Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-15
The Battle of MurfreeSbOrO.
The Fight on Wednesday
A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE.

The correspondent of the Chicago Fri
5une has description of the terrific bat
tie fought on the 3lst inst. near Murfrees
boro, from which we take the following:
| suppose | shall raise storm about nv
head tor saying so, but l can't from ali
that L have heard come to any other con.
clusion than that the right wing of our ar.
my was completely surprised, and that, too
under circumstances which should have
RENDERED 1t particularly careful and vigilant
Whether Gen, McOock OR Gen. johnson is
to blame for this, an impartial investiga.
ton will hereafter determine. At present
the sentiment of the army is extremely
hostile to both,
imagine it will not be many days be
fore there are important changes in the
leadership OF the 14th army corps. The
right of Davis divisioA which was as
sailed at the same time as Johnson's gave
way simultaneously, and the rout of the
course.
1t is left tor Gen. Sheridan to stay the
hitherto successful onset of the foe. New
er did man labor more faithfully than he
to perform his task, aud never was lead
er seconded by more gallant soldiers.
His division formed kind of pivot,
upon which the broken right wing turned
in its flight, and its perilous condition can
easily be imagined, when the flight of
Davis division lett it without any protec-
ton from the triumphant enemy who now
sWarmed upon its front and right flank,
but it fought until one fourth of its mum
Der lay bleeding and Gying upon the field,
and until both remaining brigade COM
anders, Coils. Roberts and Sbatfer, had
met with the same fate as Gen. Sill.
Then it gave way, and in almost every
instance of the kind, retreat was changed
to rout, only less complete than that OF the
troops of johnson and Davis. All these
divisions were now hurled back together
into the immense ravines OF cedar thckets
which skirt the turnpike and extend far
over to the right.
Brigade after brigade, battery after bat
terry, from Palmer's, Negley's and Rose
Grams divisions, were sent into the thick
cts to check the progress of the foe and
rally the fugitves, but all il turn were
either crushed outright by the flying
crowds broken by the impetuosity of the
foe and put to confused flight, or con pei
led to retire and extricate themselves in
the best manner that seemed to offer.
The history of the combat in those dark
cedar thickets will never be known. No
man could see even the whole of his own
regiment, and no one will ever be able to
tell who they were that fought bravest and
they who proved recreant to their trust
| know there was some Cowardce dis
played, but | know, too, that there was
shown by many officers and regiments as
lofty heroism as that which distinguished
ana inmortalized the followers of Godfrey
on the Gid.
In spite of their heroism and devotion,
in spite of the desperate struggles which
marked every fresh advance of the foe, in
spite of an awful sacrifice of life on the
army, the rebels still steadily pushed on
ward, and came nearer and nearer to the
turnpike, nearly two miles and half, the
right wing of our army had been driven
in, and faintness of heart came over me
az the destruction of our whole army
seemed to stare US in the face, but the
word went forth from Rosencrans, the
flower of the left wing and centre were
hurried over towards the right, and mass.
ed, rank behind, in an array of imposing
grandeur along the turnpike and facing to
the woods through which the rebels were
advancing. The scene at this time was as
grand and awful as anything that | ever
expect TO witness until the day of judg
ment. [ stood in the nj dst and upon the
highest point of the somewhat elevated
space, being between the turnpike and
railroad, fronting the key to our position.
Let the rebels once obtain possession of it,
and of the immense train Of wagons pack
ed along the turnpike, and the Union ar
my was irretrievably ruined. Even its
line of retreat would be cut off, and moth
ing could save it from utter rout, slaugh-
ter and capture; and yet each minute it
became more and more plainly evident
that all the achievements which had
been hurried into the woods to sustain
and rally the broken right wing, and check
the progress of the enemy in that direc-
ton, had proved inadequate to the task,
and had in turn been overthrown by the
great mass which was struggling, in mex
tricable disorder, through the woods. =
Such sounds as proceeded from that
gloomy forest of pines and cedars, were
enough to appal with terror the stoutest
hearts. The roar of the cannon, the
crashing of shot through the trees, the
whizzing and bursting of shells, the I'M
interrupted rattle of $4,000 muskets all
mingled In one prolonged and tremendous
volume of sounds, as though all the thun-
ders OF Heaven had been rolled together
and each individual burst of celestial 1T.
tillery had been rendered perpetual, and
above it all could be heard the wild cheers
of the traiterous hosts, as body after body
of our troops gave way, and were pushed
back toward the turnpike. Nearer ant
nearer came the storm, louder and louder
resounded the tumult of battle. The i'm.
mense train of wagons parked along the
roads suddenly seemed instinct with strug
Cling life, and every species of army
vehicle, preceded by frightened mules ant
horses, rolled and ratified away pell mel
in an opposite direction from that il
which the victorious foe was pressing on
ward. The shouts and cries of the terri
fed teamsters urging their teams to th
top of their speed, were now minge'
with the pillows of sounds which sway
and surged over the feld.
Everything now depends upon the regi
ments and batteries which the genius o
Rosecrans had massed along the turnpik
to receive the enemy, when he shout,
emerge from the woods in pursuit of on
broken and flying battalions Suddenl
the rout became visible, and crowds @
ten thousand fugiuves, presenting ever
possible phase of wild and uncontrollabl
disorder, burst .rom the cedar thickets an
rushed into the open space between thel
and the turnpike. Amongst them al
perhaps not half a dozen members of th
soma REGIMENT could have heen found ia