THE INVASION OF TENNESSEE.
437
the Federals to turn them. Although every possi-ble exertion was made by these officers, the works"were not completed when, on the 15th, the Federalarmy moved out and attacked both flanks, whilstthe main assault was directed against our left. ItWas my intention to have made these defensesself-sustaining, but time was not allowed, as theenemy attacked on the morning of the 15tli.Throughout that day they were repulsed at allpoints of the general line with heavy loss, andpnly succeeded toward evening in capturing themi'antry outposts on our left, and with them thesmall force together with the artillery posted inthese unfinished works. Finding that the mainmovement of the Federals was directed against°ur left, the chief engineer was instructed care-fully to select a line in prolongation of the lefthank; Cheatham’s corps was withdrawn from theright during the night of the 15th and posted onthe left of Stewart — Cheatham’s left resting nearthe Brentwood Hills. The men were ordered to con-struct breastworks there during that same night.
The morning of the lGtli found us with Lee’sr ight on Overton’s Hill. At an early hour the en-e my made a general attack along our front, and' w ere again and again repulsed at all points withheavy loss, especially in Lee’s front. About 3 :30M. the Federals concentrated a number of gunsa 8 ainst a portion of our line, which passed over amound on the left of our center, and which hadbeen occupied during the night. This point wasfavorable for massing troops for an assault undercover of artillery. Accordingly the enemy availedhimself of the advantage presented, massed a body°f men—apparently one division — at the base offhis mound, and, under the fire of artillery, whichPrevented our men from raising their heads above"he breastworks, made a sudden and gallant chargehp to and over our intrenchments. Our line, thusPierced, gave way; soon thereafter it broke at allPoints, and I beheld for the first and only time aonfederate army abandon the field in confusion.w as seated upon my horse not far in rear whenle breach was effected, and soon discovered thata « hope to rally the troops was vain.
f did not, I might say, anticipate a break at that'me, as our forces up to that moment had re-pulsed the Federals at every point, and werehaving their colors in defiance, crying out to theenemy, “Come on, come on.” Just previous tofatal occurrence I had matured the move-ent for the next morning. The enemy’s rightnk, by this hour, stood in air some six miles^°m Nashville , and I had determined to with-aw my entire force during the night, and attackis exposed flank in rear. I could safely haveSo ’ as ■*- bml open a line of retreat.
^ lie day before the rout, the artillery posted in0 j 6 detached works had been captured ; a numberguns in the main line were abandoned for thethat the horses could not be brought for-a id in time to remove them. Thus the totalher of guns captured amounted to fifty-four,jj 6 : la< t fortunately still remaining a sufficientth*^ 61 ' °f pieces of artillery for the equipment ofar my, since, it will be remembered. I had
taken with me at the outset of the campaign alarge reserve of artillery to use against gun-boats.Our losses in killed and wounded in this engage-ment were comparatively small, as the troops wereprotected by breastworks.
Order among the troops was in a measure re-stored at Brentrvood, a few miles in rear of thescene of disaster, through the promptness andgallantly of Clayton’s division, which speedilyformed and confronted the enemy, with Gibson’sbrigade and McKenzie’s battery, of Fenner’s bat-talion, acting as rear-guard of the rear-guard.General Clayton displayed admirable coolness andcourage that afternoon and the next morning inthe discharge of his duties. Gibson, who evincedconspicuous gallantry and ability in the handling ofhis troops, succeeded, in concert with Clayton, inchecking and staying the first and most dangerousshock which always follows immediately after arout. The result was that even after the armypassed the Big Harpeth, at Franklin, the brigadesand divisions were marching in regular order.
General S. D. Lee displayed his usual energy andskill in handling his troops on the 17th, whilstprotecting the rear of our army. Unfortunately,in the afternoon he was wounded and forced toleave the field. General C. L. Stevenson thenassumed command of Lee’s corps, and ably dis-charged his duties during the continuance of theretreat to and across the Tennessee River .
General Walthall, one of the most able divisioncommanders in the South, was here ordered to forma rear-guard with eight picked brigades and For-rest’s cavalry ; the march was then resumed in thedirection of Columbia, Stewart’s corps moving infront, followed by those of Cheatham and Steven-son. The army bivouacked in line of battle nearDuck River on the night of the 18th.
The following day we crossed the river and pro-ceeded on different roads leading toward Bain-bridge on the Tennessee . I entertained but littleconcern in regard to being further harassed by theenemy. I therefore continued to march leisurely,and arrived at Bainbridge on the 25tli of Decem-ber. The following day the march was continuedin the direction of Tupelo, at which place Cheat-ham’s corps, the last in the line of march, wentinto camp oil the 10th of January, I 860 .
On the 13th of January I sent the followingdispatch to the Secretary of War: “I request tobe relieved from the command of this army.”
Upon General Beauregard’s arrival at Tupelo,on the 14th of January, I informed him of myapplication to be relieved from the command ofthe army. I again telegraphed the authorities inRichmond, stating that the campaigns to the Ala-bama line and into Tennessee were my own con-ception ; that I alone was responsible ; that I hadstriven hard to execute them in such manner as tobring victory to our people, and at the same timerepeated my desire to be relieved. The Presidentfinally complied with my request, and I bade fare-well to the Army of Tennessee on the 23d ofJanuary, 1865, after having served with it some-what in excess of eleven months, and having per-formed my duties to the utmost of my ability.