The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-16
Freedom and Nationality
$. G. MERCER, Editor.
rho murrroesborongh FIaIt.

The murfroesborOugh Fight.
Several prisoners who were captured
by the guerillas at Murfreesboro', and
subsequently paroled, have arrived in the
city. We conversed with one, private
in Col. WYSKooP's cavalry. lie said that
the Michigan Regiment, in which he was,
taken completely BY surprise, and were
in the hands Of the enemy almost before
they had time to ERE gun, The camp
of the Third Minnesota was a mile or a
mile and half from The Michigan camp.
Our killed amounted to 80 or 100 in all,
with a good many wounded. HEwtTTs
battery fought calamity until all their
ammunition was expended Our officers
were taken South, probably to Chatta-
nooga, and the priyates were paroled.
Col DUTFIELD is lying, MORALLY wound
ed, tits feared, at the house of citizen.
The more we consider this unfortunate
affair the more incomprehensible it APP
pears 10 US Here were twelve hundred
good men, hale, hearty and brave, no
doubt, who were surprised by a troop Of
guerrillas, almost before they had time 10
make any resistance There is no doubt
that had they been cncamped together
and we'll guarded, they could have re-
pclled the enemy with terrible slaughter.
Instead Of uniting, however, they were
fer apart, and thus were cut up in detail.
Why were they not in position to
support each other? The officers GER
tainly knew that they were in an
hostile region, and liable 10 raid at any
moment and it is a mystery to as why
they were not in condition 10 assist
and support each other. If such military
tactics are to be followed in Tennessee,
Gen. BUELL's whole army eau be de-
stroyed in two weeks by three thousand
guerllas. Remember the fable Of the
old man and the bundle Of sticks, which,
while tied together could not be broken,
but when separated could be snapped
with case. Some of our officers seem to
take pride in being careless Of danger.
They think it shows a generous conf
dencc In the rebels TO put themselves at
their mercy, and it generally ends in the
utter demolition Of the confding officer.
The rebels never expose themselves in
this manner they are always on the
alert and are rarely caught mapping.
The reason is that the rebel leaders in
tended to .6gH when they began the re-
bellion, while ours generally hope TO con-
ciIiate the rebels by being con1ding and
careless, and catching their runaway ne
groes. We say this with no disposition
to cast reproach on our unfortunate SOL
diers. Doubtless they were true and
brave men, and would have fought we'll.
The difficulty or misfortune was that they
did not realize their situation or the peo-
pie they had to deal with For Heavens
sake let there be no more such mistakes
LATEST FROM MURFEEEsDoRo'.
Reliable persons from Murfreesboro'
report that the gucrrillas have fallen back
towards McMmnyille. There were not
over 1000 Of them, consisting Of the
Fifth Georgia Cavalry, Texas Rangers,
aud STARNs and MoRoAN's old troops,
Our loss is stated at 33 killed and 90
wounded Guerrilla loss 80 killed and
100 wounded. The citizens treated the
wounded humanely without distinction.
The rebels went off without burying
their dead, who were inferred by the citi-
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