Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-12
Further News from the Field.

We give several letters in this morning.
paper written BY eye-witnesses Of the batfIt
at Columbus on the It'll inst.
Other interesting facts are related to Us
by Mr.. James Hatcher, of this city, wht
was present during the whole of the con
fict.
We learn from him that Maj. John G.. Fin
ME received his wound In the face while
rallying a broken regiment whose colonel
had been endorsed and was supposed at the
time to be killed
Our artillery performed well, the South
ern Guards battery stationed on the bluff
above the town of Columbus, keeping the
gunboats in check all the time, striking then
repeatedly, and inhicting considerable dam
age
During the progress of the fight Parrett
gun, belonging to Capt. Jaekson's battery,
exploded, ON the second FIRE, killing two SOD
diers Immediately, ond wounding two more,
one of whom has since died.
Generals Polk, Pillow, and Cheatham, al
appeared on the field in the thickest of the
fight, and deported themselves with COO
deliberation, and intrepid Eslor.
1t is thought that we captured over two
hundred prisoners, and about five hundred
stand of arms. The bearer of flag of truce
who came down on the day after the battle
from Cairo, acknowledged loss of between
seven ard eight hundred Federals.
We lost twenty six prisoners, twenty-one
of whom were sick in the hospital on the
Missouri shore at the time of attack.
Gen. McClernand's portfolio, including
his writing materials and an inkstand in
scribed with his name, were taken by oul
men. A handsome ron-framed cot was also
found, in which it is thought McClernand
designed reposing during the night after his
victory was achieved.
Our informant states that on day before
yesterday boat came down from the enc
my's headquarters, under the protection of q
flag of truce, offering to exchange prisoners
A written communication came from one o.
the Federal COMMANDERS, but was regarded
as somewhat insulting in the character o.
the language used, and the proposition
made was consequently declined by Genera
Polk. Our loss is not yet known with ac-
curacy, but our originally expressed opinion
that it was four or five hundred is not yet
shaken.
The prisoners captured state that it wa:
the design of the Federals to take posses
sion of the Missouri shore and erect FORTH
cations there-and also that an ATTACK
was projected ON the Kentucky side, to be-
executed in case the other met with success
The enemy's troops are said to have fought
with bravery and determination.
Letter from Columbus.
We are permitted by friend, Mr.. A
Woodward, of this city, to publish the fol
lowing interesting letter from his brother
DIR. E. Woodward, Surgeon of Col. Smiths
154th regiment;
COLUMBUS, KY, New. 8.
DEAR BROTHER: | arrived here yesterday
morning., just in time to get about three
hours sleep, and got up in time to receive
the announcement that two gunboats and six
steamers had landed on the Missouri side
above our batteries about three miles. About
ten o'clock the fight commenced just oppo-
site Columbus, between colonel Tappan's
Arkansas regiment, colonel Blythe's 18th
Tennessee regiment, and about 5000 or c,
600 Federals. Shortly after, colonel Marks
Louisiana regiment, colonel Pickett's, colo
mel Freeman's and colonel Knox Walkers
Tennessee regiments were sent over. The
Federals were in strip of woods, and our
men in open field.
We also had the Watson battery (Louis-
iana) on that side the river. In half an
hour Tappan's and Wright's regiments were
broken and scattered to the winds-soon af-
ter we lost Watson's battery. In half an
hour more, Pickett, Walker and Freeman
were whipped and routed too. The engage
ment was not more than half mile from
the river-thege were all the men on hand
able to get across the river up to one o'clock.
Our men rallied several times but could not
stand the charge. After our battery was
taken, the enemy run their battery close to
: the river bank and fired upon the steamers,
SO as to prevent any more men from landing
until two O'Clock. Our men after being
whipped three or four times by superior
numbers, broke and run in perfect dismay.
The enemy charged in double quick in the
best order and swept everything before them
to the very bank of the river; here cur men
broke to pieces and fed in terror up the
river bank. In going up the river they
covered under the bank and behind trees
that had been cut down. On reaching the
river they burnt Tappan's quarters, and
captured 10 sick men, and opened fire again
upon our boats, sending balls through the
Hill, Charm and Prince. They fired upon
the Ingomar coming up at the time, and
made her land out of reach on the Kentucky
side. Up to this time we were the worst
whipped and routed army ever seen For
tunately, the enemy did not know how badly
we were whipped, and that we were out of am
munition. At this time our big gun on the
hill began to play upon them, and Smiths
Mississippi battery opened upon them from
Columbus opposite where they WERE The
fire from these two batteries were so great
and so constant as to drive them back from
the river bank, and allowed Smiths I54th
Tennessee regiment, and Blythe's Missis-
sippi, to come over and bring plenty of am
munition and more recruits. We now had
an equal number of men, and forming in
line of battle, charged upon them. They
broke and fed in precipitation and horror,
presenting a more demorslized spectacle
than ourselves two hours before.
At 8 o'clock the battle was ours, the en-
emy's rout complete. We chased them
from the field of their morning glory, back
to their boats, strewing the woods with dead
and wounded-they got on board of the
transports, under cover of the gunboats; it
was while getting aboard ofthe boats that our,
regiment did the greatest execution 1 sup
pose we killed more than hundred on the
boats; the distance we drove them was
about four miles; our men laid fat all the
while they fired. The gunboats poured
upon them a perfect torrent of grape, can
lister, bomb and ball. We lost one man
killed, five badly wounded, and six or seven
slightly wounded. Our regiment captured
q great manylguns, pistols. amn,.s,i.;e.. md
aDouS pIIree hundred army oyercoats, ali
new.
The loss of our entire army is about one
hundred killed and less than two hundred