The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-01-08
po.tia of Murfreesboro.

a lei. fc Battle on SI0uS aver ~ H'''
Nurfreesbofo west side. IL mas ragged WIN ~
RENTING fury for TWO days, ana at Ia-' rep"
was not decided. It is one of the most ie'
eious battles of modern times, sustained by 10
side with splendid determination.
Gen Rosencrans marched from Nashville aa
FRIDAY with about as 900 electives, and lOi
pieces of artillery, aud skirmished all the way
80 the Battle field, the enemy resisting bitterly
The whole of Tuesday was spent by our forces
II. r-counoitering. The enemy was found
etrorp,y posted On a bend of Stones River
vt SIDE. hi Aank3 resting on Murfrcesboro
side The ceutre also had the ad gantast
of htgb greuud with dense growth OF CEDAR
masking crmpetely their position. winch gave
them he advantage Of eros hre.
G 90. McCook's corps closed ~ 'he ief o.
WaIkersou'7 Greek Nrgley,ot Thomas corps,
work d with gre dlu5ea!ty 10 tue ffoht OF the
rebel centre Roseucran's division being in re-
serve. Cr,ieudeu's corps was posted on com
paratively high grounds, on their left PalmeTs
and Van CIeyez divisions in front Woods III
reserve.
The battle was expected all day Tuesday bu
the enemy merely skjrmished aud threw te"
shells, one Of which killed Orderly Mcdonald
4th United States cavalry, not ten feet IRON
Gen. RoseDcrans.
That afternoon the Anderson Pennsylvania
cavalry, on McCook'5 flank. was drawn into an
arbuscade, and its two Majors, Rosengarten
and Waid. were killed. Cnttenden'8 corps
lost four killed and twenty-one wounded thai
day including Adit Elliotto the 9th Indiana
severely McCook' S loss was about nifty on the
same day.
The rebel cavalry made a dash on our rear al
Lavergne, burnt few wagons ana captured
thirry-fve prisoners.
That night dispositions were made to attack
the enemy in the morning Alter dark the
enemy was reported moving upon McCook OBJ
viousIy to attack our right wing. This cores
pended with the wishes of Gen. Rosencrans
who instructed Gen McCook TO hold him IL
check stubbornly, while the left wing shoulC
be thrown into Murfreesboro, behind the enc
my.
at daybIeak, on the last day Of December
everything appeared working we'll The battle
had opened on the right, and our left wing wa
on hand At o'clock ominous sounds indl'
Gated that the fire was approaching the left
Aids were dispatched for information,a and foun(
the forest full of flying negr oes, with some strag
Cling soldiers, who reported whole regiment
falling back rapidly.
Meantime, one Of McCook's aids had an
nounced TO Rosencrans that Gen johnson ha'
permitted the batteries Of his division to BE- cap
tured by a sudden ATTACK of the enemy, which
had somewhat demOralized the troops. Thi
was obvious
The brave Gen. Sill, one of our best officers
was killed. General Kirk, severely wounded
and General Which killed or missing, beside
other valuable officers.
Gen, Rosepcrans sent word pressing McCOOl
to hold the front he would help him and
would all work right. He now galIoped to tn
front of Crittenden's LETT with his staff, to orde
the line of battle when the enemy opened I
full battery and emptied two saddles OF the es
cort
Van Cleve's division was sent to the right
u 49, IL -. Tho fro rom in
ued to approach on the right with alarming
rapidity, extending to the centre, and 1t wa
GEAR that the right was doubling upon the left
The enemy had compelled US 20 make com
plete change of front on that wing, ami wer
pressing the centre Ger. RoseucraHs. wit
splendid daring, dashed uty the frrious fir
md sending his staff along the lines, starte
B5attys brigade Some SIX batteIl 5 1pen=
and sustained magnificent fire.
Directly o tremendous shout was raised ai"o
the whole line. The enemy began to fall bac
rapidly. The General himself urged the troo
forward. The rebels, thoroughly punishe
were driven back fully mile, The same Spie
did bravery was displayed in the centre, an
the whole line advanced
Meantime, the enemy made formidable d
monstrations upon our left while thew prepal
ed tor anothe, onslaught on our right.
Meanwhile orders had been issued tC NOV
0ur left upon the enemy Before they had IN
to execute them, they burst upon our centre wi
awful fury, and it began 10 D etH. Rousseau
division was carried into the b. ach maZnIt
Gently by heir glorious leader aud he enen
again retrel ed hastily into the dense ced
thiCket.
Again they esSsyed our right. and again W
were driven back. This time she number
strapglers were formidable, and iht proste
was discouraging but there M panic. II
Gsuerai confident of success. continued 10 vis
every point Of the field, and with the aid
Thomas McC3ok. Oittenden Rousseau Ne!
lev and Wooi, the tide OF battle was again turt
ed.
Early in the day we were severely embarras
ed by the enterprise of the rebel cavalry, vi
made some serious dashes upon some of Mo
Cook s ammunition and subsistence trains, cal
turing number Of wagons and artillery An
munition was alarmingIy scarce. At one tin
il was announced that not single wagon loa
of it could be found. Some of our batteri
were quiet or that account This mistortut
was caused by the capture of McCOok's tTai
About 2 clock the battle had shifted aga
from the right TO the left The enemy disco
ering the impossiblIity Of succeeding in the
main design, had suddenly massed his forces
the left, crossing the river or moving und
cover of high bluffs from his right; and f
about two hours the fight ragged with unremi
ting fury, to the advantage of the enemy. for
checked by our murderous fire of both muSke
ry and artillery. The scene al this period WIS
magpigcently terrible. The whole battle w,
In full view the enemy deploying right ar
left, bringing up their batteries III fine style
our own vomiting smoke and iron missiles up0
them with awful fury, and our gallant fellow
moving to the front with untiinchng c0urag
or lying fat upon their faces to escape the rel
81 fire until the moment for action. There WI
not place on the field that did not give men
satisfactory idea ola hot fire. Solid shot shell
and minnie balls ratified around like hail Ro
eucrans himself was necessarily exposed 1t
wonderful that he escaped. His chef OF stat
the noble Lieut.. Col Garesche, had his hea
taken off by round shot, and the blood spat
tered the General aud some of the staff. Lieu
Lyman, lust behind him, was lifted clear out
his saddle by a bullet which shattered his lie
arm. Three Orderlies,aud Sergeant Richmond
of the 4th United States cavalry, were kilie
not ten feet from the General and five or 81
horses in the staff aud escort were struck
Between 4 and o'clock the enemy appar
emily exhausted by the rapid and incessant as
saults, took up position not assaiable wlthou
abundant artillery, aud the fire on both Side
slackensd, aud finally ceased at dark, the bal
tie having ragged fer eleven hours.
The loss on our side is, considering the ter
Ihc nature Of the firing, comparatively hmitet
The whole casualty lisI that day, iRcludin
captures, did not exceed. perhaps, 1850;
whom not m5re than one fourth were killed
Tins is attributable to tbs care taken to max
our men lie down. The enemy's loss mu'
have been more severe.
When the battle closed the enemy occup' e
the ground which was ours in the morning. H.
the advantage is, therefore, in their favor.
The object in attacking was TO cut us off tror
Nashville. They almost succeeded The
played their old game. IfMcCook's corps ha
he'd more firmly against Hardee's corps an
Cheatham'r division, whom be fought, Rosen
ciau7 plan OF battle would have succeeded.
A. dark be enemy had heavy force on gu
rig t, leading 10 the belief that they int, de-
80 pursue. Their cavalry, meantime, was ex
cessively troublesome cutting deeply into GU
trains behind sand We had not cavalry enrue