The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1863-02-06
Arrag Correspondence.
CAMP NEAR MURFREEsBoRo', TENN. J
January Goth, 1868 (
FpIrNn RsrNNrp

n.. ;. For the information
Of the friends of the 10th Ohio Regiment,
and company D in particular, you will
please find place in your Journal for a
short letter from one of its actors.
We left our camp, near Nashville, on
the morning of the 10Th ofDecember, and
took the Nolinsville Pike, Sherriden and
Davis Divisions, in advance; ours the
lst, was to be held in reserve. Our ad-
vance began to skirmsh with the enemy's
cavalry soon after leaving our picket.lines.
This continued all day. We reached No
linsville soon after dark, and encamped in
woods near the place. Our advance met
with large body of the enemy's cavalry,
posted in this woods, bu, soon made them
skedadale, with some loss on both sides.
The trees bore marks Of shot and shell in
many places.
In the evening it commenced raining
hard-the boys pitched their Shelter tents,
or as they dub them, DOG Tents"--your
humble servant stretching himself on the
ground by the side Of ia fire, with a ban-
ket over him. 1t rained all night. The
"Dog Tents" before despised by most of
the boys, were now set down as one of the
Institutions, not to be dispensed with.
On the 9th we moved forward seven
miles, skirmishing all the wsy-ained
hard all day--encamped near a deserted
village, Triune, in woods previously oc-
cupied by the "Rebs." for camp, on the
farm of Gen. Perkins, now in the Rebel
Army. 1t continurd raining all night. l
turned in with three others, in one of the
little tents { by S feet) but could not
sleep.
On the 28th we moved on five miles,
and learned that the rebels had gone
to Murfr, esboro', when we returned to
the place we occupied the night before,
and drew ratons. This night lay down
on some rails-not Old Abe s--by the
side Of a good rail fire, and succeeded in
getting about two hours sleep.
The goth we started for Murfreesboro',
reaching our camping place after dark, it
being six miles from the town. Here we
were not allowed to build fi1es,as we were
enc,mped in field. After the re-
cent rains, the ground being very muddy,
the men fixed for the nights rest, the best
they could under the circumstances; my
self and several others taking to rails, here
again. morpheus" was destined to de-
sert us, for We had not more then fixed
for Sleep when it began to rain, and con-
tinued during the night. We weathered
it through till break Of day, when we all
made up for loss of sleep and cold, by
burning rails, making coffee, frying meat
on stick, and warming our "Hardtack"
to soften them. Our meal being over, we
again set out. The skirmishing was now
becoming more brisk as we advanced, un-
til about 4 o'clock, P. M. We found the
enemy posted in thick woods and under
the cedar brush. Our columns cautious
ly advanced, until they came within the
range of the enemy land thep opened their
batteries, the rebels quickly replying -
The action now became general along the
whole line, and continued until night set
in, Our forces gaining little or no ground,
and losing number of men. Our divis,
ion was still on the reserve. In the even
ing the enemy were found to BE moving
around to our right, with the intention of
Aanking us. Our division was called out
on the extreme right, and posted very
quietly, after dark. Our pickets were
then threwn out, and everything done to
guard against surprise. Sentinels were
kept up at every company. AT 5 O'Clock
in the morning, "wednesday 3Oth) the
sentinels reused the camp, and the men
all stood under arms until nearly day
light Up to this time, all had bsen
quiet along the picket lines. We were
now, ordered to build small fires, and make
some coffee. We had just got our coffee
ready to drink when bang, bang, went sew
eral guns on the picket line, Immediately
in front Of our Brigade, and the next sec
ond volley after volley, and the bullets
were whistling in too close proximity to
our heads, to be comfortable. The cry
to arms, came up to the regimet from the
Colonel. We left our cofee--threw our
tents and blankets on a pile, and sprang
for our arms. By this time we could dis.
tinctly hear the rebels cheering. They
were charging on our batteries, 1.-TWO in
number) the horses all being off to water
but those belonging to one section, which
succeeded in getting away; the rest were
captured, and turned against US in fifteen
minutes. We were taken by SURPRISE
General Which was wounded and taken
prisoer. witheut giving a command. The
men became panic stricken. The other
regiments we're running in all directions;
ours being the last to leave. We fell back
in an open field, land undertook to counter.
march in the center of the field, and had
partly succeeded, when the rebels sent
a volley into our ranks thinning them
some. had given the order to Compa-