rom their position they
had a good view of Cox's line and that after giving this line a hasty
survey through his field-glass, General Hood slapped the glass shut with
an emphatic gesture and decisively exclaimed, "We will attack!" Staff
officers then began to gallop forth from the group with orders for the
troops to form for assault.

At the angle where I was, the view of the valley directly in our front and
to our right was shut off by a piece of woodland a short distance in
advance of our position, so that we did not see anything of the movements
of Cheatham's corps, which formed astride the Columbia Pike. Looking up
the valley to our left front was a wide expanse of cleared fields and in
these fields we plainly saw the movements of a large part of Stewart's
corps. They first came into view from behind a body of timber over towards
the river, deploying from column on the right by file into line on double
quick. As fast as the troops could be marched up from the rear Stewart
extended his lines over towards the pike. We could see all their movements
so plainly, while they were adjusting their lines, that there was not a
particle of doubt in the mind of any man in my vicinity as to what was
coming. Moreover the opinion was just as universal that a big blunder was
being committed in compelling us to fight with our flank fully exposed in
the midst of a wide field, while in plain sight in our rear was a good
line of breastworks with its flank protected by the river. The indignation
of the men grew almost into a mutiny and the swearing of those gifted in
profanity exceeded all their previous efforts in that line. Even the green
drafted men could see the folly of our position, for one of them said to
me, "What can our generals be thinking about in keeping us out here! We
can do no good here. We are only in the way. Why don't they take us back
to the breastworks?"

The regiment contained a number of men who had not reenlisted when the
regiment had veteranized and whose time had already expired. They were to
be mustered out as soon as we got back to Nashville and, with home so
nearly in sight after more than three years of hard service, these men
were especially rebellious. First Sergeant Libey of Company H, was a
non-veteran, and was also a fine specimen, mentally and physically, of the
best type of our volunteer soldiers. When the enemy was approaching he
twice got up from the line and started for the breastworks, vehemently