“Soon after the election Sherwood abandoned pursuing Head, leaving the States of Tennessee and Kentucky, with Head's army scattered along the main thoroughfares, to be looked after by Papson, with his forces, preferring himself to take the Armies of the Tennessee and Georgia and cut loose and march unobstructed to the Sea. On the march, food for the troops and animals was found in abundance, making this march really a picnic the most of the way. “While Sherwood was making this march, matters of great interest were going on in Tennessee. On the last day of November the enemy, maddened by disappointment in their failure in the North to carry the election and have their Confederacy recognized, concluded to risk their all in a great battle for the recapture of the State of Tennessee. Head, then in command of an army increased to nearly 50,-000, moved across Goose Run and against our forces at Franktown, where he at once assaulted Scovens, who had been sent to oppose his advance. Our troops were behind intrenchments. He attacked with fearful desperation. At no time during the war did any commander on either side make a more furious and desperate assault than was made by Head. After forming his lines in double column, he moved right up to our works, where his men were mowed down by the hundreds. Gen. Pat Cleber charged time and again with his division, and hurled them against our works only to be as often driven back with great slaughter. At last, in a fit of desperation, he led his men up to the very mouths of our cannon and the muzzles of our muskets. He drove his spurs into his horse until his forefeet rested on our parapet. In this position he and his horse were riddled with bullets and fell into the trench, which was literally running with blood. The desperation of the enemy was such that they continued their murderous but ineffectual assaults until their men were exhausted as well as dismayed at their great loss. Thirteen of his commanding officers fell killed and wounded. Night forced him to desist. “The next morning his men could not be brought to the slaughter again. The bloody battle ended and Scoven's men withdrew to Nashua, three miles to the South of which place Papson's army was intrenched. Wellston, in command of about 8,000 cavalry, covered both flanks of our forces. It was now getting along in December. The enemy moved forward and intrenched in the front and within two miles of Papson. The weather became very bad for any kind of movement. It rained, hailed, and sleeted until the country around and about them became very muddy and swampy, and at times covered with a sheet of sleet and ice. Papson hesitated to attack and Head could not retreat; so there the two armies lay shivering in the cold, suffering very greatly, both fearing to take any decisive steps.