The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-15
NO 237


liz disorder; save Sherridan's divisioe.
The cleaning steel Of the holly pursuing
foe flashed in the sunlight through yistas
Of the woods tiiancing through an
opening into corniield beyond us, greas
masses Of somber.looking foes we're oh
served rushing forward. Quick as
thought, almost, the General formed an
entirely Eew line Of battle. The right
| had face south-ca What was now the
right faced westward. The enemy had
compelled US TO change froat completely.
General Rosecrans himself executed il at
awful personal hazard. There was not
point in the front of battle, which be
| did not visit. Taking advantage Of
commanding crest, on Che left Of the pike,
hs paated the batteries, and sems twenty
I OF thirty guns opened with prodigious
volume Solid shot and shell crashed
through the populous forest in tumuit
of destructive fury. The cloud of smoke
| for some minutes completely enveloped
the gunners, and obscured them from
view. Now, then, we charge. Down
through the field and across the road, the
General in the lead. Bitterly whistled
the leaden hail. A soldier falls dead an
der the very hoof Of the commanders
horse. Advance the line charge them,"
and our gallant lads, fired with the wild
enthusiasm OF the moment, madly push
up the hill The forests are spintered
with the furious volume of fire. On they
go. Your line of grey and steel, halts
staggers, reels. :" There they 60, shouts
the gallant leader. "Now drive them
home p Great God what tumuIt
in the BRAIN Sense reels with the. in
toxisating frenzy. There was line of
dead blue coats where the charge was so
CALAMITY made, but the corpses of the
Zoe were scattered thickly through the
woods Beatty's brigade - Old Rich
Mountain Beatty --made that glorious
charge. 1t was the first encouraging
event of that gloomy morning.
\ Sweeping rapidly from that point TO
our LETT the whole line was put in mo-
tion, and the batteries advanced. A few
hundred yards on the left Of Beatty's
} line the enemy were still advancing,
, boldly driving a small brigade down a
little valley before them. As the head
. Of the retreaung column debouched from
a thicllet, it was interrupted by the Gem
eral, and re- formed by members Of his
staff, Stokes battery advanced rapidly
: across the road supported by Captain
e st. Clair Morton's hattalion5 Of pioneers
= men selected from all regiments for
e their vigor and mechanical skill. The
Q fire was desperately hot, but the General
= saw only broken line which he deter
n mined to rally The battery was plant
81 ed on little knoll, with its hanks Dro-
"a tected by thickets, and Morton deployed
| - No IN all 81 do 49,
l. opened briskly, and Morton lead his hat
AZ envy suddenly checked by murderous
lt fire, staggered and fell back swiftly,
IT, sheltering themselves in friendly forests.
~ And so, along the whole line, the enemy
D. was pressed backward Tho day was
D saved. No man disputes that the per-
ne sonal exertiOns Of General Rosecrans re =
&c rieved the fortunes Of the morning.
v. But the battle though suspended was
he not ended. The enemy had been re-
II pulsed with terrible loss, bat he was
il making fight Of desperation. Utmost
eI vigilance was now necessary. twas al
he together probable the storm would soon
d. break out afresh. Our troops were dis
e. posed for new attack. IL soon began
as to developc by feints at various points on
IN the line from left 10 right The rebel
~, sharpshooters were constantly Annoying
he us, and the enemys batteries render thu
r. field exceedingly uncomfortable. AbOu
81 one o'clock, perhaps a strong demonstra
is ton was made upon our left, then fierc,
w. onslaught on our right, Lieutenant Colo.
al mel Garesche, Chief Of staff and Lieut.
Vi Kirby were sent down TO Van OIcve anC
got there in time 30 urge forward th,
INF lac. Both Garesche and Kirby were il
AZ the thick of the fcay. The former wa
For soon dismounted by a sharpshOoter hi
m horse being disabled Kirby invited
20. Garesche to mount his horse, and Ia
Ter walked back TO the staff Garesche ha,
no mounted another horse, and was galIopin
m. siong side by side with the Genera
err. when solid shot carried away his head
nor His blood was spattered upon the stat
il. A moment later, Sergeant Richmond, q
M the 1th United States Cavalry, a gallau
DO soldier who had already been recon
ole mended'for promotion, was fatally hur
the Soon after, a Mimic ball struck Byro
nit Kirby in the left arm, and liifte
les him clear out Of his saddle
ISL The bone was shattered. Kirby dis
ter abled, and he was obliged TO leave III
vas field A shell now burst in the midst {
inc the escort. a fragment tour throug
lid Lieut. Porter's clothing, aud cut open hi
afr. hayersack. Bonton's, Hubbird's, Porter
eld and Garesche's horses had all bee
lin. struck; two ordcrlies we're killed; th
len Chief Of staff was Dead Kirby wound
ed ed; but the General was still unscathe,
tav need not tell you his dauntless person
a, al d,me amor inspired the troops with on
thusiasm. They yelled like Sons
siye mars whenever ne appeared on the line
inc AZ about Two o'clock the enemy we
Wild discovered right ana ieit OF 'he Mprifee
Oe. bore IlAe' advancing IN heaFy masses