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A heavy battery kept up an incessant fire on the Missourians, but the infantry did not open upon them until they were within thirty steps of the works.
Then they were met by a terrific fire from the troops armed with seven-shooting Spencer rifles, and in five minutes the brigade was nearly annihilated.
General Cockrell came out wounded in both arms and a leg; unable to dismount from his horse without assistance.
Colonel Gates' horse followed General Cockrell's, both arms of its rider hanging limp and useless by his side.
Colonel Garland and Major Parker, of the First, and Major Caniff, of the Third regiment, and nineteen other commissioned officers, were killed in the front of the battle, beside a large number wounded and missing.
The brigade lost 457 out of 687 men. When it joined General Johnston it was 1,630 strong.
After the charge at Franklin its whole strength was 240.
Before the battle the First regiment was commanded by Colonel Gates, the Second by Colonel Flournoy, the Third by Major Caniff and the Fourth by Colonel Garland.
After the battle the First was commanded by Lieutenant Guthrie; the Second by Lieutenant-Colonel Cooper; the Third by Capt. Ben Guthrie, and the Fourth by Captain Wickersham.
Many of the men were killed inside the inner works, having fought their way, in spite of all opposition, over the intrenchments and into the enemy's stronghold.
It was strictly an infantry fight, the artillery, except Bledsoe's battery, taking no part in it. The enemy kept up a steady fire until midnight, when they retreated to Nashville.
Notwithstanding his heavy losses Hood advanced the next evening on Nashville, which Thomas held with the main army reinforced by Schofield's victorious forces, and proceeded to invest the place.
On the 3d of December the Missouri brigade drove in the enemy's outlying forces in its front and fortified itself at the Montgomery house.
On the 5th it was moved to the extreme left to guard the flank, and on the 10th, with a four-gun battery
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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