“RIENZA, MISSISSIPPI, January 4, 1865.

“MY DEAR MOTHER,—­An opportunity of writing now offers,—­the first since our leaving Florence, before going on our Tennessee campaign, which has finally terminated so disastrously for us.  Had orders been obeyed and carried out at Spring Hill, there never would have been a fight at Nashville.  By some misunderstanding, the Yankee army was allowed to cross at the above-named place without being attacked.  We followed on their tracks to Franklin, picking up stragglers and prisoners all along the way, to the amount of several hundred.

“We left Columbia at daylight, marched twenty-three miles, and fought the battle of Franklin before dark.  Our battery did not take part in the battle:  we were in position, but, owing to the close proximity of the two armies, could not fire,—­we were under fire, but no one was hurt.  Stewart’s and Cheatam’s Corps with one division from our corps, fought the battle.  I passed over the field next morning and saw enough for never wanting to see another such field.  The men were actually lying in some portions of the trenches three deep.  Ours being the attacking party suffered severely,—­almost an equal loss to the Yankees.  Our loss was about forty-five hundred, and theirs five thousand, including prisoners.  Next day we started for Nashville, eighteen miles distant.  Our battery remained there till the 5th, when we were ordered to Murfreesboro’ to aid General Forrest in reducing that place.  On the 6th we arrived there, took position, and built works.  Next day, on account of a flank movement by the enemy, we had to move our position back a mile.  Soon the enemy appeared in our front, and skirmishing commenced.  The infantry fell back, leaving the artillery to do the fighting without one musket to protect us.  We stayed as long as we could, when we finally had to follow the footsteps of the infantrymen.  The fight—­there was none—­nothing but a big scare and run.  General Forrest sent General Bateman with his division to Nashville, but kept our battery with him.  We lost one man at Murfreesboro, I.T.  Preston, brother of the Prestons of Carrollton.  We stayed in camp for seven days when General Forrest determined to attack again and took one section of the battery with him,—­the other section, the one I belong to, was sent to protect his wagon-train.  Two days afterwards the army commenced its retreat from Nashville (the particulars of which no doubt you have already learned).  Our march was over a muddy and rugged road for fifty miles to Columbia.  It was the severest march I ever undertook:  we pushed and worked at the wheels all the time.  The horses finally broke down, and we had to take oxen and yoke them in and drive them.  Can you imagine me up to my knees in mud, barefooted and muddy, with a long pole, driving oxen.  It was a very picturesque scene, and no doubt the ‘Yankee Illustrators’ would pay a good price for such