The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-02-27

Z
We have the report Of Acting Brigadiel
CARLlN, Colonel of the Ssth Illinois, GOV.
sring the operations Of his brigade during
he battles near Mufreesboro, during the
last days of December, and the first days
January. Frequent allusion is made in
this report to the conduct and valuable
.ervices rendered by the End Minnesota
Battery, under Capt. HorcHKIss. That
these services may be known to our PEG.
pie, who take commendable pride in the
good conduct of our volunteers, we ex-
tract a few passages, scattered through the
report.
Near night of the 3Oth December, the
brigade of Col. CARLIN's was opposed by a
superior force, and for time suffered Sc
verely from the fire of infantry and artil-
lery. Two batteries had opened on his
line, and, finding position where he
could halt, he determined to do so, and
wait. the arrival of reinforcements. AT
this juncture, the report says:
Col. Alexander, Dist Illinois Volunteers,
without instructions from me, ordered his re-
giment to charge upon the Battery in his front.
His command was moving with shout at the
double-quick step, within eighty (S0) yards of
the battery, already abandoned by its cannon
GERS, when very heavy fire was opened upon
it by infantry which lay concealed behind fences
and Outhouses on the right and left of the bat
terry. This fire killed and wounded a large
number of the 21st Illinois Volunteers, and
threw the left companies into some disorder,
when the regiment was halted and formed on
the right of the 18th Wisconsin Volunteers
The fight was now fairly opened and cOntin-
ued vigorously until night by the front line of
my infantry, and the I'd Minnesota Battery
which had been placed between the regiments.
The batteries in our front were soon silenced,
but another was then opened on my right flank
distant about eight hundred 5000 yards, which
completely eniladed my lines, and considera-
bly, injured us, but this too was driven out of
sight by Captain Hotchkiss, Cd Minnesota Bat
terry, after vigorous and well directed fire.
On the 3lst, the fighting was renewed,
at daybreak, and continued throughout the
day hot and destructive. Without the fact
being communicated to Col. CARL1N, the
brlgades on either side of him had been
withdrawn, and he found himself attacked
in front and on both TANKS. He saved
his brigade from capture with great loss
and difficulty; and he mentions the fact,
as very creditable, that "the guns of the
I'd Minnesota battery were brought off in
safety" Elsewhere, in speaking of the
same days fight, he says:
Capt. w. A. Hotchkiss, Com. I'd Minnesota
Battery, with all his officers and men, deserve
credit for their galantry in the fight and energy
in preventing the loss of the battery.
In closing his report, Col. CARL1N awards
credit to several members of his staff, for
their zeal, fidelity, and courage in all the
severe engagements embraced in this re-
port;" and among those thus compli-
mented, we are glad to notice the name of
Lieut.. ALBERT WOODBURY., I'd Minnesota
Battery. Lieut.. WOODBURY. is the son of
the Hon. DWIGHT WOODBURY., of the State
Senate; and from other sources than this
report, we have had gratifying accounts of
his courage and efficiency.
From a private letter, written at the
headquarters of General DAv1ss Division,
Franklin Tennessee, on the 9th February,
we extract the following:
1--WE left our camp near Murfreesboro. on
the morning ofthe 31st January, and have been
cruising around the country in hopes of cutting
off the rebel cavalry. We heard yesterday
morning of the attack on Fort Doneson, and
General Davis started our cavalry off at once to
intercept the retreat ofthe repulsed enemy. He
went in person, in order, as he said, to make
our damned cavalry fight There has been a
good deal of complaint in our army of the in
efficiency of this arm of our service, and the
Generals are all making a heavy effort to put it
in better order.
Z" In the absence of General Davis, Colonel
Carlin has charge of the divisions and we are
now waiting for news from Davis, to know in
which direction to move. The country cannot
be traversed by artillery, save by the pixies
The mud is quite deep, and the rainy season
seems to have set in; the weather is cold; we
have some snow; the creeks are all rising ra-
pidly.
"This town is eighteen miles from Nashville,
and is a very fine location; but like every place
else in the South, all secesh. 1 do not perceive
any other sentiment at all. When fvors arc
wanted, then a strong love for "the Union as
it was, )" seems to be uppermost; but real fight
ing love for 1.-The Union is not here, nor any
where else south of the Ohio. The people here
talk to our Northwestern troops as though they
really expected soon to see a league of the
States, leaving out New England.
"What is to be done here, of course 1 do not
know. 1t looks to me as though we would
not be able to advance very far or fast. Yet,
Rosecrans's plans are inscrutable; and we de-
rive but very slim satisfaction in guessing them
out.
81 regret to state that six of our I'd Mime
sofa Battery men were taken prisoners by the
rebels to-day. They were sent out with a for
age train, under escort, of course,-but, con-
trary to the regular standing order, the Lieute-
nant in command allowed them to take horses !;
and, straying away from the train, they were
gobbled up. They were, corporals Denlinger