The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-03-21
PARTICULARS OF vAS.D0RK'S RsCrNI
VICTORY.

can s1ves an iQiereeting account Of Van Dorn's a
recent victcry near Franklin, Tenn He left
Srring Hill On TIE 5th instant, with his entire
force, excer. Crosbys brigade, having learned
shat the enemy were in sorcs this side of
Franklin. Tie letter says:
dast se The forces were placed in poaition
Forrest rode M 10 Van. Dora and pres cd
eouois abont the enemy's approach 0nA the
tropfiesy OF taking position. but juts 1T this
1snesSre hia own pickets on the ,Cht com.
meneed ekirrpishfng with Il sqsairod OF IAN.
kse cavalry. The skirrnishers of fhA enemy
Mere then visible con the opposite rsrge Of
hills, d;s;lant about six hundred yar,is, snp oue
tkrmishers Were withdrawn TO within q hun
dred yards OF our poa'tiou. The enemy took
position very cautiously, snj commenced
haich!hg up3n the pike iii eoia,an, but fsw
we'i-dbreeted shots from Kings cited pieces
compelled them TO file of into the weeds and
await ne arrival o! their artillery, which was
sooh placed III grove at ti.a hase OF the bill
when they had formed upon, and which AZ
once opened upon king'a section o:. the turn.
PIKE, bat faG Gyesshct tie mark They :haa
ca:.heea the range CT their rlad s,acss SO 81
10 con- a.a!.d lhs hi! upon ths left OF the pike,
apnesasa our battery. sad !ilrass asysr.Al shell
with remarkable precision iaso tho position
occupied by Generals VgI-Dorns ana Arm.
strong and st2f', and your correspondent We
quickly "caaaged our base" and spTea,. out SO
as 10 avoid making target cf the party. Up
IL this time bat intia skirmishiuy had occurred
IN onr INNS d.a.e iroEt, but a ca. cary recou-
.iHlesence OF the enemy was pushed hack by
foTrest, and retired 10 within su,4,orting S:s-
taiicc OF their infantry on the extreme iigbi.
Just then regular firing OF musketry ocn,-
Teneea npon our lett, and Whitfield reported
that he was hard pressed, when cue Of Arm
strong's regiments, held in reserve, waa Or
dareG 10 his ssppoit until Crosby Should coma
Gp' the tpe,oy then made = cavalry demon
sasiion apon our night, 10 distract cur atten
ton from tie lett, which tn, II commenced
pressing heavily. end upon which they directed
two piet-8 IL artillery. ARMSTRONG; entire
brigade was then rapidly crcssed from tho
1i4Lt of tae pike TO tho lett, 10 the aszis.auca
oi " hi,fissd, the enemy having advanced 20
within Il hundred yards Of his forces and taken
pogitioD behind the railroad enbaukment " tich
ran through ihs centre OF The valley Upon
tAis point the enemy then directed the whole
Of thiiI artillery fire, and g section ii kiny e
battery wac brought up and placed apcn the
Eili jus. in rear Of cur forces, and command
| ing the railroad. So eooa Gs Armstrong; bri-
| Fsds got into position as infantry they, to-
! gether with " Nhittiaid's dashed inpnlsively
forth i,om tiseir position, and drove the enemy
| from the railgoad 10 TIE base of the opposite
mountain, their earliest posAion.
| The Federals had now fallen back to an ex-
| ceient position, and we had given up the ad
| yartaga OF our own and pursued thsm to
theirs Oar men charged through the valley
on both sides of the pike, ard reached the
base of the hill, driving the Yankees TO the
| summit, mp which they chacGed, hut were re-
| peatedly repuleeG. Upon the left Whitfield q
| Texans had 10 attack the eueH,y in strong pc
| sitiOI upon the brow Of the hiii and the Van
KEGS retained ire until within close quarters.
al, 4 ~,
| compelled the Texans 10 n.tiFe, and th "
| would nave been pursued to lie railroad and
| severely punished BY The ensmy had it not
been for tbs timely placing of one OF our Q3uEs
in postion by Maj. M. VI. K;mmeli, Of E.,I,
DofAs staff, giving rs the advantage vi All
! eHfadpx artillery fire. The rieee opened
and the ain proved ~ accurate that ti!e an,
| kee column Was al once broken, and the Tex
ans rallied aud returned 10 the charge Upon
! tha right. too. AFlHstfong's brigade pushed
tno suaG 10 the summit OF their Eaa of bills,
| hat Tsrs n.lcc or tgies Given bSeh. Ehti
| ensNy tnsu crossed lis forces from .iis i,,ila
| upon tho right os the pike 10 then night on
| tue left, and accompanied BY their artillery,
| slowly retired to tho brow OF tho range oi
hills, a;ubbora!y dispntins avafy Ato.
| Forrest " 10 WAS upon the eXteeMe right,
aEu who had ecaresly been engaged, was di-
seciei to cisn,ount hi. brigade aa,i pa .s them
aeross the pike in the rear of the enen,y ana
! como around over the crest of the hills unoTl
| their Iear and riGL; flank. part oi hing f
| battery was taken up the pike ana advanced
| By Land each tina as the enemy retired, di-
rectiGg well i-gined> >shots at their heavy lines.
| The engagement hsd now lastsd three hours,
with varied success, and ct this tims we ha,!
! gradually drove the ensmy :ro,n tie crest
of the lower hills TO q still stronger poeition
| upon the higher oaes-diivirg him over to
wsrda the other road, where Forrest had
been direc ed TO CONS upon his rear
Ihe fighting had continued shsrply and the
gaining of e;,eh position had required a
severe struggle ano oecae,onally Der with q
repnlse, the enemy appearing 10 be determined
10 hold ont, ANA finally drive u5 back. Crosby o
brigade now came up III good time and ga!iop-
ed sorg tie pike in fUli view OF the enemy,
and fled of into the valley st tuo left o: t,e
p:Sa. at this m-Iient the ene,nys artillery
ceased and Kings battery was PLACED upon
an OLE in5roe iheir forces five minutes before
occupied, and being we'll served forced a stiil
further retreat OF the analiy. CiosLy now com
manced advancing rohud upon their SxtTsms
! right iiank, and for {. TINA all :iring ceased~
Oar men upon ths slops oftha hills, OF wiiich
the enemy occupied the crest lsiie north.
west then commenced advancing In ths nu sst
iUe of battle OF the day, but thongh tho enemy
were in coed position ard easy range. they
tired not shot Presently forrss.s guns
were heard uyoa their Iaar and the Yankees
run up g white flag, when Fan-D5fn Aent t0
ascertain the nature OF it, and ii was learned
that the entire force OF the enemy upon tbs
ground laid down their arms ani surrendered
Internationally. a wlid, joyous shout broke
from our Gallant Men, and the Yankees grcuild-
ed arme and thar five regiments OF infantry,
numbering 2,2GD men, We're marched forth
prjsolers. They were under tho command Of
the senior Colonel Coburn, from Indiana, who
says he was. compelled to surrendss by the
cowsrdly retreat Uf au Ohio regiment Of III.
fantry and three regiments of cavalry and the
battery of artillery, which we did not succeed
i'll getting
The regiments captulated were from In
diam, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 81 soon as
the surrender was effected, l roia ovsr every
portion of the field and counted our own and
the Yankee dead and wounded The disparity
ia uumbers was astonishing, for every where l
found four and five dead Yankees 10 ono Con
fsdsrats Ths Hill upon the left Of the pike,
which had been so hotiy contested, and from
which they drove us back, contained more of
the unfortunate than any other portion u the
field. Uron i. counted forty of the enemy's
slain. Up TO the last few charges all OF the
enemy's wounded had been removed by their
excellent hospital corps, and sent off in the
arabulancas to Franklin. Their ambulanees,
wagon train, and ammunition train stampsded
and lei. them without ammunition. The loss
of the enemy l estimate at ITO killed, 300
wounded. ana z, 900 prisoners, who surrender
al as many fine new Enfield rifles and car
fridge boxes. Oar own loss ia 80 killed and
I25 wounded---nearly all in Armstrong; and
Whi,iield's brigades. Among the killed we
mourn Col. Earl, Of the 81 Arkansas, one of
orr most feariess and cxperienced OficSrs