, 1863-03-11


Murfreesboro to franklin, the scene Of the
affair of Thursday.
For week past the vicinity Of Murfreesbo-
70 has been well secured by our forage trains,
and, as told you in my last, hardly . day
pasecd but that forage train escorts had 6kir-
mishcs with the enemy. The expeditions,
however, about whose exploits you have had
for scTcral days past copious telegraphic re-
ports, are Of different character.
They hare been evidently set on foot for tho
purpose Of feeling the strength and fathom-
ing the designs Of tic enemy, who hovers up
on our front. Reynolds, as you will have
been told by telegraph before this reaches
you, moved on Thursday towards Mc3finn-
vile. His whole Division, Of which the 123d
and SOth Illinois, the 101st, 18th, 72d, 18th and
9sth Indiana regiments, and the 10th and 10th
Indiana batteries form part, were Of the cS-
pedition. .......
nazcn's Brigade of Palmer's Division,
wlicl, for fortnight has been stationed at
ReadyyilIc, are cooperating, and the probabi1
ilics are, that, before this letter is in print,
the telegraph will have informed you Of the
capture or dispersal of the rebel camp at
Woodbury..
Anpther expedition went Southwark yes
tcrday, and a. the telegraph Inst night inform.
cd yHu, the result Of Il vas the occupation Of
Middlctown, small village on the old Nash
| vile stage road, some three miles to the right
If Ehclbryillc pike, and about twelve miles
south Of Mnrfrecsboro. The rebels gave quite
| a fight before yielding possession Of the place,
lesfh,g q good number killed ana woundc1
We bad none killed and but few wounded.
At the time Of 1ny leaving Murfrecsboro
this morning, details Of the af1.ir had not
| been received, and ! am consequently unable
TO give the names Of the wounded.
| Still another expedition, the movement Of
| which intimatcd in my Last letter, left the
camps about Murfrcesboro but a few days
| back, the operations Of which have been from
| day 10 day teleg1aphci yon. The s2irnishes
| and captures at Eaglesyille and Rover We re
the first results OF the expedition; its chiet
aeeonplshmentts Ih, Iahre, perhan|R3is yet to
der command Of Gen. Sheridan, and is
this day moving from Triune to Franklin,
| where quite formidable arrangements arc
making for the reinforcement Of Thursday IS
disaster. sberidan's expedition was osigi-
naliy designed to eo,operat,e with ths fore force
This. at all events, is plainly dedncable from
thu time Of it's starting, and the direction OF
I its march, It vas Organized the day follow
Ing Van Dorn's first feint against franklin;
started simultaneously with Cobnrn, and
upon the roads leading to Spring Hill. where
Coburn pushed ahead too rapidly and {accord-
ing to present lnformat1on) too incaut1ously,
ending with the disastrous rout Of Thursday.
That aflair, Of course, changed the movement
9f the Sheridan expedition, whish, then st
Harpeth, and advancing toward Spring Hill,
fell back to Triune, and from thence Joined
the forces organizing at franklin.
have thus given you fair idea, Us hope,
Of the weeks operations around Murfrccs-
boro; from which it will be seen that the
sensation stories Of grand movement Of the
army are badly founded
There will be no lighting Of any consider
able magnitude in this department before the
lst Of April. This is my prediction-see what
manner Of prophet am 1t may be, indeed,
that within fozty-eight hours a fight VII! oceui
ces engaged, will be Of very considerable
magnitude" My "prediction'' has only re
ference to an engagement in which the army
Of tie Cumberland takes part as a whole.
lam told hya gentleman of this city. whose
facilities for the obtainmcnt Of informtion are
unsurpassed, that there is no question but that
the rebels are organizing an extensive expedi
sion for the invasion Of Kentucky. A son o1
the Hon. Horace Maynard has, within a few
hours, sent positive information to this city
regarding the matter-circumstantIally stating
the strength and character Of n portion Of the
rebel force. The military authorities Of Ohio
| and Indiana should certainly be on the alert
for 4 day may bring IN overwhelming horde
Of rebel thieves within striking distance cl
Louisville and Cincinnati.
Col. Martin, Provost Mnrshal, the other day
Issued an order forbidding the sale Of the Chi
cago Times and Cincinnati Enquirer within thu
limits Of the city, to which order Gen. R. B.
Mitchell, commandant Of the post, refused tt
Col Martin to the contrary, notwithstanding
| the Thousand or two Nashville readers Of thosl
sheets are to be strengthened in treason, from
day to day, till - Ehcn. Sam Medary's Co
lumbus Crisis echoes rA.n.
The Daily Nashville onion, edited By s. S
Mercer. Esq, is certainly one Of the most yig
orous Union papers in the country. It docs ont
good to read the splendid editorials that from
day to day appear in its columns. Weak
kneed, ,timid Sortherucrs should, By all means
| rcad the Dapcr T., O.