[NOTE.—The Editor of Trotwood’s believes this is one of the best descriptions of Franklin’s bloody and needless fight ever written, and a pathetic pen picture never to be forgotten. Its author is an inmate of the Old Soldiers’ Home, Nashville, and was one of the bravest soldiers of the Lost Cause. We are told by an old comrade of the writer that in one of the fiercest fights of the war, a large shell bursted in a foot of Mr. Hord’s head, knocking him down and completely destroying his hearing, killing two men behind him and one at his side. The historic value of this pathetic story is great. It has been said and denied that Forrest, with his wonderful foresight, went to Hood just before he ordered his army to the holocaust of Franklin and begged him for permission to flank the Yankee army out, saying he would do it in fifteen minutes, and there need be no battle. “No,” exclaimed Hood, “no, charge them out.” Forrest rode off in disgust. In studying the battle of Franklin for a chapter in the writer’s new novel, “The Bishop of Cottontown,” we read all the Records of the Rebellion pertaining to the fight, endeavoring, among other things, to find some evidence of the truth of this. In Gen. J. D. Cox’ report we found it corroborated, that General saying in the afternoon he saw evidence of Forrest’s Cavalry preparing to flank him, and he prepared immediately to evacuate Franklin! And thus was Forrest’s military genius corroborated by the other side. But here is the man who carried the despatch, and the thrilling picture of the brave boys going into that veritable mouth of hell so gallantly, and of old Fifer leading them on till his tune ceased beneath a clubbed musket, caused the writer to lay down the graphic story of this old, maimed soldier and use his handkerchief. And no more graphic story of Franklin was ever written.] The following characteristic letter accompanied the story: