The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-22

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| ID division on the left wing swung out
of its front to receive the flank fire o
/ the foe. The assault increased in fierce
ness. The whole division reformed it
self to meet the shock. The rebels adj
vanced and mounted the breastworli
in its front, and with whitening volleyi
they forced it back in retreat The
entire 10th corps abandoning all Its
works now fought retreating, and par
TALLY broke the left of the army, com
pletely turned half of the Army Of
West Virginia, flying in dismay through
the fog. Its camps and a great part OF
its camp material were in possession oil
the enemy. The 10Th corps was fight
ing more or less stubbornly, falling
back, and constantly losing in strag-
glers
The entire country about MiddletoWn
and beyond in the rear is populated
with demoralized soldiery. The crack
Of the rebels muskets creeping farther
on the left toward Middletown, the
hurTying wagons, ambulances, eaissons
hiss and explosion of the enemy shells
from batteries planted in front Of the
18th, might have shook the hope Of ia
naticism itself
Gen. Wright, with whom it was left
to organize plan which should change
the dismissal aspect of affairs, was no;
3 whit discouraged The moment that
the army Of West Virginia and the 18th
corps we're found TO be defantly falling
back, he sent an order to the Legion
that never yet, on any field, had been
feated, TO achieve victory if possible
The 9th corps, on the right, was order
ed to change front, swing around, and
stem the torrent Scarcely minute
elapsed when its columns were seen
moving msjestically, by the left flank,
straight into the heart of the conflict
Opening a moment for the passage OF
stragglers, its line closed up again be-
fore the assaults that still had not been
stayed The artillery of the corps, IN
limbering close to the rear, Numbered
it's answers to the rebel shells.
This brilliant move could not, how
ever, check the movement of the foe
on the left Some of their cavalry had
already penetrated into Midton, captur-
ing portion Of Gen. Crook ambulance
train, and, it is reported, seriously
wounded Gel Thoburn, of the I'd diyi-
sion of that command. Their infantry
had swung around, and were Just pass
ing above, when Merritt's, Powers s, and
Custsrs divisions of cavalry were with
drawn from the right, and sent forward
10 stem the disastrous advance. After
the check of the rebels in the centre,
the lines of the 9th and 18th corps were
reformed, the Sth on the left, and the
10th on the right of that 1t was found
ne cessary to Withdraw the whoA line q
distance in order to connect with the
cavalry, who were just advancing to
drive the enemy from the pike on the
left, and hold the field at that point
A retrograde move was not accomplish
ed without loss The enemy followed
il up closely and very fully. Their
bullets rained in upon the artillery,
killing off horses and men, and EN-
barrassing the attempt Of the artillery
men to move their guns to the rear.
The guns were fought splendidly, and
fought everywhere until the last mo-
mem, when it was found that they could
not be removed Two OF Captain Ste
ven's guns were lost, two of Lambs, one
of Meningitis, and two of Adams s.
Capt Adams, with corporal and one
man, stood by this gun when all other
support had left, and until every horse
was shot, and the corporal and man
were shot down beside him Col Tomp-
kins, chief Of artillery, while assisting
10 remove one of the guns of Cowan's
battery, was slightly wounded by mus
ket ball The infantry was also suffer
ing heavily, particularly in officers
When the lines reached the crest Just
to the right and rear of Middletown,
where the second stand was made, and
where two terrific charges of the enemy
were repulsed, nearly every field officer
in the lst division of the 9th corps was
wounded General Ricketts,, command
ing the corps, was so badly wounded
that he was compelled to leave the field
General Bidwell, commanding the Sd
brigade of the I'd division, was MORALLY
wounded by shell, which tore his left
shoulder to pieces, and shattered the
arm of Captain Oron, one of his aids,
and Colonel Hamlin, commanding the
lst division, was wounded in two places
through the thigh and shoulder, but
did not leave the field till night Gen
Getty, commanding the second division
had his horse shot under him
Gen Wright, commanding the army,
had been slightly wounded in the chin
The 18th corps also suffered severely
The battle-line OF infantry was reform
ed on the crest Of the hill alluded to
Just after Torbitt, with his cavalry, had
swept by on the left, pitching into the
enemy in the direction of Pixies corps,
establishing line, and holding his
own against some of the iercest shell
ling ever showered upon the heads of
devoted soldieTy. At this time, 10 A.
NJ, though the appearance of things in
the rear was not such as is generally
seen in the rear OF a victorious army,
and though appearances of retreat pre-
vailed along the line in front, the army
had, for the first time during the day,
30 far won victory over its opening dis
aster as to have disposed a consistent
and wieldy front toward the foe, hold
ing its own in the main against further
attack.
The results Of the contests were
otherwise gloomy. We had been sur
pr sed and driven out of a splendid po-
sition; had lost twenty four pieces of
artillery, thirty four ambulances. inclu- |
ding all the medical wagons and medi- |
cal supplies of the 18th corps, and sew
eral headquarters wagons. We had 1
yielded more than two miles of the !
TO the enemy; many of our !
inest officers were killed and wounded, |
md lying thick around. The enemy, !
his attack, contented /
himself with a lively use of his artil- /
cry. At this moment, faint cheering |
vas heard along the line in the rear
Gen. Sheridan, who had ridden post 4
taste from Winchester, was approach 4
ng, his appearance created wild enthu-
iasm. Beginning at the left of the line 1
he rode along the whole front of the
.rmy, waving his hat amid cheers. He
lid not stop an instant from that time
i'll P. n Every nerve was strained
o get the army into an offensive, and
y clock the whole army of the 9th
.orps was in the centre, the 10Th corps
N the right, Crooks command on the
eft, Merritts cavalry division on the
extreme left, Custar's division on the
extreme left, made magnificent and
charge, which swept the enc
ny of the face Of the earth before it