The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-29

hOIA 4 HE TENN ESNEE VALLEY
BATTLE CREEK Tenn, July 1G, 'G2.
This is the furthest point at which our
troops are now stationed on their way TO
East Tennessee, and il is as far in that
direction IS we are likely TO 90 without a
little fighting, which will most likely be
INDUCED in in disputing the passage Of
the river The place is named after
battle which occurred here some years
ago between a body Of white people and
the Indians. The appearance of the
country in the immediate vicinity con-
siderably reminds me Of the ground on
which the famous contest at Corinth was
decided with the exception that there is
more cleared territory here, while the
growth Of the "blsck- jack" or scrub
oak, is still the same.
THE COMMANDER OF THE ADVANCE. -.
Since the occupancy Of the advance by
the National forces, Colonel Turchin, as
Acting Brigadier, has had command, but
that officer now being before a Court
Martial on sundry charges, Col. Harris is
the supreme power until such period as
General Haskell shall assign TO relieve
him,
The advance will, on the arrival of the
full force Of General Buell., belong to
General McCook now the next in com
mand TO Gen. b. His force is en- route
for Battle Creek in about the same style
% that referred to by me in my former
letter letlers-and will all, most proba.
bly,, reach this vicinity by the end of
the present week Whether thew will
then make a further advance, and how
soon, | am unwilling to say. The troops
are all anxious to be again brought face
to face with their foes, and even though
weak in numbers comparative 10 those Of
the Confederacy, they long for the sound
of the long roll which shall call them
TO arms.
THE ENEMY's DEFENsEs.
During the last ten DAYS the Secession
force has been gathering in considerable
numbers, both at Chattanooga, and at a
point on the Tennessee opposite Battle
Greek, and also at the aforementioned
town, the combined forces numbering, it
is said, about thirty thousand men.
These are known to be gathering on our
front, and are now in our immediate
sight, digging rifle pits, and otherwise
tortiiying themselves and preparing for
us as warm reception as it may Law in
their power to furnish. There is some
thing rather exciting in this being with
the immediate force Of the enemy, which
can only be felt by those who have expo
rienced it.
The preparations known TO be going
on for a contest involving life and liber-
! ty, the continued arrival and changing of
position among the troops and the thou
sand incidents belonging to such scene
cannot fail to engage the attention of
any one to whose lot il may fall TO OBJ
serve them. Our own forces are also ac-
lively engaged in making similar de-
lenses on our side of the river, most prob
ably for the purpose of engaging the at
tentiOn of the Secesh until we shall be
ready for an advance movement.
| CoURTEsIEs BETWEEN SOLDIERS.
Since an arrangement has been effected
by which all hostilities between the
pickets are suspended, the boys are be-
coming quite intimate, aud exchange
certain courtesies which might be better
known as commodities. During the
last week something in the way Of trade
and barter had been going on, the Ma
tionals eXchaging ground coffee for an
article known as Southern whiskey.-
An idea having become prevalent among
these merchant volunteers that the rebel
volunteers were watering the whisky
which they traded, conceived a design
by which they contrived to get even
with them. They ground the coffee and
after using it for their own purposes,
dried the dregs in the sun, and then
handed it over to the Secesh 10 payment
for the watered whisky.
So, between the two it is difficult to
tell which is the most swinded. The
volunteers Of both sides go into the river
for bathing purposes, hold long CONVEX
Stations across the river, which at this
point is not over two hundred feet wide,
80 you see they are not likely to be with
out company so long as they are not ar
rayed in hostile array against their new
made acquaintances.