USA > Illinois > History of the 112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the great war of the rebellion, 1862-1865 > Part 22
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About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, under cover of a terrific artillery fire, they succeeded in crossing a considerable force, and they lay in line near the water's edge, under protection of the river bank, so they could not be reached by the fire from Cox's line. They soon appeared above the bank, however, and advanced against that part of the line held by the 12th and 16th Kentucky regiments, of Reilly's brigade. The 63d Indiana and 112th Illinois regiments, of Henderson's brigade, rushed forward in support of the Kentucky regiments, and the rebels were driven back under cover of the river bank, and made no further efforts to advance.
Gen. Ruger, with two brigades of the 2nd Division of the 23d Corps (one brigade being at Centreville), and one brigade of Kimball's division of the 4th Corps, had joined Stanley at Spring Hill, but learning that Jackson's division of rebel cav- alry occupied Thompson's Station, and that the rest of For- rest's cavalry were in that direction, Gen. Schofield went for- ward with Ruger's division to clear the way. Jackson with- drew, and Ruger was placed in a position to cover the pike, and Schofield returned to Spring Hill.
At 7 o clock in the evening of the 29th the positions of the two armies were as follows: Cox's division was in position near Columbia ; Wagner's division and one brigade of Kim- ball's division, of the 4th Corps, were with Stanley at Spring
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
Hill ; the remainder of Kimball's division and Wood's divis- ion, of the 4th Corps, were between Columbia and Spring Hill, within supporting distances of Cox and Stanley and of each other, Wood's division next to Cox s. The cavalry forces were on Stanley's left at Spring Hill, and between there and Frank- lin ; the wagon trains were parked at Spring Hill.
Two divisions of Lee's corps of Hood's army, and all his artillery and wagon trains were in Columbia; Cheatham's and Stewart's corps, and one division of Lee's, were with Hood at Spring Hill ; the rebel cavalry forces were on his right and at intermediate points between there and Franklin.
Gen. Cox had been ordered to hold his position until night- fall, and then leaving a skirmish line in position, to march to Spring Hill, the skirmishers to remain until midnight, and then join or follow the rear guard. The picket line was strengthened and the 12th and 16th Kentucky regiments left in support, all in charge of Major Dow, of the 112th Illinois, Inspector General of the division ; and at the request of Major Dow, Lieut. Milchrist of Col. Henderson's staff also remained to assist him in relieving and bringing off the skirmish line. At 8 o'clock the division moved out, left in front, Henderson's brigade in advance, the 112th Illinois advance guard, the two left companies, G and B, thrown forward, in command of Capt. McCartney, as advance guard of the regiment.
For three nights the men had not had an hour's sleep ; but Gen. Cox rode along the line, informing them of the necessity of making a forced night march, and encouraging them to hold out to the end.
It may seem incredible, but it is nevertheless a fact, that some of the men went to sleep while walking, on that night's march, and fell to the ground. The fall aroused them, and they would then get up and stagger on again.
Cox's division was followed by Wood's and Kimball's, all marching left in front, so they could come to a front face and be in line of battle ready to repel an attack.
The head of the column arrived at Spring Hill at midnight. The camp fires of Hood's army were dimly burning but a little distance away, on the right, and one man actually rode down to one of them to light his pipe, thinking they belonged to the
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A NIGHT MARCH.
Union troops. On the left of the pike the little town was full of wagons and soldiers, and in the darkness, everything seem- ed to be inextricably mixed up and in great confusion.
A volley from Hood's line was momentarily expected, and it was thought next to impossible to pass his front without at- tracting the attention of his soldiers and drawing their fire. But Hood's army slept ; and our columns moved on unmolest- ed. Later in the night Hood was informed that troops were passing on the pike, and he sent Johnson's division of Lee's corps to extend his lines across the pike and stop the move- ment ; but Johnson failed to reach the desired position and the movement continued. Orders were passed down the line for the men to make no noise ; and silently and cautiously tlie column moved forward. The night was dark, and nothing could be seen but the long line of Hood's camp fires on the riglit, extending far to the north.
Capt. McCartney, in command of the advance guard, de- tailed Serg. Thomas J. Townsend, of his company (G), and eight men to march one hundred and fifty yards in advance of the advance guard, with instructions to move very cautious- ly, and keep a sharp lookout for rebels in the road and on the flanks, and be careful not to be drawn into a trap. Serg. Townsend and his squad were soon joined by Serg. Eli K. Mauck, of the same company. Presently they discovered a dark object in the road ahead of them. It proved to be a reb- el soldier, a member of the 4th Florida regiment ; but before he had time to halt them, or give an alarm, Sergs. Mauck and Townsend were upon him, and one of them had him by the throat. He was disarmed and cautioned that if he made any noise or outcry it would cost him his life, and he was then sent, under guard, back to the main column.
Anotlier rebel soldier, seeing troops moving, and supposing them to be Confederates, walked up to the pike, and, as the column made a temporary halt, stepped up to a mounted or- derly and commenced talking to him. The orderly quickly discovered that he was a rebel soldier, and grabbing him by the hair of the head with one hand, at the same time covering him with a revolver in the other, told him if he spoke aloud, or made the least noise, he would blow his head off. The as-
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
tonished rebel surrendered in silence, and was turned over to the guard.
The head of Cox's division reached Franklin at 4:30 on the morning of the 30th, having marched twenty-two miles in eight and a half hours, and immediately went into position and commenced building works. Wagner's division remainel in position at Spring Hill until all the trains and troops had pass- ed, and then followed, leaving Opdycke's brigade as rear guard, which remained until 6 o'clock in the morning.
Franklin is situated on the south side of the Harpeth River, on low land in a deep bend of the river, enclosing it on three sides. On the north bank the ground is much higher; an l on a hill commanding the railroad and wagon bridges was an old earthwork called Fort Granger.
Gen. Schofield had requested that pontoons be sent down from Nashville, but they had not arrived. The wagon bridge was impassable and had to be repaired, and the banks of the river were too steep to ford, and it was impera- tive to make a stand there until crossings could be made and the trains moved to the north side of the river. By noon the banks of the river had been scarped so as to use the ford, some old buildings torn down and the lumber used for planking the railroad bridge, and the wagon bridge repaired, and the trains began crossing ; but even then it was slow work and would take until night to move all of them over.
Gen. Schofield directed Gen. Cox to take command of the forces on the line, and Schofield established his headquarters on the hills north of the river, where he could look over the field, and watch the operations of the cavalry engaged on the left in preventing Forrest's cavalry from crossing the river on that flank.
Wood's division of the 4th Corps also crossed the river and occupied a position covering the bridges and ford, and with it the artillery of the 23d Corps, which, being in advance, was ordered to cross by the ford to save time, and the artillery of the 4th Corps reported to Gen. Cox on the line.
Let us now go back and take up the casualties of the 112th Illinois.
When the 3d Division fell back from Columbia on the night
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CAPTURED
of the 29th, Lieut. Homer Sherbondy, of Co. C, 112th Illinois, with a detail of about forty men was on picket, down the river, near the railroad bridge where the division had crossed. He should have been relieved when the skirmish line fell back, but by some unaccountable mistake, or inexcusable blunder, he was not informed of the movement, and he and all his men were captured. Serg. Henry B. Perry, of Co. F 112th Illinois, was in charge of three picket posts of four men each, situated between Sherbondy's line and the right of the line occupied by the 12th and 16th Kentucky regiments. He was relieved by Capt. R. K. Miller, of the 128th Indiana, Acting Assistant In- spector General of the brigade, at half past ten o'clock in the evening of the 2 ).h, and directed by Capt. Miller to fall back and proceed on the pike towards Spring Hill, while he rode down and relieved Lieut. Sherbondy. Serg. Perry says he overtook Capt. Miller, on the pike, about a mile from the riv- er, who said he had not relieved Sherbondy ; that he thoughit it useless to do so, as he could fall back with the 2nd Dirision. As the 2nd Division was already at Spring Hill, Sherbondy and his men were left to their fate.
On the morning of the 30th Sherbondy saw a few rebels ap- proaching, and inquired of them if they were not "off their beat," and said "lie guessed he would take them in."
He was informed that the Union army had disappeared, and that tlie Confederates now occupied that side of the river, and he was invited to surrender to them. Looking up the river Sherbondy saw ample evidence of the truth of the statement- lie was completely surrounded by rebel soldiers-and he un- conditionally surrendered.
The 112th Illinois men who were captured with him were :
Serg. William C. Schull, Co. K; also wounded (escaped Feby 16, 1865) ; Corporal John R. Renner, Co. K ; Corporal Ithamer P Miller, Co. C; Corporal John Corkhill, Co. G; James McShurry and Jesse B. Taylor of Co. F ; LaFayette Gearheart (died on hospital boat April 7, 1865) and Randolph M. States, of Co. I; Augustus Jolinson of Co. C; William C. Biggs and Jackson Biggs of Co. K ; Philip Cromain and John Crowe of Co. G, and Ira F Hayden of Co. B-one lieutenant, one sergeant, three corporals and ten men-total, fifteen.
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
They were put into an old fort in Columbia, and kept there until December 14th, the day before the battle of Nashville commenced. and then sent, with other prisoners, to Corinth, Miss., whence the commissioned officers were sent to Selma. Ala., and the men to other prison camps. The officers were finally sent to Andersonville and confined there some time in a "nigger pen."
The officers and men were paroled at Vicksburg, about the first of April, 1865, and sent to Parole Camp at St. Louis, Mo. Lieut. Sherbondy was placed in command of a company of paroled men and remained there until the 3d of May, when he was mustered out of the service under a general order of the War Department.
The men were discharged at Springfield, Illinois, about the first of July, 1865. Some of them arrived at La Salle, Illinois, on their way home, on the evening of the 6th, and waited there for the down train from Chicago. When they boarded the cars, to their great joy and astonishment they found the regiment on the train on the way home, having just been dis- charged at Chicago.
They suffered the usual hardships and privations of prison life in rebeldom, and Lieut. Shierbondy writes that while con- fined at Columbia. he saw men pay five dollars in greenbacks for an ear of corn to eat.
Lieut. C. W Brown, of Co. E. came very near being captur- ed at Hurricane, below Columbia. on the 24th of November, in the same way Sherbondy was captured. He was in com- mand of the skirmish line, and when the troops fell back to Columbia, on the night of the 23d, was not informed of the movement. He found the troops gone and the rebels advanc- ing, in the morning, and without waiting for orders. assembled his skirmishers and marched them back to Columbia, and thereby saved himself and them from capture. And he was not too quick about it, either, for as it was, he barely escaped being cut off from the command
The officers of the regiment had worked industriously and patiently, at Decatur, to restore the records of the regiment and companies. New books had been obtained and records made, approximate reports made to the Ordnance and Quar-
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REGIMENTAL RECORDS CAPTURED.
termaster's departments, and their accounts adjusted, so that henceforth they could keep correct accounts and make correct reports. They had also replenished their ward-robes, while at Nashville, and purchased many other necessary articles for field and camp use. All these-records, clothing, except the fatigue suits they were wearing, baggage of every kind -- were again captured by the enemy and destroyed on the night march from Columbia to Franklin. The rebel cay- alry made a dash on the trains between Spring Hill and Franklin, and captured a number of wagons. They were soon driven off, but not until they had destroyed several wagons and their contents, and among them, unfortunately for us, was the 112th Illinois wagon, and the regiment was again des- titute of records, and the officers of clothing and baggage.
The rebels also made a dash upon a drove of beef cattle, in charge of Ephraim W Smith, of Co. F, 112thi Illinois, at Thompson's Station, and created considerable excitement among the drivers, as well as the cattle. They captured about fifty head of the cattle and succeeded in getting away with them ; but the timely arrival of Union cavalry saved the re- mainder of the drove.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN. HOOD S ASSAULT UPON THE NATIONAL LINES. REPJLSFD WITH GREAT LOSS-SANGUINARY AND DESPERATE CONELICS. THE BATTLE FROM A CONFEDERATE STAND-POINT.
The line of defense selected by Gen. Cox at Franklin was on a curve ; the left at a railroad cut near the river, the center on the Columbia Pike, a few rods in front of a dwelling house occupied by a Mr. Carter, on a knoll, and the right swinging back to the river. At the pike the full width of the road was left open, to allow double lines of wagons and artillery to pass, and a retrenchment was made a few rods in rear to command the opening.
The 3d Division of the 23d Corps, Gen. Reilly in temporary command, occupied the line on the left, extending from the river to the Columbia Pike. Col. Henderson's brigade was on the left-the three Indiana regiments 'in the front line, the 120thi on the left, its left slightly retired, the 63d in the center. and the 128th on the right, and the 112th Illinois a few rods to the rear in reserve.
In marching or making other movements, the divisions of a corps, brigades of a division, and regiments of a brigade usu- ally change position in the column every time a movement is made. The division in front one day takes the rear the next ; the brigade in advance changes to the rear of the division ; and the leading regiment of each brigade is the rear regiment the next day, and is placed in reserve in case the command goes into position. The 112th Illinois was the leading regi- ment of the brigade on the 29th, and therefore its place on the 30th was to the rear, or in reserve.
Reilly's own brigade was on the right of the division, its right
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POSITION AT FRANKLIN.
resting on the Columbia Pike ; and Casement's brigade occupi- ed the center. The 12th and 16th Kentucky regiments of Reilly's brigade, left on Duck River at Columbia, arrived at Franklin after the line was occupied, and were placed with the 8th Tennessee in reserve.
Ruger's two brigades of the 2nd Division extended from the Columbia Pike west to the Carter's Creek Pike-Strickland's brigade on the left, its left resting on the Columbia Pike, and Moore's brigade on the right. Gen. Cox's force was not suffi- cient to reach to the river on the right, and Kimball's division of the 4th Corps was ordered to report to him, and was placed on the right flank, extending to the river.
Opdycke's brigade of Wagner's division, which had been rear guard, was placed in reserve on the west side of the Co- lumbia Pike ; and Wagner with his two other brigades, Lane's and Conrad's, occupied a position in air, across the Columbia Pike, nearly half a mile in front of the principal line, where he was directed to remain in observation until Hood should advance, and then retire within the lines as a general reserve. The ground in front of the line was an open plain, descending gently to the south.
In front of Henderson's brigade was a heavy osage orange hedge, which Gen. Cox ordered cut down and the brush used in making an abattis along the front of the division ; but at the suggestion of Lieut. Col. Bond, the hedge was thinned out and the brush used in front of t. ? other brigades, and the re- maining hedge cut half off, about four feet high, and bent down to the ground, making an impassable barrier.
In front of the 2nd Division a young locust grove was cut down and the brush used in making an abattis.
The breast-works were light and hastily constructed. In fact it was not believed there would be any use for them. The trains were moving across the river, and all would be over by dark ; and Gen. Schofield had given directions for the troops to commence crossing at six o'clock. It was not believed by many of the general officers tliat Hood would attack ; but lat- er in the day those who doubted were convinced.
The number of the 4th Corps reported "present for duty" on the 30th of November, 1864, was sixteen thousand two hun-
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
dred commissioned officers and enlisted men. The largest di- vision (Wood's) was on the north side of the Harpeth, and the two divisions with Cox probably did not exceed in numbers ten thousand men.
The two divisions of the 23d Corps reported, on the same day, ten thousand and thirty-three commissioned officers and enlisted men "present for duty." One brigade was at Centre- ville, so that Gen. Cox had under his immediate command south of the Harpeth not far from eighteen thousand men of all ranks and arms.
Against this line Hood was advancing with three corps of three divisions each, of infantry and artillery, numbering over forty thousand men, and a considerable force of cavalry to cover his flanks, in addition to the cavalry force operating against Wilson and Hatch-all seasoned veterans whom Sher- man had been pounding all summer, and as brave an army as ever fired a shot or kept step to the beat of a drum.
About three o'clock in the afternoon the rebel columns could be seen moving over the range of hills south of the level plain and forming in heavy force. The author has a vivid recollec- tion of standing on a knoll in the line of the 3d Brigade, witli Col. Henderson and others, and viewing them through a field glass as they moved their columns into line.
On they came, a solid mass of gray, Cheatham's corps on the west side of the Columbia Pike, Stewart's on the east, and Lee's in close support in reserve. Hood himself was seen to ride up the turnpike with liis staff, and some of his men wlio were afterwards captured, said he made them a speech. Point- ing to the Union line he said : "Soldiers of the Confederacy, there is the line of the enemy. There is nothing but that line between you and the Ohio River. Break that line, and the Ohio is open to you."
Nearer and nearer they came, advancing at quick step, with trailed arms, a solid array of men, with a mile and a half front, moving steadily, firmly, grandly forward. It was a mo- ment of intense anxiety. Every Union soldier in the line ull- derstood the situation and prepared to meet it. The Harpeth River was at his back, and Hood's whole army of veteran sol- diers in his front.
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THE ASSAULT OF HOOD'S ARMY.
At 4 o'clock the clash came. As soon as their artillery was within range it unlimbered and opened fire. "Down in front," and the men climbed off the breastworks into the trenches. The Union artillery poured shot and shell into their ranks, but they closed up the gaps and moved steadily forward. As they approached Wagner s line, in front, his artillery limbered up and moved within the lines, in accordance with previous or- ders : but Wagner's infantry opened fire. In a moment the flanks of his short line were enveloped by the rebel lines on the right and left, and his men broke and ran. With a rush and a yell the rebels followed. Wagner's men formed an effectual screen for the rebels, and protected them from any fire from the center ; but a heavy fire was poured into them from the right and left. In a few seconds the flying mass of Union and rebel soldiers, mixed together, came surging over the works near the pike, like a whirlwind, and the right of Reilly's line and left of Strickland's gave way under the shock, and the men were swept as by a cyclone from the works. With cheers and yells the rebels came flying over the parapet. They cap- tured the guns in the center, loaded with grape and canister, and turned them upon the flank of Reilly's division ; but the horses having become frightened at the melee ran off with the ammunition chests containing the primers. the guns could not be fired. But in a moment Opdycke s brigade and Reilly's three regiments in reserve were upon them. They charged right into the surging mass of rebels : Reilly's and Strickland's men rallied, and after a fierce and desperate struggle the guns were retaken, the rebels checked in their headlong charge, and all who had gained the inside of the works were killed or cap- tured. It was a moment of intense anxiety and suspense. Every man of the 112th Illinois, the reserve of Henderson's brigade, was upon his feet, looking with breathless anx ety upon the furious struggle, but denied the honor of taking part in it.
While this desperate contest was going on in the center, there was no idleness on other parts of the line. In front of Hen- derson's brigade the rebels charged up to the osage hedge. and as that was impassable, they attempted to move by the Hank through a gateway in the hedge. But the 120th Indiana con-
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
centrated its fire upon the gap and effectually closed that pas- sage way. Again and again they tried it, until the gap was filled with dead bodies piled one upon another. They also at- tempted to move up the railroad cut, but that was covered by the artillery at the old fort across the river and a battery of regulars on the left of Henderson's line, and they were mowed down like grass before a sharp scythe.
Col. Henderson was on the front line during the hottest of the fight, directing the fire of his men, and urging them to take deliberate aim and fire low. The enemy lay along the hedge, hugging the ground, and many, finding themselves un- able to get away, came into our lines and surrendered.
Along the whole line the battle raged ; and no sooner was one line of the enemy met and repulsed than another struck the line with redoubled force. They seemed determined to ov- erwhelm the Union line by sheer force of numbers and des- perate courage.
Kimball's division on the right flank was not seriously at- tacked, except on its left, and there the rebels were easily re- pulsed; but in front of the 2nd and 3d divisions of the 23d Corps charge after charge was made, and the struggle contin- ued with unabated fury until late in the evening.
The enemy succeeded in holding the works on the right of Strickland's brigade, and the Union soldiers made a new bar- ricade, of fences and other material, some twenty or twenty- five yards in rear of the first line. -
About dark Gen. Cox requested Col. Henderson to send the 112th forward to the right, to be in readiness to reinforce Reilly's line, in case of necessity ; and Col. Henderson accord- ingly directed Lieut. Col. Bond, in command of the 112th, to report with his regiment to Gen. Reilly.
The battle was still raging fiercely, and the darkness added to the dangers and uncertainty of the conflict. Lieut. Col. Bond moved the regiment by the right flank to the turnpike, where he was met by a staff officer with orders to move across the pike and report to Col. Strickland. He was informed that the 72nd Illinois and the 50th Ohio regiments occupied the line of works in front of Strickland's right, and he was di- rected to move his regiment across the intervening space be-
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NIGHT MARCH ACROSS THE HARPETH.
tween the two lines and reinforce the regiments in the front line. It was dark, and Lieut. Col. Bond being unacquainted with the ground and the position of the front, Capt. Carter, of the 72nd Illinois, volunteered to show him the way. Lieut. Col. Bond, accompanied by Capt. Carter as a guide, moved the regiment nearly to the right of Strickland's line, and filing left moved through a gap in the line into the open space. Co. A and the head of Co. F had passed through the gap, when they were met by a murderous fire from the front line. The men immediately dropped flat on the ground, and lay there until the fire had slackened, and then backed out; the regiment came to a front face and occupied the line with Strickland's men ; and the fire which had momentarily relaxed about the time the 112th reached the gap, reopened with redoubled fury along the whole line. The front line which Lieut. Col. Bond had been informed was occupied by the two Union regiments, was in fact occupied by the main line of the enemy ; and had they withheld their fire the regiment would have marched right into their lines and been captured. Lieut. Col. Bond, of course, did not know this at the time, but the officer who gave him the order ought to have known it, and, if he did not, was inexcusably ignorant of the situation of affairs in his front. Lieut. Col. Bond was wounded, and companies A and F lost several men killed, wounded and captured between the lines of works ; and Capt. Carter himself was reported missing.
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