Tower, Zealous Bates, 1819-1900 to William P. Fessenden
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00849.01 Author/Creator: Tower, Zealous Bates, 1819-1900 Place Written: Nashville, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter signed Date: December 25, 1864 Pagination: 7 p. : docket ; Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy
General Tower, chief engineer of Union defenses at Nashville, describes the Battle of Nashville to Fessenden, Secretary of the Treasury. He relates the strategies of Union Generals George Henry Thomas, Andrew Jackson Smith, James Harrison Wilson, and John McAllister Schofield, among several others. He reports on the actions of Confederate forces commanded by General John Bell Hood. he states "Probably at this date we have 8,000 prisoners. Hood's Army must be sadly demoralized & broken up. His force was counted at 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. If he escapes with half that number he will be exceedingly lucky. Gen. Thomas is pushing him vigorously.- The Army have great confidence in General Thomas. He is cool, thoughtful, self-reliant, an able commander." Letter labeled private. He mentions the transmission of a sketch pertaining to the Battle of Nashville (refer to GLC00849.02).
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