The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-12-25

| once, 4au Qlllg lg6ntty y IN upFOFeu tno Iiul6
in fortifying their position During
this interval Thomas prepared to at
tack the enemy in his Notifications -
On the evening of the l4th Of Dec !,
orders were issued TO awaken the men
next morning at four, reveile at I've,
and to be ready to march at six o'clock.
Thursday morning the 18th, the men
were up and breakfast eaten long be-
fore day break. ar -s
At sunrise the vast. smphitheatre
within which $1,000 troops were en-
camped, was enveloped in a dense fog.
From the sumis Of bluff stroge n
vain 70 see whst. was being done in the
valley below. I could scarcely see q
hundred tents, but could hear sound
like the swarming of human life, ebb'
/ ing and flowing and throbbing IN ear
nest action. Six, the hour OF march
ing and yet Ell wss-qaiet- Eight pass
ed and still no orders TO march. About
nine, the morning breeze SLOWLY lifted
the fog and hosted it off TO the east
Then came marching orders. follow
the 18th Iowa, Sd brigade, lst division
A. J. Smiths corps.
The second division Of Smiths corps,
marched out, formed its line of battle
at the left of the Harding Pike and
/ advanced a short distance into the
woods towards the enemy's lines. The
Sd brigade under Col Hill, lst di-
vision, moved out and formed in double
line of battle to the left of the I'd di-
vision and on the right of the Harding
! Pike, the 18th Iowa, Lieut. Col S1bbs
and the 1th Min, Col. Marshall in the
front, the 33d No, Lieut. Col. Heath,
and the 35th Iowa, Maj. Dill, in the rear
line of battle. The second brigade un
der Col Hubbard and the first under
Col Mcmillan, marched down the Char
lotte Pike and formed a continuation
of the battle line to the night Of Col
Hills Brigade. Still further to our
right projecting our flank, and ex-
tending to the river. was the cavalry
under Generals Johnston and CroxtOn.
To the left of Smiths corps the 4th
corps under Wood continued the line
of battle from the left of Smiths corps
to the franklin Pike, from which
| Schofelds and Steedman's corps ex-
tended across the Murfreesboro Pike to
the river Steedman on our left made
feint upon the enemy while the real
attack was made by our right.
As the lst and I'd brigades of the Let
division of Smiths corps marched out
on the Charlotte Pike, they soon came
| within the range of the masked guns
which opened upon them with shell but
quickly retired to avoid capture. Steed
man having opened his artillery and
/ drawn the attention of the rebels 70 our
| left, about IL o'clock the long columns
/ of Sehofelds 8 23d corps Rapidly came
/ from the left and moving down the
Harding Pike formedf their lines OF
| battle also at the left of the Pike and
moved up to the rear of Smiths corps
which had obiiqued and moved little
| to the left so that the whole Of the lst
division commanded by Macarthur was
now on the left of the Harding Pike.
AS stood on the highest bluff, being
the highest point N the line of our tor
| ti6cations and saw eleven lines OF bat
tie formed by the 10th aud 23d corps
on the smooth, open plain below, with
in less than two hours, saw them de-
ploy with regimental banners, battle
flags, and national colors unfurled, and
advance with measured step I could
see neither the pomp noI pageant of
which we read in books. All was sim.
| pie vet grand. There were no nOddina
| plumes; no tawdry uniforms bespan-
! gled with stars of gold, no richly ca
! parisoned chargers Bat there were
men, earnest Llen, men who knew their
! duty to God AID country, and clothed
in simple blue, soiled by fatigue, yet
the symbol of fidelity, and armed with
/ sword, musket and rlded artillery were
now going into the field 70 do thti. du-
/ ty. AS they passed from view in the
| timber between the hostile lines, felt
/ that many noble men had gone forth
| to fight their last battle, which would
/ clothe the loved ones 81 home in the
habilsmenis of m)urni Ig The ,sileut
| prayer for victory ascended TO the God |
of battles as they moved forward q
sublime exhibition of the nation's pow
or. For the past two hours the irregu-
lar rattlihg fire of skirmishers has crash |
ed along just 10 front Of our advancing /
columns ButnOR the heavy base tones /
Of artillery join the tenor Of musketry. |
Smiths corps is gradually wheeling TO 4
the left and bending back the rebel /
left wing They obstinately dispute
the advance of our lines As we ap-
proach their detached intrenchments,
new batteries from powerful redOubts
open upon our troops. Now along q
line Of two miles can see the flashes
from the guns and exploding shells Of
eight batteries; four rebel and four 10y
al More than forty guns make the
earth quake with their thunders and
hurl the shrieking shells, burstiRg be
yond, above and among hostile batals
ions Our troops falter not, but press
on, now lying down 70 let the missiles
OF death pass over them, now crouch
ing, still advancing, then upright and
double quioking across an exposed
field, then lying quiet behind wood,
wall or elevated ridge. Now Capt Ju
liam. Of Battery l, I'd No. Artillery, and
Capt Reed, ID Iowa Battery, cOncen-
trated a cross FIRE from twelve guns
upon rebel redoubt, defended BY
heavy earth work, which answers back
their vollied thdnders with shot and
shell, while Hubbard and Mcmillan
brizades of McArthurs division rapidly
charge up the bill amidst Vollies Of
musketry and artillery At this mo-
ment the gallant Hatch st the head Of
the ID Iowa cavalry galloped up
through depression between the hills
and entered the redoubt from the rear,
Just before the infantry came over the
works in front Artillery ceases 70 {
play, only to give place 70 the roll Of
musketry and hand TO hand conflict
The rebels yield, fy up 10 second re- Z
doubt 200 yards above and command !
ing the FIRST. The captured guns are
turned upon the upper redo1bt while /
the shelly from that come down Ike
hail upon our men in the hrst Must {
our men retreat from, or die in the !
hostile trenches? No, line Of mus 1
kerry smoke sweeps up the bill, con
cealIng the stOrming parry from our !
sight, bat telling US that our heroes are
charging that reGoubt tco. A few mo- j
ment snd the stars aud stripes aoat /
above the ramparts Of the second re-
doubt The guns which have 50 long I
spoken treason, now send Oack loyal
logic TO their morning fSiends. Mean /
time Hilr men, 81 brigade Of the lst /
division, who had borne the brunt Of the
battle Of Pup so, and had nOT witness
ed the spleadid charges Of their com Z
rAdes, were eager % emulAte their ne {
,o..~, o~d vforua rha foruufri 4 hiss re-