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We started in good time over frozen ground and ice though the pike was tolerable good only in spots. All day we have passed the wrecks of Hood’s fleeing army, signs of hot pursuit. We reached Spring Hill at 4 p.m. and go in camp just before it commences to rain again. The little village is very much dilapidated to what it was when we first saw it. It was near that the Rebs came near cutting off our retreat up to Franklin. Made a search to find commissary wagons but fail and have to crumb it scantily at that. Rain increases and our bed is wet as has been for sometime.
A.L. Ewing (63rd Indiana Infantry) diary for Dec 20th, 1864
Source: The Eli Lilly Library, Indiana University
Upon learning the entire Federal army had escaped Spring Hill during the night of the 29th, C.S.A. Gen John Bell Hood spoke these words on the morning of the 30th, “the best move of my career as a soldier come to naught.”
Last night passed off quietly. At 8 we are packed ready to move. The forces behind us have just moved out. The enemy have been trying all morning to get possession of the ford, consequently several artillery fights as well as skirmishes today with musketry in fact has been a noisy war-like day. Eve: The enemy just before dusk charged and drove our skirmishers away from the ford but they held on to part of their line. The operation made a great rattling of musketry and supposing the enemy to be attacking in force our Regt was ordered double quick up to the scene of action. The artillery thundered away for a while, and with darkness relapsed into silence. In our movement our Regt was very much exposed to the raking fire through its whole length yet the Rebs did not take advantage of it. Soon after dark we withdrew in silence and was on the march back to Franklin a distance of 23 miles. Just before we got to Spring Hill we could see a long string of lights on our right not far off, and supposing it was the 4th Corps in camp we were looking forward to an immediate rest when to our surprise we were told that it was the lights of a rebble camp. Men ordered not to speak nor let their accoutrements rattle, we were so close we could see their camp guards (night guards).
Written by Addison Lee Ewing, Captain, Co F, 63rd Indiana Infantry
(Previous posts related to Ewing)
Source: Ewing Mss. Manuscripts department, The Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
The Civil war Education Association is hosting an upcoming (Nov 3-5) field and walking tour of the middle Tennessee Civil War battlefields of Columbia, Spring Hill and Franklin. The tour will be led by the respected Franklin historian, Eric Jacobson.
Click here to learn more.
Historian Eric Jacobson leads a Civil War tour.
A small group of troubadours performed a few excerpts from a play called Scathe at the Williamson County Public Library today. The play is written by Dr. Deanne Collins (Ed.D). It is a historical drama based on a love-triangle in small town Spring Hill, Tennessee, in May 1863. It’s based on a true incident of Dr. Peters shooting and killing Gen Earl Van Dorn.
The drama troupe are all amateur actors. Collins is looking for corporate sponsors and support from residents in middle Tennessee. Her hope is to perform this drama (musical) annually, on the anniversary of the incident, starting in 2013. The play is presented in hopes of supporting the Tennessee Children’s Home in Spring Hill, TN.
For more info go to www.ScathethePlay.com or contact Collins at deannemcollins[at]bellsouth.net
Here’s a short vignette of Bakari King singing as a slave Madzura.
Hood’s Advance at Spring Hill, Tenn., Thirty-two Miles South of Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Wednesday, Nov. 30 — Midnight RECEIVED Dec. 1 — 9 A. M. Heavy skirmishing for the past few days, and still going on between our troops and FORREST. There was a sharp fight yesterday at Spring Hill, twelve miles south of Franklin. Our cavalry was driven back on our infantry lines which checked the enemy. A squad of rebel prisoners were in charge of these troops, when the rebel cavalry made a dash on them, releasing their men and capturing ours. A train was attacked near Harpeth River. The engineer detached the locomotive, and both are supposed to be captured. The rest of the train was saved. A squad of rebel cavalry dashed across the Chattanooga line yesterday, near Cheshire, tearing up the track. The train was detained all night, but came in next morning. Our troops have fallen back around Franklin. The main part of HOOD’s army is across Duck River. Every indication of a heavy battle in a few days, but we are confident of the result.
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