ARMY OPERATIONS. 



159 



Mai. -Gen. Schofield's corps, next on the left wing 

 of the cavalry, carried several hills, capturing many 

 prisoners and six pieces of artillery. 



Maj.-Gen. Smith, next on the left of Maj.-Gen. 

 Schofield, carried the salient point of the enemy's 

 line, with McMillan's brigade of Me Arthur's division, 

 capturing sixteen pieces of artillery, two brigadier 

 generals, and about 2,000 prisoners. 



Brig.-Gen. Garrard's division, of Smith's command, 

 next on the left of McArthur's division, carried the 

 enemy's intrenchments, capturing all the artillery 

 and troops of the enemy on the line. 



Brig.-Gen. Wood's troops on the Franklin Pike 

 took up the assault, capturing the enemy's intrench- 

 ments, and in his retreat also capturing eight pieces 

 of artillery, something over 600 prisoners, and drove 

 the enemy within one mile of the Brentwood Hill Pass. 



Maj.-Gen. Stedman, commanding detachments of 

 the different armies of the Military Division of the 

 Mississippi, most nobly supported Gen. Wood's left, 

 and took a most honorable part in the operations of 

 the day. I have ordered the pursuit to be continued 

 in the morning at daylight. Although the troops are 

 very much fatigued, 'the utmost enthusiasm prevails. 



I "must not forget to report the operations of Brig.- 

 Gen. Johnson, in successfully driving the enemy, 

 with the cooperation of the gunboats under Lieut. 

 Commander Fitch, from their established batteries 

 on the Cumberland, below the city of Nashville, and 

 of the success of Brig.-Gen. Croxton's brigade, in 

 covering and protecting our right and rear in the 

 operations of to-day and yesterday. Although I 

 have no report of the number of prisoners captured 

 by Johnson's and Croxton's command, I know 

 they have made a large number. 



Tarn also glad to be able to state that the number 

 of prisoners captured yesterday greatly exceeds the 

 number reported by telegraph. The woods, fields, 

 and intrenchments_ are filled with the enemy's small 

 arms, abandoned in the retreat. In conclusion, I 

 am happy to state that all this has been effected with 

 very small loss to us. Our loss probably does not 

 exceed 300, and very few killed. 



(Signed) G. H. THOMAS, Major-General. 



Early on the next morning the Federal pursuit 

 was renewed. A large number of wounded 

 were captured on the road to Franklin, and also 

 stragglers. The cavalry harassed the flanks 

 and rear of the enemy and scattered any force 

 that offered resistance. The following is Gen. 

 Thomas's report of the 17th : 



HEADQ >C ? DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND. )_ 

 Near FF.A.XKLIX. TEXX.. Dec. 17th, S p. if. j 



We have pressed the enemy to-day beyond Frank- 

 lin, capturing his hospitals, containing over 1,500 

 wounded, and about 150 of our wounded, in addition 

 to the above. Gen. Knipe, commanding a division 

 of cavalry, drove the enemy's rear-guard through 

 Franklin to-day, capturing about 250 prisoners and 

 five battle-flags with very little loss on our side. 

 Citizens of Franklin represent Hood's army as com- 

 pletely demoralized. In addition to the captures of 

 vesterday, reported in my despatches of last night, I 

 have the 'honor to report the capture of Gen. Rucker, 

 and about 250 of the enemy's cavalry, in a fight that 

 occurred about 8 o'clock last night between Gen. 

 Rucker and Gen. Hatch of our cavalry. 



The enemy has been pressed to-day both in front 

 and on both flanks. Brig.-Gen. Johnson succeeded 

 in striking him on the flank just beyond Franklin, 

 capturing quite a number of prisoners number not 

 yet reported. My cavalry is pressing ,him closely 

 through, and I am very much in hopes of getting 

 nanv more prisoners to-morrow. 



GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General. 



The entire loss of the enemy was 13,189 in 

 prisoners, including several general and nearly 



one thousand other officers of lower grades, 

 and seventy-two pieces of artillery. During 

 the same period over two thousand deserters 

 were received. The Federal loss was about 

 10,000 in killed, wounded, and missing. Gen. 

 Hood retired with his remaining force into the 

 northern part of Alabama. 



Some military expeditions were made near 

 the close of the year. A force left Yicksburg 

 under Gen. Dana, in the latter part of Xovem- 

 ber, for the purpose of cooperating with Gen. 

 Sherman by occupying the enemy in Mississippi. 

 It reached the Mississippi Central Railroad on 

 Xov. 25th, and after an obstinate engagement 

 succeeded in destroying the Big Black River 

 bridge. Several miles of the track of the rail- 

 road, including culverts, stations, 2,600 bales of 

 cotton, two locomotives, four cars, twenty 

 barrels of salt, and $160,000 worth of stores 

 at Yaughan station were also destroyed. 



About the same tune an expedition organized 

 under the direction of Gen. Canby, consisting 

 of a cavalry force under Gen. Davidson, left 

 Baton Rouge. Thence it marched to Tanghi- 

 piho and destroyed the railroad to Jackson, 

 burning bridges and railroad buildings. Thence 

 it moved to Franklinville, capturing a mail and 

 prisoners. Thence it moved to West Pascagoula. 

 These movements caused a great panic in Missis- 

 sippi, and created alarm for the safety of Mobile, 

 thus effectively cooperating with Gen. Sherman. 



la December a force, consisting of five divi- 

 sions under the command of Maj.-Gen. Warren, 

 made a raid upon the Weldon Railroad. The 

 Xottoway was reached about midday Dec. 8th, 

 and destroyed; thence the railroad track w; s 

 destroyed nearly to Bellfield station, twenty 

 miles south. On the 10th the expedition stall- 

 ed on its return, followed by crowds of negroes, 

 and arrived after an absence of four days. ltd 

 loss was about a half dozen men. 



At the close of the year the area of territory 

 held by the Federal armies was about the same 

 as at the end of the previous year. The war 

 during the year had been the cause of immense 

 destruction to the South, both in men and prop- 

 erty. In the latter probably there is no parallel 

 in modern history. Its effect was apparent in 

 the exhausted condition of the country. 



The Indians on the frontier maintained a hos- 

 tile attitude during a portion of the year. The 

 plan of operations of Maj.-Gen. Pope, who was 

 in command, embraced three objects : first, the 

 chastisement and subjection of the bands of 

 savages on both sides of the Missouri River, 

 who continued refractory and hostile ; secondly, 

 the protection of the overland route to Idaho, by 

 the establishment of strong military posts with- 

 in the Indian country ; thirdly, the security of 

 the Minnesota and Iowa frontier against raids. 



Several conflicts took place between the In- 

 dians and Gens. Sibley and Sully in the north- 

 west, and Curtis in Kansas, by which their num- 

 bers were greatly reduced, and their provisions 

 and property destroyed. For the attack on 

 Fort Fisher, see XAVAL OPERATIONS. 



