The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-02-27

The Second Minnesota Battery.

|
oring the operations of his brigade during
he battles near Murfreesboro, during the
last days of December, and the first days
January. Frequent allusion is made in
this report to the conduct and valuable
.ervices rendered by the End Minnesota
Battery, under Capt. HoTcHKIss. That
these services may be known to our peo-
pie, who take a commendable pride in the
good conduct of our volunteers, we ex-
tract few passages, scattered through the
report.
Near night of the 3Oth December, the
brigade of Col. CARLIN's was opposed by a
superior force, and for time suffered Sc
verely from the fire of infantry and artil-
lery. Two batteries had opened on his
line, and, finding a position where he
could halt, he determined to do so, and
wait. the arrival of reinforcements At
this juncture, the report says:
Col. Alexander, DIST Illinois Volunteers,
without instructions from me, ordered his re-
giment to charge upon the Battery in his front
His command was moving with a shout at the
doublc-quick step, within eighty (S0) yards of
the battery, already abandoned by its cannon
GERS when very heavy fire was opened upon
it by infantry which lay concealed behind fences
and OuthOuscs on the right and left of the bat
terry. This fire killed and wounded q large
number of the DIST Illinois Volunteers, and
threw the left companies into some disorder,
when the regiment was halted and formed on
the right of the 18th Wisconsin Volunteers
The fight was now fairly opened and cCntin-
ued vigorously until night by the front line of
my infantry, and the I'd Minnesota Battery
which had been placed between the regiments
The batteries in our front were soon silcnccd
but another was then opened on my right flank
distant about eight hundred $500 yards, which
completely cntiladcd my lines, and considera-
bly, injured us, but this too was driven out Of
sight by Captain llotchkiss. % Minnesota Bat
terry, after q vigorous and well directed fire.
On the 31st, the lighting was renewed,
at daybreak, and continued throughout the
day hot and destructive. Without the fact
being communicated 10 Col. CARLlN, the
brigadeS on either side Of him had been
Withdrawn, and he found himself attacked
in front and on both tanks. He saved
his brigade from capture with great loss
and difficulty; and ne mentions the fact,
as very creditable, that "the guns of the
I'd Minnesota battery were brought off in
safety" Elsewhere, in speaking Of the
same days fight, he says:
Capt. w. A. Hotchkiss, Com I'd Minnesota
R1ffprV W oil off nd
credit for their gallantry in the fight and energy
IN preventing the loss OF the battery.
In closing his report, Col. CARIIN awards
credit to several members of his staff, % for
their zeal, fidelity, and courage in all the
severe engagements embraced in this re-
port" and among those thus compli-
mented, we are glad to notice the name of
Lieut.. ALBERT WOODBURY., ID Minnesota
Battery. Lieut. WOODBURY. is the son of
the Hon. DWIGHT WOODBURY., of the State
Senate; and from other sources than this
report, we have had gratifying accounts of
his courage and efficiency.
From a private letter, written at the
headquarters of General DAvIs's Division,
Franklin Tennessee, on the 9th February,
we extract the following:
1--WE left our camp near Murfrcesboro on
the morning the 31st January, and have been
cruising around the country in hopes of cutting
off the rebel cavalry. We heard yesterday
morning of the attack on Fort Donclson, and
General Davis started our cavalry off at once to
intercept the retreat of the rcpulsed enemy. He
went in person, in order, as he said. to make
our damned cavalry fight. There has been Il
good deal of complaint in cur army of the i'll
efficiency of this arm of our service and the
Generals are all making heavy effort to put it
in better order.
In the absence of General Davis, Colonel
Carn has charge of the division; and we are
now waiting for news from Davis, to know in
which direction to move. The country cannot
be traversed by artillery, save by the pixies.
The mud is quite deep, and the rainy season
seems to have set in; the weather is cold We
have some snow; the creeks are all rising RI
p;dly.
This town is eighteen miles from Nashville.
and is very fine location but like every place
else in the South all sccesh. | do not perceive
any other sentiment at all. When ElvOrs are
wanted, then strong love for the Union as
it was" seems to be uppermost; but real fight
ing love for g the Union is not here, nor any
where else south of the Ohio. The people here
talk to our Northwestern troops as though they
really expected soon to see Il league of the
States leaving out New England.
"What is to be done here, of course do not
know. 1t looks to me as though we would
not be able to advance very far or fast. Yet,
Rosecranss plans are inscrutable; and we de-
rive but very slim satisfaction in guessing them
out.
81 regret to state that six of our I'd Mime
sofa Battery men were taken prisoners by the
rebels to-day. They were sent out with for
age train, escort, of course,-but, con-
trary to the regular standing order, the Lieute-
nant in command allowed them to take horses :;
and, straying away from the train, they were
gobbled up. They were, corporals Denllnger
and Bmkhead, and privates James M. Lane
George Averill, Flint, and Simonds. It's bad
case.
"Our battery nv sickness, deaths, and dis