Franklin lies—­or at that time did lie; I know not what exploration might now disclose—­on the south bank of a small river, the Harpeth by name.  For two miles southward was a nearly flat, open plain, extending to a range of low hills through which passed the turnpike by which we had come.  From some bluffs on the precipitous north bank of the river was a commanding overlook of all this open ground, which, although more than a mile away, seemed almost at one’s feet.  On this elevated ground the wagon-train had been parked and General Schofield had stationed himself—­the former for security, the latter for outlook.  Both were guarded by General Wood’s infantry division, of which my brigade was a part.  “We are in beautiful luck,” said a member of the division staff.  With some prevision of what was to come and a lively recollection of the nervous strain of helpless observation, I did not think it luck.  In the activity of battle one does not feel one’s hair going gray with vicissitudes of emotion.

For some reason to the writer unknown General Schofield had brought along with him General D.S.  Stanley, who commanded two of his divisions—­ours and another, which was not “in luck.”  In the ensuing battle, when this excellent officer could stand the strain no longer, he bolted across the bridge like a shot and found relief in the hell below, where he was promptly tumbled out of the saddle by a bullet.

Our line, with its reserve brigades, was about a mile and a half long, both flanks on the river, above and below the town—­a mere bridge-head.  It did not look a very formidable obstacle to the march of an army of more than forty thousand men.  In a more tranquil temper than his failure at Spring Hill had put him into Hood would probably have passed around our left and turned us out with ease—­which would justly have entitled him to the Humane Society’s great gold medal.  Apparently that was not his day for saving life.

About the middle of the afternoon our field-glasses picked up the Confederate head-of-column emerging from the range of hills previously mentioned, where it is cut by the Columbia road.  But—­ominous circumstance!—­it did not come on.  It turned to its left, at a right angle, moving along the base of the hills, parallel to our line.  Other heads-of-column came through other gaps and over the crests farther along, impudently deploying on the level ground with a spectacular display of flags and glitter of arms.  I do not remember that they were molested, even by the guns of General Wagner, who had been foolishly posted with two small brigades across the turnpike, a half-mile in our front, where he was needless for apprisal and powerless for resistance.  My recollection is that our fellows down there in their shallow trenches noted these portentous dispositions without the least manifestation of incivility.  As a matter of fact, many of them were permitted by their compassionate officers to sleep.  And truly