Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-01-09

In tnis despatch II is also stated that the Fee
deral forces do not yet occupy Murfreesboro,
ana that the Confederates were being strongly
reinforced from Richmond
The Federal account of the attack on Vicks-
burg is in direct confict with toe one publish
ed from the Richmond papers. 1t is stated
that their forces moved upon Yicksburg from
the Yazoo CD Saturday, the 9th ult., and
drove the Confederates from their entrench-
ments On Sunday concentrated movement
was made by the whole force and the Contede-
rate works carried by storm.
On Friday last large detachment of Stu
arts cavalry made dash into Dumfries and
captured some public stores and suffers wa
gons. Two drivers only escaped by cutting
the traces and riding off on their horses. The
Confederate movement was very rapid.
From the Gazette, Of yesterday, we extract
the following summing pof the series of bat
4 ties at Murfreesboro:
Now that the smoke OF the great battle and
Of the series Of skirmishes before Mnrfreesboro.
has partially disappeared, we begin to get
clearer glimpses OF the results that have been
actually achieved and to understand, though
somewhat vaguely as yet, what has been ac-
l'compllshed. Leaving out of the estimate as
entirely worthless, the Eumberless kilograms
! from irresponsible sources that flooded the CO.
lumns OF the newspapers during the past ten
Hdays but accepting as trustworthy the des-
spatches Of General Rosecrans TO the War De-
apartment at Washington, and the fuller details
OF the same events, 10 be found in the CORES
pondence Of the New York and the Cincinnati
papers, we propose to state frankly and with
out prejudice OR partiality, the conclusions 10
winch they lead. First, then, as to the motives
which aeluated Rosecrans in abandoning his
fortified position at Nashville and marching
/ against the Contederates encamped at Murtrees-
/ boro some thirty miles TO the South The
correspondent OF the Cincinnati Commercial
writing from Rosecrans headquarters, assigns
the following reasons for the movement: ''It
had been ascertained that Braggs force did
not at any time exceed As 900 electives Of all
arms. On the oath OF December it had been de-
pleled by the detachment of portion Of For
rests cavalry, sent 10 cut Grants communica-
ilonsi OF Morgau's cavalry, pushed out to cut
our own communications, and OF one division
say 5000 men, of Kirby Smiths corps, which
were ordered to reinforce the Rebel prmy Of
Mississippi. All together, say TO- 900 men,
II now seemed opporlune to strike" If this
| estimate were correct, Bragg force, when The
battle commenced, did not exceed thirty-fge
thousand men. An extractfrom the Murirees-
bore Rebel Banner puts it, however, at forty
thousand, and It's therefore safe to assume that
forty thousand constituted his entire strength
What number Vt men had Rusecrans actively
engaged in this expedition? Here, we can only
speak approximately. In the Confederate Jour |
nal from which we have Just quoted the seve-
raj divisions under Roseerans which fought /
before Mur,reesooro' are said to have eompris- !
ed, In the aggregate, seventy thousand men.
from the Tribune correspondence we learn |
incidentally, there were one hundred and ihil- /
ty SIX Federal Colonies on the field. As each |
Colonel usually represents a regiment, we
might assume that in the several divisions |
there were one hundred and thirty-sx reg- |
ments; but as some Of the Colonies enumera-
ted may have been serving as staff officers, we
deduct for that purpose twenty-six Of them
leaving one hundred and ten commanding re- |
giments actually in the field. If we allow an
average Of only six hundred men to a reg- |
ment, the total strength Of Rosecrans COM
nland would be sixty-six thousand men, sup
ported by more than one hundred pieces Of
artillery. Ii these speculations be correct, or
nearly so, the relative strength Of the two ar |
mics opposed 10 each other may be thus stated 1
Federal army, under Gen Rusecrans, &C 600
Confederate army, under Gen. Bragg, 40 600
This would give, at the outset, numerical
superiority 10 the Federal army, over that of
the Confederate, Of twenty-six thousand men
In ARTILLERY the Confederates are also said to
have been weaker THAI their opponents; but
this difference probably found toll compensa-
ton, in the fact that General Bragg had the
choice Of position,
We now proceed TO take up and condense
the narrative as derived from the sources nj
ready Indicated On the 26th of December,
the Federal army left Nashville by three diff
terent roads, all leading in The direction OF
MarfteeSboro; and after three days skirmsh-
ing, during which the enemyis pickets were
slowly driven back, arrived, on the Both, in
the vicinity OF Murreesboro', where the main
body Of the Confederates was found to be
drawn up in line Of battle on the east side of
Stone river, short distance north of Muir
treesborp. The whole of that day was spent
in accommodating, and Mt night the troops took
up the positions assigned them preparatory TO
the battle, which, it was expected, would take
place thefJlowlng morning. On Wednesday,
The 3lst, the engagement commenced at day
break, and, at its close, McCook division, on
the right had been dryen back, with great
slaughter, six miles from the field, and doub-
ling upon the left wing, swung it round, as
on pivot, and compelled Rosecrans to exc
cute complete change of 'front.' Between
live and six O'Clock, the fire on both sides
s.ackened, and finally ceased AZ dark. q When |
the battle closed, says the Tribune CORES
pondent, the enemy occupied the ground
which was ours in the morning."
On Thursday, January lst the battle was
resumed at dawn; but sat no time during
g did the lighting amount TO much more than
heavy skrmishing."
On Friday, January %, terrible cannon
AIDE commenced about nine clock, which
lasted for about half an hour. After this,
there was nothing more than heavy skirmish-
ing during the remainder Of the day. The
advantages of the last two days lighting, were,
however with the Federals, who repulsed, on
several occasions, the attacks OF the CouleG-
crates, and succeeded in regaining a portion
Of the ground which had been lost on the 3lst
On Saturday, January Sd, beyond some de-
sultory skirmlshing, there was no serious con-
diet null towards evening, when, in the midst
OF a furious rain-sIorm, the Coniederates at
tackled the lefr wing of the Federal army,
which had been thrown across Stone river,
aud although they were repulsed General |
koseerans = deemed 1t prudent 10 withdraw
that wing during the night Simultaneous
ly with the retirement of the Federal left wing.
the Coniederatcs commenced to withdraw from
Murfleesboro This movement appears to
have been coolly and deliberately made They
buried III. dad they carried off all their
wounded that would bear transportation; re-
mON ed all their military storee. and viii, tba;,