Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-29

Waynesboro toward Louisville, skir-
mishing as they fell back to the main
comma nd, tearing up considerable rail-
way toward Lumpkin. Wheeler made a
night attack upon Grifiin's scouts and
detachments from the maia command F;
but was repulsed by them and Col. Muir
rays brigade, which came up.
On the 28th and Goth Fitzpatrick fell
back to Big Creek, near Louisville, skir-
mishing all the way, and on the lst of
December accompanied by Baird's di-
vision of the Fourteenth corps started
for Waynesboro, met the enemy strongly
intrenched behind rail breastworks,
from which he was quickly dislodged.
On the I'd engaged the enemy, and
skirmishcd to Rock Creek near. the rail-
way, and on the Sd tore up the railway
from Lumpkin to Thomas station.
On the morning of the 4th, at seven
o'clock, the enemy was found strongly
posted on the railway two miles north
east OF Wsynesboro, in a splendid de-
fensive position with heavy rail barri-
cade, with swamp on one flank and
the railway embankment on the other.
Wheeler could not be attacked in rear
or fianks so Fitzpatrick formed his com
mand, with the Tenth Ohio on the right
center, mounted; the Ninth Michigan
right, Ninth Ohio left, Ninety second II
linois in the center.
Seizing his division flag the plucky
little trooper stepped out on the Skin
mish line, and calling across saluted
Wheeler exclaiming, "Come on now,
you cowardly scoundrel Your organs
claim you have thrashed Fitzpatrick ev-
cry time. Here's Xii himself. Come
out, and I'll not leave enough of you to
thrash corporals guard !" Wheeler
did not come out, but awaited our at
tack.
With this disposition of forces the
Tenth Ohio and Ninety second illinois
charged, the former mounted and the
latter on foot, and for while the result
was questionable, but the Ninth Michi-
gan reinforced the troops and charged
| the works, which were carried hand
| somely and at P. II. the enemy were
driven in confusion from the field. Cap
! tain Beebe's Tenth Wisconsin battery
| did fine work. Great praise is due to
| Fitzpatrick, as well as Colonels Adkins
| and Murray, and Captain Norton, who
led the charge OF the Tenth Ohio, and
who was left at Waynesboro', danger
| ously wounded. Kilpatrick's loss, thus
far, is only about four hundred killed
wounded and missing, while the enc
my's is fully two thousand. Nearly al
our wounded have been brought off tht
field and are with us.
CAPTURE OF FORT aALLrsTBR.
| At the assault of Fort McAllister, anC
subsequently, many of our soldiers wer'
killed or wounded by the explosion o.
torpedoes, which the rebels had planted
thickly about and even in the fort. The.
were rife shells, heavily loaded will
powder, with percussion fuse, whicl
exploded on being touched. They wer'
buried in the ground all about the work
and 1t was found to be extremely dan
gerous to walk outside the beaten foot
paths made by the rebels, General Sher
man ordered the rebel garrison to b
compelled to dig them out, which the.
did In great numbers, without casual
ties to themselves.
The garrison consisted of Major An
derson, commanding, who claims to b
a brother of General Robert Anderson
Captain Clincb, chief Of field artillery
Captain White, Engineer, several othe
officers and about two hundred mer
regulars and militia, all of whom, te
| gether with the artillery, horses sma
, | arms, and twenty five thousand dollar
worth of choice imported wines, place
there for afe-keeping, ellinto the hand
, of the men of Hazen's command.
Our loss was twenty-three killed an
eighty-two wounded, owing to the C,
| lerity with which the fort was stOrmet
, That of the enemy was fourteen kille
t and twenty-one wounded, besides OF
{ hundred and ninety eight enlisted me
: and thirteen officers captured.
| GEN. sHRRMAN's OBSERVATIONS ON THE 81
: - UATIoN.
!, General Sherman being asked by Ge
= Foster whether he (Foster) had not be
: ter keep possession of the batteries I
. Gently erected commanding the Charlie
ton and Savannah Railroad, so as to pi
vent any more forces joining Hardt
. replied, "You had better hold on to t
% batteries, and / can easily spare fl
l. thousand men to help you to preve
: them from running away. Yet let
= many go into Savannah as want to
:, can take care of them all. I'll open I
- lines and let in twenty thousand
~ them, II they want to go in."
- General Sherman says he has be
~ through Mississippi twice and throu
nc Georgia once. The sun goes north
y the 21st, and by that time shall
y ready to go North, too" He says
pis will go through South Carolina, q
i AZ leave g wake behind him as marked
~ y, that which marks his path throu
= Georgia, and that he will go thror
.. North Carolina also, Richmond be
~, -. his destination.
ar. HARDRR's OPERATIONS.
al To thwart any operations on our p
us to still further extend our left beyt
at the Savannah river, and seize the Un
n causeway (the only apenW left open to
Id, rebels to escape, If they shall conclude
rly adopt that as last resort,) Hardee
,he sent over a pretty strong force to h
the position and prevent it from fall
In into our hands. Whether General ST
he man proposes to to take the line of
Sig treat or not, / am not in position