Franklin- Eyewitness accounts

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"Brother john is a few steps away, staring out over the breastworks as if in a trance, Far to the south I hear a band . . Looking around at the diffrent boys, I see willie crying, I am told he recieved word of the dying of his only daughter by small pox . . The air is hazy and I can see a few rebels being deployed in a line of battle in the far distance." Private Adam J. Weaver 104th Ohio Infantry, Reilly Brigade

"The Men seemed to realize that our charge on the enemy works would attend with heavy slaughter, and several of them came to me bringing watches, jewelry, letters and photographs, asking me to take cgharge of them and send them to their familiesif they were killed I had to decline as I was going with them and would be exposed to the same danger. I was vividly recalled to me the next morning, for I believe every one who made this request of me was killed." Chaplain James H. M'Neilly Quares' Brigade

" In clear ringing tones came the final commands: 'Shoulder Arms! Right Shoulder Shift! Brigade Forward! Guide Center! Music! Quick Time! March' And this array of hardened veterans . . . moved forword to our last and bloodest charge. Our brigade band went in with us, starting off with 'The Bonnie Blue Flag' changing to 'Dixie' as we reached the deadly point . . and continued playing until the enem's batteriess began to rake our line."
Capt. Boyce - 1st Missouri Inf. (CS), Cockrell's Brigade, French's Division

"When Conrads brigade took up its advanced postion we all suposed it wouild be ionly temporary, but soon an orderly came along the line with instructions for the compny commanders, and he told me that the order were to hold the postion to the last man, and to have my sergeants fix bayonets and to instruct my company that any man, not wounded, who should attemp to leave the lline without orders, would be shot or bayonetted by the sergeants." Capt John K. Shellenberger 64th Ohio Inf. Conrad's Brigade


"The suspence and nervous strain became greater and greater . . Nearer and nearer the confederates approached with the perciston of dress parade and our hearts beat rapidly."W.W. Gist 26th Ohio Inf. Lanes Brigade


"The rebel skirmish line came toward us from the hills. Behind them came in splended order, banners flying, drums beating, the enemy in line of battle as the beautiful an array in active was as I have witnessed. "
Lt. William O. Mohrmann 72nd Illinoise, Strickland Brigade

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" as evening came on the neighboors began to come in . . and we went down in the cellar. Grandpa had already put rolls of rope in the windows. . to keep rthe bullets out. The negroes crouched dowb in the in the dinning room, and all the children & grand children and neighbors in the hall cellar, and granpa walked back and forth and watched out the window." "The first sound of the firing and the booming of cannons, we children all sat around our mothers and cried." Alice M. Nichol age 8 Tod Carters neice

"A cannon ball or shell camne screeching over the house from the confederate side. I think I grew short quicker than anything you ever saw. Oh - my ! but I jusat thought I was hity for sure . . I got down low and wasnt long in following the old folks into the celler. then the noise began in dead earnest. I hadnt seen anything, but I had heard more than I wanted to."
Mrs Carrie Snyder a nothern vuster to Franklin

"With one prolonged and loud cheer Our lines of infantryswept over their first line of works . . they stood their ground until we mounted the top of their works, but as we went over, part of their line of battle broke and fkled while the remainder lay down on their faces in the ditch to save thenselfs and were either killed or captured"
James M. Copley 49th Tennessee Quarles Brigade

The isolated small brigade to our right . . broke for the rear in disorder. Of course skirmish line followed suit at once.. It was simply a racefor safty and the charging rebels followed close at our heels on the run, their leaders shouting 'Right into the works with them boys!'
Lt. William O. Mohrmann 72nd Illinoise, Strickland Brigade

"Gen. Gist ordered the charge in concert with Gen Gordon. In passin from left to the right of the regiment. the general waved his hat to us . . and rode away in the smoke of battle."
Col. Ellison Capers 24th South Carolina Gist's Brigade

"De last tome I seen Marse States he wuz on foot, nigh er maple tree, still leading his men. His horse 'Joe' had been shot through the neck, en wuz rearing en plunging so he had ter dis mount.. Whens it it got to hot, I went back ter our tent" "Uncle Wiley" Howard, Gen state Rights Gist Body servant

"our boys emptied their guns into the fleeing troops and rushed to the woeks to reform our line. Just then I noticed Gen. Cleburn on a little gray horse that belonged to one of his couriers. His shorse was shot from under him.. and with his hat in hand and waving it above his head, scaled the works.. I could not hear what he was saying but knew it ment going forword afain we raised the rebel yell and renewed the charge to storm the enemys last line"

"in our front was an obstruction of brush and stakes . . I saw a brake in it and turned to the left to pass throuhgh . . Just at that instant a sheet of flame and smoke rose from the breastworks and I was shot, . . the ball entering the outer corner of the right eye passing through the left eyeball and fracturing my cheek . .

"When I regained consciousness I was laying in the ditch . . of running water and could feel the loose dirt fall in on me when the yanlees bullets would strike the top of the ditch . . I becvame thirsty but had fallen on my canteen but could not get to it.. . I drank the water in the ditch and it was cold and good. . I knew my sight was destroyed. . I placed my hands under my forhead to keep my face from above water .. and fell asleep"
Lt. Mintz 5th Arkansas, Govans Brigade

General Cleburn moved forward on foot waving his cap and I lost sight of him in the smoke and din of battle, and he must have met his death in few seconds afterwards.. all of this occurred near the interestion of the pike and his body was found within 20 yards of where I saw him last waving his cap and urging his men forward.
Brigader Gen. Daniel C. Govan

"I went up to the works with Granbury's Brigade and Govan with his staff were on foot. About half way between the first and secound lines Gen Granbury was killed. I was within ten feet of him and I rembember well the last words he spoke: 'Forword men, Never let let it be said that texans lagged in the fight' as he spoke . . a ball struck him in the cheek and passed through his brain. Throwing his hands to his face he sank down on hoiis knees and remained in that postion until his body was taken off the field after the battle."
Lt. L. H. Mangum, Cleburne's aide-de-camp

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So closeely we and determinedly were we pursued that. . the enemy cam in with at the pike. The 5oth Ohio and our own left compaines fell back out of their works. A battery stationed there was taken. The r4ebeles . . reversed the guns to use them on us but could not find the primers."
Lt. William O. Mohrmann 72nd Illinois, Strickland Brigade

"The 50th Ohio on our immediate left was swept away in the first mad rush, the enemy occupying part of their works in the ditch on the inside and also the outside, which afforded them a comparativly safe shelter. . . An enfilading fire on us and some coming from the rear called upon us to surrender.. here from a time we were badly intermingled, man of the men using the bayonet and others the clubbed musket. I recollect seeing a man, with blood streaming down his face rom a wound in the head with a pick axe in hand, rushing into a crowd of the enemy and swinging his pick"
Capt James A Sexton 72nd Illinois, Strickland Brigade

"Our lines had become broken and the men rushed onward regardless of oeder, converging toward the pike till they became solid masses all anxious to reach as soon as possible the breastworks where their comrades were engaged in hand to hand fighting. The first men of the front liine eacjed the works, and fought with the foes across them, others reaching the ditch in front scrambled across it and fell down exhausted and out of breath."
Lt Rennolds 5th Tennessee Strahls Brigade

"lieut Frank H. Hale of Company H succeeded in scaling the works and crawled about twenty feet inside the federal lines to the frame house. . that stood in the yard of the Carter House where he was killed filled with bullets from the guns of his own regiment."



Serg't Lum Walker of Co. H scaled the works and took shelter behind the brick smokehouse where he was wounded.




Lieut W. W. Etter of Co. K succeded in getting upon ther works and jumped down amoung the federals. they took their hats off to him but did not take him prisoner, ehen he too reached the smoke house and remained unhurt until the federals retreated and he re joined the regiment.
W.J. Worsham 19th Tennessee Strahls Brigade

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"We were posted in reserve near the Carter house behind the center of the line Col Arthur MacArthur and I were were taking supper, if you can call hardtack and coffe by such a fornal name.. when the confederates of Cheatham's division of Tenneseans suddenly hit and broke through immediatly in front of us." Capt Edwin B. Parsons 24th Wisconsin Opdycks Brigade

"Through the gap and over the works they came.. Gen. Wagnor was on his horse directly in front of the Carter House, and was making supperhuman efforts to check his men. . With terrible oaths he called them cowards and shook his broken stick at them,, His horse backing against his will, crowded to the rear by the surging mass of his own soldiers who were pressing against him in great numbers.. While the great mass of men took to the pike after getting over the earthworks, a great many were crowding along in the open ground east of the pike. . Wagner drifted out of sight with his own men toward the town" Capt Scofield Gen. Cox's staff

I saw a confederate soldier , close to me thrust one of our men through with a bayonet and before he could draw his weapon from the ghastky wound his brains were scattered on all of us that stood near, by the butt of a musket swung with terrific force by some big fellow whom I could not recognize in the grim dirt and smoke.. As I glanced hurridly around and heard the dull thuds, I turned from the sicking sight and glad to hid the vision in work with a hatchet for I had broken my sword. Col Wolf 64th Ohio Conrad's Brigade

On our right the the artillery teamsters stampeded and the gunners took picks, shovels or anything at hand and defended their guns. One of the guns was loaded but in the cunfusion caused by the stamped was not fired.. the enemy thinking the battery silenced made for the embrasure and a large crowd were rushing the muzzle of that gun. The man with the lanyard held his fire until the first rebel in the rush placed his hands on the muzzle to spring over. . when he lert go like a huge thunderbolt that awful roar and flash went blasting through the crowd of men. . arms and legs and mangled trunks were torn and throiwn in every direction. W. A. Keesy 64th Ohio Conrad's Brigade

"We charged up to the works. . we used bayonets, buts of guns, axes, picks, shovels... Capt Barnard of Company K used his little old four barrel pistol and even a hatchey that he always carried with him to assist in putting up his tent." J.K. Merrifield 88th Illinois Opdycke's Brigade

[dawna]

Steven:

Thank you for these eyewitness accounts of Franklin - they are an important reminder of this terrible event.

Dawna

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The accounts are from a wounderfull little paperback book titled:
Eyewitness at the Battle of Franklin by David R Logsdon

I have taken some of my fav qoutes from it and desided to post them here. Some you may have seen before as I have used them in my Signature. There will be more to come and some that are tearfully sad.

The photos are from http://www.civilwaralbum.com

You can almost make out the bullet holes in the office building by seeing the small black spots in the wood.

The smoke house on the other hand you can see peices of brick missing .. on visiting the actual site you can also see were bullets hit the wall but did not nessary chip away the brick. The two larges sections missing on the corner of the smokehouse was done by Confederate artillery.

regards, Steven

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I could get no place in the intrenchment, and as did many others, I lay as close to the ground as possibleloaded the short Enfield rifle that i had been permitted to carry on account of my size and had passed it to Gen, Strah the fourth or fifth time I think, The man on the embankment had cocked it and was taking aim when he was shot dead and fell on the heap below him."
Sgt Maj Cunningham 41st Tennessee, Strahl Brigade

"Corporal Robert Goff ogf Co. F took refuge in the Smokehouse. It had one window and that was to the west out of which he had a excekkent view of the enemy and was comparativly safe from the direct fire of the eneny. He told me that he counted seventeen distinct charges made by the enemy around this house" Lt. Thoburn 50th Ohio Strickland's Brigade

"We fought them across the brestworks, both sides lying low and putting their guns under the head logs that were on the earthworks, firing nervously rapidly and at random and not exposing any part of the body except the hand that fired the gun." Brig. Gen. George W. Gordon

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"The slaughtering could be seen down the line as far as the Columbia and Franklin Pike, and where the works crossed the pike . . . Our troops were killed by whole platoons, Our front line of battle seemed to have been cut down by the first discharge for in many places they were lying on their faces in almost as good order as if they had lain down on purpose; but no such order prevailed among the dead who fell in making the attempt to surmount the Cheval-de-frise, for hanging on the long spikes of this obstruction could be seen the mangled and torn remains of many of our soldiers who had been pierced by hundreds of minie balls and grape shot ... The ditch was full of dead men and we had to stand and sit upon them. The bottom of it from side to side was covered with blood to the depth of shoe soles" James M. Copley 49th Tennessee Quarles' Brigade

A fair faced, blue eyed beardless youth, about seventeen was severely wounded in the neck. He evidently had not been long in the service for he had a knapsack which could not have seen much usage. None of us knew his name or regiment. When the ball struck him he cried out 'Oh I am wounded!' and his head fell backward against the mman in his rear. We tried to do somthing for him. No Bandage or rag could be had. In a little while gasping the poor boy began to struggle with his arms and legs, but the crowd was so dense there was small room for movement . . . Man after man was either killed or wounded . . Nothing could be done for him or them, and so he was permited to continue to struggles -his fight for life - until he had nearly worked himself into a recling postion. In the meantime as the carnage grew. . those in the greatest danger began to think of themselfs. before death came to the unfortunate comrade, men were sitting and kneeling upon his priste body . . while life-blood oozed away" Sgt Mag. Banks Acting Adjutant 29th alabama Shelly's Brigade

I was in the charge abiut sundown .. It seemed to me that the air was all red and blue flames with shells and bullets screeching and howling everywhere over and through us as we rushed across the cotton fields strewn with fallen men... Wounded and dying men lay allabout in ghastly piles and when we reached the works at the old gine gatepost only two or three of my comrades were with me.. they were in the ditch but i was tumbled over by a yankee bullet and was dragged over and laid as prisoner by the old gine house" Capt. James Synnamon 6th Missouri Cockrell's Brigade

"Poor Capt Steward the last I saw of him her ewas trying to cut a path through the osage orange hedge with his sword. He fell with four bullets in him . I soon saw that nearly all of my company was killed or wounded."
Joseph Nicholas Thompson 35th Alabama Scott's Brigade

Gen. adams was mounted and rode alog the line urging his men forward.. He then rode straight toward the colors of the 65th Illinois. We looked to see him fall every minute but luck seemed to be with him. He spured his hiorse and mmade the last herouc effort to carry his line forward and to drivbe us out of line" Tillman H. Stevens 65th Indiana Casement Brigade

Our Col Stewart called to our men not to fire on him but it was to late Gen. Adams rode his hoirse overthe ditch to the top of the parapet undertook to grasp the 'Old flag' from the hands of the color Sergant, when he fell, horse and all shot by the color guard" James Barr 65th Illinois Casement Brigade

"The horse fell dead upon the top of the embankment and the general was cought under him peirced with bullets... As soom as the charge was repulsed our men spang upon the works and lifted the horse while othger dragged the general from under him. he was perfectly concius and knew his fate. He asked for water as all dying nen do uin battle as lifeblood drips from the body. Onre of my men gave him a canteen of water while another brought him a armload of cotton from the an old gin near by and made him a pillow.. The General thankedthem and in answer to our exporession of sorrow at his sad fate, he said" it is the fate of a soldier to die for his country and expired Lt Col. Edward Adams Baker 65th Indiana Casement Brigade.

[Alabaman]

Scone:

This is THE best post ever placed on CWT. The men of the Confederate Army of Tennessee at Franklin, Tennessee were the bravest American soldiers ever known, in my humble opinion.


I had a relative in Co. F, 45th Aa. Inf., Cleburne's Division, Pvt. John A. Adams, who was taken POW at Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864, and sent to Camp Dougas.

A friend of my gggrandfather, Capt. John R. "Kit" Carson, Cmdg. Co. K, 45th Alabama was killed in action near the old Gin House. Nearby him lay the body of the South's bravest 'adopted' son; Maj. Gen. P.R. Cleburne.

"How beautiful in death the soldier's corpse appears,
Embalmed by fond affection's breath and bathed by woman's tears;
Oh! let me die like those who for their country die,
Sink on her breast in calm repose and triumph where they lie."

May the Honour and Glory of the Confederate Army of Tennessee dislayed at Franklin, never be forgotten.

Yours Most Respectfully,
Alabaman
Rob Adams

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Originally Posted by Alabaman

"How beautiful in death the soldier's corpse appears,
Embalmed by fond affection's breath and bathed by woman's tears;
Oh! let me die like those who for their country die,
Sink on her breast in calm repose and triumph where they lie."

May the Honour and Glory of the Confederate Army of Tennessee dislayed at Franklin, never be forgotten.

Amen! My friend. .

regards, Steven