Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-12-20

Particulars OF the Battle mt Mash.

from the river contracted his lines every
where, and was holding strong position
along Granny White Hills, his center pro-
tected by two lines of entrepehments.
Our own troops were disposed in the fol-
owing order: Wilson's cavalry on the ex-
treme right; Schofelds 23d corps, consist
ing of COuch's and C6x's divisions, at first
held in reserve, but before the main battle
opened had taken position on the left of the
cavalry. thus forming the right OF our in
fantry line; A. j. Smiths 10th corps, con-
sisting of the divisions of Macarthur, Gar
rard and Moore, came next on the left of
Schofield. On the left of Smith the mag
nificent 4th corps, T. j. Wood, consisting of
the divisions of Kimball, Elliott and Sam.
Beatty, was formed in close order of battle
and partially massed. Steadman, with
Croft's division and two brigades of colored
troops, held the extreme left.
Our plan of battle was continuation of
that on the 18th, in pressing advantage
gained on the enemys left. At about half
past eight o'clock our batteries opened from
hundred pieces simultaneously along the
entire lines. The rebel artillery replied
feebly. Schofeld marching down Granny
White pike, carefully concealing his
strength, placed his corps directly upon the
enemy's lett flank. Steadman at the same
time worked his way forward. The enemy
in the meantime strengthened his advanced
line. This determined Wood to carry this
line without delay. In splendid order Kim
balls 1st division moved forward to charge,
firing voley after volley as they rushed to-
ward the rebel works. A whitening
fire of musketry and canister made
them waver more than once, but still they
pressed on until within half pistol shot,
yhan fl,n .,xy1p Ern hnna 1lxr
that our men, in order to return it more eff
fectually, came to a halt. Longer, perhaps
than troops ever remained in such posi-
tion, they stood and fired fast and furiously
ut the enemy; but they could not remain
there and live. A few gave way and fled
in disorder. The whole line staggered, and
had the rebels done nothing more than keep
up their deadly fire, we should have been
driven back; but they made a movement to
shift their artillery, which our men received
as an indication that they were about to
abandon their line and retire. Raising
loud shout, the division with fixed bayonets
rushed impetuously forward. and swarming
over the works captured such rebels as had
not fled. 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 dur
ing the day in the very front line of battle,
ordered a charge along the entire line.
Schofeld moved upon the left flank of the
enemy, and before his victors the rebels
gave way like frost-work. The assailed
flank crumbled to pieces as Schofield adj
vanced, and was rolled back upon that por-
tion of the line which just now was attack
ed by a. j. Smiths troops with weight
and energy nothing could withstand. Nc
Millen's brigade, foremost in the battle as
on the previous day, rushed right up into
the very teeth of three powerful rebel bat
teries and carried at the point of the bayO-
net the salient point of the enemy's works.
In few moments their works were every
where carried, their forces utterly routed,
their soldiers captured by thousands, and
every piece of their artillery in our hands.
Such as escaped death or capture fled to-
ward the Franklin pike and took refuge be-
hind S. d. Lees corps, which held the gap
in the hills.
Wood and Steadman on the left had now
united and prepared to assault the rebel
right, which was still unbroken. Under
cover of the tremendous fire from our guns,
Colonel Posts brigade moved forward;
Straights brigade of Sam. Beatty's dvis-
ion formed on his right. In support, i'm
mediately on Posts left, Thompson's color
GU WAS up, .
colored brigade was next on the left. The
enemy reserved their fire until Posts brl-
gade commenced to climb the hill, when a
perfect hurricane of shot, shell and cannis-
ter tore through his ranks. In the face of
this fire our men steadily advanced. The
colored troops wed 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 flank fire, which confused their
ranks. The troops on the right, torn in
pieces by the terrible fire, paused an in
stant and at this juncture the brave Col.
Post was mortally wounded. In moment
all order was lost in our men, whose con-
duct had immortalized them, and they rush
ed back, confused and bleeding, to the line
from whence they started.
Wood soon reformed his broken battal-
ions and issued orders for n renewal of the
assault. While Posts veterans again as
sailed the hill directly, and Thompson's
Africans moved on the rebel right, Eliott's
and Kimbalrs divisions were hurled like a
thunderbolt against the rebel left. Wood
himself accompanied by all his staff, fol-
lowed and directed the charge. The rebel
fire blazed forth anew. but our soldiers
withouthesitaion or pause, carried the en-
tire works, with all theirguns, and drove the
rebels in dismay from the hill. This was
the last stand the rebels made; their whole
army was now fleeing in rout and panic.
Had not night interviewed the army would
have been destroyed.
The appearance of the battlefield was
horrible in the extreme. Rain was filling
rapidly, the ground was thickly covered
with dead and dying, and camp eQuipage.
torn and tr0dden in the mud, was mingled
with shattered artillery wheels and frag-
ments of exploded caissons.,
The correspondent says: / pushed for
ward to the southern slope of the hill. 1t
was almost dark The rain was pouring
steadily down, and standing there amidst
the dead and dying, / caught the last
glimpse of our lines of battle and heard the
last triumphant shouts of our soldiers, as
even through the darkness they pushed on
after the flying foe. The results of the hat
tie were, 5000 prisoners, 30 guns and 1000
small arms.
NASHVILLE, Dec. 17.-Our forces advanc-
ing southwest this morning about eight
o'clock, captured body of rebel prisoners
estimated at 1900, among them one General
and number of commissioned officers
The capture was made between Brentwood,
ten miles south of this, OH franklin pike,
and Harpeth river. An order for one thou
sand men to guard prisoners has Just been
received by Gen. John A. Miller, comman-
der of the post. They are expected to reach
here during the day.
Loss in three brigades of first division, A
j. Smiths army-35th Iowa, % killed, II
wounded; among killed Coils. G. Hill, COM
manding brigade; 18th Iowa, / killed, IL