Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-19

ThesEselmanse Battle.
,ai The Columbus. .eerrespenaentTo oe the
| Memphis appeal k-narrafes he-fdligwihg
| Interesting facfs.~ss g --.i' s--.-.z ( =
ETs fheftes is one little eireumst Ance in con
Injections with the batfie on -othsrsiae,
l-whiehaP toe Yesterday had eoeiteds-ob-
E,seryation, and, which, as If. .thnozzs- some
Light or, the ease aud facility with which
the enemy brought their whole available
force into the field, I think It necessary
TO mention. The only road leading from
the place OF the enemy's DISSEMINATING
t-into' tie felds' was supposed tobe ON this
side OF the little lake that runs parallel
-with.the rivers about mile back, and be-
tween which and ihesriyer- Law the scene
Of the engagement. a careful survey. of
the battle field, however, by Capt Pick
EFT, of the Sappers and Miners, and Capt.
| White, Of the Tennessee Mounted Rifles,
who had heretofore supposed himself
thoroughly acquainted with the grosnd
! and the1pesiti0a ofthe roads, led 10 the
.discoSery.of a new road which had been
cat through. to q point about. midway. of
the lake, and what had heretofore been
supposed TO be an impossible lagoon, was
here found TO BE fordabIe, the enemy hav-
ing crossed theTr artillery and the troops
composing their right wing at this point,
and thus securing to themselpessaa ave
nur Tor Tetreat OF whichenr generals and
the troops who had occupied the. ground
for months. were profoundly Ignorant
1t was dOubtiessiy through this channel
that their artillery and tie two guns TAX
en- from Watson's battery were moved off
the field SO mystcriousfy, and -irrsteadtof
being taken aboard their boats no doubt
+ proceeded by. land to Nerfelk, some six
| or seven miles farther up the river, This
ford must have been shown to the Fede-
ralists by some one thoroughly acquainted
with the ground, aud as man was found
dead upon the field, who resided on a
farm short distance abdvc, il is sup
posed he was one. of their guides. May
.retributienI thus follow all w ho stand be-
tween their country and the cause sfOr
which we draw our swords!
There is one other fact, also which
struck my attention III looking over the
battle ground, namely, that our shots
seemed to strike the trees and brush from
six TO twelveofcet high, which is an ap-
parent evidence that our aim was too
much elevated, supported by the fact
that large proportion of the. enemy
killed and wounded were. struck high,
while most of our men were struck below
the middle. | have heard this remarked
upon; and think il deserves explanation.
The enemy fought mostly@sin the brush,
-where the upper portion of their bodies
was all that conld she- seen,, while our
forces occupied "a plain during large
part of the hottest work of the day, thus
enabling the enemy t9 shoot low, and
with greater precision. Besides the posi-
tion of the ground was such that if one
of our balls missed IFS mark, although it
had the proper depression for -the7object
aimed al, lin passing On TO the woods 1t 1t
hit a tree its apparent elevation was too
great. -
1t was reported in camp last night, on
what fbave- rcas6n TO believe good authofi-
.ty. that Col. Benham,s Mississippi regiment
.andLieu1. Col Kings Kentucky, battalion
had left Camp Beauregard on the Sth inst,
and passing through Mayfeld had occupid
Viola a point on the railroad. some eight or
nine miles nearer tPadueehs and that 1.-The
remainder. of Cen -Bowen's command, had
taken up a position near Mayfeld, which
you will remember is about twenty-five
miles from Paducah. I am unable to Say
whether these points are occupied with
view TO offensive or defensive operations,zas
it may be construed into an offensive move
ment against PadncHh, or defensive mea-
sure TO prevent a flank movement upon Co
lumbus As L now have more, eenfdence
than ever in the iaagment and discretion of
our generals 1 presumetre enemy are more
puzzled abont this matter than am, as in
either case have no doubt the step is dc
tadcd by sound discretion, and mature jndg
ment. .'-.4