Springhill, Tennessee - November 29, 1864

Springhill, Tennessee - November 29, 1864

The morning of the 29th of November, 1864, rose clear and cold over the armies of the Tennessee. The rays of a cloudless sun fell slightly over the grim menace of embattled and maneuvering hosts. Schofield [Ed: Federal General Schofield] was in Columbia, and it was Hood's purpose to flank and outmarch him, so as to cut him off from Nashville and capture his army. With this object in view, Hood's army crossed the Duck river about three miles above Columbia at Davis' Ford, and by a circuitous rout marched directly toward Spring Hill. A small town that was situated on the Nashville turnpike, about midway between Columbia and Franklin.

In this march Cleburne's division was leading, with Bate immediately following him, and Brown in the rear, on the right of the road over which the corps marched. Cleburne's division was composed of four brigades - Granberry's [Ed: Granbury's] Texas, Govan's Arkansas, Lowery's, composed of Alabama and Mississippi troops, and Mercer's Georgia, commanded by General J. A. Smith. The latter brigade had been left on duty at Florence, Ala., and did not reach the command till after the battle of Franklin.

Late in the afternoon Cleburne reached the vicinity of Spring Hill. Near the turnpike at this point there was a Federal fortification. A quarter of a mile from this fortification ran McCrutchen's Creek, and the road on which Cleburne was coming crossed this creek and approached the turnpike at a right angle.

Under the direction of General Cheatham, the corps commander, and following the plan scheduled by General Hood, Bate moved out to form on Cleburne's left, and Brown's brigade was moved on the double quick to his right, and made their formation. General Hood then in person ordered General Cleburne to form at the left of the road, in a cornfield at the foot of a hill, move forward and take the enemy's works, adding that Brown had formed on his right and Bate was advancing to form on his left.

This order was executed rapidly. The enemy had time to fire but one volley before Granberry [Ed: Granbury] and Govan were on their works, and in less than fifteen minutes, with a loss of four killed and forty-five wounded, the earthworks with some prisoners were taken.

Cleburne's command was now in full view of Spring Hill, and less than three hundred yards from it. Meanwhile a Federal battery on the turnpike commenced to shell the command, and, as our forces had become somewhat scattered in pursuing the enemy, General Cleburne dispatched the writer to Granberry [Ed: Granbury] on the left, with directions to form his brigade on a fence running parallel to the pike, and about two hundred yards from it, so as to be prepared to move on the pike. As he gave this order he added, "I will see Govan." At that moment a shell burst over us and wounded Cleburne's horse, "Redpepper," in the hip, causing the animal to rear furiously. Lingering an instant to make the inquiry, "Are you hurt, General?" the answer was shot back as from a Parrott gun, "No! Go on Mangum, and tell Granberry [Ed: Granbury] what I told you, and we will take the pike!" In a short time both brigades had formed and the battery had retreated.

At this juncture General Cheatham discovered that Bate was not on the left, and he sent Colonel Bostick [Ed: Litton Bostick, former Adjutant of Govan's Arkansas Brigade at Pickett's Mill] of his staff with an order for Cleburne to halt till Bate had made his formation. The creek through which Cleburne's men had waded proved an obstruction to Bate, which entailed delay. Meanwhile Brown reported that he was outflanked on the right. The fact together with Bate's failure to form as ordered being communicated to General Hood, and darkness having set in, he gave orders for the troops to bivouac in position, and added "We will attack the enemy at daylight to-morrow morning.

The arrest of his movement on the turnpike was a bitter disappointment to General Cleburne, and he expressed himself very forcibly in regard to the failure that forced it.

[Kennesaw National Military Park - Kennesaw, Georgia]