The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-02-05


tive. The sacred day passed. and the
14th army corps moves towards the enc.
my. There was hurrying TO and fro. the
Of troops. the never reasing
rattle Of wagon trains. the arrival ofcon.
valescents from the front, and the confu.
sion and hustle incident 10 a general
move. On the afternoon Of Dec. 26th.
Rosecrans left his quarters in tile city
and. with his staff and escort, joined the
army already in the field.
Ii is true that nobody secs a battle.
The commander learns from aids the va
rious stages of the strife, and plans and
orders the fight from the reports of 9th
.rs. The victory of Stone River was not
won in that way. The leader Of the Ar
my Of the Cumberland endangered his
life to give his commands in person. and
had his whole army risked as much tie
result would have been far more disas
trous to the rebel CAUSE He went into
battle as the mediator Of The Eastern and
Western armies. determined 10 break the
line of Confederate strength at its CEN
tire. The conduct he displayed to this
end proved how terribly ia earnest he
was to conquer.
SHADOWS OF COMING EVENTS.
Saturday. the 9th, our columns halted
In front Of tho rebel line. The first
skirmish had taken place. the enemy
falling back, opposing our progress only
10 discover our strength. Another Sab
bah found the two armies divided by
Stewart's creek. A battle was now i'm
minent. Everybody returning to the
city from the front was eagerly ques'
toned As to the Intentions Of the Coofed
rate Grnelal. Many thought he would
all back beyond Murlreesboro without a
fight. The leader of the Union forces
did not concentrate this, for fight he
must, il agains. his will. On Monday,
the difIpreu, Divisions crossed the stream
and flsnGed into line of battle. An in.
terchapge of skirmish power preceded ev'
cry recediug novem+nt of The enemy,
until Tuesday, the Both, when under
cover of The woods and in sight Of their
70, tiGcations. the artillery of Bragg chal.
lsnged our forces an ! the action com
meuced. The preface Of an engagement.
ths soldier into the character Of
his Toe. while it acquaiDts him for a
greater struggle.
The I4ih army corps took osi,iou, the
lef, stretching along the bank Of Stone
river. Beyond the ground now occupied
Rosecrans knew but little Of the ns'nle
Of The country, and was &ithou, anything
definite by which to guide him. 1t was
a serious drawback, but, not cause for
hesitation on his part. Our lima extend
cd over two miles Of rolling land inter-
spersed with woods and farms. the ad-
vantages of position being in possession
Of the enemy; Though n ifrfreesboro had
no snitahle position for heavy fortiica.
tions. the rolling land diverging westerly
was all the enemy could wish for the pur'
pose Of martial array. Fifty eight thou.
sand men divided into three grand wings
and commanded by trio Of three as
brave Generals as ever marshalsd host,
were confronted by the trebl, lines Of
Bragg's determined troops. There we're
many regiments along our Ines whose
ranks had been depleted on the bloody
baple6elds Of Done!son, Shiloh and Per
ryville. Led on by a General whose skill
had been tested in three departments,
who bore the prestige Of three great vic
tories. il is not strange that our men had
an abiding faith in their commander to
complete the tried Of Federal victory in
Tennessee. ....
The desullory firing of Tuesday was
an earnest Of what might be ooked for
IN the following day. There were re.
peared atempls 10 unmask the enemy by
demonstrations. while the willy rebel was
feeling for our weakest point, This work
threatened seriously at one time, bu,
night came without a hattie.
THE FIRST DAY.
The closing day Of 1869 will long be
remembered il the annals Of reb, llion =
The morning was bright. and our troops
rose 10 the work with GOODNESS which
provoked the rage Of Southern fire. The
conte ST opcned 6rrcely, the combat dep
eniug until the whole army was engaged
The rebels exerted their strength in mad
efforts when the vulnerable point wa;
found ard the iorces Of the enemy massed
At eight or ihsreabouls they bore dowr
upon us, the vim OF the rebel army sur
ging in human waves against the righ
Of our crescent column. With lightning
speed the aids and ordeilies gallop tt
Rosecrans bearing the short but wofu
tale, "lhe right is giving way, our troops
are overwhelmed" The news spread
through the corps Of Thomas and Crit
tenden like an electric shock. thrilling lh'
courage Of every man with pain. The
great heart Of Chaplin Hills was beating
against the slender from. Of q single di
vision posted to check the advance o
Breckinridge and Hsrdse. The king o
terrors, a copcomitant in every battle
was driving back his wild recruits. whe'
he who restored the line Of his broker
forces at Corinth appeared in Oew vlgO
for an emergency even gesa'er than that
and checked the bloody tide Of battle a
! its food. He knew the strength Of th'
enemy was at its culminating point, ant
at Opce sought to disconcert them b.
turning back the advancing column =
How nObly every man tried to redeem
the loss Of ground, and how certain the.
finally accomplshed.lhe task, was told !,
the sad numbers of the dead What tic
our forres had suffarad terriblv2-whA