The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-28

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MURFREEsBoRo, TENN, April 20.
There has been some excitement At
Nashville, recently, superinduced by the
belief that the enemy were preparing TO
pounce upon that city suddenly, but IL
has subsided. Wheeler's cavalry, in
force, was also believed TO be lettering
IN the viciBity of Lavergne. .d that
prospect is also dissipated. Day before
yesterday the camps were in state Of
agitation, 9aused by the departure of an
expedition, of which no tidings have
been received but il has undoubtedly
reached its destination, and, to-nisht or
Tomorrow, we shall hear news. The
Commercial will be represented at the
scene OF action. In the absence of news,
forward the following statement, to bo
published for the benefit of this army
and the American people, viz
GENERAL ORDER.
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT or THE)
CUMBERLAND, MURFREEsBoBo, April 25. {
CIRCULAR
The following statement of an officer
of high rank ana well known integrity,
captured at the late battle at Thompson's
Station, and now a prisoner of war in
the Libby Prison, at Richmond, is pub
lished for the information of the army
and Of the American people.
1t is important that cur fellow citizens
at home, and especially every soldier in
the army, should know the shameless
barbarity of the people against whom
we are fighdng. They have long arro-
gated to themselves those high qualities
of chivalric honor, on which they have
based an assumed superiority over the
people Of the loyal States. But we in
vain search the history of civilized war
fare for parallel TO the deeds of wanton
cruelty they are constantly committing
against our soldiers whom the fortunes
of war place in their hands.
The crime of treason seems TO be the
parent of all others, for those we once re-
garded as honorable men, and expected
to meet as honorable enemies, do not hes
itate to become pickpockets, robbers, aud
assassins. In many instances they have
robbed captured officers and soldiers Of
their watches and pocket money, and
even part of their wearing apparel
They have brutally murdered several
of our soldiers who had surrendered
themselves prisoners of war. They have
fred into passenger trains filed with un-
armed men, women, and children. They
have fred into boat loaded with sick
and wounded, with its hospital flag fly-
ing, and, after having burned the boat
and carried off all the medical stores,
they left the sick aud wounded TO perish
on the shore, in drenching rain.
We can not believe that the justice of
God will allow such people to prosper.
Let every soldier know that death on the
battle field is preferable TO surrender
followed by such outrages as their COM
rades have undergone.
"LIBBY PRIsoN, RIcHMoND, VA,l
March 80, 1868.
On the 4th of March, our brigade, be-
ing parts of the 23d and 85th Ind, 22d
Wisconsin and l9th Michigan, number
ing in all, 1859, together with the l24lh
Ohio, and 600 cavalry and one battery
Of six small guns, were ordered TO pro-
eeed from Franklin to Spring Hill, ten
miles south on the Columbia Pike, and
thirty miles from Nashville; Colonel
John COburn, Of the 23d, in command.
When we were about four miles out, we
met the enemy, and after sharp skirm-
sh, drove them back, without loss on our
side. TheiE loss was fifteen killed and
wounded. We encamped for the night
short distance beyond the ground occu-
pied by the enemy. On the morning of
the 5th we started early, the 124th Ohio
being left in the rear of our wagon train,
which was large. After marching about
two miles, our cavalry me. the enemy's
pickets and out-pOsts, and severe skirm-
ishing was kept up until we came in
sight of Thompson's Station, the enemy
| falling back. About half mile from
the station, the railroad approaches the
pike Tn the west side, and runs along,
parallel with the pike, between two hign
hills, for elk hundred yards, and bears
off TO the west ca a plain about half a
mile wide; hills rising again, on the
south side of the plain, the station being
about half way between the two ridges.
When we reached the point where the
railrOsd joins ths pike, the enemy opened
upon US with heavy battery /.
Col. Coburn soon ordered one section
of the battery 10 take position on the
hill, on the left of the pike, and deploy-
ed the 18th Michigsa aud 22d WiscOn-
sin to support il, The other three guns
took position on the hill, on the right
supported by the 23d and S5th Indiana.
The enemy had two batteries on the
range Of hills south Of us, distant three
quarters of mile. The plain before us
was cultivated. and there was some six
strings ofrail fence, aud one or two stone
walls between us. The enemy showed
no front, aud the batteries had got iu
range pretty closely. Colonel Cobum Or
dered the 3ld and sbth Indiana TO make
a demonstration on the left Of The enemy,
TO draw him out, if IN force, aud If not,
to charge bis battery. These two regi-
ments marched out from the cover OF the
hills in columns Of companies, across the
fields about six hundred yards, under a
CALLING fire from the enemy's batteries
we being in plain view, aud having FEM
ces 10 tear as we went and wholly un-
able to retun the Gre by single shot
When we reached the station, we started
up their sharpshooters, and your humble
servant soon found that be and several
of his friends were regarded with some
interest by the secest, the way the bullets
whistled past our heads. Oar skirmish-
ers soon started ur the enemy, aud w'
found, posted behind stone walls, fen
ces and brush. at the foot Of the hill
two whole brigades Of dismounld caval
~. Seeing il impossible 10 advance fur