The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-17


ningly relieving himself of serious en-
barrassment and expense, in addition TO
imposing trouble upon us. The infamous
feature of this transaction was the rob-
berry of the captive troops at Lavergne
of their blankets and overcOats. We
have testimony that Il ,oas done by order
showing the general principle which ami
mates the enemy.
A few days later, Lieut. Col. HAWKINS,
of the rebel Gen. WHEELER's staff, came
to our lines under flag of truce with dis
patches from Gen. BRAGG TO Mai. Gen,
RosECRANs, and escorting rebel women
who desired TO come within our lines.
The Federal escort who received them
was drawn up with orders not TO fire.
While messenger was proceeding to
Nashville to notify Gen. RosEcRANs OF
the presence of the flag, a superior de-
tachment of the enemy secretly charged
upon our flag party, killed some six OF
our unsuspecting men, capturing the re-
mainder nearly fifty men, and returned
with their captives 10 the rebel lines.
But the most disgraceful feature of the
transaction was the fact that they also
carried back with them the flag of truce
and the escort, thus exhibiting delibe-
rate purpose to violate the laws of honor
and of war, and confirming the avowed
determination of some of their leaders,
viz: edo everything mean to whip the
Yankees"
General RosEoRANs at once protested
Indignantly. Lieut. Col HAWKINS, who
had borne BRAGG's flag, denounced the
transaction as infamous, and expressed
to Lieut., Col. HEPBURN, our flag and staff
officer bearing the protest, his dstermi-
nation to resign his commission, un.ess
full reparation should be made But this
was specimen of his duplicity Gen
eral RoREoRANs confidently expected a
disavowal and apology from BRAGG, but
to this day none has been made. The
flag Of truce, prisoners, their horses, arms,
equipments, and all, are still IN rebel custody.
AT the late battle of Stones River, the
most horrible barbarities were practised
upon our dead soldiers. Scores of them
who fell on the right wing were plum.
dered of their apparel. Their shoes
were taken off their feet their persons
were most indecently and shamerully
exposed by deliberate purpose. Sur
geons who were captured, although eX-
empt from the ordinary operations OF
military law by. specific agreement, ,0ere
robbed Of their horses, equipments and p,iVate
personal properly even while they were
dressing the wounds of suffering rebels.
Wounded officers were deprived Of every
thing they possessed. The dead body
of the gallant General SILL. whom
barbarians would have admired for
his chivalrous courage, was stripped
upon the battle field. The subsequent
honor of military burial by the enemy
was the smallest reparation they could
make for their fiendish barbarism. But
this is a mere general summary. II we
had time to enter into specific details, we
could exhibit and substantiate a record
of infamy and atrocity, inaugurAted and
sustained by the rebel authorities an d ar
mics, unparallele save in British history.
The spirit which animates them is best
illustrated by the chuckling gusto with
which their newspapers publish their
own official confession of infamy. They
regard the smart writing of their officers
as proof OF the martial skill and acumen
of the Confederate people. Correspon-
dence, which usually goes into the Sc
cret archives Of nation, is volunteered
for the use of the public press, that rebel
public opinion may be pampered by eX-
hibitions Of false cunning, and by shame
less perversion Of facts, through the ex-
ercise of insidious language. To defeat
this malignant purpose as far as possible,
we deem il our duty to publish the official
letters of General RosECRANs to General
BRAGG upon these various subjects. We
shall present the correspondence in flu
ture issue
Speech o. jeff Davis before the Miss