In Hospital Nashville, TN Monday, December 12, 1864 Dear Diary, This is the first time in over a week I felt like writing any, but I need to catch up on the news. Besides, I've got the time for a change. Got myself a wee bump on the head from a Reb musket butt in the Battle of Franklin. Nothing really serious, I guess. My thick skull can turn most anything! But boy, if I sit up for any length of time, do I get a headache! I can walk a short bit without getting dizzy, and the doctors tell be I'll be as good as new in another week or so. First the sad news for the 40th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. We sent home four companies before we left Georgia, but after this last battle, it seems there's not enough of us left still fit for duty to call ourselves a regiment. As a result, day before yesterday we were "consolidated" with the 51st Ohio. It's a good outfit, made up of boys from up around Troy. I know a lot of them, since we've been brigaded with the 51st since before Missionary Ridge. Still, it's a shame to see the old flag furled for the last time, and sent back, I guess, to the state capitol in Columbus. We've followed it for four years - all the way from Camp Dennison, through Kentucky and Tennessee, Georgia - it just won't seem quite the same. Now, to explain how I ended up here, busted up for the second time in this War. Really, I shouldn't complain a bit. Most of my friends aren't able to complain anymore. We whipped Hood once and for all at Franklin on Wednesday, the 30th. He don't know it yet, since his troops are still outside Nashville, but there's no way his Army can take a whipping like that and last much longer. Besides, with the entire Fourth Corps here in Nashville, the Army of the Cumberland is once again united. We outnumber the Johnnies considerable. Whenever "Pap" Thomas decides to break out, it will be all over for Hood and his boys. Franklin was a near run thing. If the Rebs had played it right, they could have cut us apart the night before, as we were marching along the Columbia Pike through Spring Hill, Tennessee. By ourselves, in line of march, we were easy pickings - but for some reason they didn't block the road! We could see their campfires not more than 100 yards away as we marched along real quiet like. By morning, we were just south of the town of Columbia, and throwing up field works and trenches just as fast as we could dig! The Confederate Army appeared on the battlefield about three in the afternoon, and the "ball" began. I must say, I have to admire their courage. They came on in perfect ranks for over a mile, flags flying - even their bands were playing - in spite of everything we could throw at them. We stopped charge after charge - some say over 15 in all, before it got too dark to see. In some places in front of our trenches, the dead were three, four, maybe five deep. In the center of their battle line was that Blue Flag with the Full Moon - Cleburne's Division. I couldn't help think of my buddy Sam Watkins from last March - I know he was in the attack, and hope that somehow he survived. I still intend to look him up after this is all over. At any rate, they managed to break our line right along the turnpike. We didn't have time to load, so it was fists, rocks, bayonets and musketbutts. That's were I got hurt. Fortunately, we had reserves, and the Rebs didn't. They were forced to retreat, and the next morning we continued our march on in to Nashville. I don't remember much about that, just remember waking up once or twice in a rickety old wagon that had been pressed into service as an ambulance. From what the boys are saying, the Rebs must have lost nearly 2000 killed outright, including six generals! We've got no way of knowing the number of wounded and missing, but it must be a lot. We lost less than 200 dead! Talk about a Victory! The news from the fighting back East is about the same. Grant has got Lee cornered in the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia some 20 miles or so south of the Reb capitol. Seems they've been there forever! Early got whipped by Sheridan at Cedar Creek, so Washington is safe. As for Sherman, from what I gather from the newspapers, he really fixed Georgia. He divided his Army into two columns, and marched all the way from Atlanta to Savannah, burning everything that could be of any possible use to the Rebs. That area was pretty much untouched by the War - but old "Uncle Billy" said that he'd make Georgia howl, and I reckon that's what he did. Now, we hear he's moving through South Carolina, the seat of this whole sad affair, and that you can tell the progress of his Army by the flames. I know the boys were all looking forward to a chance to make South Carolina pay - and now they are. I can't but hope this War will soon be over. Old Abe is back in the White House for four more years, despite all the Democrats and their "Copperhead" friends could do in the election. Hood is thoroughly whipped, Lee is cornered, and Sherman is burning the heart out of this Rebellion. As soon as Billy links up with Grant, or Grant takes Richmond, the South will have to surrender. It's just a matter of time, and more lives.