The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-10


Retreat from Fort Donelson-
Wheeler's and FORESTS Men Com
pletely Scattered.
A brigade OF cavalry and section Of
artillery from the I'd Illinois Battery,
Captain BURNET, left Nashville about 8
o'clock Thursday morning the 9th inst,
under command Of Brig. Gen. j d. Nor
GAN, and Notwithstanding the inclemen-
cy Of the weather, which was intensely
cold besides sleeting, the force made
some thirty miles that day. Passing
through franklin, going cat on the Co
lumbia Pike and taking circuit around
to the westward and camping within
five miles of Franklin. This night was
very cold, the snow being near two inches
deep. Started on again at In the morn
ing and a little after midday formed a
junction at Undertook in Maury county
witha large cavalry force under Gen.
JEFg G. DAVIS, vino was ont ON the same
errsnd as ourselves; having some artil-
lery along also. just before reaching
kinderhook, Lieutenant and six men
were taken prisoners by the 9th Ken
lucky without making any resistance.
From Kinderhook the expedition took
the Charlotte and ClarksviIo road,
and at Lick Greek captured the re-
bel Col. Carroll and rebel Major both
from Memphis. Col. Carroll is a brother
to the rebel Gen. Carroll, that had COM
mand at Chattanooga. The gentlemen
made no resistance aud were taken with
out trouble. A little further on two of
the rebels wagons were come up with and
taken. Camps were pitched about nine
that night all hands staying at Sprawps;
that is sprawling on the ground. This
night was not quite as cold as the night
before. A soon start in the morning was
made, and Gen. MoRoAS's force, the LIST
Tennessee Cavalry, 5th Kentucky, Col.
EDWARDS East Tenn. Cavalry, and the
Artillery, took a North .easterly shoot
and came back to within four miles Of
Franklin to camp, having taken three or
four more rebels prisoners during the day.
Sunday morning in the saddle again,
passed through Franklin, which is per-
manently occupied by brigade, artillery,
cavalry, etc, OF our forces, took the Nash
vile pike and arrived home that is a
soldiers home-at camp-early in the
afternoon. Meeting a large force going
out three or four miles from the city, to
camp, which was said to be Gen. GRAIN
GERS army, among them was an old fa-
milar regiment to many of US, the SD
Indiana, Of wildcat notoriety.
The country through which we passed
south of Franklin, seemed to have been
but very little interrupted, and there was
an abundance Of corn, OATS, fodder and
hay so our horses Jared fine, and were
not much the worse for wear, when we
got home, notwithstanding the severity
and celebrity of the trip. The artillery
deserve especial notice for the manner in
which they got along; even after leaving
the pike, and getting on to dirt roads, and
over ridges, and through creek bottoms,
they kept pace all the time with the cav
airy and scarcely ever impeded their
movements. How they climed some Of
the hills was mystery to all Of us, but
Capt BURNETT done IT, From all the
accounts, both reliable and unreliable,
from citizens and rebels, women and
children, it was very evident fact that
Messrs WHEELER, FoRHEsT, & Co., got
badly worsted in this last trip to Fort
Donelson; that they were whipped, and
scattered and demoralized and that their
forces are making their way back SOUTH
individually and collectively, separately
and in squads, as best they can. And
what few of them don't fall into our
hands will probably get there for our
men are in all directions on most of the
roads, in fact, as an old negro said when
asked him if he had seen any of our
forces lately in.that country, ooh Lord,
yes, massa, dey is cherry whar."
The expedition was one of the best con
Quoted affairsiwe.haye ever had the good
fortune to have been 10, and though there
was no fighting as all seemed anxious
that there should be, all seemed very well
satisfied that everything had been done
that could be to bag the retreating rebels.
1t is fact that the Federal officers are
walked up in this section of the country,
and some Of them are wide awake.
The forces which were said TO be TO-
900 under WHEELER, FORREST & Co,
were greatly overrated. There may have
been ten or eleven regiments, but these
regiments will not average over three
hundred men to tn e regiment; all told,
artill cry and all, from the best could
hear 2. 500 noses would be all they could
possible count. The citizens Of the cOun-
Try we passed through were all rebels,
and Southern rights, but they were all
heartily sick Of the war, and would be
very willing to give up most Of their
rights to have the Union and peace once
more FELIX.
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