The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-09
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PUBLISHED b. an A.,osia,iou ef Printers
sUNDAY NoREINa. Nov. 9, ~
The Fight at Chaplin Hills-The
Heroism and Horrors Of a Battle

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corfear oadenou Of tho louisville JouAi.
HARRoDsDuuG, Ky, Oct II, 1862.
/ General Buell. having completed his
preparation Of the Federal army, had
been pressing General Bragg of the rebel
army invading Kentucky, from within
/ ten miles Of Louisville, by the different
roads leading toward Frankfort, Tay-
louisville, Bardstown, and Sbepherdsville,
since the LIST Of October, drivingin the
rear of his army and cannonading on
each of the roads, with more or less
diminishing each day, as we marched
! forward, for seventy miles.
Bragg moved his main army from
Bardstown TO Springfield, and as Buelps
troops converged near that place on the
9th, Bragg made a stand 70 check us east
of the town. Heavy cannonading and
Smelling took place, and the fruits were
several slaughtered men and horses, some
prisoners, and a devastated country
barns and houses, bay stacks and fences
being swept away by the fire enkind-
led by bursting shells. Bragg was com
PEELED to fall back
Again that day be made stand on the
precipitous eastern bank Of Pleasant Run.
Another engagement took place, Bragg
being compelled to recede, leaving the
same desolating marks--the face of the
dried-up country being again swept far
and wide as by the bosom of destruction.
He tried to burn the bridge after passing,
but was pressed too hard TO effect IT,
On the morning Of the 9TH, Bragg's
rear made stand and prepared for bat
tie, at an almost impracticable hill for
our cavalry and infantry, east Of Lick
Run. A few field pieces of ours proved
the position 10 be unteDable, and Bragg
drew off his pieces and men. On the
afternoon of the 18th he made another
stand, with his rear on the crescent
shaped hills of Chaplin's branch of Salt
river and planted his artillery, Smelling
US. Our battery dismounted one of his
pieces by our fire, and we forced them
over the Hin The rebel troops gave it
up Il presume in mistake), and great
mistake ii proved TO be for them, as il
was the central stronghold and very key
of the whole position, proven by the OBJ
stinacy with which il was fought for the
whole of the next day.
Our army had been marching since
/, October last, through a country tha,
afforded but little water for man or beast
and that of very impure quality. There
, having been no rain for many weeks q
may say months), rivers and creeks were
dried up. 1 saw not one drop Of run.
ming water on the road from Louisville Il
the e-iield, 20 miles, except LITTLE
trickling among the loose gravel south o
. Bloomfield, 20 miles distant In th,
, lowest places of the beds of streams
q were larger or smaller pools of impur,
water, tasting and smelling of III,
ordure of the cattle of the country, ant
our horses and mules that had been rid
den in TO drink the filthy compound
frantic TO get that as they would be il
the deserts Of Arabia. Where the shall
o low pools were rocky the soldiers wer,
. fain tofill their canteens far in the nigh
q after the cavalry horses had done stir
9 ring it. Where there was gravel bottom
v the poor fellows made natural filter b,
% scraping holes with their hands near III
edge of the water, and you would see
Z long, dark line waiting patiently through
the long hours of the night for il /
% trickle in, and, filling their canteens, car
. ny it two and three miles to camp.
u paid one poor soldier a quarter of dol
% lar for drink Of his cow ordure water
g and felt that he had done me an inesti
. mable favor. The rebel army had drain
. ed all the wells on their march, and W
q could only get the slow tricklings int
y them; as we marched along crowds q
~ our men were waiting around them a
10 the day and night. Not one Federal sol
h der uttering a complaint that heard, q
9, was there single quarrel for that who
IN was so precious 10 cool the tip of th
tongue. II will be understood that o
"a this march of two great armies over III
same road the horrors OF thirst were az
~ grayated by the condition Of it, Fac
column of troops could be traced man
miles away by the clouds rising frol
their march at least half a mile high
~ the air, The dust was instep deep TO tn
infantry. You could not see the sen
blance Of man on the march in II
90 road, but it all fitted by like a gree
~ phantasmagoria or a horrid nightmai
W dream, day and night, continuously
one living stream Of cavalry, ariiller
' and infantry, with a score Of miles
ammunition and baggage wagons o.
front moved in day and encamped as 1
he as the eye could see the fires on the hill
:" sides and in the valleys at night; Il
rear moved on at night "a encamp in q
day. Men and horses were choked al
sirangled, and Dust dust dust al