During the evening of the 28th General Wilson, commanding our cavalry,
had learned enough of Hood's movement to divine its purpose. In view of
its vital importance, to insure a delivery, he sent a message in
triplicate, each courier riding by a separate road, informing Schofield
of what Hood was doing, and advising and urging him to get back to
Spring Hill with all his army by 10 o'clock, the 29th. General Wilson
has stated that his couriers all got through, the one riding by the
shortest road reaching Schofield's headquarters at 3 a.m. of the 29th.

From the reports sent him by Wilson, General Thomas at Nashville had
also correctly divined Hood's intention, and in a dispatch dated at
3:30 a.m., of the 29th--but by the neglect of the night operator not
transmitted until 6 o'clock, when the day operator came on duty--he
ordered Schofield to fall back to Franklin, leaving a sufficient force
at Spring Hill to delay Hood until he was securely posted at Franklin.

I was commanding Company B, 64th Ohio Regiment, Bradley's brigade,
Wagner's division. The brigade was under arms that morning by 4 o'clock,
and had orders to be ready to march on a moment's notice. It is assumed
that all the rest of the army received the same orders, and that this
action was taken on account of the information brought by Wilson's
courier at 3 o'clock. But nothing was done until 8 o'clock, when the
movements began which disposed of our army as follows:

Wagner's division was sent to Spring Hill to guard the reserve artillery
and the wagon trains, all ordered to Spring Hill, from any raid by
Hood's cavalry. General Stanley, the corps commander, went with Wagner.
Cox's division was posted along the river, and was engaged all day in
skirmishing with the two divisions under Lee, which kept up a noisy
demonstration of forcing a crossing. Ruger's two brigades were posted
four miles north of Duck river, where the pike to Spring Hill crosses
Rutherford's creek, to hold that crossing. The divisions of Kimball and
Wood were aligned between Cox and Ruger, facing up the river towards
Hood's crossing. At 9 o'clock Post's brigade, of Wood's division, was
sent up the river to reconnoiter, and before 11 o'clock Post had reached
a position where he could see Hood's column marching towards Spring
Hill, and repeatedly reported that fact.

Nevertheless none of the four divisions near Duck river were started for
Spring Hill until after 4 o'clock, when Schofield had he