The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-02-06
FEBRUARY 6. 1863.
rro,n naitnrr q. 1st Ohio Artillory.


MuRFREEsnoRO', Jan, istn, iooo-
Dan FArnRs 81 once more take my
non "a lei Won know ihatI survived the
balile OF Murfreesboro', and am still we'll.
We leit our old camp on the Franklin
pike. six miles from Nashville, Friday the
sgh. The army oil moved some on
tho Franklin, some on the Nolensville.
and some on The Murireeshoro' pike. l
do not know Just what division went on
each Pile. Negley's and Rosecrans
started on the Franklin, aud went as far
a. Brentwood, and there they took an
Other pike, Il don, know The name OF IT.
and vert about two miles, when wc';oos
a mud road 10 Nolensvil'e. Il was the
fo1gbest rosd l ever saw. When we
had got To within about four miles OF
Eolensville, we received an order 10 come
90 double quick. The road was, at tbs
lime, blocked up with baggage wagons
that had got stuck in the mud. We went
on as fast as we could. but did not get, 20
Nolensville until the fighting was all over
with. Davis division went on the Nolens-
vile pike. and found abou. e,000 cavalry
and battery Of artillery. They gave
him little fight at Nolensville, but be
soon whipped them, aud took one cannon
and some 80 prisoners. Il raiued all day
and all night, and our teams did not come
up with us thai night, so we bad 10 sleep
on the ground, without any blankets or
tents.
The next morning we took another
mud road across TO the Mdriroesbofo,
pike. Il rained all day as hard as II could
pour down, and VIC all GO! wet as we
couh be. We struck the Murlreesboro'
pike at place called S.reetsboro'.- =
Here we met Criltendeu's corps. He bad
been fighting The Rebels ak day. He
found a brigade OF them al place called
Lavergne. They would back up rs fast
ns Crittenden advanced. and, when they
would get 10 some Hill or knoll, they
would give him eight. We staid here in
this camp over Sunday. We could see
the Rebels all day across creek from US.
Monday morning, Negley's division went
10 the right Of the pike,on reconnaissance
We saw few Rebels. We cred twelve
rounds at them with our twelve pound
rilled gun, which made them skedaddle
Gen. Palmer had some pretty hard skr'
Dlishes with them on the MurIreesboro
pike, but hc drove them to within abou'
three miles OF Mnrfreesboro'.
The next morning, we were in line o
battle, three miles from Murireesboro'
McCook on the right, Thomas in the
centre, Crillenden on the left. Negley'c
division was on the right of Thomas
corps. Our skirmishers end theirs Tough
all day. They had sharp.shooiers al
along their lines, TO pick of our men,
Our men took one prisoner that had a
globe.sighted rifle, land he shot gun cotton
His gun did not make any report. lie
killed three or four OF our men before
they took him prisoner. We fred about
% rounds at them. When they would
&c, too close, we would throw shell into She
woods, md drive them back. We slept
by our guns that night, and we fl ed the
first cannon that was fred the next morn
ing. The Rebels that night throw the
most OF their force on to our right wing,
aud, in the morning, they were ready to
pounce on to McCook, which they did
taking two batteries belonging to Thomp-
sons brigade. They were watering tbeil
horses, mol dreaming Of an attack so soon
q They took the most OF his brigade prison
ers. Ii this Thompson had been ready
for them, ne cout1 have held them il
check until he could have been reinforced
but, as il wase.hcy drove the whole o
McCook's corps, We could hear Nc Cool
and them fighting, and could lell by th'
sound of their cannon that they were driv
ing him. About 10 o'clock, they bat
driven him so that he was in rear OF us
and ou they came at US, They gave il L
us from three sides, -right,rear and trout
---and, at one time, they had Negley't
divisi9a completely surrounded. Though
then we would be all killed or taken prs
oners. Never did bullets come thicker
Shells would come screaming through th
air, and they couldn't burst without kiliini
some Of us, for they had us all in huddl
ina cedar wood. But we were soon re
inforced from our left, who soon made
hole for us 10 get out of. We lost 4 0
our guns. think we killed good many
more Of their men than they did of ours
for we poured o constant stream OF CAMS
ter into them |; but we bad to leave oul
guns. They shot 46 Of our horses, Sc
That we could not draw them of. w,
had men killed and about lwo.thirds o
the battery wounded, or that got scratches
and holes shot through their clothes
Our men fell back 10 the open field, au'
held their ground. The mex, day iher
was not much fighting. We could Sc
the enemy moving around to our righ'
trying 10 Aonk us again. but they loun
Rosecrans ready Cor them. We took ou
position iu the morning on the left cene
Then we moved TO the right and slept b
our guns all night. We kept this posiIc
until about o'clock in the Afternoon
when we were moved back to the plat
we we're the morning before. The Rgbe
attacked US here. and we had M awf
hard fight for about > hours. Oar mC
gave them good whipping, and took
pieces OF artillery. The next day il raine
all day. The skirmishers kept up
steady firing all day. and, at night, in Il
ccnter. they had hard fight. our ms
whipping them. The fight was aft
dark. We conld see the flash OF the
guns every time they shot. We thre
4 shells at them. The fight lasted abo
Two hours. The next morning (Sanda,