The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-01-15
4 GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION Of THE YANKEE
K0JT Ar MuRFREt SEOR0usH.
TEE rJvA1 RspursE OF TIE aEszLs,

I Yankee correspondent writing from the
baAla field Of Mnrfreesboro', gives a mos,
g-srhic description Of the slaughter of the
Federal soldiers there. and the irresistible
cAsrge Of tie Copfsdera.ea We give it in
fall:
The sun had not yet risen on Wednesday
morning wheR the firing commenced upon the
riSht. Tie Fifs: Missouri Battery Captain
E.saock, and tie First Illinois, Capt. Hough-
tam, sbt}led the rehe,s cat of a point of woods
IN front of sheridaas division, which now
slightly advanced The e8emy threw himself
npon sheridan with terrible energy, but was
,Arc reruised.
Again he advanced. with larger numbers
and greater despe' alton than before, and Sher-
idsn's Iaea were compelled 10 give ground
II vas only for moment, however. The
brave and noble Sill, assisted by other daring
officers, soon rallied the retirlng troops The
Aassl:,s banner Of the Stars once more ao-
vanceG, au1 aitAoush n Sill! purchased the vic
fecy with his nje, the rebels were repulsed
aa3 dci scn isom this quarter of the field
II was few minutes after eight when this
oec0rre3s and at the same time he sun broke
foita through soUle odlookin9 clouds, and
fEshed eiesr, bright light over the field
4aete had not elspsed even time to remove
tie o"Qy OF the dead General Sii when al!
attention was directed 10 the extreme right.
Three divisions OF the enemy-McCowu's
tia'hprDe's Md Chc2tham' s-bad advanced, il,
massive c.lumns, and charged impetuouslv
cTOA Johnson and Davis. i portion Of the
i:.f.utfy m Johnson's division immediately
bTo&e, almost lpGeed before they mad taken
their arms from this stack, and ono Of the bat.
tei!rs tEdNertons s) was taken before il fired
tl- tlifd round
4oor Ldserton! II was not his fault A
ttrer, better. SYayer young man. is seldom,
bon iE tSr-ag
20 axe part III a battle ard | remember well
hq% OTIS and h0w earnestly he depiored that
ss7aT0tion f{om the cd 81 division, which
prevented Lin from taxing part IN the battle
u FeTrYsviila.
HE hour cane I'll last |: found him ready
hut hose upon whom he had right to RELY to
t give ilm timely notice Of the enemy arrival.
tAAIed 20 DO 50, and ere his guns could lie load
! e1 ana discharged three times the rebel bayo-
nets had swept away hi men, ana he himself
lei wounded and bieeding inGo the hands Of
LuC foe.
Ihe gallant and earnest Captain Sinonson
t"uSht Ike hero as he is and brought off all
GCt l"o Of his glus Capt. GoodspeeG strenu-
HUsiy e1deAvored, after firing several rounds,
- save Lis cannon, but could only s2ccaed in
letting away - ith TWO of them. Gen. Kirk,
Il Illinois, commanding one Of the brigades
IL Jcn1sons division, n IS severely wounded
=. e endeaTorlng 20 rally his regiment
sc eaeny succeeded III getting the right
flank completely Lemmed in "A large number
OF officers OF every grade were shot down
wl.e Sanding airnosa Gt the nuzzies Of the
retal nussets- Ghs hr;gades and regiments
Tushed upon one another In disgracetuI 6isor-
de-. aud tha io2t Of .he division became ire
trisyabie.
/ oppose shah raise sto-n about ny
haGd Ior saying SO, bct ! can't, from al that /
bsye heard, some to Any other conclusion than
Lat the Eigh. wing of the army was com
Fle5sly surprised, ana that, too, under cireum-
staaces which should have rendered il partcu-
la.lv careful and vigiiaEt-
W bether General MoCook or General J. Jhn.
s9D i 20 b!aue, this impartial investigation
viii hereafter determine. At present the SEN
t9uent 0f the entire array is extremely hostile
- both, and imagine il will not he many days
le.>rs there are important changes Ill leader
snip OF the fourteenth army corps.
brigade after brigade, battery after battery,
from Palmer {, Negi ), and kousseau's di-
visions were sent into the midst of the thichets
Il check the progress Of the toe ami rally the
I0gitvee, but all III turn were either crushed
ty the tying crowds, broken by the impeiu
Oslry OF the foe, and put 10 confused flight, or
compelled 10 retire and e2tricate themselves
IL me beet manner that seemed to offer.
!. be history of the combat in those dark
cedar thickets viii never be known. No .r,an
could see even the whole Of his reg giment and
uo oiss viii ever be able 10 tell who they Were
c?eaut 10 their tFuat.
Know there was some cowerdiGe displayed,
but KNOW, too, that there Was showa by
many officers and regiments as lofty heroisr
tnst which distinguished and iInmortazed
toe followers CT Godfrey Or the Cid, bat, in
spite ot neroism and det otion, i'll spite OF des-
peeAta struggles which marked every fresh
advance cI tue foe, IN spite OF awful sacrifce
- lie on the paSt OF .the officers aud soldiers
u the Union army, the rebels still steadily
pushed forward and came nearer 10 the turn
piks.
Nearly two miles and d half tbs ri sht wing
OF cur aray had been driven, and faintnAss oi
heart came over ne as the obstruction Of our
wA9l army seemed 10 stare us II the lace.
Ils right OF Daviss division, assai:ed at
the same time as Johnsou's, gave way stimuli
t2-eousy, and The rout OF the remainder
seemed 10 follow 10 a matter OF course. This
.clt u 0euafai Sheridan tie TASK OF repeilns
tAs hitherto successful onset Of the foe. Never
did man iAoor more faithfully than he 10 per-
form his TACK, and never WAS leader second
ed by more gallant soldiers.
His division formed & kind of pivot upon
which tbs broken hight wing lurrsd iu its
aixht and It's psriious condition can be easily
Imagined when the flight Of Davis division
lett a. without any protection from the trium-
paant euelIyNwho Row swafmea upon its front
and IgAt hank but ii fought unt.i q fourth OF
its numosr lay biseding ans dying upon the
fed, aid til both remaining brigaGs ccci
i.4adera Colnnel5 Roberts and Sohaeiter had
Yt.aE " ilb the same fate of General Sill Then
il .,avs way, bad, - N aa.nosI evsrY instance
OF Iiie kim, retreat was changed TO rout, only
Isss complete taan thai OF the troops Of John
son and Davis
AL these oiyisiocs were now hurled back
to2ether into the immense ee3aT thickets
winch skirt Tue turnpike, and were hurried
over 70 ward the right, and Inassed rsnk behind
RANK II an array OF imposing grandeur along
the turnpike and facing 10 tie woods through
wGica tie rebels Were advancing The scene
q. t1is time Wae grand and awiui as anything
ever expect TO witness until the day OF judg-
.nent ~
stood il. the midst and upon the highest
point OF the some " hat elevated space, being
between the turnpike and the raiiroao, and
fy-uing the key TO cur entire position. Let
the reosls.aSae obtain Possession OF 1t, and
tie inmenAe Sgains OF wagons parked along
the tu:ap3ae, aao the Union army was ire
tri.va1lj ruined Even us line OF retreat
woud De cut otf, and nothing could save II
fEoEa uLier Iout, slaughter, and captare--and
yet EACH inmate It became mere end more
painfully evident that ali The reiniorcements
which had beet hurried into the woods TO sus-
t--liA aGd RAINY the broken wing aud check the
progress OF the eEemy IN that dafecrion mad
proved jaaGequate 70 the task, ana ha1 IA turn
been overthrown by the great ibass which was
struggling IL ex.ricabie disorder through the
WOODS.
s,ach sounds IS proceeded froY4 that gloomy
fofest of pines and cedars were enough to ap.