New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-09

Brigade after brigade, battery after battery, from
palmsr's, Nesey's, aud Rosecrans's divi.ous, were
sen; into tie midst OF the hckets TO checA the prog
es- Of the foe aud rally be fupIves but all 10 turn
were either crushed by the iyipg crowds, broken by
the inpe,uosiiy Of tie Zoe, and PIT to confused
nsh, or compelled 10 retire aud extrieste themselves
in Inc bet manner that secmed u offer.
The history OF the combat in toose dark cedar
tckeis will never be known. No Ran could zee
even the whole Of bis regiment, and no one will
ever be able 10 tell who they were that fought BRAY
est, and they who proved recreant to their ,rus.
know there was rome cowsrdee displayed. but
know too, that there was shown by many officers
aud regiments AZ lofty hefoism ne tia, which ds.
tingoisbed and mmortalized the followers of God.
frey or the Cid but, 10 spite Of heroism and devo'
ton, in sJite Of desperate struggles which marked
every fre.h advance of tho foe, in suite II awful
sacrifice Of life tho part Of the officers and soldiers
Of tie Union army, the Rebels stl steadily pushed
forward and came nearer TO the turnpike
Nearly two miles and half the right wing Of our
army had been driven, aud faintness Of heart came
over me as the destruction OF our whole army feemed
to s.aro us ia the face; but the word went forth
from Rosecrsns. The flower of the left wing aud
the ceuter Of the right. The right f Davi7's divs-
ion, nsaaed at the same time as Johnsons, gave
way simultaneously, and the rou'e OF the remainder
seemed 10 follow as d matter Of course. Ihis len TO
Gen Sheridan the task Of repelllog the hitherto sue
ce.sful onset Of the foo. Never did man labor more
faithfully than he 20 perform bis nsk and never Was
a leader seconded by more gaa't soldiers.
Ills division formed kind Of pivot upon which
a l. iii lfs ylt
perilous condition can ousily be imagined when the
fight Of Daviss Division Left without auy protee-
ton fiom the Triumphant enemy who now swnrned
upon It's front aud right faux; bu. it fought until a
fourth of it's number lay bleeding and dying upon
The field. and till both remaining Brigade Con-
nanders. Col. Roberts and Col. schaeIier, had met
with the same fate Gen. Sill; then it gave way,
and US in almost every instance of the kihd retreat
was changed to route only less complete than that oi
the troops Of johnson aud Davis.
All these divisions were now hurled back together
into the immense cedar lhichets which skirt the
rurnpiko, and were hurried over toward the sight,
and messed rank behind rank in All array Of impos-
ing cr .neur along the turnpike and facing to tho
woods through which the Rebels were advancing.
The scene At this time was grand and awful AZ any.
hing that ever expect TO witness unih The day of
judgment. .e
stood in the midst aud upon the highest point OF
the somevL elevated space, being between the
turnpike aud tho railroad, aud FORMING ibe Key 10
our entire position Lev the Rebels once obtain pos
session Of it, aud the immsnss train Of wagons
parlsed along the turnpike, aud The Union array was
iretrievably ruined. Even It's hue OF retreat won'a
be cuI Off aud nothing could save It from ut or rou'
.sisusher, aud cepture-and yet each minute IL be-
cane more and more plauy evident that at The re-
endorsements which bld be, hurried into the WOODS
10 si-ain ana rally the broken right ~'bg ana ceca
the ur,grees Of Tie enemy IN that direction, hal
proved iuadequa to he task, and had in turn been
oyerfr ,wn by tie great mass which wss struggling
il, inextricab,e dlrorder through the wooes
Such sounds as proceeded from that gloomy forest
Of pines and crdsrs were enough to apphl with t,r-
r,r the stoutest hearts. The roar Of cannon, tue
crushing of shot through the treer the WINNING ana
bursting of the shells the uninterrupted ra''ie "
thirty thoussnd rpnskets. all mingled IN one pro-
10, ,ed and tremendous voInmc IT sonnd, "a though
MI ,,u ,uu.uv.s VI nesysp nsa vesp IoLed toys'usi