The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-03-29
'EH & DAILY. REBEL
PrElIsHED
sE'ranc. NJ II a'hIl.
! EUNDAY- MORNING. MARCH %. 1903
Frstn The savannah Rspublicsn.l
dur w.ss~rn Amy torresTendenee7-ssttt' ~ 1T
From Middle Tennessee.

T
Fran The savannah Rspublean.l
dur Sss,~rn my torrespendeneti-sssts'' ti-st s''r
From Middle Tennessee
.r,r.pT To srRRousp AND CAPTURE vkk DOES
his succKesFuL EscAPE--A NIGHT 4AkfH
-prscoMYrTvRE or The ENENY-THE POSITION.
~ COLUMBIA. Tenn. March stlf
In my last letter | gave you veFy Tally the
disposition Of Van Dorns force upon ptlar-
ford Creek, where he had taken posifYll e
meet the enemy. Oh the 10th We had Feitlrfd
from Spring Hill before a large torcd q The
crczy and 7t.>,ssn - e-tSaitage cons pflsA Ion
and expected on the til TO have AL engage
ment OF short duration and retire ACROSS Duck
river to this point apontoon bridge which
was then constructed and about 10 be lannch
Ell. Upon attempting 10 launch II. il was dis
covered To be imposs BILE. the river had
overhowed its banks, and was s~eeIpip ~ on
with the greatest rapidly. bearing saA Its
bosom huge logs and drift wood hurried down
with such velocity to render the laying
down Of the ponfoon ali utter iinpossibElffy.
To render matters still worse, the rope By
means Of which the ferry boat was fresseH.
became submerged and another one was with
difficulty stretched across, by means ot which
we were enabled 10 cross boat capable pf
carrying at each trip. occupying forty Fhnutes
one wagon or eight or ten horses. flAced ln
this unfortunate position. We were coIlIpAefely
covered by r eflblaiS IN ntdS iOleP litofit
and upon both h4nks, without having afy
n,saus of retfeat in case Of superior force
which was certain, and winch was onyehr in
ientionf to engage and retire. Severed plans
Of escape were suggested. among Which the
most plausible was 10 swim the horses across
ne stream and cross the troops by the Terry,
but II Was found that venstiIis was lIhprach-
cable. Our position was al the head oi the
peninsula formed by the junction OF Eartcf S
xNl flltst. q NV
ton was upon another peninsula directly OPP
posite formed by the junction OF Rutherford
aud Carter s c. eek all Of which streams were
unusually high aud well nigh impassihle-
Our forces were disposed on the south side
Of Rutherford's Creek, our centre resting up
on the Nashville pike. our Jeff extending TO
Carter's Creek, and our right, under Forrest,
extending mile two TO the right Of the.
pike and upon the border OF RutIertord's
Creek The position was a very strong and
commanding one, and Kings battery was put
npon the highest hill commanding the ap-
proaches from the pike. In front of our posi-
tion. upon the centre. open fields stretched
from Rutherford's Creek back thousand
wards TO a Wooded bill upon the left of the
turnpike upon which the enemy mounted their
artillery, but which was perfectly commanded
eby Kings excellent position From the top
OF this hillthe movements of the enemy inis sht
plainly he described.
On the 1ath three brigades we're pkainly
visible. and largo wagon trains were implying
in All directions. It's was feared from what
could be seen Of fhe enemy 5 movements up
on our right. that he was about drivIpg wag-
ons into Rutherferds creek, upon whlEh to
place plank and cross lis infantry, as theiexeek
was too deep and rapid 10 bc al ali forsisble
Ii soon became known to our troops that the
pontoon had proved provoking failure, and
being aware Of the enelnys large fpfqe and
his so perfectly covering our front aId flank.
and deeIning escape improbable, their lack OF
confidence was plainly exhibited. and hum
,lreds of straggIers attempted 10 cross by
means OF the ferry boat,=but were preveht{,i
by the guard, who were ordered to PERMIT
none but couFiers. aud ordnance wagons. to-
cross.
The night Of the 10th indeed al gloomy
one. and the myriad camp fires of THE enemy
seen through the rain and mist in THE woods
in front of our position, by no means fe-asHur-
ed our dislseartened forces. At 10 O'Clock at
night council OF war was held, OF which For
rest Jackson, Crosby aud farrDoriI yFdre men,
bers, and the plan OF escape Adopted. In the
morning our troops were ordered 10 make an
unusual noise and keep up a cheering. while
buglers were made to sound -~Teveiles and
forward" from many more points than where
we had troops Ats o'clock A. NJ the enc.
my's battery upon th- lett Of tire turnpike
oDened ire upon Kings battery and gave that
officer the much desired opportunity to rel
turn FIRE and eopvince thel9 of bis where
abouts iusl beforeshis battery was withdrawn
Several shells which Ire had taken ftoih the
battle field Of Spring Hill wete returAed zap
idlyto tie enemy 10 whom they originally be- /
ionged, and our battery was then takdn 10 the
ferry aud crossed -by the iudefatigable ex I
ertious Of The Captain. and The horses sw am
across. Ill
Upon the previous evening. the Tex as hrig-l
ade sei word that they were upon The same
side of Rutherford creek as the efeInY aud !
were unable 10 cross. The next tbing heard
IF ti,ein the enemy commenced ahfancing,
and il is said with a smile that TO see the
Texas Rangers scrbssing the creek one would
have thought they We're crossing turnpikel
instead OF a rapid stream so hastily did theyl
effect IL At 10 O'Clock A. u . this brigadel
aud Crosby'a which had Ieen upon dur lett
were Withdrawn rfhrougli the woods 30 az al
avoid being seen by The Yankee Iobk-onts
leaving their usual out-posts beliihd. and
started upon a by-road running along the
Dnck river IN a Northeasterly directioh For-i
rests command were upon another road. run / i
ning parallel WIN y, and Armstrong Broughtli
up The rear. Win an Born and stan and es
cort Immediately in1the rear Of Crosby. 30 as
10 be IN position - direct movements eitherls,
in front or rear IN case the enemy atten.pted *
10 Intercept MS. Everything was now under
way. the artillery and wagon trains having !
been crossed upon the ferry and the animals !
swan. the position completely evacuated save
by the outposls and pickeIs, who MIere dir b
rected 10 Withdraw 30 soon we got fairly :
under way or tire enemy should advance.
We are now upon the retreat, aud the enc q
nv uuayrafe of oDr having left and most of 0