Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-06-12

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> my's lsf. and especially 20 lislodge him iroH
= his position in ihe round forest UHf5F unateiJ y
a the opJortuae moment fofpottiug la these d.
tsphments bad passed.
Could they have belu thsow1 aJon tha enc
! | mY's left immadisfey f0llolqlnr Chalma s. anl
3 D NELSON'S assault, in qpel succession the OK
traoriiuasy strength nf bis position would have
awaited him nothing. That point would have
been carried and his left driven back on tis
panic siriclsH right. would have comp eted his
confusion and insured an utter rout Il was,
! however, otherwise. ADD the time lost between
Dlnelson's attack and the coming NJ OF these
de acbmsnts ia succession. enablod t3s ensIny
20 receiver his self p0. session, 20 mas d nnHhar
If heavy batteries and concentrate strong in
fantTy farce nn she position and TINS make a
= snccesful attack very difficult Nevertheless,
The brigsdes Of Adams and Jackson sssailaA he
enemy's Inc with eneTgy, and,aiter severe con
tssi waa compelled TO fal hack. The NsIs
promptly rallied by G raj Bfeekinude ~ho
naviDg precefei his other brigales, reach8 iha
ground At that moment. bat as they wegs 7afy
much en- up, they wore not required TO renew
the attaek
The biiyad.s OF Preston and Palmer an a.
iylng renewed the Assault with the sam ufi-
isuuted determination. hnt as auo her battery
had beeu added since tIs preyiOHs attack b
a position aite7dY str0Hg aud dtic1lt Jf ac-
cess, this 1-asUit was aiiks Hsf-ctua ( the
enemy though no. driven froE bis 5as tian
was severely punished, and a. The day va,
far spsut, il was not deemed advisable to re-
new tie attack thst evening, and ths tFaoBs
held the line they occupied tor the night Ths
tols0wing morning, nsssd Ct iad.ng him in
position 70 receive 8 renewal Gf ihs attack,
shaved that, taking advantage If the night.
hs hsd abandoned the last position of bis fret
,iae. and the opening OF the new year found
as maststs Of tho iald
Tbs batileef the 3lst ST D csmb developed
! in ell part Of 4he Geld which cams und ~ my
observation, the highest qualities of the sol iier
sHeHg 0u- tT0ops The premDtn-Ss with which
/ they moved upna the enemy, Whenever thcy
were called 10 attack lin. the g,r and elan
I with which their movements ere made tn en-
/ ergY with which they assaulted bis sti6 y 90.
/ sitions, aHd The readiness witt when they re
spnnird to the call 10 repeat thsr assults
Indicated 3 spuit OF dsUit'sss c1ur-ga 7hieh.
/ places them in the very front rank OF the sol
| q ders OF ne world For the exhibition If th-ss
/ tigA traits, they uot ite ildsbts7 to ibe
example OF their off -ers. whose courage sai eE-
ergY had wO1 tHair confidence and admiration
Tbs lst Of January passed without any Ua
t9TtAl movement on either Il le beyond acca-
sioHal skirmishing along he lines ii cur frant
[ ordered Chalmers brigade. now commanded I
| by Col White 90 0rcUpy The grGUNd ia rear of
the Z md Forest, inst abandoned bV the enc
o the second there was skirnishng duriag
the m lrniug In the afternoon, about three
o'clock Gsn. Brsgg ann0aBcsd lbs intention to
attack the enemy, whn was supposed to BE- ia /
f1rcs on the North side Of the river and ordered I
me tl relieve two Of Gen B.eekiuridRe's bri- +
gales which were still ia my irout and aeud (
them over to that I'll ssT, who hai retnrnsd 60
his post, ss he proposed n mike the stack (
Tith tta .roops Of BrsckinFidge's division /
"a rrf fi1af fa..l .T
troops weTs transferred as direc.st. Fle GER
erai commanding ordered me slso to opsn FIRE I
with three batteries, which had bs=H placed in {
Ghslmers' ne 10 distract he enemy az the
tms Of Brsckinrilgs' atteck, and to shell cut
OF tie woods. wbi5h covered BIS lise Of move
ment. eHy sharpsho7ters who migh annoy him
while approaching the river
The sheiing ordered, which ras 70 -bs the
sigaa for B'sekinriigs'. adgaaee was prom9t-
iy sTeealed, and tbs woods sas cleared. Ofthe 4
7srticuars of.tbis movement. g neral Brecbia.
riiga viii spesk ia ais owa report
When the firing Of ny batteries was ep6ned
81 above, there was 4 sfrvsrl m0vemeBt ST. the
enemy'5 infantry upon nv pickeis in the round
forrest, aud p shaFB conflict WHICH lasted f4g
s1ms tine sn1 ended in ihs oaamy'. rsgainjng
possession Of shs forrest. The position being
Of mueh vllns TO Rs, fauni it necessary 70 re-
gain il, aai gave the requisite orders On The
i0'iowing morning I ordered heavy fro Of
artillery from several batteries to oneR nD1n it.
and. after it hai been thoroughly shslled, de-
tachmsuts from he brigadss of Col5 White and
Caltart charged il with the havOnet st double
quick and put tine enemy to Ayht clearing il cf-
his regiments, capturing 8 lie1sDsut colonel
and tbirteen men
The enemy however kaew the importanes
Of the position, also, and was occupied during
the day in thr0Wiag up farihworks for the pro
lection OF batteri5s within easy range
These being completed, hs re-opeasd ars
from three points With batteries of hasvy guns
and placed il under concentrated FIRE for msny
minutes It was s severe or iesl, and wsg fol
loved by charge Of heavy flrcs Of infsauy
But or gallant troops met the slvsn,e with
6-mness. and after a severely contested strag-
gle, drove back The advancing column with
s3sughter and held possession of the coveted
position
Il this battle We lost several msn and Off +,
GERS, especially Of the Is. Louisiana regiment
Among those wh1 fell mortallV wounded was
Lieutenant Coloael Farrsr This voung officer
was one of the most promising Of the army
intelligent, chivslrous aud brave. His loss viii
be felt by bis country, aud amentsd BY his
many friends
This battle closed the oDsratious of my
eorDs in the isd in front Of Murlreesboro.
By orders from the general commanding,
after being eight days under arms and in az
tual battle or heavy skrmishinE. in the rain
end cold. without tents, and much of the
time without ffes, my troops we're retired
from the fed. and ordered to take q position
near ShelbYvile This they did at their leisure,
AMI in perfectly good order
In All the opsradcns in which thav we're en-
gagged, M troops ever displayed greater gal I
anffy or higher powers Of endurance They }
captured teen huuired prisoners and twenty !
six guns.
For the details connected with thes4 opera-
lions, BEG leaFs to refer Il the re0orts Of divi :
sion brigade and re9im ants commanders. To
ne same reports, also refer for instances of
ais.iaguishFd gs.laa'ry, inthe case Of corps aqd
ndividusl-
beg leave 70 refer. also, 20 the accompany
ng statement marked A, containing q LIST Of +
he number Of men and Off ,ers engaged 10 the @
Matte Also % B. c0ntainiag the number Of
Filled, wouldei aa3 missing ] -refsr a'so - 5
hs accompanying map Of the fsld Of b.tlle, s
nsFssd b
This meP was prepared With care by Lieut. j
Norris, of the engineers Of my corDg. fron &C. 8
ual surrey, aud from the reports Of the ear3s 4
,ommsnder Of the Fsdertl army. From tiles4
iourcas he has been enabled to fix the relative 7
positions Of the c0lnF, divisions and bTigades 5
If both armies at different periods during the
,attie, with great accuracy.
The statements A and B, l snbmit as g
1t his Teeort, also the accompanying mAPf !
marked "BB b
To MailF-GessrslI ChesthAm snd WiiheFs, .
ny division commanders. avn under obligs e
ions FOX their 60 dial support and active CO. =
pefadoa, 10 conducting the 0persti0ns Of nay 0
.ommand Also. n tie brigade commanders,
qb0, without an exception, managed the pArt =
s'gned fhem ia the prngrnms Of hst'ls, with e
eat shin, energy and jsigment o. the col d
Inet OF iha regimen al, battery and subordinate y
their immediate comm and rs VIII q
peak hl their reports as they were more d. o
ectly under their eye. Or artillery slso was Z
veil handled when it could be used, but the
snse ce3ar brake into which the enemy wss Z
riven continuously, prevented il from following :
Hr 'vsneing columns This male il Hecas- y