Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-29
THR BATTLR or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Is CAaP. NEAR sHEInvr111E. Ian % 1ssa

/
IS CAAP. NEAR sHELBYvI1LE, Jan q. 1883
EDITORS APPEAL: Tbosgh twenty days have
elapsed since the great battle before NnrTreesboro was
fought it still exoes enough interest to make 1t tie
subject Of brief letter to the Memphis APPEAL The
soldiers f West Tennessee that terrible contest hsve
many ends and relations readers Of your journal who
scan an2iousy every issue and Indulge pleasure in
reading Of their heroic vsor that hoty contested ac-
ton Would that could record in your journal every
instance Of noble courage which illustrated he glory Of
Tennessee arms on that occasion Comprising the en-
tire force would tAat had the time and you the space
a. have the inclination publish 30 the country the
noble bearing of the roops from svery State on that
memorable day. But as 1 was witt. only one command
must ocnfue myself TO what came under my observa-
ton oher writers viii do the same with reference to
other commands, and consistent combination of all
that is written will form perfect history of the battle
Of Murfreesboro. Preston Smiths brigade Chestha's
division occupied position with its left resting on the
Trune road in the as the reserve Of LOOMS
brigade Wthers division It was composed of the 18th
regiment Tennessee volunteers, Lieut. Colonel n Ma
geven7 jr; the l3 Tennessee, Ii ut Colonel W E.
Morgani 10Th Tennessee Major J. N Wyatt; S7tb Ten
nessee, Capt W NJ. watkins; 99h Tennessee. Major
J. B. Johnson 9th Texas infantry, Col W H. Young;
company Of Bluff City Greys, saarp-shooters) Lieut.
John Creght'n anl battery Of gat artillery Oaptsin
W l. Scott iensra Smith being absent did not reaeh
the battle field until Friday returning before The exprs-
ton Of bis leave when he heard Of the prospect for
fight The brigade was Commanded by Colonel A j.
Vaughan, jr Of Mississippi, Colonel of the 18Th Ten
nes-ee.
On Taesday the enemy felt our lines, heavily skr
mishing along them beginning at the right and oontn-
ming to the left At about P he reschsd our posi-
tion, and finding weak, opened upon terrble
Of artillery Rober isnn battery responded the I54th
Senior Regiment being first detached to support it.
This artillery duel became terrific the contestants not
three hundred yards apart The eneziy engaging
Robertson, and at the SINE time shelling she woods
where troops sheltered snd the road where the
gallant Cheath and staff and our brigade commander
were sitting their rses, calmly viewing the tsrribe
conflict of artillery amidst the cracking Of falling trees
and exploding shells soon two of Rober.son's caisons
were seen to explode, psEforsted by the well directed
rs of the enemy The sound of the explosion the run
ming away of the horses with the broken limbers and
the enemy at the time be inning charge with
hideoas yell caused ii to look for moment as # the
battery lost ana the point carried No sooner had
thc smoke Of ho explosion cleared away than the manly
forms of the gallant l54tb were seen emerging from
th.r cover beh.d The brow Of The BILL rushing forth
loudly cheering they proceeded to resist the attempt
ed charge of the enemy. They repuse tbem loseing
several wounded and the contest for tue day. with
the heag by the enemy of the camp fres of that regi
ment which they irdiscreety built shortly afterwards
The roop lie their for the night preparatory TO
the dread conflict Of the morrow.
The plan of the battle was then announced privately
to the bngads commander The attack was to be made
on our Side the movement to be gin on our left the tech
noa command being break from the left TO march
to the right" Acowns dig son being on the extreme
right supported by the division Of Hardees corps com
manded by the gallant Cleburae Arkansas who lust
had hal conferred on him the distinction Of
major generslship. Day had scarcely dawned before
the movement had begun, immediats front was
engaged Though were in the reserve, in less than
eve minutes Colonel Vaughan admonished that we
were needed moved his brigade across an open fed nm
der heavy Ere Of artillery and infantry and attacked
tbs enemy which had already forced the front line of
which vers the reserve. back. To have seen that
gallant brigade moving across that Held as composed
snd as steady if marching upon Dstalion drill would
have afforded just conception Of the oft heard Of
posure Of the we'll tired veterans OF battles upon
going into smother bloody gageent They drive
enemy from two of bis guns which had resisted their
approach spreading death and carnage smongs them,
many OF tn mselves testing their devotion the gOri
Gus cause in which they engaged by laying down
their in this charge It here the gsh mt Lieu
tenant Colonel Morgan, and Major Cole Of the 18th
Tepness .e and Leutsrauts Creighton and Bureh, Of
The EIof v Crews fen whilst nobIv ieadng their men
in the most desperate Of the conflict Hero
/ Colonel Vaughan had lis borse killed under him
Soon the en- my, heavily reinforced caHed the brigade
on our right not pr Pery supported BY its reserve 10
superior force an unsupported right left
r. 9
Of the brigade was well illustrated here Though every
seemsi 20 be doome1 comrade after comrsds fall
ing beneath the ter ihle FIRE Of the enemy not an inch
did thy yield until ordered by the brigade commander
to retire sud when the reg mental cQors planted
on the original line the Of each fegment rallied to
their sta1dards and awaited the orders to carry them
into action again.
The 9th Texas infantry on accouet Of the length ef
alignment, il being the extreme left unable
the -oegbt into Joint action with the brigade in tn
70 be D. t seqFed forward q point where it cosld
chaIgei <ay. and attacked hiA securely sheltered,
/ 80 ,s-s bf 80 drove HiIn through he woods across
cu.I ai5 isi aver one esnsred Of its members in
- 49, s5 svo1ndeS an rog The form Its s9iusnf aud
rIr oI of is tfHeers its brave Colorei young sha
Tieutenan Colonel Diari having their horses A.'ee
under them This may well be Re aseea S. tae sse1sst
/ achievement Of any dnge reGlnsht IN the Aest~
Srang- ss It may appear, rapid a0e neree was the
6rlpe of the contestants in the charge nsae by tns
iade in which they drove the enemy FROM Their bat
ti and were after1vard forced retire, that tue
AMMUNITION Of yof the men had been nearly eN-
Is,s5 l5r=shlv supplied with ammunition, the J.
Id rnsved BY the left flank up the Trune road and
r Ibeo in line Of battle through skirt Of woods into an
= onen field to the right Of where the gallant McCown
- his brave division supported by Cieburnes division
+ - suceesded IL drving back the right wing Of the
lss.ral army 20 what was in the beginning o. the
fight / g disIs-it center. -, -
Here the forces Of Lin. were in peculiar pos'
= -, ,sition which s. that time ment Of the
, troops on our righ had been msae conss'sas WI ne
- bea then succeeded at aiming, NJ m1st hays resulted
= - ,i-s snn5hiIation OF the army Of Eosecfaaz
u. ribt bed been utterly discounted anc driven back
a ard their center, and our lett was "a ne rear .
- ,t then Hsd come 10 be their extrsme right " hei
= - rss.had tbs point the enemy were between u al'
"a what was the glnal poston IN the morning oi ~
a own troops on the right, aRc hefisu Hp9n S -
~ dous Are If artillery most accurate ~ 80 :
M s ~ .he superior caarae Of tie guns Nich me
~ ,-.5 A. srsf we thought hat II was our own as =
,o nj aud exhibited eoors 70 snow them thst y y
- es--5, rrbe brave LieutensBt Marsh, OF 1e
- bafa-s staff irnper ed his life to relieve ne ue
SO .aip3v Is fowlo they ls1ius TOT agn eHe
he 5ee,V mon himself the FIRE Of the enemy lhian
,osed to supp IT tns batteries, and returning he q
NJ t6e inforsnation that they were Yankees- "