Nashville - Eyewitness accounts

[scone]

On the Retreat From Franklin: Nov. 30/Dec. 1

"As our Company. . . was passing through the town of Franklin, a woman came running from a houseinto the street at the rear of the company, screaming at the top of her voice. . . 'The yanks are retreating' over and over 'The yanks are retreating'. At once amidst her wild screening one of my company. . . stepped quckly to her and with muzzle of his of his gun within two or three feet of her body, shot her through the heart, returning instantly to his place in the ranks."
Capt. James S. Pressnall 63rd Indiana

"I fell off the horse i was riding and rolled twenty feet down an embankment. I crawed back up the bank and got on the horse again`and I didnt fall off again. It isnt any wonder that i went to sleep. I had lain down for two hours in three days and nights."
John Lord 72nd Illinos

Thursday - Dec. 1st 1864

At Travellers Rest

The Rumble of wagons and artillery was inceasing. Two yankee guards, who had been detailed from the federal headwquarters for the protection of the family, from stragglers, were at the house. One of them was induced, by Miss (Annie Armstrong Maxwell Mrs Overton's sister. . to put upon his cap the insignia of .. capt of the US Army. When Capt Claiborne resigned hos commission in the US army to fight for the the south, Mrs Claiborne had stored theses relics in her trunk. . Rhe Guard was thus decorated and stood at the smookhouse door. Stragglers and looters recognized his rank and would exclaim from time to time. ' A capt by God, guarding these damed Rebels'" Mary Claiborne, neice of Mrs John Overton Mistress of Travellers Rest South of Nashville



"Soon the Rebels began to come in sight on the top of a hill about half mile from us. As each regiment gained the top of the hill they had a good view of the city. They would halt for a moment and cheer, then file to the right or left and go into postion." Sgt. Samuel C. Broughton 21st Illinois

[JohnW in E.TN]

Great post, Steven. Of course, I'm sure one of the knotheads will be along presently to declare the first diary excerpt a "myth." Some are very selective and arbitrary about which eye witness accounts they accept.

Please post more accounts if you have them.

Regards,

John W.

[scone]

the orginal Source for the first qoute is from the memoirs James S. Pressnall and it is in the hands of John Sheets in Omaha Nebraska. I have been told by I believe by one of the historians at the Carter House in Franklin that the woman might have been a prostitute.

Franklin at the time had a very small population but was quite sinfull in its ways

This thread wil go onl like the one on Franklin and I will have one on Murfreesboro as well.

[johan_steele]

The first quote in Stevens post is accurate, I have read of it in several different accounts w/ at least two of them seperate first hand accounts.

I trust Steven to not take anything out of Context nor to willingly fabricate. I applaud the mans integrity and honesty and challenge anyone to claim otherwise.

[scone]

Shane,
I thank you for your kind words. I do hope all is well with you & yours?

Kindest Regards
Steven

[Alabaman]

Dear Scone,

You have another great post and I sincerely congratulate you once again! From sad atrocities of the war to the great battles won or lost, and even simple acts of human kindness, the HUMAN SUFFERING of the WBTS reigns THE most important aspect to ponder and reflect. And thus I sit reading your fine posts with sadness and great pride regarding these men who were inherently brave and faced such great odds. The Army of Tennessee will be eternally remembered as brave MEN! Let us dedicate ourselves to insure their memory and gallantry are NEVER forgotten!

Yours Most Sincerely,
Rob Adams

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"We arrived . . . before noon hungry and tired. Many of the prisoners were barefooted and could have been easily tracked by the marks of blood behind them. We were ragged dirty and blood-bespattered... We were paraded on the capital grounds and were kept on public exhibition for 5 or 6 hours and near 5000 peple came out to view us. A majority of the citizens who came to look at us were ladies* they were not allowed too approuch near the bayonets point of the double chain gaurd of federal troops wgho were between us and them, nor permitted to exchange anywords with us. But we saw their look of tenderness and effection ... We were ordered away to the ibnclosure of the outer dismal walls of the state penitentiary"

*scanning the ranks for friends or relatives that had left years before and have not been seen since then

One of our soldiers, a mere boy, had been shot in the right foot; the ball hitting him on the instep, passed through the foot and came out at the point of the heel. We were impressed with his heroic fortitude this young man displayed in hopping on his this wounded foot all the way from Franklin to Nashville, a distance of eighteen miles, as we never heard one impatient murmur or complaintescape his lips. An US Army surgion, while examing his foot, good naturedly asked him, If he had been shot while his back was fronting the enemy? The soldierr replied, "that during the entire campaign he had never turned his back on the . . . Yankees" The surgeon, who apeared to be a gentleman, looked at him and remarked. 'That is is right, you are a brave boy and a American Never disgrace the cause you espouse' Several others had been slightly wounded. . at Franklin and their wounds were promptly attended too." POW John M. Copley 49th Tennessee

"As we entered the suburbs of Nashvillew negro women, men and children emerged from their huts and thronged the roadside. . I glanced at their abode of wretchedness in a state of freedom and found their quaters more narrow contracted and less commodius than the cabins of the most rigid and cruel slave driver of the south. The men were clad in yankee uniforms and seemed apparently satisfied and content. We were marched through the streets to the Provost Marshalls office where we were paraded and inspected by the curious. Our Name , rank, regiment, brigade, Division was regstered and we were dispatched to the penitentiary under a strong guard. No one was permited to approuch us, much less exchangeaq few words of sympathy and encouragement."

"68 officers were pressed and crammed in our 15ft by 18 and the door bolted and locked. Plank bunks of three tiers each dirty filthy and full of vermin and one water bucket comprised the stock of our furniture.

A yankee officer announced that we would draw in addition to the usual prsion allowance, rations of hot coffee which would neutralize the effects of the cold we had endured. we hand not tasted a morsel of food since the morning of November 30th. It was now 3pm of december 1st Hunger has seized hold of our vitals and had we wagerly awaited but in vain for the arrival of our anticipated food."

9 o'clock came and another annoucement that the supply of meat had been exhausted and rations of sugar would be issued in lieu thereof with bread and coffee.. at 10 o'clock another annoucment that we would leave at 4am for Louisville, that the night was so far advanced that we would not draw rations untill minutes preceding our departure . . . It was a long wretched night"
Pow - Col. Virgil Murphey 17th Alabama

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Friday - December 2nd 1864

"At 4am we were paraded and the rolls verified and as we marched through the portals of the prison we each recived . . a slice of ham and bread and from thence convoyed to the Lousiville and Nashville depot. We were huddled and packed in box cars without seats or fire and all preliminaries being arranged, started. I was very coild . . My head and limbs ached violently and my stomach so rebellious as to refuse my scanty food."
Pow - Col. Virgil Murphey 17th Alabama

As more Confederates regiments arrived at the southern outskirts of

Nashville, Civilians at the roadside welcome them and scan the ranks for friends or relatives. One Confederate Staff officer whos home is nearby recognizes many familure faces.


"When we got to Jno. Overton's (Travellers Rest) I saw some ladies by the roadside in high excitement , an on riding up found them to be Mary Bradford, Miss Mary Maxwell, Miss May white, Misses Becky Allison, Mary Hadley and Buck Correy" Capt. William D. Gale Assistant Ajutant Gen. Stewart's Corp

Saturday - December 3rd 1864

"The line on which our brigade was placed was a high open field, from it we could see the spires, domes parapets and minarets of the capital city of Tennessee" Lt. R.M. Collins 15th Texas Granbury's Brigade

"I went to the top of Compton's (Shy's) Hill on the Hillsboro Turnpike and got my first view of the city since I left January 1862. When I left the range of the hills immediatly south of the city was covered with large trees. Now the hills were bare of trees and were crowned with heavy forts. The Capitol stood out clear and distinct with fortifications around it".
Chaplain J. H. McNeilly, Quarles Brigade

"Weather warm and pleasent.. I was up town to get som pghotographs, they will be done next Tuesday" Abram H. Stafford 103rd Ohio Casement's Brigade

"Went to the city in pm got one picture taken, mailed package of letters" John A. Hiestand 123rd Indiana Mehringer's Brigade

[scone]

Sunday - December 4 1864

"I am on gard over rebel colars that was taken at Franklin. They are at Fen Schofields Quartersl. They are very bluddy & show the terible reality of war. There wasent a silk one amongst the pile. Some of the reb citazens look at them with sorrowing countances" Abram H. Stafford 103rd Ohio Casement's Brigade

"A line of battle has been drawn up just in the rear of the house extending from the river to Mrs Crutcher's both cavalry and Infantry. It is the consequence of a rumour that Forrest... has succeeded in crossing the river, and is near Mrs Crutcher's. The servants and children are utterly unmanageable - simply wild - the former stand and stare at the line of soldiers in petrified terror, the ;latter equally magnetized but the attraction being one of unmitigated delight at the idea of a battle 'Rright here!' No finer fun could be conceived of and Lettie, Lou, Frank, John and Baby Bess are all ready, decked out in warlike paraphernalia... all eager for the fray!

I have been lauging at and try to encouarge Old Aunt Cynthia , who persists in declaring "No! No! No! I cant do no cooking this hear day!' Because Miss Maggie dem dar bullets kill me sure in de kitchen!' I have offered her the parlor, if she thinks its safer.. anywhere in the house if she will only prepair some fuel to sustain and keep burning all this fire and flame of valor and patriotism in the Lindsley family.. but to no purose - cook she will not nor any of her numerous assistants - my only answer being 'How kin you jest and laugh at such a time as this Miss Maggie when de rebs dome com sure we all be killed!" Margaret Lawrence Lindsley at Springside in Edgefield

"Our troops have all thrown up breastworks in front of their line.. Night before last our men workedall night on their breastworks and testerday afternoon we were change to another locality and the men worked again most of the night throwing up works" 1st Lt. Henry C. Fike 117th Illinois Wolfe's Brigade

"When our men ere busily at work in the trenches. . they had quite a interested group of lookers on from the city. . these were clerks and bookkeepers and employees of various kinds and with their nice clean suits and polished sboots they presented quite a contrast to our veteran work. Suddenly and to their great suprise they were corralled by the corporal's guard and ordered to serve their turn with the pick and shovels which they had been watching with so miuch interest" Dr. Stephan C. Ayres Cumberland Hospital in Nashville

"I was at church tonight but I thought it was a dry one" Abram H. Stafford 103rd Ohio Casement's Brigade

Monday December 5 1864

"Today I rode around our outerlines and to my astonishment found that they were in minnie range of the rebs. I noticed some civilians who had come out to be spectastors of the fray and being reminded by the whizzing of bullets of the demands of home left hurridley"

I stumbled upon a 'palace beautiful' in a large pleasure ground. Near the entrace was a high square tower which rose out of a reservoir half filled with water.. This is the residence of Widow Adelicia Ackland (Belmont Mansion) It is at present a military Headquarters
Chaplain Elijah E. Edwards 7th Minnesota Hills Brigade

Belmont Mansion & Water Tower

Belmont - Served as the Union headquarters for Union Generals David Stanley and Thomas Wood. This was the Union’s outer defense from Fort Negley and around Nashville facing south. Present day Woodmont Boulevard split the Union and Southern troops

Water Tower - served as a lookout post for Union troops watching Confederate forces

[scone]

Rob I thank you. I dont think a day goes by where I don't think of those brave American souls (Yank and Reb) that once walked this Earth.

Regards,
Steven