BATTLE OF NASHVILLE.

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and the extent of the enemy’s line, Thomas ordered Smithto send one of his divisions to extend that flank, but onrepresentations as to the condition of affairs in Smith’s front,the order was withdrawn.

"Wilson, however, was making good progress with hiscavalry, which must now be traced. Johnson’s division hadnot felt strong enough to attack the position of Chalmers,near Bell’s Landing, on the 15th, and Wilson’s movementshad been made with the rest of the corps. The concentra-tion of Chalmers’s division in the night, enabled Wilson tobring Johnson up in the morning, and he now had all threeof his divisions in hand. Hammond’s had pickets towardthe Granny White turnpike, in rear of Hood’s left, Hatch’sdivision was ordered to move from his bivouac on the Hills-boro road, on the left of Hammond, and upon the enemy’srear. Johnson was moving across the country from nearBell’s Landing. By noon, or shortly after, Wilson’s skir-mishers formed a continuous curved line from Schofield’sright around the enemy’s flank across the Granny Whiteroad. It was at this time that Schofield ordered the move-ment of Stiles’s brigade, which has been mentioned, and hadsuggested the desirability of sending a full division of in-fantry beyond Hood’s flank, if one could be spared from theline. He did not think it wise to assault the heavy work infront of Cox’s division, except in connection w’ith a generaladvance.

The situation at the angle on Shy’s Hill, however, wasopening the prospect of a successful attack there. The ad-vance of Wilson’s dismounted cavalry from one wooded hillto another on the south, was making Hood uneasy, and hisvehement exhortation to Chalmers, to hold his own, notbeing enough to overcome the odds against that officer, hewas forced to withdraw Govan’s brigade from Cheatham’s