Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-01-27
The MurtreesborO' Conflicts.

/ MURrGEEsEoRo, Tenn, Jan. :, 1863.
am in the office of livery stable,
after many n weary, doubtful day of bat.
tie, to tell you what passed before my
eyes as Ordnance Sergeant of the 18th
penn'a Volunteers, which has lost l.5
men in killed, wounded, and missing, in
the terrible drama o t five days and nights.
Ga the evening of Monday, Dec. 29jh,
after three days Of marching through mud
aud rain, We lay down and slept, before
the very cannon of the Rebels.
AT daylight of the G0th, there was can
nonading aud skirmishng all along the
whole front Murfreesboro' lies in a
country like that between Milton and
Lesisburg depot, but covered with a dense
growth Of cedar sapplings, among which
are large cornfields. Our Division Neg
ley'S) fled of to the right at o'clock
M'COOk lay on the ii ght of Ncgley. Tre-
mendous cannonadiug was kept up all day,
aud heavy skrmisLing. There was quite
mystery in large battery, ia corutiold
- the righ, of splendid brick residence !;
upon that battery, one Of our Parrots KEEP,
pounding all day, bat elected no reply.
(Ncxt day we found it was q wooden bat
tery-and, had We charged upon it, there
WAS a masked battery, IN the orchard
behind the house, which would have cut
u, to pieces We only "ulbbled' at that
bait)
Early on the 3l~t, the enemy massed
his forces on the left, and fell upon our
right under M'Cook, driving him back in
confusion on the centre. At 5 40, | saw
Rousseau's troops passing on the double
quick to reinforce M'Cook The 18th
Penn'a found fighting against eight
ranks deep of Rebels. Two of these dlSl-
sions came swoopug down on bayonet
charge, md surrounded our brigade ('he
7th,) but Col. Miller (commanding) made
a desperate charge and cut his way out,
thus saving his command Our ammunl-
tion wagons were entangled among the
cedars, aud there was much confusion,
some If our meu pauic stricken. The
Rebels pressed on though slaughtered by
scores. The 18th aud l9;h Regulars
arose, as our exhausted brigade retired,
aud poured into the ranks of the enemy
yolley which opened gaps, like footprints
of the destroying angel. Our Gen. Neg
bravely by his men he cried when the
9TH brigade came out of the trap. Oar
division was then ordered to support a
battery on the left, when the masked bat
terry in the orchard opened upon US, but
ten Of our batteries made short work of it,
and of the half-drunkcn fendIsh Rebels
| say not they were wounded-they were
torn, cut in twain, shattered, behcaded,
dsemboweled Thus we stood from .
until e! z. NJ, when night closed, and we
held all the ground except the cedar grove.
| walked back on the Pike. Dead men
lay everywhere-I stumbled over the
horse and his rider, bus they needed me
not whenever the Rebels found any Of
our "contrabands," they shot thera down
immcdiatel y; but many Of the blacks
picked up guns and nobly avenged their
comrades deaths.)
New Years Day, there was no general
engagement. There were tremendous can
nonading and heavy skirmishing. The
The Rebel cavalry attacked our supply
train, between MurfreesbOro' and Nash
vile, and burnt many wagons and the
material. Our men dug rifle pits at night,
and fortified the batteries.
Jan. %, at /, z. NJ, the enemy fell
upon our left, crossed the creek, and
charged back over the bluff, driving our
men before them. The 7th brigade lay
down, allowing our men to pour over them
then they rose, made the most splendid
bayonet charge, delivered their fire at close
range, and scattered the Rebels in utter
confusion. The 18th Pa. Vol captured
a masked battery aud three stands Of col
ors They drove the enemy across the
creek-aDd that army was utterly panic
stricken. 60, that we had known all this.
But our men stood all night and next day
in liue of battle-the mud over their shoe
mouths, and the rain pouring down
without overcoats or shelter, and no food
but parchGd corn. Thus they watched and
waited, fought, dug bitches, threw up em.
bankments, and buried the honored dsad--
Dut some towards who ran on the I'd had
been shot dead, and left uuburied, stark
'nd rigid, to bleach and rot under the n
winds and rains of heaven)
Saturday, the Sd, cold winds and rain
lrlfted down upon the shiveriGg soldiery, I
NJ DAY a.d Hisdi. About ! Z NJ, the q