Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-12-21
TELEGRAPHlO NEWS.
THE WAR IN TENNESSEE.

CT Guns Taken The Victory Truly
"DecIsive''-Ferrest's Command Reut.
ed-Hls Lass very Heavy-3,OOO Wound.
ed Rebels at Franklin.
NASHVILLE, Dec. ia courier, who LEFT
Franklin yesterday, reports that the rebel force
is in full retreat.
the rebels on Saturday, capturing large num-
Der Of prisoners.
The attn corps crossed the Harpeth river at
Franklin on Sunday morning. Franklin is re-
ported to be full of rebel wounded, over 3000
being le there on their retreat. Every church
and public building In the town has been taken
for hospitals. Our wounded occupy nearly all
the churches. 1t Is rumored here that Ros-
seau's command attacked and routed part of
Forests force, near Marfreesboro, on the 18th
instant
Forests Defeat.
NASHVILLE, Dec. 20.-An officer OF General
Rosseau's staff, just from the headquarters OF
General Thomas, arrived last night
Our forces were then at Spring Hill, near
Colunbia The remnant Of Hoods army was
at Duck river, which he was crossing as fast
as possible. All our wounded left in Frank
lin were recaptured also the rebel severely
wounded, including General Quarles, of Ten
nessee, formerly supervisor OF the banks in
this State.
Yesterday mornir & General Hatch captured
three guns from the rebel cavalry at Spring
Hill
Our total captures of artillery from Hood
rest in his attack op Murfreesboro, on Thurs
day last, ia estimated at ,500 killed and wound
ed, who tell into our hands.
The rebel army, from all accounts, has be-
come utterly oemoraliZed, and is unable to
make q stand. Ithas scarcely any artillery.
The telegraph is working to Spring Hill.
Trains will run TO Franklin this morning.
General Schofield was in Columbia yester-
day morning. Our total wounded in the bat
ties of Thursday end Friday will reach but
little over two thousand. 3
Details u the Battle of Friday.
CINCINNATI, Dec. I9.-The day opened
cloudy, with indications of rain. There was
den Sc fog at an early hour, but this soon
cleared away, and ct eight O'Clock we We're
| able to determine the enemy's position.
During the night Of the 18th, Hood withdrew
| both his wings from the river. contracted his
| lines everywh here, and was holding strong
| position along Granny White Hills, Wi his
| ceEtre protected by two lines of entrench-
| ments.
Our own troops were disposed in the follow
| ing order: Wilson's cavalry was on the
| treme right Schofield's 23d corps, consisting
| Of Couch's and Cox's divisions, was at first
held IN reserve, but before the main battle
| opened, it had to take aposition on the left OF
| the cavalry, thus forming the right of our in
| fantry line. A. j. Smiths 10th corps, con.
| sisting of the division Of nj cArthur, Garrard,
| and Moore, came next on the left of Schofield
| On the left of Smith the magnificent ith corps,
General T. J. Wood commanding, comprising
| the divisions of Kimball, Elliott, and Sam
| Beatty was formed In close order OF battle.
division and two brtgades OF colored troops,
held the extreme left.
Onr plan OK O21tie was cOntn ua0ce or tne
| 18th, in pressing the advantage gained on the
enemy's left At about halfpast eight o'clock
| our batteries opened from a hundred pieces
slmTl'aneoTsiy along the whole whole line The Tn
| marching down Granny White pike, carefully
| concealing his strenth, placed his corps direct
e upon & 'as @ enemy a de. m 1ans aarn aaman rns m
| enemy in the meantime strengthened his
| advance line. 1t was determined to carry this
| line without delay. kimballs lst division
| moved forward to the charge, firing volley
after volley, but still steadily pressed on until
within half pistol shot, when the enemy's
fire became SO deadly that our men, In order
to return ii more effectuaIly came to the halt !"
They remained here, perhaps, longer than any
troops ever remained IN such position. They
stood and fired fast and furious at the enemy,
but they could not remain and live. A few
gave way and fled in disorder, and the whole
line staggered, and had the rebels done nothing
more than kept up their deadly fire. we should
have been driven back; but they made move
mert to shift their artillery, which our men
received as an indication that they were about
to abandon their lines and retire. Raising
loud shout, the division, with fixed bavonets,
rushed Immediately forward, and swarming
over the works captured such rebels as had
not fed. They had time to get two guns
away. but the rest tellin our hands.
As soon as this preliminary success was
achieved, General Thomas, who was seen
during the day in the very front of the
the line OF battle, ordered charge along the
SchofieId moved on the left flank Of the
enemy, and before his veterans the rebels gave
way like hOstwork.
The assailed flank crumbled to pieces as
Schofeld advanced, and rolled back upon that
portion OF the line which was just now at.
tackled by A. j.. Smiths troops with weight
and energy nothing could Withstand. McMiI-
lan's brigade, foremost in the battle, as on the
previous day, rushed right up in the very
teeth ofthIee powerful rebel batteries. and car
ried 1t at the point of the bayonet the salient
point OF the enemys works. In few moments
their works were everywhere overwhelmed,
their forces utterly routed, their soldiers cap
tured by thousands and every piece of their
artillery was in our hands.
Such as escaped death or capture fled to-
wards Franklin pike. to refuge behind A. ID.
Lees corps, which held the gap in the hills.
Wood and Steadman had now united on the
lett, and prepared to assault the rebel right
which was still unbroken. Under cover of q
tremendous fire from our guns, Colonel Posts
brigade moved forward. Straight's brigade OF
Sam. Beatty's division, formed on his right
In support, Immediately on Posts left, Tho
mass colored brigade was drawn up, and
Morgan's colored brigade was next on the
left.
The enemy reserved his fire until Posts brig.
ade commenced clim bing the hill, when a per
feet hurricane of shot, shell, and CAMS ter tore
through bis ranks. In the face of this fire our
men steadily advanced. The. colored troops
We'd with the white in the persistency with
which they forced their way up the hill.
Thompson's men, In endeayoring to pass
around to the left, met a terrible flank fire.
which confused their ranks. The troops on tue
stant, and at this juncture tha brave Colonel
Post was mortally wounded. In moments ali
order was lost, and our men, whose conduct
had immortallzed them, rushed back, confused
and bleeding, 10 the line from which they
started Wood soon reformed his broken bat.
talions and issued orders for the renewa Of
the assault, while Posts We terans again as
sailed the hill directly. and Thompson's
Africans moved on the rebel right. ElIiott's
and himbalPs divisions Were hurled like a
thunderbolt against the rebel left. Wood
himself, accompanied by all his staff, followed
and directed the charge The rebel force
blazed forth anew, and our soldiers, without
hesitation or panic, carried the entire works
with all their guns, and drove the rebels in
dismhy from the hill. This was the last stand
the rebels made, and their whole army was
now fleeing in rout and panic. Had not night
ntervened the enemy would have been de-
staoYed
The appearance of the battle Held was horri-
blee in the extreme Rain was falling rapidly,
the ground thickly covered with dead and
dying: camp equipage torn and trodden in the
mud. was mingled with shattered artillery