The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-16
The Battles before Murfreesboro'.

The Battles before Murfreesboro'.
Since the smoke has cleared away that
rested upon the events before Murfrees-
boro', from the 3lst ult. to the 4th inst,
we are enabled TO form a more impartial
judgment in connection with them. On
Wednesday, the 3lst Of December, the
great battle was fought, commencing by
an attack on the enemy's right wing by
Gen. Hardee's corps. The enemy was dri-
ven steadily for some three miles by our
intrepid soldiers, who constantly encoun-
tered fresh lines. drawn up in chosen po-
sitions, which they assailed with unsur-
passed heroism, capturing battery after
battery and driving the invaders before
them as they advanced. After the enc
my's right wing had been doubled upon
his centre and left, an assault was made
upon his centre, which, though partially
successful, did not result so satisfactorily
as the operations against his right, in con-
sequence of the greater portion OF his
forces being massed upon that stronghold,
strong in its natural position, as well as in
The vast superiority Of the numbersa and ar
tillery there concentrated. Although our
forces did not succeed in driving the ene-
my from his strongest position in the GEN.
tre-a commanding oval eminence de-
Tended by more than twenty pieces of his
best artillery and by his best troops-yet
so vigorous was the assault male upon IT,
that he deemed it prudent voluntarily to
abandon it during the night. There was
very little fighting on our right, opposite
to the enemy's left, during Wednesday
except with artillery, and the lines here
remained very much in the same position.
On Thursday their was heavy skirmishiug
with no particular result. On Friday even
ing portion of Gen. Breckinridge's Di-
vision, composing our right wing, made a
most daring and gallant attack upon the
Yankee left, which had been pushed
across Stones river near the Lebanon
turnpike. The attack cost US many gal
liant life, among Others Gen. Roger Han
son, of Kentucky, and Capt. Eldridge
Wright of the artillery. The enemy was
driven from his position North of Stones
river, but being enabled, from his DISPOSE
tons, to bring to bear tremendous en-
filading fire of artillery upon the position
thus gained, our troops were compelled to
retire to their original position.
During Saturday, which was compare
lively quiet, with only slight skirmshing,
council Of General Officers was held and
it was unanimously determined to retire
on that night up the Shelbyvillean and Man
chester roads. The dispositions of Gen.
Bragg for the retreat were never excelled.
The immense wagon and ordnance trains
we're all in line and on the march before
twelve o'clock, and the troops soon after
commenced following by Divisions, the
last Division, Gen. Cheatham's, not leav-
ing the line of battle until few minutes
before daylight The Cavalry Divisions
of Gen. Wheeler and Gen. Whal ton pro-
tected the rear, remaining in Murfrees-
boro' for several hours on Sunday. Rosen-
Grams, the Abolition General, did not
even discover the retreat until I o'clock
Sunday morning, after he had marched
his forces several miles from the battle
field. The night was stormy, but full
moon sent its rays through the murky
clouds and would have permitted keen
vigilance to detect any retrograde move
ment, had not the Yankee soldiers been
too busily employed in looking after their
own safety. That they themselves were
on the retrograde, there is no doubt, but
it is probable they were only drawing of
to rest their wearied and exhausted troops,
with the intention to again return.
The reasons for the retreat of Gen.
Bragg may be briefly summed up to be:
LIST, Our brave troops were thoroughly
exhausted. They had been in line OF
battle, without a moments intermission,
for six days, from Sunday morning, the
28th December, to Saturday night, Janu.
airy 4th, subjected to all the changes Of
temperature, frost, rain and cold, and
without fires or sufficient rations to cheer
them. They were therefore worn out
I'd. Cen. Wheeler, of the Cavalry, had
reported 20 the commanding General that
large reinforcSmentsw were arriving within
the enemy's lines during Friday night
and Saturday. This OF itself was suffi
cient tosettle the question IN the exhaust
ed condition of our troops. The Generals
all therefore determined to fall back to q
stronger position, where our devoted anc
patriotic men could have rest and recruit
their strength and be prepared to meet
the next onslaught of the insolent foe
They there stand to day, a wall Of fire, tc
protect our homes, and, with the aid Of
Forrest and Morgan, who have now re,
turned, give to the Aholitonists warmer
reception than they met with at Muir
freesboro', though the latter has taught
them lesson that the survivors will
pever forget.
Confederate Congress.
The House met at IL, Monday. Nc
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