USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > Nashville > History of Nashville, Tenn. > Part 21
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On the 29th the Mayor and several persons were arrested for treason, and numerous other arrests were made about the same time.
On April 24 the new Council which had been appointed by Governor Johnson passed a series of resolutions, requesting the Mayor to have the flag of the United States placed upon all public property belonging to the United States, and requesting the members of the Board of Education to take the same oath they themselves had taken.
The Union of April II said that the office of Governor Johnson had for several days been thronged by secession men and women from the city and adjacent country, earnestly interceding for their sons who were in the Confederate army, and expressing the utmost willingness to take the oath of allegiance to the Government and faithfully discharge the duties of loyal and law-abiding citizens.
The next day the editor of the Nashville Banner was arrested and placed in confinement, on the charge of uttering treasonable and seditious language; and on the 15th J. C. Guild, of Gallatin, Judge of the Chan- cery Court, was also arrested on a charge of treason by an officer of Governor Johnson's staff, and brought to Nashville.
Early in May a call was issued, requesting the citizens of the State of Tennessee who were in favor of the restoration of the State to its former federal relations to attend a public meeting, to be held in Nashville May 12. The meeting was held in the hall of the House of Representatives, and was attended by a large number of persons from all parts of the State. Ex-governor William B. Campbell was made Chairman, and de- livered an address. Other addresses were made by W. H. Wisener, Hon. W. B. Stokes, Edmund Cooper, Colonel W. H. Polk, Governor Johnson, Colonel L. D. Campbell, General Dumont, and others. At the request of many persons, the Chairman appointed Allen A. Hall, John Lellyett, Russell Houston, Horace H. Harrison, and M. M. Brien a "State Central Committee," to communicate with the friends of the Un- ion in different parts of the 'State.
On the 14th of the month Ex-governor Neill S. Brown was arrested on a charge of treason by order of Governor Johnson, but he was after-
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ward released on parole. He took the oath of allegiance, and became a prominent advocate of the cause of the Government of the United States.
On the 21st D. F. Carter, President of the Union Bank, and John Her- riford, its cashier, were arrested on a charge of treason, and placed in confinement.
On the next day Turner S. Foster was elected Judge of the Circuit Court of Nashville, and on the 26th received his commission from the provisional Governor. He was thereupon arrested and sent to the peni- tentiary.
On May 24, under the provisions of the general confiscation act, the United States Marshal for Middle Tennessee seized the offices of the Republican Banner, Union and American, and Gazette, and the Southern Methodist Publishing House, and on the 26th the Baptist Publishing House and the Patriot newspaper office, on account of their having fa- vored the cause of secession.
On June 17 Governor Johnson summoned six prominent clergymen be- fore him, and requested them to take the oath of allegiance to the Feder- al Government. On the 28th, having been granted a few days to con- sider the matter, they refused to comply with the Governor's request, and five of the six were sent to the penitentiary, there to remain until arrange- ments could be effected for sending them beyond the lines. The other one, being in feeble health, was paroled. About the same time Dr. J. P. Ford, Rev. C. D. Elliott, Principal of the Nashville Female Academy, and Dr. Cheatham, Superintendent of the State Lunatic Asylum, were arrested and subjected to similar treatment.
General Rousseau took command at Nashville August 28, but a week or two later was succeeded by Major-general Thomas, and he soon aft- erward by General Negley.
The Confederate generals, S. R. Anderson and Forrest, together with Governor Harris, concentrated a large force, with the purpose of making an assault on Nashville. General Negley sent General Palmer, with a force of about three thousand, to drive them away. The result was a battle at Lavergne, in which the Confederate camp was broken up and about two hundred of their men killed, wounded, or captured. This was on October 7, and soon afterward General Breckinridge, General For- rest, and Colonel John M. Morgan, with a force of about eight thousand men, made an attack on the south part of the city about 4 A.M., on No- vember 5, driving in the Federal pickets. About 6 A.M. some fifteen hundred Confederate cavalry entered Edgefield, driving in the Federal pickets and destroying the railroad depot, the machine shop, and eight cars. The fight lasted about ten hours, and caused considerable excite-
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ment in the city. The Confederate troops which attacked the south part of the city were at length driven off about four or five miles, a few men being killed on both sides, and a few Confederate prisoners being brought in. Among these prisoners were Captain B. H. Jenkins, of Maury Coun- ty; J. F. Baxter, a son of Judge Baxter; and J. E. Harris, a son of J. George Harris. Colonel Morgan's cavalry, which made the attack on Edgefield, attempted to destroy the railroad bridge across the Cumber- land River, which had been rebuilt at considerable expense, but they were driven off with some loss.
When the advance of General Rosecrans's army arrived in the city, soon afterward, the troops had been for some time on half rations, on account of the breaking up of communications with the North by guer- rilla forces some time previously. Nashville was the head-quarters of General Rosecrans the rest of the year. No further attempt to capture Nashville was made until late in 1864, when General Hood attacked the army of General Thomas, fortified in the city, an account of which may be found later in this chapter.
On March 16, 1863, a Board of Investigation was appointed to investi- gate the question of damages sustained by citizens of Nashville and vicin- ity from the occupation of the place by the military forces of the United States. The Board consisted of Russell Houston, Horace H. Harrison, William Driver, Captain A. D. Vanosdal, of the Third Indiana Cavalry, and Captain S. F. Allen, of the Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteers. Rus- sell Houston was chosen Chairman of the Board, which held daily meet- ings at the capitol building from March 13 to April I, all claims for 1862 being required to be in by that time.
After the departure of General Rosecrans from Nashville, for the pur- pose of attacking the Confederate army near Murfreesboro, December 26, General R. B. Mitchell was in command at Nashville, until super- seded by Brigadier-general R. S. Granger; he was succeeded by Gen- eral John F. Miller, who remained in command of the post until after the battle of Nashville, and was succeeded by General Garusha Penny- packer, who remained with a small command until 1877.
The events to which greatest interest attaches that occurred during the year 1864 were mainly political, connected in some way with the restora- tion of the State to its proper place in the Union.
On January 1, 1864, the colored population held their first celebration of the issuance of President Lincoln's proclamation of January 1, 1863, and were enthusiastic in their demonstrations, notwithstanding the inclem- ency of the weather.
On the same day a meeting was held at the capitol, to consider the
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question of the reorganization of the State Government. At this time the " Loyal Union League, Metropolitan Council No. 1," nominated Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States; Andrew Johnson, for Vice-president; and Hon. Henry Cooper, of Bedford County, for Governor of Tennessee. An adjourned meeting, to still further consider the question of reorganization, was held January 22, at which speeches were made by M. M. Brien, James S. Fowler, Colonel Edwards, of East Tennessee, Captain E. C. Hatton, and Governor Johnson. A long pre- amble and series of resolutions were adopted, pledging the members to elect no men to the proposed State Convention, which was to restore Ten- nessee to the Union, who would not favor the immediate and universal abolition of slavery.
An election was held March 5, in accordance with a proclamation of Governor Johnson, issued January 26, at which very few votes were cast, and many of these by soldiers and employees of the Government who had been stationed at Nashville six months; the people, however, generally remained away from the polls. The election was admitted to be a failure. No further attempts were made toward reconstruction, as a consequence of this election. An election was held November 8, but the vote was not counted in the electoral college.
The battle of Nashville was the next event in which the people of the city were particularly interested. This battle occurred on December 15 and 16. It was fought for the purpose of driving off General John B. Hood's army, which in its march northward was besieging the place. The bat- tle of Franklin had been fought on November 30, the result of which was that the Federal army retreated upon this city. On the day of the battle the trains on the railroads leading out of the city ceased to run on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad.
December 3 was described as a great day in Nashville. The streets were alive with teams and wagons, and crowds of men passed in all di- rections, eager to add a few more almighty dollars to their store. Gen- eral Thomas's army was posted just outside the limits of the corpora- tion, each wing meeting on the Cumberland River, preparing to resist an expected assault upon their lines. The lines extended all around the city, in an irregular curve across the southern end of the peninsula, on a part of which Nashville is built, and faced mainly toward the south and west. In the afternoon of this day there was heavy skirmishing on Thomas's left, gradually extending beyond the center. From the high points in the suburbs the lines of General Hood's army could be plainly distinguished, and a large crowd of people assembled on Capitol Hill, whence could be plainly seen the flashes and smoke from
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Hood's artillery beyond Mrs. Acklen's residence toward the south- west. The skirmishing lasted all day, but nothing of importance was the result.
The next day was Sunday, the 4th of the month. This day was looked forward to by all as the day of a great battle, from the fact that so many of the battles of the war had been fought on Sunday; but, instead, it was a very quiet day in Nashville, nothing occurring to disturb the peace of the citizens except the unceremonious arrest of several hundred pedes- trians on the streets, and marching them off to assist in strengthening the defenses around the city. Many of those thus surprised and hurried to the scenes of labor were in ill health, and not able to do any thing when they reached the works. The Confederates appeared to be deter- mined to press nearer to the city, but they were closely watched, and when Dr. Buckley's residence on the middle Franklin pike became a re- sort for their sharp-shooters it was thoroughly shelled and torn to pieces. A cavalry fight occurred on the Hillsboro pike, in which the Federal forces were victorious. Heavy cannonading was kept up all day.
On Monday morning cannonading commenced early at various points. At IO A.M. the Fourteenth and Sixteenth colored troops, under General Morgan, the Sixteenth Indiana Dismounted Cavalry, and the Sixty- eighth Indiana Regiment, under Colonel Biddle, made a recognizance, by direction of General Steedman, between the Chicken and Murfrees- boro pikes, advancing across the hill on which resided Felix R. Rains, driving the Confederates from their intrenchments, and capturing a lieu- tenant of the Fifth Mississippi Regiment and sixteen men. They came within a few yards of capturing Generals Frank B. Cheatham and Low- ry, but these two generals escaped through the fleetness of their horses.
On Tuesday but little was done on either side.
On Wednesday a heavy recognizance was made, but little else was done during the day. At 6 P.M. the weather was turning cold and threatening rain.
On Thursday the Confederates made demonstrations on the Union lines, and set on fire a number of houses in front of those lines, in order to bet- ter see the works they seemed preparing to storm.
On Friday a furious snow-storm prevailed, preventing operations on either side, but on the 10th the weather was somewhat milder; there was no wind, and the air was just cold enough to make exercise pleasant. At this time Hood's men were throwing up breastworks.
On December 13, in the morning, the ground was covered with a thick coat of ice, which rendered locomotion, except in beaten paths, impossi- ble, but by noon the sunshine and the warm southern wind so far softened
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the icy coating that it had almost entirely disappeared. The change in the weather was a great relief to the soldiers, and, as it afterward turned out, a piece of great good fortune for the commanding general, with whom, on account of his long delay in driving off the army of General Hood, General Grant had become so impatient as to dispatch General Logan, with orders placing him in command of all the troops assembled here. But upon reaching Louisville, and learning the true state of af- fairs here, which were not known to General Grant, General Logan came no farther, feeling confident that General Thomas was doing the best that could be done.
It appeared evident at this time that General Hood's right rested on the Nolensville pike, and his left on the Hardin pike, as there were visible but few camp-fires except between these two roads. On the left Colonel Mulloy, at the head of a force of Cruft's division, together with some negro troops, advanced soon after noon, driving away Hood's skirmish line, thus proving that there were but few Confederates east of the rail- road. In the evening the guns at Fort Negley, which was built on the top of St. Cloud hill, threw a few shells at the Confederates, which burst in their vicinity, but did no special damage.
But little was done on the 14th that was visible to those not in the con- fidence of the commanding general; but by 8 o'clock in the evening General Thomas had laid his plans before his corps commanders, and telegraphed to General Halleck: " The ice having melted away, the en- emy will be attacked to-morrow morning."
On the 15th, accordingly, a great battle was fought. General Steed- man's corps was on the left; the Fourth corps, next; General A. J. Smith's corps, still farther to the right; and the cavalry on the right, the Twenty-third corps being held in reserve. Little was done before noon, but at 12:40 P.M. the order was given to advance. It appeared that Gen- eral Hood expected that an effort would be made to turn his right wing; and, in order that he might not be undeceived, Steedman skirmished heavily at this point, and large bodies of men were sent by General Hood in this direction. While Hood was thus massing troops on his right, Thomas was massing the Sixteenth and Twenty-third corps and the cav- alry under Wilson on his right. When the order to advance was given these two corps and the cavalry rushed rapidly in between the river and - Hood's left, completely doubling up a division so posted as to protect. some batteries down the river, capturing the battery of four guns, and sending it to the rear.
Hood by this time perceived that he had been deceived, and endeav- ored to repair his mistake ; but it was too late. Thomas's right had gained
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a firm foot-hold on the river bank, and pressed on; and while the Twenty- third corps was taking up a position to the extreme right, A. J. Smith's troops performed a half wheel, driving small bodies of Hood's men be- fore them with perfect ease. By a rapid movement hill after hill was taken, with but little loss of men.
An hour afterward Hood was in strong position, and checked the prog- ress of Thomas's men. Another diversion was therefore made on Thom- as's left, to enable his men on the right to get into position and strength- en themselves for a charge.
In front of the left of the Fourth corps, about a mile beyond the Ack- len place, there was a strong line of earth-works, defended by a heavy body of skirmishers, which General Wood ordered to be charged. The distance was about sixty rods, and across an open plain; but, notwith standing a heavy fire upon them, the men were in possession of the works. in less than ten minutes.
The main line of Hood's works was now in sight, on a range of hills beyond their skirmish line. Thomas's cavalry had secured a position about five or six miles from the city, on high ground facing directly to the south. Schofield's and Smith's corps were in position parallel and farther to the left. Skirmishers had been advanced all along the line to the Hills- boro pike, across which the Fourth corps was formed at right angles there- to. At ten minutes before 4 in the afternoon the charge was commenced, the men moving forward without wavering under a steady fire of grape, canister, and musketry, which would have made terrible havoc among them had they not been charging uphill, and had not the missiles of death, for the most part, for this reason passed over their heads. The charge was a magnificent one, and, while bravely resisted, yet the intrenchments were quickly taken, and the prisoners were so numerous at this particu- lar point that many in the city thought that instead of prisoners they saw Hood's men themselves charging upon the city. This deception did not last long, however; and it was learned that there were about four hun- dred prisoners coming in, and that three twelve-pound Napoleon guns were also taken at this place. Meanwhile Smith and Schofield advanced to the south of Hillsboro pike, and captured an entire battery, making in all eighteen guns captured during the day, five guns having been captured by the Fifteenth Ohio, near McCeedy's house, on the Granny White pike. The negro troops, consisting of the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Seventeenth Regiments, under command of General Charles R. Thompson, made a charge near the Nolensville pike, and were completely successful. At dark General Hood had been forced back about two miles. He did not, however, intend to give up the de-
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sign of capturing Nashville without another hard struggle. A second great battle was therefore fought on Friday (the 16th), but the details of the fighting on this day it is not deemed necessary to present. The re- sult was, as the entire country soon knew, that General Thomas was even more successful on the 16th than he had been on the 15th, and that General Hood was compelled to retire with a beaten army toward and through Franklin, on down to the Tennessee River, and into the north- ern part of Alabama. The loss of General Hood in the two days' battle was probably about six hundred in killed and wounded, and five thou- sand prisoners, while General Thomas's loss was one thousand in killed and wounded.
On December 19 the City Council of Nashville passed a resolution thanking Major-general Thomas, commander in chief of the Army of the Cumberland, for the able manner in which he had defended the city; and also his aid, Brigadier-general Donaldson, for the assistance he had ren- dered the corporation in providing provisions for the poor and in furnish- ing transportation. The Council also appropriated $1,000 for the pur- chase of a horse for General Thomas and a sword for Brigadier-general John F. Miller, who had been in command of this post for several months. It should be borne in mind that this City Council had been appointed by Governor Johnson, and were of course Union men.
On November 30, 1864, a call had been issued by Governor Johnson for a convention, to be held in Nashville on December 19 following; but the presence of General Hood's army prevented the assembling of the convention. It was designed at that proposed convention to form a State ticket to be run for a State Constitutional Convention by the Union men of the State. The convention was held on January 9, 1865. An organ- ization was effected by the election of S. R. Rogers Chairman. A Bus- iness Committee was appointed, to which were referred all resolutions, the committee being composed of the following-named gentlemen: Samuel Milligan, Chairman; J. C. Gaut, Horace Maynard, J. R. Hood, Joseph S. Fowler, William Basson, William Spence, H. F. Cooper, Dr. A. Gregg, J. B. Bingham, and R. K. Byrd. The committee could not agree, and as a consequence a majority and a minority report were pre- sented. The majority report proposed certain amendments to the Con- stitution, to be submitted to the people on February 22, 1865, provid- ing for the abolition of slavery, the disfranchisement of certain classes, and the abrogation of the ordinance of secession and of all laws passed after May 6, 1861. The minority report denied the right of this conven- tion to propose amendments to the Constitution, and favored the calling of a regularly elected Constitutional Convention.
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On February 22 the election passed off quietly, but the vote was quite small. In Nashville the vote on the ratification of the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery was 1,285 in favor of it, and 23 against it. On March 4 there was an election for Governor of the State, at which W. G. Brownlow received 853 votes in Nashville. The number of votes was quite small, compared with what some of the friends of restoration anticipated.
The fall of Richmond was the occasion of great rejoicing in this city by the Union people, and April 3 was a day long to be remembered: The victory of General Grant was befittingly celebrated. There was a mili- tary salute on Capitol Hill of one hundred guns; the brass band of the Tenth Tennessee Regiment played national airs; the Colonnade building, which contained the telegraph office, Adams Express Company, etc., was covered with flags, and in fact the entire city was profusely decorated with the national colors.
Governor Brownlow was inaugurated April 5, and on the 10th of the month there was great rejoicing over the surrender of Lee. Soon after- ward came the news of the assassination of President Lincoln, and the rejoicing over the prospect of an early peace was changed to the deep- est gloom. All fully realized that the greatest calamity possible had be- fallen the country, and especially the Southern portion, which then more than at any previous period needed the wisest counsels at the head of the national Government. The German citizens of Nashville called a meet- ing for the purpose of raising funds for the purchase of a homestead for the family of the murdered President. The Nashville bar held a meet- ing on April 17, to give expression to their feelings of sorrow at the as- sassination, and resolved that it was one of the greatest possible of nation- al calamities. Francis B. Fogg was the Chairman of this meeting; and Lucien M. Temple and Edwin H. East, Secretaries. It is altogether probable that the people of Nashville owe more to the last-named gentle- man, Hon. Edwin H. East, who was Secretary of State under Governor Johnson during his entire military governorship, than to any other man, for his wisdom and success in tempering the asperities of the Governor's administration.
Following is a list of the hospitals established by the Federal authori- ties for the purpose of taking care of the sick and wounded soldiers of their army:
No. I. The old gun-factory, on South Cherry Street and College Hill.
No. 2. University building, on South Market Street and College Hill.
No. 3. Ensley's building, south-east corner of the public square.
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No. 4. Howard High School building, South College Street and Col- lege Hill.
No. 5. The gun-factory, at the upper end of Front Street.
No. 6. One on College Street, near Broad.
No. 7. One on College Street, between Church and Broad Streets.
No. 8. Masonic Hall and First Presbyterian Church.
No. 9. The carriage-factory on Market Street, below the public square.
No. 10. The Medical College building, on South College Street and College Hill.
No. II. The Pest House, on University pike.
No. 12. Broadway Hotel, on Broad and Cherry Streets.
No. 13. Hume High School building.
No. 14. Nashville Female Academy building.
No. 15. Hynes High School building, corner Line and Summer Streets.
No. 16. Gordon Block, on Broad Street and the upper wharf.
No. 17. Planters' Hotel, North Summer and Deaderick Streets-offi- cers' hospital.
No. 18. A building on the corner of Church and College Streets.
No. 19. Morris & Stratton's building, on Market Street.
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