Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-02-07
BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS.
INTERESTING FACTS AND INCIDENTS.

d INTERESTING FACTS AND INCIDENTS.
The Cincinnati papers furnish man,
: additional facts of interest concerning th,
recent bloody engagement near Somerset
Kentucky. The subjoiued are from til,
correspondence of the Gazette;
MAGNITUDE or THE BATTLE.
The battle, unlike the most Of the war
grows larger the more that is known o
it, One hundred and ninety-two dead
bodies Of the rebels were buried up tC
Tuesday night, and they were still founc
thick in the woods 1t was first suppose
that the forces engaged we're about equal
but it is now known that the enemy out.
numbered US two one, The regiments
under Gen, Thomas's command at tue
time of the fight, were the 10Th Indiana,
and 4(h aud l2th kentucky, % Mime
sofa, 9th and 4th Ohio, and lst and "a
| East Tennessee. These eight regimcnts
could not bring, at the utmost, over six
thousand men into the field. And Of
these, only about one-half were actually
engaged in The combat
The consolidated morning report of the
troops at Mill Spring last Friday has
been found. Crittenden had under him
at that time, and there, one thousand
three hundred and twenty-five men sick,
and iourteau thousand two hundred and
six men fit for duty. And by papers
found On the person of Gen. Zollicofer,
il appears that two new regiments re-
ported for duty at Mill Spring on Satur-
day, the 18th. The testimony of all the
intelligent prisoners whom We took IS to
the effect that the whole force moved
from their camp to the attack Of Sun
day, except small guard on the north
side, and Whites old regiment" shat
tered and demoralized body of men, on
the south side OF the river. Not less
than fifteen thousand men marched out
to give battle, as they supposed, to three
regiments of union troops.
RAwNEss OF THE REBEL SOLDIERS.
1t must no: be thought, however, that
this large force was all available to Crit
tsnden. A great portion Of it, perhaps
one-half was the raw, drafted levies Of
two months men, lately raised in Ten.
nessee. They have been coming to'
Crittenden in squads of from one to five
hundred for weeks. Just organized into
regiments aud armed principally with
shot guns, they could not be supposed to
add much to the strength of the rebel
army, and in case Of such a panic as oc-
Cured, were an element of positive
weakness. And they were even further
useless, because they had no hearts for
4 fight against the Union. One Of them
coming near our lines, rushed across, to
Is, excaiming, Il am a Union man, and
Immediately commenced firing on his
ate comrades. We understand that
here are about ten thousand such troops
It Knoxville. We mean to carry guns
o them aud make them our first soldier,
rom their part Of the country. r
,UPGRIoEITY OF TIE FEDERAL FIRE
ARMS.
There vas one advantage which Re c
lad, and which will tell everywhere in |
his war. II was in the superiority ot 1
ur arms. The rebels had but few arms
f precision, and these Ineffective at c
ong ranges. Our deadly rifles, throw. a
1g the heavy MIME ball, cut their ranks b
, pieces before they could touch ours, y
heir men were brave. Battles regi- c
tent was led by ito Lieut. Col across
ne field, as one Of their men said to me, y
like lot or boys on a rabbit chase" P
he i5.4 Missinpi came up TO our guns ST
nd fought US hand to hand. Bot bowie Is
nives are Of but little avail against bay L
L.,
nets and discipline. 0
The rebel artillery was of no use to
lem whatever, while ours was very ef- y
,ctive. r
FEDERAL GENERALsHlP. b
And more than all, we overmatched d
lem in the cooness and firmness of our W
en- and officers, and in good general in
lip. Gen. Thomas was at first incred- W
GUS as to the possibility of being seri- al
lsly attacked. The idea that the enemy fir
ould leave their fortified camp to come er
It and give US a fair field fight, seemed m
eposterous. But though it takes Gen. al
homas good while TO get the steam dr.
}, he moves with forty hundred horse in
,wer. He advanced to the very front u,
the fight, made his dispositions most bs
omptly and skillfuIly; and when the III
emy broke, be pursued them most en-
getically.