The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1864-12-20
GEN. THOMAS.
The Battle of the 10th.
Complete and Vivid Details
Pesition Of the Forces before the Rat
tle-.TeRrible and Determined Fight
tnS..Hsrrible appearance Of the
Field after the Conlict.-5,O 900 Pris-
snera 80 guns and 1000 small arms
Csptared.

/ M8esROrfADAe appearance Oh tne
Field after the Conlict.-5, 900 Pris.
snera 50 gums and Z 1000 small arms
Captared.
[Press DispatchI p. ~
CINCINNATI, Dec 1e-The Gazette pub.
fishes Q vivid description of the battle OF
the 10Th.
The day opened cloudy. with indica-
an early hour, but this soon cleared away,
and at 8 o'clock we were able to deter;
mine the enemy position. During the
| night Of the 18th, Hood withdrew both
Of his wings from the river, contracted
his lines everywhere, and was holding a
strong position along Granny White
Hills, his centre protected by two lines
of entrenchments.
Our own troops were disposed in the
| following order: Wilson's corps on the
extreme right. Schofelds23d corps, con-
| sisting of COUGHS and Coxs divisions,
| were at first held in reserve, but before
| the main battle opened, had taken a pos
| ition ON the left of the cavalry, thus
forming the right Our infantry line, A.
| J. Smiths 10th corps, consisting OF the
| divisions of NJ M'Arthur, Garrard and Moore,
came next on the left Of Schofeld, On
the left of Smith the magnificent 4th
CORDS Of T. J. Wood, consisting Of the
divisions of Kemball, Elliott and Sam
Beatty, was formed In close order OF
battle and partially massed steadman,
with Crafts division and two brigades of
colored troops, held the extreme left
Our plan of battle was continuation OF
that on the 18th, in pressing the advan-
tage gained on the enemy's left
At about half past four our batteries
opened from hundred pieces simultans-
ously along the entire lines The rebel
artillery replied feebly Schoheld, mar
ching down Granny White Pike, careful.
ly concealing his strength, placed his
corps directly upon the enemy's left
flank. Steadman at the same time worked
his way forward, and the enemy i'll the
meantime strengthened his advanced
line. This determined Wood to carry his
line without delay in splendid order
| Kimballs first division moved forward TO
charge, firing volley after volley. Still
| they pressed on until within half a mile
of the spot, when the eenemy's fire became
so deadly that our men, in order to return
| it more effectually, came to halt
Longer, perhaps, than any troops ever re-
NAMED in such positions, they stood and
fred fast and fuTiously at the enemy, but
they could not remain there and live
A few gavUDway and fled in disorder
The whole line staggered, and had the
rebels done nothing more than to keep up
their deadly fire, should have been driven
back; but they made a movement to shut
their artillery, which our men received
as an indication that they were about to
abandon their works and retire Raising
loud shout, the division, with fixed bay.
onets, rushed impetuously forward, and
swarming over the works captured such
rebels as had not fed They had time to
get away two guns, but the rest fell into
| our hands.
As soon as this preliminary success
was achieved, Gen Thomas, who was seen
during the day in the very front line OF
battle, ordered charge along the entire
line. Schofeld moved upon the left
| flank Of the enemy, and before his vete'
rams the rebels gave way like frost work
| The assailed flank crumbled 10 pieces a:
! Schofeld advanced, and was rolled back
upon that portion of the line which just
now was attacked by A ]. Smiths troops
with weight and energy nothing could
withstand, McMillen's brigade, foremost
in the battle as on the previous day
rushed right up in the very teeth o1
three rebel batteries and carried at the
point of the bayonet the 5aheM point Of
the enemy's works in few moments
Their works were everywhere carried
their forces utterly routed, their soldier:
captured BY thousands, and every piece
of his artillery fell i'll our hands Such
as escaped death OF capture fled toward
Franklin pike and took refuge behind
S. D. Lees corps, which held the gaps III
the hills.
Wood and Steadman on the lett had
now united and prepared to assault the
rebel right, which was still unbroken.--
Col. Posts brigade moved forward
Straipht's brigade of Sam Beatty's divis
ion formed on his right in support imrne
diately on Posts left Ihompson's col
ored brigade was drawn up; Morgan
colored brigade was next on the left
The enemy resumed their fire until Posts
brigade commenced to climb the hill
when a perfect hurricane of shot. shell
and canister tore through his ranks IL
| the face of this fire our men steadily ad
vanced, The colored troops We'd with
| the white in the persistent energy with
which they forced their way up the hill
Thompson's men, in endeavoring to pass
around to the left, met terrible hank
fire, which confused their ranks.
The troops on the right, torn III pieces
by the terrible fire, paused All instant
and at this juncture the brave Colonel
Post was mortally wounded. In a mo
ment all order was lost aud our nen
whose conduct had immort allied them
rushed back confused and bleeding to the
line from whence they started. Wood
soon reformed his broken battalhons and
issued orders for a renewal of the assault
while Posts veterans again assailed the
hill directly, and Thompson's Africans
moved on the rebel right Elhotts and
Kimballs divisions were hurled like
thunderbolt against the rebels LETT
Wood himself, accompanied by all his
statY followed and directed the charge
The rebel fire blazed forth anew, but oul
soldiers without hesitation OF pause car
ried the entire works, with all their
Uuns. and drove the rebels IN dismayy
Hom the hill. This was the last stand
the rebels made, and their whole army
was now fleeing in rout and panic
Had not the night interviewed, the
srmv would have been destroy ed
GoIA