The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-08-01
Lester come ndD Sonfers with him and

FLd6ter lCOma ma O0n@rs WIN tnlm9 ssnu
Forest. asd ,F@3asaza 3oiBM 10 s3aafani
Coy Lester vent ont and 1yhis IF! be sgs xas
gone, the officers and men supposed If might
be What i proved tol be- a demand for our
surrender, The officers All expressed them.
selves in favor Of not surrenderipg, OF ,at
least large majority Of them, upder. any
consideration. But. Col. Lester returned
and after be made bis statement, vote was
taken. Of the company commanders ~ With the
result Of four for and four against surren>
deripg. The Colonel said the time was up
| and We must hurry and make . decision, 1
ran down to my company that was com go
| maudiug and took q, vote, and they voted
for fighting. I immediately went back,
when the second vote bad just been taken
with the result Of six for and three against
surrendering. a., Lieutenant Colonel Griggs,
be it said to his honor, said fight. 1 will
not particularize further, as the public will
know all in time, God knows ! would do
no man injustice knowingly. But as brave
and noble men as ever graced Gods green
earth must not be, dishorored, when they
were ready and willing to, fight. 1t is true
there were four or five to one, but we were
soldiers and they were. rag.mufins. Our
loss in all, was three our four killed, and
from twelve to twenty wounded. Captain
Eustrum Of company D and myself escaped
two days after the fight to this place in cit
liens clothes. Twelve or fifteen escaped.
have no reliable information yet Of the
whereabouts of the boys. The Surgeons
are still in Murfreesboro. i have, stated
the facts as near as l could ascertain.
When we were surrendered, we had thirtys
FIVE rounds of cartridges, and the battery
had forty. Yours respectfully,
,: ISAAC TAYLOR, I'd Lieut.. Co. b. .
THE MURFREESBORO DISGRACE.
FIom the Nashville Union, July 18th. =. ..,,..f
We had a conversation of some length
yesterday with DR.. Butler, Surgeon of the
Third Minnesota regiment, in reference to
the recent skirmish at Murfreesboro., DIR.
But er seems to be gentleman of intelli-
gence and cardor, and bis statements may,
do doubt, be relied on as giving correct
account of that most unexpected disaster.
The first report We published, stated that
this regiment fought desperately from the
attack in the morning until late in the ewes
ming. This is a great error. DR.. Butler
Says the fight with the Minnesota regiment
lasted q minute or ta0o, and the sum total
of their killed was too, and their wounded
foe, and one missing! Early in the morning,
Colonel Lester led his men out of camp half.
a>mile at the edge of wood, and drew up
his men in line of battle. with the battery
at each end. The guerillas charged on them
about seven O'Clock, but being received
with sharp cannonade, wheeled off at right
angles and rode away, with the exception
of ten, who got within our lines, and were
either dismounted or killed. The rebels
dashed away into the camp, when they kill.
ed Corporal Green, of company /, and Pri.
vate WOODBURY., OF company @, who was
sick in his tent. Only twenty soldiers had
been lett to guard the camp. Our wounded
we're Privates @. I'll. Turnely, company K;
W. II. Doll, company E; j. Fogelson, com.
pany E ;; Charles johnson, company B; A.
II. Lewis, company II; and -- Green,
teamster-all slightly injured.
The rebels rode off discouraged at the
appearance of things, and twice afterwards
rode back and returned to the town, decar-
ing that the regiment could not be taken |!
The Michigan 9th had been taken by sur
prise, but IT'S of the men had rallied and
drove back the enemy. Seventy.fve guer-
illas dismounted and charged as infantry,
but were repulsed. The best fighting was
done by company of this regiment, which
| was in the court house in this town, VITO
killed ten of the enemy as they attacked
| them. The rebels say that the artillery
shot over their heads, some balls cutting off
| tree tops, and others passing over the town!
| ODly one man was found killed by cannon
shot, his leg being shot off at the knee. He
! bled to bed to death; his horse also being
| killed under him. S.. ... ire. II
But one OF our artillery was Wounded
bis hand being blown of by accident. The
| 9th Michigan lost IA killed and 63 wounded
The guerillas despairing almost OF taking
| the Sd Minnesota, bad fred our commissary
stores, and were making preparations to fall
back, when Colonel Forrest said he ,Dould
see ii he could not scare Colonel Lester into a.
surrender. He then sent a flag Of trace, and
| Colonel Lester rode into toaon and held a
| conference Nth him. He came back and told
his officers and men, nearly oil of aohom were
eager for q fight, that there Gere at least 3 500
and perhaps 5000 couatsy preparing to
attack them, and that they must surrender, as
at a0ouid.be, useless 10 resist The men agept
i al e