It melted away in disorder; the pursuit was vigorous, and only a small portion reassembled at Columbia and fell back with a poor show of order behind the Tennessee. Many military historians have seen in the battle of Nashville the most crushing defeat of the war. Certainly no other brought such complete ruin upon a large and well-organized body of troops. [Illustration: RUSHING A FEDERAL BATTERY OUT OF JOHNSONVILLE COPYRIGHT, 1911, PATRIOT PUB. CO.] When Thomas began to draw together his forces to meet Hood at Nashville, he ordered the garrison at Johnsonville, on the Tennessee, eighty miles due west of Nashville, to leave that place and hasten north. It was the garrison at this same Johnsonville that, a month earlier, had been frightened into panic and flight when the bold Confederate raider, Forrest, appeared on the west bank of the river and began a noisy cannonade. New troops had been sent to the post. They appear well coated and equipped. The day after the photograph was taken (November 23d) the encampment in the picture was broken. [Illustration: FORT NEGLEY, LOOKING TOWARD THE CONFEDERATE CENTER AND LEFT, AS HOOD'S VETERANS THREATENED THE CITY COPYRIGHT, 1911, PATRIOT PUB. CO.] It was Hood's hope that, when he had advanced his line to the left of the position shown in this photograph, he might catch a weak spot in Thomas' forces. But Thomas had no weak spots. From the casemate, armored with railroad iron, shown here, the hills might be easily seen on which the Confederate center and left were posted at the opening of the great battle of Nashville. [Illustration: THE PRIZE OF THE NASHVILLE CAMPAIGN--THE STATE CAPITOL COPYRIGHT, 1911, REVIEW OF REVIEWS CO.] [Illustration: THOMAS ADVANCING HIS OUTER LINE AT NASHVILLE, DECEMBER 16TH COPYRIGHT, 1911, PATRIOT PUB. CO.] Camp-fires were still smouldering along the side of the abatis where the lens caught the field of Nashville, while Thomas' concentric forward movement was in progress. Note the abatis to the right of the picture, the wagons moving and ready to move in the background, and the artillery on the left. White tents gleam from the distant hills. A few straggling soldiers remain. The Federals are closing with Hood's army a couple of miles to the right of the scene in the picture. [Illustration: GUARDING THE LINE DURING THE ADVANCE] THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG