Battle of Nashville
Harper's Weekly - January 1865
The following is transcribed from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated 14 January 1865:
Charge of Third Brigade, First Division, Sixteenth Corps
at the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee December 14, 1864
Sketch by George H. Ellsbury
A CHARGE AT THE BATTLE OF NASHVILLE.
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WE give on page 25 (above) an illustration of a charge made by the Third Brigade of the First Division, Sixteenth Corps. This brave corps belonged to M'PHERSON'S old army of the Tennessee. That fact alone speaks volumes in its behalf. The charge of the Third Brigade, which resulted in the capture of a strong rebel work and several guns, was one of the most brilliant of the many brilliant achievements of General Thomas's gallant army on 15th and 16th of December, 1864.
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The following is transcribed from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated 21 January 1865:
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GENERAL HOOD'S RETREAT
General Hood has Forrest to thank for the escape of his defeated army to the south side of the Tennessee River. When Sherman divided his grand army, he not only left to Thomas an inferior infantry force as compared to his own, but he also took the best part of the cavalry force. Hood, it is true, had to detach a large cavalry force under
Wheeler to interrupt Sherman's march, but still he had left for Forrest a command which we may assume, counting in the mounted infantry-men, to have numbered from eight to ten thousand. Our cavalry, though inferior in numbers, were much superior in discipline. Forrest is an able leader, but mounted infantry do not answer well the purposes either of infantry or of cavalry in actual engagement. Still it was tills force which saved Hood's army from complete destruction, by covering its retreat from Puck River.
The battle of Nashville was fought on the 15th and 16th of December. The next day Forrest made a stand at Spring Hill, to cover the passage of the rebel wagon train across Duck River. That was the last serious fight of the campaign. After once crossing that stream, Hood's army gained on Thomas's in point of time. Thomas had two other disadvantages. He had to build roads as he went along for his heavy trains, and he had to follow over a tract of country difficult enough of passage for the rebel army, but still more difficult to an army coming after. Steedman was sent to Decatur to cut off Hood's retreat. He was too late for this, though, according to the latest reports, his cavalry had captured and burned Hood's pontoon train, taking at the same time 600 mules, 100 wagons, and 200 hogs. Hood crossed the Tennessee on the 23d at Bainbridge, eight miles' above Florence, with about 18,000 men.
Thomas's first campaign is now at an end. The Federal loss during the campaign has been seven thousand. The rebels have lost in killed and wounded 10,700, and in prisoners 9384 total, 20,084. Sixty-eight cannon have been captured from Hood, and nineteen rebel generals placed hors du combat.
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The following is transcribed from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated 28 January 1865:
HOOD AND THOMAS
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A dispatch from Beauregard, dated Macon, January 7, reads as follows :
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" General Hood reports from Spring Hill, December 27, 1864, that on the morning of the 15th instant, in front of Nashville, the enemy attacked both flanks of his army. They were repulsed on the right with heavy loss, but toward evening they drove in his infantry outposts on the left flank.
"Early on the 16th the enemy made a general attack on his entire line. All their assaults were handsomely repulsed with heavy loss until 6:30 P.M., when a portion of our line to the left of the centre suddenly gave way, causing our lines to give way at all points, our troops retreating rapidly. Fifty pieces of artillery and several ordnance wagons were lost by us on that day. Our loss in killed and wounded heretofore small; in prisoners not ascertained. Major-General Edward Jackson, and Brigadier-Generals T. B. Smith and H. R. Jackson are captured."
The date of the above report should be December 17 instead of December 27, but was probably changed by mistake in the telegram. This report of Hood's is an out and out falsehood. Hood says we were repulsed on his right. This is only partially true, though it must be admitted that Hood's right did hold its own ground during the day; the attack here was only a demonstration. He says we drove in the infantry outposts on his left toward night. What he means by " infantry outposts" in this case would be hard to define. The truth is, his whole left was by night pressed back several miles from its original position. Then he says that on the 16th all our assaults were repulsed until 6:30 P.M., when his left centre gave way. Perhaps so. All we know is, that at 6.30 P.M. the fighting was already over, and the grand result of the day had already been accomplished. Hood very incidentally states that during the day he lost fifty cannon and several ordnance wagons. This was probably while we were being "handsomely repulsed."
Front a dispatch of General Thomas's, dated December 29, we have the following estimate of Hood's losses since he entered Tennessee:
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At the Battle of Franklin : 6000 killed, wounded, and captured; 6 general officers killed, 6 wounded, and 1 captured.
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At Murfreesborough on the 8th : 1207 killed, wounded, and captured; 1 general killed; 2 guns.
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In the Battle of Nashville on the 15th and 16th: 4462 captured; 53 guns; 3000 stands of small-arms ; 5 generals wounded and captured.
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During the retreat : 1500 to 2000 captured; 15 guns. Total: 13,469 killed, wounded, and captured; 12 generals put out of combat ; 70 guns.
This estimate does not include the killed and wounded at the battle of Nashville, because the number of these was not known. Supposing the number of casualties to have been equal to our own, it must have been over 7000. Four or five rebel generals were killed or wounded who are not included in Thomas's estimate.
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