, 1863-01-08

CuIfGu. anu Ut lAt SaulG LlmE fQe sun DfQke
through some cold-lookins clouds, and fash
cd q clear bright light over tho fields. There
had not elapsed even time enough to remove
the body Of Gen. Sill, when all attention was
directed to the extreme right, where three
divisions Of the enemy-A{cCown's,:C :: Clai-
borne's and Cheatham:s--had adyanced in
massive co1u1ras, and; charged impctuous1y:
upon johnson aid Davis. =: .~ r.. ::
4 portion OF tae infantry in. Johnson's d.
visfon Immediately broke, almost indeed, be-
fdrc'thcy had taken theft arms from the stack,
and oac Of the batteries. Edgazton's {Ohio,) i
was taken before it had-hred the third round.
Poor Edsarton WAS not at fanlt: 4 trucr,
better, braycr young m1n. is seIdo1r found
than he. Il Was his greatest ambition to take
part In q battle, md i remember how oft.n
and how earnestly he deplorsa that separation
from the. old 81 division, which prevented
! him from taking il the sattlc at pc1rys-
yilIc. = =: :.,..
His hour came at Inst: It found him ready.
but those upon whom he had right to rely
to give him timely notice Of the enemy's nr-
rirnl, failed to do 80, and ere his guns could
be loaded and discharged three times tho rebel
bayonets had swept his men, aud he himself
fell wounded and bleeding into the hands Of
the foe. -. =
The gallant md earnest Captain Simon
fought like hero, rs heis, md brought off
y! wv tH2; g ;nls eens: -.
inter firing scvcral rounds to aayo his cnnnon,
but only succeeded in getting away with two
Of them.
.Gcncrai Kirk, Of Illinois, commanding ono
Of tho brigades In Johnson's division, was 80.
ycrcly wounded whilc cudcayoriug to rally
Ills regiments. Tho enemy succeeded In get
ting tho right flank completely hc.nnicd 'in.
4 largc number Of o(lcors Of every grada wcro
shot down wlflo standing ut tho muzzlss
Of rcbcl uuskcts. ,Br1gudcs and regiments
rushed upon one another III disgraccful dlsor-
der, md tho route Of the division became IT,
rctricvablc aud total. /:
suppose shall raise storm about ny
head for saying 20, but I can't from all that l
haye heard come to any other conclusion than
the right wing Of our army WAS completely
!; surprised, aud tllat, too, under circumstances
which should hare rendered It particularly
careful and yigilapt. Whether Gen. McCook
or Gen johnson is to blame for this, an I'm
partial investigation will hereafter determine.
j. At present the sentiment of the army ii cx-
tremely hostile to boti.
I imagine It will not be nnny days before
there arc important changes in the leadership
OF the 18th army corps. The right of Davis
division which was assailed at the same. time
as Johnson's, gave way simultaneously, and
the rout of the remainder seemed to follow Us
: u matter Of course.
It Is left to Gen. Sheridan to stay the hith-:
erto successful onsctof, the foe. Never did
man labor more faithfully than he to perform
his task, and never was leader seconded by
more gallant soldiers.
His division formed kind Of piyot, upon
which the broken right wing turned in its
fight, and its perilous condition can easily be
imagined, when the flight Of Davis division
left 1t without any protection from the trlum-
plant enemy who now swarned upon its
front and right flank, but 1t fought until one
fourth Of its number l.y bleeding and lying
/ upon the field, and till both remaining brig
adc, commanders Col. Roberts and Shaeffer,,
had met with the same fate as Con. Sill.
Then it gave way, and in almost every In
stance Of the kind, retreat was changed to
/: rout, only less complete than that Of the
troops OF johnson anu LAWS. All tnese d.
visions we're no" hufleo o"ek togetnef lnto
LUG i'nlne's0 's''ne0 ~ eeu'f 'u'cAe17 WHY"
skirt the turnpike and extend far over to the
right.
hr'saoe a1teF brigade, oa''efy a'ler oattesy'
iom falmefs' Negley's anu hosecfahs' dl'
Visions were sent into thc thickets to check
the progress ofthe foe and rally the fagitives,
/ but al In turn were either crushed outright
/ by the flying crowds broken by the *impetu:
osity of the foe mud put to confused flight OF
compelled to retire and extr'cate themselves
+ in the best manner that seemed to otfer.
/ The history OF the combat In those dark
cedar thickcts Will never DC known. no man
could sec even the whole Of ms own ress
mcnt' and no one VIII ever be able to tell Wlld
they were tnat fought ora'est anu they WIG
proved fecreaht 10 thelf trust:
Know there was some co"arulee dasp'asea
nut Know, too, that there was sho"n oJ
many ohlcers ana regiments as lotsy nero
Ism as TINT which distinguished and immor
ta'1zed the followers Of Godfrey on the Cid
In spite Of their hefo1sm and devotion, II
spite Of the desperate struggles which marked
every fresh advance Of the foe, In spite OF al
awful sacrifice Of life on the part OF officer
and soldiers OF the Union army, the rebel
still steadily pushed onward, and came ncare
and nearer to the turnpikc,. nearly tWo mile
and lalf, the right wing Of our army ha