, 1863-01-13
IEt BattIE vi MQflfEtSUUTU4
Thursdays and Fridays Battles.
Final Achievement Of Victory-Great
Slaughter Of the Rebels.

Final Achievement Of V1ct0ry--Great
Slaughter Of the Rebels.
lspecisl Correspondence Cincinnati Gazettc.1
- NASHVILLE, Jan. 8, 1859.
>. = THURsDAY'S OPERATIONS. =
twas inst s o'clock when the roar Of can
non recommended with terrible Significance
unknown few days before. 4 skiFmish had
began between the pickets in front Of Palm
er's lines and those Of the enemy. Our bat
teries immediately commenced ahelling the
woods from which tho rebel fire proceeded.
TWO dozen pieces Of the enemy'5. artillery
opened In reply, and, having by this time &C
curatcly obtaiued the range Of tho elevated
ground between the pike and railroad, upon
their guns were worked with greater. effect
: Every form Of shell. ~schrapnel, round shot,
spherical, case aud oblong shot, were hurled
in most unpleasant profusfon over the field.
Our intantry, unable to take Any part in this
fiery missiles continually whizzing and BURST
+. ing over their heads, and tearing up the earth
amongst them and around them. It was won
derful that sd few we're injured by this Iron
tempest; yet there was scarcely a. regiment
all along the left and centre that did not hare
one; at least, Of It's members killed aud
wounded. The 8ti1 Indiana battery, Lieut..
Estepp commanding, was moved nearest the
rebel fines, and did great service in finally ST.
lencing the encmy's guns, When the firing
ceased, however, several Of its brave men
were wounded, ono-third Of the horses we're
of to the rear by hand. In all. NC lost about
100 men; but We Ind the satisfaction of hear
ing from rebel prisoners, who were taken the
next day, 4 statement that the fire from our
batteries was exceedingly effective, and an &C.
acknowledgement that their artillery Tas decid-
a. r7r nHn
| success Of ours, It is useless to deny that q
general gloom and despondency was begin
ming to spread in the army, among both OIL
GERS and men,
The artillery battle over, there WAS hardly q
circumstance which, after the previous days
| one; and this day passed like Tuesday, in 4
| series Of intcrminable skirmishes, with con-
slant, prolonged and most c1hausting expec-
tntion Of the inBtant renewal Of the battle.
Only once did the repeated and dropping dis;
charges Of muskctEy swell into roar; and
that was between one and two o'clock, when
/ the enemy'a pickcts advanced upon the right,
and openened hp brisk fire upon JohRsona
l and Davis men.
(cxcept the wounded passed as uncomfortable
and checrless night as that which proceed
| ed It. ~
TIE BATTLE AND VICTORY OF FRIDAY.
/ -. MURrnEEsRono, Jan.4.
1t precisely the same hour on Friday morn
Ing as on the day before, the thunder Of artil
I 1ery called all the troops to arms. This tiins
It was the rebel batteries that commenced tht
replying to them, aud In twenty minutes th'
country for miles around resonndcd with
continual roar. Then the firing ceased, as Il
| by mutual consent, and both parties haulc1
of, to repair damages, although during thu
course Of the affaif o rebel gun was dlsmouut
/ nd rt34 }oh military n 1phfrh IT, hhfnnUhd al
fenced. -
! this morning, as 1t was eVidont from tn
events Of the last twenty -four hours, that th'
rebel leaders wero exceedingly difldent aboa
[ renewing the battle, even With the adyantag
: Of the twenty.six guns which they captures
from us On Wednesday. The news had ais
! spread through the. camp Of Van Cleve's dl
vision having been sent across the river. til
| evening before, and this convinced the me
!, that they were not 50 completely surrounde
There were three things. however, whlc
still depressed their spirits-the actua
| scarcity Of food, tho prospect that commun
| cation with Nashville would be cut of CT
; ttirc!y, aud lie which the rebels taken pri:
oners began to circulate, by instruction fro1
, ,, their leaders, namely: that Bragg had receive
+ large reinforcements from Richmond. No
: wlfhstanding these drawbacks, tho tone Of tt
| army rose every hour, as the men marked II
,, disinclination Of the rebels to renew tt
!. struggle, and comprehended how completed
): l. the master mind OF Rosecrans held iii b
forces under control.
: Hour nfter hour the enemy. kept feelin
around our lines, as he were trying to df
cover weak and unsupported place, upo
: apprehension was felt lest he should aga
assail the right, and gain, what hsd SO 1or
:, seemed to be one Of his objects, possession
the Murfreesboro road In our rear. Thos
t however, who knew the situation Of "
; | Cleve's division upon the other side OF Il
: | river, felt certain than when the rebel assau
: did come, it would fal1 upon the extreme lei
y = nol,adc which had been going on for son
:, time upon the left, was succeeded By deafe
= irg crash Of musketry; and the whole arm
!. at once comprehendcd that the battle ~as
| uawed In earnest
The ground upon the west side OF the riv
Ia much mora irregular than that upon Il
|. east. Toward the rear moderately high blt
j, rises from the river. The pcvel ground abo
d WAS the scene Of the rebel cavalry charge
y | "Wednesday. Going toward the town you {
q | cend wooded hill, and find upon the 9th
n side patch Of low cleared ground. You Gro
d this, and come to part Of the stream Ehc
10 | the bank ID eight or ten feet high.
IN | a narrow strip Of ground upon which the
If / are trees, but no undcrbush, intervencs
e ! tween the river and q ral fence. Upon Il
ir | urol state; and fur the distance Of half q mi
ir going from the river. you eeem to bo gent
ID | ascending low wooded. hill. 4 deep ragi
C. runs down the side Of It, in direction neal
III parallel with the course Of the river. VIII
o, the summit Of the rise is reached. there are
strip Of dense woods, Immediately beh1
H., which lies Nurfreesboro. It was in the col
1e 1e fields Inst named, and In the woods bchi
sfe them, that Van CIeye's division, now co
~ ~ manded pr Col. Beatty Of the 10th Ohio, +
81 posted on Thursday eyening-two Of I
~ brigades mostly in the open space, while
81 s third was In a1norc covered position, and H
y. protected By some slight Notifications OF. d
~ and logs.
= sons and Brcckinridgc's, the whole uni
OF command Of the latter, and hurled th
=, against Van Clcye. He evidently intended
II, crush tho latter at blow, but probably
~ no further design, at this time, than the
a1 strnction Of this division, and the occnpat
ed It does not seem probable that the rebels
e. tended to begin d general battle at that
cd Van Cleve's men did not yield at once
ed the rebel onset. They struggled for tt
With great hEayeI agtnst, 90
". superior numbers, two Of the briEadcs Y
,ra broken to pieces; The other continued
e. some minutes longer to maintain iss grou
i'd until the prospect Of being completely
: broke, mingled With the others, and the ut
: ). were pushed back in great disorder and =
:e- sr- startling rapidity, to, into ana: across
=" river.
~. ~ The rebels, rendered audacioqs ~ o5thelr:
nqF ee Continue met tha pursuit., when the gallant
L. ley, Who lad been hurried ofs5 from the
ny tcr Of our luca to anstain the 0th DIVISION
dix denly appeared with his Gon2aGE MI uneS o.
s Ss3s e :as otast Pssp
to support him, and open With all their
teries apoa % 5ses, crowds ss ;1sf Rsa5tssn s2
ncc ! } Tno3}s IN fhe summit Of tho long low b
lex. bave mentioned, give place te the leyel G
wed} fields, thunder upon Us from Aaat comm
rcd lug position, aud cover tho vhole attack
up our left. A dozen more eenlnd tae ~
tlat stiil nearer tie town, rain down m iron
vun-.t all oVer that portion Of the 1e1a+. No mn