The Battle of Franklin, told by Ambrose Bierce

George Grant, in the post shared in the box over to your right, links to this story by Ambrose Bierce. It recounts his view of the Civil War battle of Franklin (which may be of interest to some of you out there).

As a member of Colonel Post's staff, I was naturally favored with a good view of the performance. We formed in line of battle at a distance of perhaps a half-mile from the bridge-head, but that unending column of gray and steel gave us no more attention than if we had been a crowd of farmer-folk. Why should it? It had only to face to the left to be itself a line of battle. Meantime it had more urgent business on hand than brushing away a small brigade whose only offense was curiosity; it was making for Spring Hill with all its legs and wheels. Hour after hour we watched that unceasing flow of infantry and artillery toward the rear of our army. It was an unnerving spectacle, yet we never for a moment doubted that, acting on the intelligence supplied by our succession of couriers, our entire force was moving rapidly to the point of contact. The battle of Spring Hill was obviously decreed.

Notice the South's tendency to name battles after nearby towns (Franklin), while the North reckoned their battles by landmarks (Spring Hill).