General John Bell Hood and the Army Of
Tennessee have begun movements toward middle Tennessee in attempt to
keep Gen. Sherman in the chase and away from Atlanta.
Gen. Hood has been wreaking Sherman’s supply lines wherever
possible in Georgia and northern Alabama.
Sherman appeared to be doing just what Gen. Hood desired, but Hood's
erratic movements hampered the receipt of badly needed supplies for his
own hungry army that have been living on practically nothing for weeks.
Additionally, the army is suffering from low morale, and it's officers
express a general consensus that it was in no condition to turn and give
battle to Sherman. Gen. Hood, knowing that this army was in a bad way,
held council of war with his Generals deciding on a bold plan. Gen. Hood
became increasingly convinced that a move into middle Tennessee would
afford him several opportunities. He will strike at the Federal
rail-line west of Chattanooga, drawing Sherman further north, and
reclaim the capitol of Tennessee, Nashville. To achieve his goal, his
army will have to gather enough provisions, cross the Tennessee River,
and move quickly before Sherman could send reinforcements to that
region. October 25th, Hood's headquarters is located at the town of
Somerville, thirteen miles southeast of Decatur, Alabama. It is
strategically located on the terminus of the Nashville and Decatur
Railroad, where the Memphis and Charleston Railroad cross. It is rumored
that Decatur also holds a large quantity of badly needed rations and
other supplies for Gen. Hoods starving foot sore legions. No doubt, the
Federal pontoon bridge that spans the Tennessee River here make it an
ideal place in which to serve as Hood's base for the upcoming campaign
he has in mind. Next day,
October 26th, the army began moving up and around the town,
surrounding the Federal garrison there.
The air is cool and a touch of fall seems about as the soldiers,
cold and hungry, move into their positions.
That night a torrential downpour soaked our hungry soldiers as
they found themselves bogged down in knee-deep mud. It was a most
miserable night and little sleep was found in the cold rain and bogs of
mud that our boys had to contend. When
morning came, the rain stopped and our sleep deprived ragged army began
taking up positions around the Yankee garrison.
As they moved into their positions around the town on the morning
of the 27th, they did so in a dense fog. As the fog lifted, a defensive
mammoth consisting of two forts, 1600 yards of rifle pits and parapets
could be seen. Notwithstanding the imposing defenses, Hood's soldiers
went to work on building earthworks and emplacing artillery along the
river and above the town. All of this work is "done on empty
stomachs," complained one soldier, for Hood's supply system had all
but broken down completely. The majority of the men had had nothing to
eat in several days and what they had was not enough nor fit to feed a
hog. Desperately those poor boys wanted the Federal supplies that were
stockpiled in the town. The
hope in the ranks of a fine meal or two courtesy of the Union army made
each man do his part in the building of fortifications.
Even Gen. Hood was looking forward to the feast of fine Federal
hardtack and meat. Hood
spent most of the 27th getting his troops into position, and skirmishing
broke out between the Federals and Confederates. The newly appointed
theatre commander, General P.G. T. Beauregard, arrived and met with Hood
at his headquarters while Hoods men continued to dig earthworks and
skirmish with the Yankees, who now were quite aware that Gen. Hood had
come in force. During the early evening hours, as Gen. Beauregard and
Gen. Hood continued to converse at Gen. Hoods headquarters, Confederate
skirmishers were pushed forward to a ravine about 500 yards from the
Federal line.
Our boys had another cold
night, but now they were close to the Yankees, but this would not hold
when the morning came. On
the morning of the 28th, despite another dense fog enveloping the
entrenchments, Federal skirmishers moved forward, under cover of the
fort, and drove our skirmishers back. In this action, it was reported
that the Federals captured 120 of our soldiers, mostly of Cheatham's
Division, along with 40 killed and wounded. Also reported was the
capture of 5 officers. It
was believed that these reports were true and though Gen. Hood's entire
army of 23,000 were now encircling a garrison of an estimated 2,000
Yankees, Gen. Beauregard argued that to continue an attack on
fortifications would be too costly in the loss of life.
Federal gunboats had now arrived to patrol the river and this was
proving to be a major problem. The presence of the Yankee gunboats prevented Gen. Hood's
army from crossing the Tennessee River. Gen. Hood, weighing these
considerations, his boys being low on ammunition, and needing to get
provisions, Gen.Hood elected to attempt a crossing at Bainbridge, some
forty-miles west of Decatur. Arguably, Hood's decision to abandon
Decatur would appear foolish, but even the common soldier recognized the
wisdom in the decision. The Yankees sent another force out of the fort on the evening
of the 28th wreaking a couple of our guns, and taking more prisoners. In
this latest skirmish the Federal lost an estimated 40 killed and
wounded. Our loss altogether up to this time amounts to 500 killed and
wounded along with 4 loaded caissons and 2 pieces of artillery.
As the dawn was beginning to break on the morning of October 29th,
Gen. Hoods force began to redeploy in the direction of Courtland.
The Yankees continued to skirmish at different points all this
day, until late afternoon. It was becoming dark when the Federals carried our last line
of rifle-pits. Gen. Hood
now faced with possible disaster and not knowing the true nature of the
Federal force and with those “damned Yankee gunboats”, as he called
them, now on the river, was left with no choice, but to abandon this
venture and withdraw. Under cover of darkness, the Army of Tennessee
moved out of Decatur on October the 29th, marching westward in the
direction of Bainbridge. Gen. Hood would ultimately make his crossing of
the Tennessee River west of Bainbridge, at Florence, Alabama.
Gen. Hood and his army are a hard day’s march of the Tennessee
boarder.
Tom
R. Grandy
Daily
Richmond Examiner