, 1864-12-09
FROM NASHVILLE.
flic City and the military Situation.


[From the Nashville Union, Dec G.1
In our last We presented the readers Of the
O7'1on with a riew Of affairs III aud around
Nashville up 10 Saturday night.
sunday morning opened clear 1nd cold.
1he usual Sabbath quiet was disturbed by the
a1rest ~ Of citizens on the street BY the guards
work on the dcfenses of The ely. Hundreds
who had gone out on the streets for rccrea-
t1on were "picked upr and escorted. with.
out q why or q wherefore, to the sccno or
shoycls and picks. Many cases OF aaerant
injustice occurred, in the forcible seizure Of
gentlemen in feeble health, unable to Weld q
spade or anything else, and hurryinr M them .
along the streets, without regard to conse
quences. It seems to us that there ought tn
be o discretion given to guards to prevent
such abuses. Outside Of tie scenes growing
ont & of THIS impFcssment, the city Yas shout
as 4uiet as usual on the 9abbath. :
On the lines OF the army around tho civ
there was considerable skirmlshinr. Tia
rebels were evidently determined TO press
nearer 10 the city, but their movements were
closely watched, and provoked, in repeated
residence, on The middle franklin Pike, hay-
Ing become resort for rebel shafpshootcr5.
Was shelled and torn to pieces.
A private residence on the Hfllsboro Pike
between the lines Of tho two armies, occupied
1y females, became a dangerous place, and
during the afternoon shell dropped into it,
doing much damage, but fortunately iniurlnr
none Of the occupants, who vacated al onc5
and came TO the city. 4 cavalry fight oc-
CURED on this Pike, In which the rebels were
gcntccly thrashed und sent off In hurry.
Cannonading was kept up until after dark,
Amongst the points tint received attention
from the cannoniers, re learn, vas the resi-
dence Of Mr. Joseph Vaux, on the franklin
Pike, rebels having collected there,
Yesterday the morning opened fnrrv anf
at an carly hour cannonadiug was Heard ut
various points on our extended line.
At 10 O'Clock, 8. m., the 14th and 16.h U.
$: colorcd troops, under Col. Morgan, the
GSth Indiana, under Col. Biddle, made re-
connoisance by direction Of Major General
Stcdman, between the Chicken and Muir
ffcesboro Pixies. They advanced with gallan-
try across the hill on which Felix r. Rains
resides, ana drove the enemy from their in
ttenehmcnts, capturing a first lieutenant of
tie 5th Mississippi, aud sixteen men. The
colorcd troops came within few yards Of
capturing Generals Frank, Cheatham and
Lowry, who secured their escape by the lsct.
ness ot their horses. The Lieutenant con-
firms the death Of Gen. Pat. Cleburn, and says
Gen. Chcatlam is in command Of the DlYi-
sion. He says the rebel troops have been as
they do not believe it, because they know
Beaurega1d and Dick Taylor have not The
men to do that Job. He says. also. that hfs
Brigadier lost two thirds Of bis command at
Franklin. The object of the reconnaissance
having been accomplished, the command re-
turned to their respective positions, and were
comp1imented by Gen. stedman upon tic |
handsome manner In which they Lad execu-
ted his order.
Amongst the sympaahizers with the rebel
lion, there were numerous rumor5 in circula- |
ton; The most important Of which were
relative to reiniorcements said to have been
received By the enemy. We do not regard |
them US worth mentioning, although It is |
plain that this class Of our citizens place i'm.
plcit confidence in them, and we could detect |
in their mcin and department something Of |
spirit of e1ultation, not witnessed since the |
transit Of Buell. in 1862. They evidently ex- !
pcct something favorable to their cause.
On the other hand, Union citizens are cool !
and confident. They know that the feeling |
Of our lines by the enemy, BY skitmishing, Is
forces, or even to de1e3op them. -
And we may add, at no time has the conf
dcnce of our troops been greater or the sub
stantial reasons for such confidence 30 strong,
We do not anticipate any attack, In force.
on our present front, Is, independent Of the
advantageous disposition Of our troops, and
the spirit Of the men on the advanced line,
we are satisfied no rebel commander is fool
hardy enough to risk an attack against apy
portion Of the Union position, franklin, on
q Lesser scale, proves how fruitless the often
siye can be taken By force presumably equal
or even overbalanced half. So, granting
that the rebels have the prcponderance in
numbers claimed for them, still We cannot
believe their leader seriously medltatcs an u.s.
eault on Nashville. Hood has shown himself
rash, if not desperate; and his men may be
equally so, but he has had sore experience
enough to cure him Of this folly.