The mention of the Battle of Nashville reminded me of one of my ancestors.
My GGG-grandfather, Henry Cochran, was in that battle as a Private in the 10th Tennessee Volunteer Calvary, Union (apologies to the other half of my mostly confederate family who served). His unit fought dismounted, and were among those that captured the confederate artillery positions and turned the cannon around to fire at the retreating rebels. My understanding was that it was quite chilly that day and that in many areas the ground was covered in sheets of ice which made tough going of it for all involved. He survived the war, and lived into his mid 80's in a tiny Georgia town, not far form where I presently live, by the name of Talking Rock. Married three times, he survive that also.
There is another family story of his war experiences that came down in the family and was told to me by an aunt when I was a boy. It involved his scouting party being ambushed and him having his horse shot out from under him. Not much hilarity ensued, but according to the story he did do quite a bit of cussing in his scottish brogue while the rebel marksmen attempted to silence him, permanently. With his leg trapped under the dead horse he somehow managed to escape, covered in mud from head to toe, but not before retrieving his saddle, as he knew he might end up in the infantry without it.
Toward the end of the war he was discharged from the army, a cripple, due to a severe injury sustained while assigned to a detail unloading a steamboat in New Orleans. An ammunition box somehow broke loose, and falling, impacted him in the small of his back. I have his military service records including his never ending battle to renew his disability pension for which he was required to submit a doctor's deposition each year stating that he, indeed, remained disabled.
dave
