The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-12-25
Southern News.

~ - 1850 ~1N--~5 %tSA4Ss CS"A-
Green correspondent Of the Nashville Ban
ner. in a letter dated Dec. 18th, thus refers
to the late engagement at Munfordsville:
+" The curtain has risen, and the great
drama opens The clash ofarms is resound-
ing on Green river. The engagement spok-
en- of yesterday, and the death of Colonel
Terry, have opened the ball. The Federals,
in immense numbers, are pouring down
upon Green River. The Railroad bridge
has been repaired, and pontoon bridges
thrown across the river. Five thousand of
the enemy are in position this side of the
river. Gems. Bdckner and Johnston both
hastened forward, yesterday. The Kentuc-
ky brigade, the I'd Mississippi regiment, and
several batteries, moved forword this morn
ing. Thousands more will follow. The
forward movement which I have all the
time predicted, has been commenced.
have heard the music, and intend to see the
great tragedy"
The Vicksburg Suns jackson (Miss.)
correspondent gives an interesting account
of scrimmage between Gov. Pettus and
Maj. Barksdale, growing out Of some arti-
Giles written by the Major, last summer, for
the Mississippian, derogatory to the Gov
ernor. After few blows, and sundry
scratches, the dignitaries were separated.
The Memphis Appeal, of the 18th, says
the Fort at New Madrid, has been completed
and named Fort Thompson, in honor Of the
great " JEFF"
The Savannah Republican of the 10th
says ''Charleston was fred in several places,
Saturday, and again yesterday. Several
wooden buildings of but small value were
destroyed
The Nashville Banner contains the fol-
I lowing account of the Munfordsville fight:
cat dawn, on Tuesday morning, a body
Of men, consisting in part of Sevent's artil-
lery aud fragment of Col. Terry's Rang
ers, was ordered forward from Cave City,
near which they were encamped. They
( proceeded towards Woodsonville, and after
\ they had passed the deep cut on this side Of
/ the Dirt Road Ridge, they found part Of
\ the enemy. 1t was in the outskirts of
/ Woodsonville. They had learned that the
enemy had boosted that they intended cut
/ ting off "Terry and his id Wildcats"
| This, Col. Terry endeavored to defeat, by
1 turning gap in an adjacent fence and out
/ thanking them But this attempt was I'M
successful as was also an effort to plant
Severts battery. Before other preparations
could be made, the fight became general
along the fence. The enemy were on both
sides of it, extending in line from $50 to
zoo yards in length, and numbering 600
strong. Our forces did not exceed 275.-
Col. Terry dashed on in advance, having
shouted TO Capt. Walker, "Come, Jonn,
/ let's charge on them and risk the conse-
quences" Capt. Walker, DR.. Cowan, Capt.
Evans, Paulding Anderson, the Orderly of
Capt. w 3 company (whose name has es-
capped us), followed after in a group, firing
their six-shooters with great effect as they
proceeded, killing numbers on either side of
the fence, and scattering to the right and
left. They did not retreat, however
They stood up with intrepid frmness and
courage. The fight lasted in this way along
40 e.noa e,r 6eAaan rairaA4ras, - n
I had reached the extreme end Of it. Just
here, Col. Terry-always in the front-dis-
covered a nest of five of the enemy. He
leaped in his saddle, waived his hat and
said, tsGome on, boys, here's another bird
nest" He fred and killed two of them
The other three fired at him simultaneously.
One shot killed his charger; another shot
killed him. He fell headlong from his
his horse without'a groan or a moan. He
was killed instantly, the ball piercing his
Windpipe and penetrating the lower part of
the brain. At the same time, Paulding
Anderson and DR.. Cowan rode up and dis
patched the remaining three of the enemy.
/ The man who killed Col. Terry was a huge,
raw-boned German, well dressed and armed
with fine Belgian musket. The fight
ended here. When Col. TerTys fall was
announced, it at once Frustrated his men
1 with grief The enemy had fed; sc of
their dead lay Upon the field of ours, only
I FIVE. Slowly these were collected, and our
troops fell back to a secure position. All
in all, this is one of the most desperate
I fights of the war. 1t was hand to hand
from first to last. No men could have
fought more desperately than the enemy.
The Rangers were equally reckless. The re-
suit, mournful as it is, in the loss of brave
and gallant soldier, promising officer, the
idol of his men, a beloved and honored citi-
zen, adds another page to the glory of our
invincible arms. 1t opens the ball in lower
Kentucky Stirring scenes may be expect
ed hourly in that quarter"
The Nashville American in speaking of
Terry's death says. in one place "The
Rangers with Col Terry at their head,
charged the Dutch, putting them to flight,
killing about seventy and capturing nine
prisoners. The Lincolnites fled the field,
retreating to a woods about a mile from the
river, where a large force of Federals, esti-
mated at from 1000 to 5000, were err
campedD -c
In another place it adds: The Federals
were concealed in & corn field, and behind
trees, when Col. Terry and men made a
gallant charge upon them, the Colonel lead
ing the charge and pouring a CALLING fire
into the enemy. Some shots were deliber-
ately fred at him, one shot taking effect in
his neck, and producing instant death,
another in his thigh, third killed his horse
and fourth killed the horseof his eomrade. |
When the Rangers saw their leader had |
been killed, they became perfectly desperate |
and their charges told with effect on the |
enemy, and finally drove them from their
position, but not, we understand, across the /
river as was reported yesterday"
" Private dispatches report that a
general skirmish was kept up during
most OF the day yesterday, terminating only /
at dark. We have no particulars to
results"