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December 19.--Army headquarters still at Mr. Vaught's. The army, and such trains and artillery as were not crossed over yesterday, occupied the day in crossing Duck River--Lee first, Cheatham next, and then Stewart. The enemy's cavalry appeared on opposite side of Rutherford's Creek.
[Insert – from General George H. Thomas Jan 20 1865 report: “During the 19th several unsuccessful efforts were made by the advanced troops to cross Rutherford's Creek, although General Hatch succeeded in lodging a few skirmishers on the south bank. The heavy rains of the preceding few days had inundated the whole country and rendered the roads almost impassable. Smith's and Schofield's commands crossed to the south side of Harpeth River, General Smith advancing to Spring Hill, whilst General Schofield encamped at Franklin”]
December 20.--Everything over the river this morning. The march was resumed on the Pulaski pike--Lee in front (Stevenson commanding), Cheatham next, and General Stewart in rear. General Forrest, with his cavalry and a division of infantry under command of Major-General Walthall (composed of Ector's, Strahl's, Maney's, Granbury's, and Palmer's brigades), directed to oppose the advance of the enemy's cavalry. General Stevenson's corps camped within two miles of Pulaski, and the other two corps in his rear, and in order of march. Army headquarters at Mr. Jones', Pulaski. Forrest was aiding the defense of Columbia on the evening of the 20th as per his official report.
[Insert – from General George H. Thomas Jan 20 1865 report: “On the morning of the 20th General Hatch constructed a floating bridge from the debris of the old railroad bridge over Rutherford's Creek, and crossing his entire division pushed out for Columbia, but found, on reaching Duck River, the enemy had succeeded the night before in getting everything across, and had already removed his pontoon bridge; Duck River was very much swollen and impassable without a bridge.”]
December 21.--Army headquarters still at Mr. Jones', Pulaski. Stevenson's corps marched across Richland Creek and went into camp; Cheatham's and Stewart's corps camped on this side. Forrest fell back from Columbia toward Pulaski as per his official report.
[Insert – from George H. Thomas Jan 20, 1865 report: “The weather had changed from dismal rain to bitter cold, very materially retarding the work in laying the bridge, as the regiment of colored troops to whom that duty was intrusted seemed to become unmanned by the cold and totally unequal to the occasion. On the completion of the bridge at Rutherford's Creek sufficient material for a bridge over Duck River was hastily pushed forward to that point, and the bridge constructed in time to enable Wood to cross late in the afternoon of the 22d and get into position on the Pulaski road, about two miles south of Columbia. The water in the river fell rapidly during the construction of the bridge, necessitating frequent alterations and causing much delay. The enemy, in his hasty retreat, had thrown into the stream several fine pieces of artillery, which were rapidly becoming uncovered, and were subsequently removed.”]
[Forrest and his cavalry, and such other detachments as had been sent off from his main army whilst besieging Nashville, had rejoined Hood at Columbia. He had formed a powerful rear guard, made up of detachments from all his organized force, numbering about 4,000 infantry, under General Walthall, and all his available cavalry, under Forrest. With the exception of his rear guard, his army had become a disheartened and disorganized rabble of half-armed and barefooted men, who sought every opportunity to fall out by the wayside and desert their cause to put an end to their sufferings. The rear guard, however, was undaunted and firm, and did its work bravely to the last.
During the 23d General Wilson was occupied crossing his command over Duck River, but took the advance on the 24th, supported by General Wood, and came up with the enemy just south of Lynnville, and also at Buford's Station, at both of which places the enemy made a short stand, but was speedily dislodged, with a loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Our advance was so rapid as to prevent the destruction of the bridges over Richland Creek. Christmas morning, the 25th, the enemy, with our cavalry at his heels, evacuated Pulaski, and was pursued toward Lamb's Ferry over an almost impracticable road and through a country devoid of subsistence for man or beast.]
December 22.--Army headquarters at Pulaski. Stevenson's corps was directed to move forward on the Lamb's Ferry road, in rear of the pontoon train, and camped about eight miles from Pulaski. General Stewart's corps camped in rear of Stevenson's about six miles from Pulaski, and General Cheatham's on Richland Creek, in the immediate vicinity of town. The wagon train ordered to move at daylight toward Bainbridge, by the Powell road. The US Army crossed Duck River at Columbia today.
James Patterson Cockerham, a farrier with the 10th TN US Cavalry, who was in support of General Hatch in this venture, had spent the summer of 1864 at the hospital organized at Giles College in Pulaski as he recovered from broken ribs suffered on July 1 in Tullahoma. Today there's a recreation center there and a mighty peaceful graveyard on top of the hill overlooking the route that these armies chose on their way south to Alabama. The monuments in the cemetery mostly pre-date the civil war. These would have been witnesses to history. A shame they can't talk. Pulaski had been occupied, first one army, then the other. Like many other small southern cities, it would never be the same. Whit Parker, who hailed from southwestern Virginia, had never been here before. I'm sure he never forgot the place, but certainly never returned.
larry, a priceless thread chock full of excellent info. 5 star work here.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
You gentlemen are most kind. Thanks. There is still much work to be done and some travelling. Maybe more next spring. With your indulgence, I'll post some more of the calendar.
December 23.--Army headquarters on Powell's Ferry road, six miles from Lexington, Ala. The army, after the day's march, camped as follows: Stevenson's corps at the intersection of the Lamb's Ferry road with the Powell road, four miles from Lexington; General Stewart in rear, on the Lamb's Ferry road; General Cheatham moved on the Lawrenceburg road. Forrest was in a position of defense at Lynnville as per his official report.
Two most interesting 'encounters' occurred during this couple of days as Walthall and Forrest continued in their effort to protect the Army of Tennessee from destruction by Wilson's 4th Cavalry. As you travel today 2005 south from Pulaski on TN 'highway' 11 it's obvious how difficult the terrain must have been in that winter storm for worn out mules and men.
Locally the first event is known as the battle of Anthony's Hill.
Last edited by larry_cockerham; 12-18-2005 at 10:52 AM.
Reason: spell
December 24.--Army headquarters at Mr. Joiner's, eleven miles from Bainbridge, on the main Bainbridge road. Stevenson's corps reached and camped on Shoal Creek and Stewart's in his rear. General Cheat-ham not yet come into the main road from the Powell road. Forrest was in position of defense at Richland Creek as per his official report.
As the Army of Tennessee continued their retreat south of Pulaski, General Forrest noticed a defensive hollow as the army moved slowly up Anthony’s Hill. See earlier in this document the description of the battle and the graveyard and church which are still standing in 2005. Next is Gen. George Thomas' report of that afternoon’s battle. See more on this and Sugar Creek in the following pages.
[Insert- George H. Thomas Jan 20 1865 report. This must have been the battle with Forrest at Anthony’s Hill: “During the afternoon Harrison's brigade found the enemy strongly intrenched at the head of a heavily wooded and deep ravine, through which ran the road, and into which Colonel Harrison drove the enemy's skirmishers; he then waited for the remainder of the cavalry to close up before attacking; but before this could be accomplished the enemy, with something of his former boldness, sallied from his breast-works and drove back Harrison's skirmishers, capturing and carrying off one gun belonging to Battery I, Fourth U.S. Artillery, which was not recovered by us, notwithstanding the ground lost was almost immediately regained. By night-fall the enemy was driven from his position, with a loss of about 50 prisoners.”]
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