Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 3.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

---

[249] But he is completely repulsed; the slopes of the hill are covered with his wounded, this imprudent attack having secured victory to the Federals, who have only about fifty men disabled, while the Confederates have lost more than three hundred. They fall back upon Auburn, enabling Hall to return to Murfreesborough without being molested. On the side of Franklin it is also the Unionists who resume the offensive. On the 21st they surprise a post of Texas cavalry at College Grove on Harpeth River, most of which they capture.

Forrest, however, has just obtained an important command, for Van Dorn's cavalry having been reorganized and divided into two divisions, Forrest receives one of them, while the other has been assigned to Jackson. The opportunity soon offers him a chance to signalize himself in this new command. He learns that the remnants of Coburn's brigade which had escaped the disaster of Thompson's Station have been left in charge of the railway from Nashville to Franklin. Colonel Bloodgood, with the remainder of the Twenty-second Wisconsin, occupies Brentwood; the Nineteenth Michigan, reduced to two hundred and thirty men, is stationed in a kind of block-house in the vicinity of a bridge on one of the tributaries of Harpeth River. Forrest naturally supposes that the remembrance of their defeat still weighs heavily upon these men and their leaders: he might easily get the better of them if he could reach them, and is desirous to complete the strategy of the 5th of March by their capture. But in order to reach them he must slip between Nashville and Granger's division, stationed at Franklin. Van Dorn allows him to make the attempt. He at once starts out on this expedition on the evening of the 24th of March. In order to avoid Franklin, he proceeds eastward of this point with six regiments of cavalry and one battery, while Starnes, with two regiments, takes the westward track, the rendezvous being in front of Brentwood. Forrest arrives at this place with a portion of his forces on the morning of the 25th. Without waiting for Armstrong, who is following him with the remainder, he takes such a position as to be able to cut off Bloodgood's retreat, who is on his way to join the Nineteenth Michigan. As soon as Armstrong has made his appearance the Confederates surround on every side the