The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-01-15


woods In pursuit of our broken aud flying bat
taiions. Suddenly tho rout became Visible,
and a crowd OF ten thousand fucitives, pre-.
sentiug every possible phase of wild ana III.
comfortable disorder, burst from the cedar
thickets, and rushed into the open space he.
tween them and the turnpike. among them
al, perhaps, 10 half dozen membexs of the
same regiment could have been found to-
gether.
Thick and fast the bullets OF The enemy fell
among them, and scores were shot down: bnt
SIN the Number constantly increased by req
son OF the fresh crowd which burst every mo-
ment from the thickets. 1t was with the preat-
est dinicrsty that some Of the regiments which
had been massed together, ~ sort of forolu
nope, to withstand, and if possible, drive back
the Sietofio1s cohorts of treason, could Ore.
vent their ranks from heiBg cfasled or broken
by the MASS of fngirives
FROM my position upon the elevated ground
between the railroad and turnpike, | could
view the whole scene. and with M intensity
OF interest and tumultuous em0ti N which /
can find no language TO express The flower
OF our troops were tanged IL order here and
had 20 fears for the resUit unless one If
those unaceounsable paaics, which sometimes
RAIN, even III an army Of yetc}ans, should
seize upon our yet unbr0ken battaions Yet
mere we're men not liable to panic, men whose
ioity courage and devotion 10 their coUntFy's
cause oVeToame and eXtinguisheG fear
Soionet Looms was there with biz immor
| "a; tirst Michigan Battery, and there WAS
| ttohea with the guns aid equipments furnished
| by The Ehicazo Board Of Trade, aai A.er:.cn-
ball aud Gunther, with their regular artillery.
and the troops i'd by General Wood. cotn
prising some Of the fines. i'll ihe service. and
the three famous 0rigadeS belonsing to the
! Old Third division.
| The Ninth, ahe Seventeenth ard tbs Reu
| iaFs, which the daring Vavr Of i}osecrans
| assisted by the uutl.nchin2 courage of Colonel
| scrlbner. of the ihirIy-ei !,th Indiana, COM
manalns the Ninth Brigade. ard by the
| splendid abilities Of Colonel John Beatty = Of
| the Third Ohio, oon.mandin The Seventeenth.
| had eXtrleated from the woods in:o winch
| they had been Gent to check the progress Of
| the enemy. III comparative Y nnbrcieu and
| undemorahzcd condition, Il result which 10
| one Who knows something of the nature Of
;iai fearful combat IN the woods seems little
! short Of miraeuJous
Other illustrious corps We're there also.
| whose patriotism Gna courage shoaii be
| GtaG, even at this early day, to celebrate. i.
| one individual could have known and CD
served them all Their zeal and sacifces will
yet be known and appreciated by :. grateful
| nation.
| With COOL calm COURAGE, Gen. Crit5erGeu
awaited the coming storm, and conspicuous
among the res, was the well built form OF the
commanding General, his countenance TN
| moved by the tumalt around him, and his
| thoughtful and animated features expressing q
high and patriotic hope, which acted LIKE sn
| inspiration npon every one tLxt beheld lin as
be mad mustered TO repel tho toe lie already
teit himself master ot tao situati0n.
| At last The long iiles Of the enemy emerged
! from the wocG3, ,2lk behind :ank' and vi Il
q dsmoniac yeil, intended 20 eiriko terror inio
the "lenkses who STOOD before llell,
charged win fearful energy almost to the
| very nluzzles of the cau1.5r, vvroge fal
| mouths yavied upon taeIl. Il DAZZLING sheet
| OF flame burs. froal the ranks OF the Taion
| forces, al aTy.nl roar shook she earth, crash
reut the air, the foremost aes OF ;be rabe,
! aost were literally swept from tic field, ard
| seemed to melt away liks snow fakes before
| The nerDe, and the2 both armies were envei-
! opec IN cloud OF stnoke sIieh lid every hing
| from tbs eye.
| IL The still visible ground between tue rike
aud the railroad the ;uTnuit redoUhled. Nc.
| knowing what wouid be tbe result Of the
! strife which was racing under the great can
| opy Of smoke that concealed the combatants.
| the flight OF those in charge of wagons end
| ambulances bccama still moro raDjd and dis
| ordered. Thousands OF tugitiyes from the
rig ht wing mingled with tue teams, and fire.
| quentiy mass Of men, horses, and wagoDs,
would be crushed and ground t0gelh her, Every
conceivable form OF deu:iiy Dlirsiie wnizzad
! and whirIe;i and buFat amid the crowd, aud
! terror and disnlay TnleG uneontrollably
!; The whole disordered mass rushed down as
| fast as possible towards the river. into which
it plunged. pushing and struggling 10 the 9th T
| side The combat under tie ereat cloud of
| smoke was somewhat similar 10 thai in the
| woods. No one knows exactly what command
| there 4 shout, 4 charge. "a rusll Of lire,
| recoil, and then al for a time Disappeared
l. For ten minnIes the thunder of The battle
| burst forth from the cioud When our halt.i-
ions advanced they found no rebels between
the woods and turnpike, except he dead. the
dying, aud the disabled There We're hun
dreds of these, and their blood soaked into
and Redeemed the ground
Since the anDlhliaton of the Oid Quart in
their charge at Waterloo there has proba bi :
not been an instance OF SO great g siaGghtee ii
so short tine a5 during the repui33 of tbs
rebel left at Murtreesboro, and it viii hegeaf-
ter be celebrated in history as much AS is the
fierce combat which crushed forever the power
and prospects of Napoleon
The rebel left was now thoroughly repuIeed
and our troops, eTtoldened by Their succcsg
pushed after them into the woods, driving
them back in turn over q considerable poltor
Of the ground VI iich we at first occul j d. The
roar OF our artillery sounded further and fur
ther Oft, Is the different batteries moved or
| slowly AFTER the retreeting ZOE, anu hostile
cannon balls 40 longer plowed up the eattb
| around me.
SToLEF AND DEPoRTED SLAyFs-The Il
| ;.,a :,,e oIa r l~-fo