a section of artillery. On retiring from before Murfreesboro' the enemy's cavalry moved northward to Lebanon and along the bank of the Cumberland in that vicinity, threatening to cross to the north side of the river and interrupt our railroad communication with Louisville, at that time our only source of supplies, the enemy having blockaded the river below Nashville by batteries along the shore. The Navy Department was requested to patrol the Cumberland above and below Nashville with the gunboats then in the river, to prevent the enemy from crossing, which was cordially and effectually complied with by LieutenantCommanding Le Roy Fitch, commanding Eleventh Division Mississippi squadron. At the same time General Wilson sent a cavalry force to Gallatin to guard the country in that vicinity.

Meantime, Hood's main army occupied the position before Nashville, with little change up to the 15th, both armies having been ice-bound for the last week of that time. Thomas employed the interval in remounting his cavalry and accumulating transportation. Being prepared at length to move, he called a meeting of the corps commanders on the afternoon of December 14th, and, having discussed the plan of attack until it was thoroughly understood, he issued the following special field order:—

"As soon as the state of the weather will admit of offensive operations, the troops will move against the enemy's position in the following order :

Major-General A. J. Smith, commanding detachment of the Army of the Tennessee, after forming his troops on and near the Harding pike, in front of his prese position, will make a vigorous assault on the enemy's left.

"Major-General Wilson, commanding the cavalry corps, Military Division of Missis sippi, with three divisions, will move on and support General Smith's right, assisting as far as possible in carrying the left of the enemy's position, and be in readiness to throw his force upon the enemy the moment a favorable opportunity occurs. MajorGeneral Wilson will also send one division on the Charlottee pike to clear that road of the enemy, and observe in the direction of Bell's Landing to protect our right rear until the enemy's position is fairly turned, when it will rejciu the main force.

"Brigadier-General T. J. Wood, commanding Fourth Army Corps, after leaving s strong skirmish line in his works from Lauren's Hill to his extreme right, will form the remainder of the Fourth Corps on the Hillsboro' pike to support General Smith's left, and operate on the left and rear of the enemy's advanced position on the Montgomery Hill.

"Major-General Schofield, commanding Twenty-third Army Corps, will replace Brigadier-General Kimball's Division of the Fourth Corps with his troops, and occupy the trenches from Fort Negley to Lauren's Hill with a strong skirmish line. He wil move with the remainder of his force in front of the works and co-operate with General Wood, protecting the latter's left flank against an attack by the enemy.

"Major-General Steedman, commanding District of the Etowah, will occupy the interior line in rear of his present position, stretching from the Reservoir on the Cumberland River to Fort Negley, with a strong skirmish line, and mass the remainder of his force in its present position, to act according to the exigencies which may arise during these operations.

"Brigadier-General Miller, with his troops forming the garrison of Nashville, will occupy the exterior line from the battery on hill 210 to the extreme right, including the enclosed work on the Hyde's Ferry road.

"The quartermaster's troops, under command of Brigadier-General Donaldson, wil, if necessary, be posted on the interior line from Fort Morton to the battery on hill 216. "The troops occupying the interior line will be under the direction of Major-General Steedman, who is charged with the immediate defence of Nashville during the opera tions around the city.

"Should the weather permit, the troops will be formed to commence operations at 6 A. M. on the 15th, or as soon thereafter as practicable."

The enemy's line was formed with Cheatham on the left, Stewart in the centre, and S. D. Lee on the right. His most advanced position, from which he annoyed our lines, was a commanding eminence on the Granny White pike. On the crest of this stood the house of a Mrs. Montgomery. On the morning of the 15th December, the weather being favorable, the Union army was formed and ready at an early hour to carry out the plan of battle. The formation of the troops was partially concealed from the enemy by the broken nature of the ground, as also by a dense fog, which only lifted towards noon. The

enemy was apparently totally unaware of any intention on our part to attack his position, and more especially did he seem not to expect any movement against his left flank. To divert his attention still further from our real intentions, Steedman had orders to demonstrate on the enemy's right. As soon as the enemy's attention was attracted in that direction, Smith and Wilson moved out on the Harding pike, and, wheeling to the left, advanced against his position across the Harding and Hillsboro' pikes. Johnson's Division of Cavalry at the same time was sent eight miles below Nashville to attack a battery of the enemy at Bell's Landing. The remainder of Wilson's command, Hatch's Division leading, and Knipe in reserve, moving on the right of A. J. Smith's troops, first struck the enemy along Richmond Creek, near Harding's house, and drove him back rapidly, capturing a number of prisoners, wagons, &c., and, continuing to advance, while slightly swinging to the left, came upon a redoubt containing four guns, which was splendidly carried by assault at 1 P. M. by a portion of Hatch's Division, dismounted, and the captured guns turned upon the enemy. A second redoubt, stronger than the first, was next assailed and carried by the same troops that captured the first position, taking four more guns and about three hundred prisoners.

General Thomas, finding that Smith had not taken sufficient distance to the right, directed Schofield to move his command (the Twentythird Corps) from the position in reserve to which it had been assigned over to the right of Smith, enabling the cavalry thereby to operate more freely in the enemy's rear. The Fourth Corps, Wood commanding, formed on the left of Smith's command, and as soon as the latter had struck the enemy's flank, moved against Montgomery Hill, Hood's most advanced position, at 1 P. M. The attack was gallantly made, and, after a brief resistance, the rebels abandoned their works, leaving the crest of the hill in the hands of the Union troops.

Connecting with Garrard's Division, which formed the left of Smith's troops, the Fourth Corps continued to advance. The First and Second Brigades of Beatty's Division occupied the left, formed in single line, while Kimball's and Elliot's Divisions were formed into column by brigade. The advance of this long line of battle was very fine. In their front lay a long slope of open country bounded by belts of wood. An increasing slope ran to the woods now occupied by the rebels. Over this the line moved in one steady, imposing column. The crest of the hill in front partly sheltered it from the enemy's artillery. A dense volume of smoke rose from the valley, shrouding the hills and rebel lines in our front. The roar of the rebel artillery was becoming fainter, while the sound of our guns rang nearer and nearer. The Fourth Corps for a moment halted and lay down to enable Smith to connect, when suddenly the enemy could be seen breaking pell-mell from their works, while infantry, cavalry, and artillery were sweeping across the plain. A wild cheer rang from our lines, and the batteries redoubled their iron storm. Soon a column was seen emerging from the woods on the rebel flanks, the stars and stripes floating proudly in their front. This was our right, which had swung around their flank. The air reBounded with cheers as the Fourth Corps jumped to their feet and