As

413. "Forrest's Navy" Destroyed. It was now decided to move against Johnsonville, located on the Tennessee River at the crossing of the railroad, where the Federal commanders had established a depot of supplies, and had accumulated a vast quantity of military stores. cending the river, "The Navy" encountered a Federal fleet of gunboats. After a severe fight, both of Forrest's boats were disabled, and were destroyed by their crews, who escaped to the shore by swimming.

414. Johnsonville.- Forrest now moved his artillery to points on the river bank opposite to Johnsonville. Here he destroyed the Federal fleet of gunboats, transports, and barges, and set on fire by the shot from his artillery the large warehouses, and vast piles of army stores covered with tarpaulins and stacked along the shore. During the night the Confederate forces withdrew, and marched six miles by the light of the conflagration they had kindled.

415. Forrest Retires to Join Hood. The following day, November 5th, General Forrest began his march to join General Hood for the approaching campaign in Middle Tennessee. In this expedition into West Tennessee, which occupied a little more than two weeks, General Forrest reports that he inflicted upon the enemy a loss of 500 men, 4 gunboats, 14 transports, 20 barges, 26 pieces of artillery, $6,700,000 worth of property. The Assistant Inspector General of the United States Army, having been sent to inspect and report on the destruction of property at Johnsonville, reports the money value of property destroyed at $2,200,000.1

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

HOOD'S CAMPAIGN.

416. The Confederate Army Reënters Tennessee.- The Atlanta campaign was ended. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had been superseded by Gen, John B. Hood. Removing from the front of the Federal army, General Hood crossed the Tennessee River, November 21, 1864, and marched for Nashville.

1

1 Official Records, Serial Number 77, Forrest's Report, pp. 870-872; Ibid., Report of Assistant Inspector General, pp. 860-863; Confederate History, Vol. VIII, Chapter XII; Campaigns of Lieut.-General N. B. Forrest, especially Chapter XXII.

General Sherman, beginning his march to the sea, appointed General Thomas to oppose the movement of Hood. The reports of December 10th showed the relative strength of the two armies: Confederate army, total effective, 33,393; Federal army, aggregate equipped, 75,153.1

417. Battle of Franklin.- General Schofield was sent to oppose Hood's advance. After some skirmishing at Spring Hill, Schofield effected his retreat to Franklin, at which place General Hood attacked his strongly entrenched position, and was repulsed, with fearful slaugh

ter, November 30, 1864. During the night, Schofield fell back to Nashville. The Federal loss, as officially reported, was 2,326. The Confederate loss, as reported by General Hood, was 4,500.2

The Battle of Franklin was the most pathetic of the Tennessee battles. In the midst of homes and friends, with scarce time to receive from their parents the kiss of welcome after their protracted absence,

1 Official Records, Serial Number 93, pp. 52-55, 663.
2 Official Records, Serial Number 93, pp. 32-59, 652-663.

the flower of the Tennessee youth went into battle, full of ardor and resolution - many of them never to return. The fearful havoc in their ranks inflicted a pang in every household in Middle Tennessee.

The public grief for the fall of the great leaders, Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, Brigadier Generals Gist, John Adams, Strahl, and Granbury, was mingled with the private grief of parents and friends, who sought the bodies of less renowned but equally heroic soldiers. Friends of the wounded officers of rank, Maj. Gen. John C. Brown, Brigadier Generals Carter, Manigault, Quarles, Cockrill, and Scott, joined in anxious inquiries and ministrations with the friends of the obscure but gallant privates. The people of the vicinity, Confederate and Union, organized themselves into a corps of relief.

418. McGavock Cemetery.- Col. John McGavock, one of the noblest of men, on whose magnificent estate the battle was partly fought, not only made his house a hospital for the wounded, but also gathered the dead and interred them with decent obsequies in a beautiful site adjoining his family cemetery, and in his will, devised the ground to be forever dedicated as a Confederate Cemetery. In all these offices of mercy, he was aided and inspired by his wife. Here sleep the heroes of Franklin, honored and lamented by friend and foe, while McGavock Cemetery, their resting place, remains, likewise, a monument to John McGavock and his honored wife.

419. Nashville.- Following the retreat of Schofield from Franklin, General Hood pursued him to the vicinity of Nashville, where he established his lines about two miles from the city, December 2d. Here, General Hood intrenched his position, and sent Forrest in command of a force of cavalry and infantry to invest Murfreesboro, which was defended by a force of 8,000 men under General Rousseau. General Thomas, in the meantime, had accumulated an overwhelming force

at Nashville. December 15th, he assaulted the Confederate lines, and was repulsed. The next day, December 16th, he renewed the as

sault, and this time with success. The Confederate line was broken. General Hood retreated on the Franklin road.

Lieut. Gen. Stephen D. Lee commanded the rear-guard, and held the enemy in check until the army reached Columbia. December 18th, Forrest, who had been recalled from the investment of Murfreesboro, arrived at Columbia. The gallant General Lee, while heroically protecting the retreat of the army, had been severely wounded. command of the rear now devolved on Forrest.

The

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With sad hearts, the soldiers resumed the march south. Tennesseans passed by their homes, as they had done on previous retreats, but this time with the conviction that Tennessee was permanently abandoned. Yet, with few exceptions, they remained true to their colors. General Hood states in his report that the desertions were less than 300. On Christmas Day, the Tennessee River was reached, at Bainbridge. In two days the crossing was completed, and Tennessee was no longer a battleground.

420. The War Ends.-The Confederate army retired to Tupelo, Mississippi. Lee's, Stewart's, and Cheatham's corps went to South Carolina. Under Johnston, they fought the despairing campaign until they were surrendered, April 27, 1865.

A portion of the Tennessee infantry, and Forrest's cavalry, remained in the Mississippi Department. Forrest, now promoted to Lieutenant General, reörganized his command. All the Tennessee cavalry were organized into a division, which was placed under the command of Brigadier General William H. Jackson, who had borne an important part in all of Forrest's operations, and had performed many brilliant exploits.

421. Surrender of the Last Troops East of the Mississippi River.May 9, 1865, Gen. Richard Taylor surrendered the last troops east of the Mississippi River, in which were included Forrest's Cavalry. The terms of the surrender were liberal. Officers retained their horses and

side arms. Soldiers retained their horses and private property. The several organizations were to return home under command of their own officers, there to be disbanded, and were to be supplied with forage and rations on the way.

422. The Paroles.- Gen. E. S. Dennis, Commissioner on the part of the United States, and Gen. W. H. Jackson, Commissioner on the part of the Confederate States, issued to each Confederate soldier a certificate of parole, and to each officer a written parole, in the following form:

"I, the undersigned, prisoner of war, belonging to the Army of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, having been.

surrendered by Lieutenant General R. Taylor, Confederate States Army, commanding said department, to Major General E. R. S. Canby, United

States Army, commanding Army and Division of West Mississippi, do hereby give my solemn parole of honor that I will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities."

This parole, signed by the paroled officer, was approved and signed by the two commissioners. The Commissioner for the United States appended the following: "The above-named officer will not be disturbed by United States authorities as long as he observes his parole, and the laws in force where he resides."

Forrest's troops received their paroles at Gainesville, Alabama. Each regiment was mustered, and the command was given, "Ground arms." At the word, the tears and the muskets of the soldiers fell together to the ground. Thus disarmed, they began the homeward march.

423. An Incident.-As the Tenth and Eleventh Tennessee Regiments, commanded by Col. D. W. Holman, marched towards the Tennessee River to meet the transports which would convey them across, the men conversed anxiously as to their future prospects. Would they be permitted to live in peace? Would they be subjected to military rule, insult, and oppression? Sore and dejected, they drew near to a Federal camp, where they had been ordered to stop to draw supplies.

The Federal soldiers could be seen assembled in long lines on both sides of the road to view "Forrest's Cavalry." Anticipating insult, they felt deeply their unarmed and helpless condition. It was not thus that they were accustomed to approach a Federal garrison. As they passed between the rows of Federal soldiers, a few camp followers, who had gathered in a group, noting the tattered dress and dejected demeanor of the men, and the worn and bespattered condition of the horses, and not aware that the best blood of Tennessee flowed in the veins of those ragged men and those jaded horses, began a series of