had asked for across the Harpeth. If that had been done, my
trains could have passed over at once, and the entire army could
have crossed before Hood reached Franklin.

THE NECESSITY OF STANDING GROUND AT FRANKLIN

To meet this greatest danger, Wood's division of the Fourth Corps
was crossed to the north side to support the cavalry in holding
the fords above, if that should become necessary; while Wagner's
division, which had acted as rear-guard from Spring Hill, was
ordered to remain far enough in front of the line to compel Hood
to disclose his intention to attack in front or to turn the position,
and was to retire and take its position in reserve at the proper
time, if the enemy formed for attack. Only one of those three
brigades--Opdycke's--came in at the proper time and took its
appropriate place; and that, it was asserted, and no doubt truly,
was by the brigade commander's own volition, he having been a
soldier enough to know his duty in such a case, without the necessity
for any orders. The other two brigades remained in their advanced
position until they were run over by the enemy. Much idle controversy
was indulged in among officers of the Fourth Corps and others in
respect to the action of those two brigades. The only proper way
to settle such a question was by a court-martial. As the corps
passed from my command the next morning, and had been under by
orders only a few days, I have never made any effort to fix, even
in my own mind, the responsibility for that blunder.

By great exertion on the part of the engineers, the means of crossing
the river were at length provided. The supports of the burned
wagon-bridge were still standing at a level with the surface of
the water. They were timbered and planked over, and the railroad
bridge was also covered with planking, thus giving us two passable
bridges. The trains had all been crossed over, and a part of the
artillery. Orders had been issued for the troops to begin crossing
at dark, when Hood disclosed his purpose to attack. The artillery
was ordered back to its position in line, and General Stanley and
I, who were then together on the north side of the river, rode
rapidly to our posts, he to his corps on the south side, and I to
the high redoubt on the north bank, overlooking the entire field.

There I witnessed the grandest display possible in war. Every
battalion and battery of the Union army in line was distinct