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As fast as the Union troops arrived at Columbia, in their hurried retreatfrom Pulaski, works were thrown up, covering the approaches from the south,and the trains were sent across the river. But the line was found to be longerthan the small force could hold; and the river could easily be crossed, aboveor below the town. Orders were given to withdraw to the north side on thenight of the 26th, but a heavy storm prevented. The next night the crossing'was made, the railroad bridge was burned, and the pontoon boats were scut-tled. This was an all-night job, the last of the pickets crossing at 5 in themorning. It was now the fifth day since the retreat from Pulaski began, andthe little army had been exposed day and night to all sorts of weather exceptsunshine, and had been almost contiliually on the move. Prom deserters itwas learned that Hood’s infantry numbered 40,000, and his cavalry, underForrest, 10,000 or 12,000. But the Union army was slowly increasing by con-centration and the arrival of recruits. It now numbered at Columbia about23,000 infantry and some 5000 cavalry — of whom only 3500 were mounted.General James H. Wilson , who had been ordered by General Grant to report toGeneral Sherman,— and of whom General Grant wrote, “ I believe he will addfifty per cent, to the effectiveness of your cavalry,”—had taken commandpersonally of all General Thomas’s cavalry, which was trying to hold thefords east and west of Columbia. [See article by General Wilson , to follow.]
In spite of every opposition, Forrest succeeded in placing one of his divi-sions on the north side of Duck River before noon of the 28th, and forced backthe Union cavalry on roads leading toward Spring Hill and Franklin. At 1o’clock on the morning of the 29th General Wilson became convinced thatthe enemy’s infantry would begin crossing at daylight, and advised GeneralSchofield to fall back to Franklin. At 3:30 the same morning General Thomassent him similar orders. Daylight revealed the correctness of Wilson ’s infor-mation. Before sunrise Cheatham’s corps, headed by Cleburne’s division,—"a division unsurpassed for courage, energy, and endurance by any in theConfederate army,— was making its way over Duck River at Davis’s Ford;about five miles east of Columbia. The weather had cleared, and it was abright autumn morning, the air full of invigorating life. General Hoodin person accompanied the advance.
When General Schofield was informed that the Confederate infantry werecrossing, he sent a brigade, under Colonel P. Sidney Post, on a reconnoissaneealong the river-bank, to learn if the report was true. He also ordered GeneralStanley to march with two divisions, Wagner’s and Kimball’s, to SpringHill, taking the trains and all the reserve artillery. In less than half an hoU 1 'after receiving the order, Stanley was on the way. On reaching the pointwhere Rutherford Creek crosses the Franklin Pike, Kimball’s division wa@halted, by order of General Schofield, and faced to the east to cover the erod-ing against a possible attack from that quarter. In this position Kimballremained all day. Stanley, with the other division, pushed on to SpringHill. Just before noon, as the head of his column was approaching thatplace, he met “ a cavalry soldier who seemed to be badly scared,” wh°reported that Buford’s division of Forrest’s cavalry was approaching fro 111