Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-03-03
From the Army Of the Cum
berland.
IMPORTANT ADVANCE
INTO GEORGIA.
Sharp Fighting for Two Days,
Capture Of Tunnel Hill.
The Enemy Pursued within 5
.-v Miles Of Dalton. g. u
Ossy Operations o,sly check.
ia.jl4 ed by Darkness. s.t
AHeavy Battle not Improbable
p.ci.l Dispatch 20 N, cincinn.d o.,.us.

-
AHeavy Battle not Improbable
Special Dspstsh to the Cincinnati Gazette.
Trsrm Hill, MIzs ssos DMros Ga.
On Monday strong column Of infantry, |
preceded by cavalry, moved out from Chat.
nooga, passing near the old battlefield OF
Chickamauga, and took the direct route for |
Tunnel Hill and Dalton. Gems. Palmer,
Johnston, Baird, Davis and Csrlin directed
the movement Of the whole and of the diff
ferent divisions of forces. while Col. Harri-
son, 39th Indiana, Col. Palmer, 18th Pcnn-
sylvanis, and Col Boone, 2Sth, supcrintend.
ed the operation of the cavalry. General
Whipple, Gen. Thomas Chief Of staff, was
also present. The force advanced without
opposition to the East Chickamauga, across
which and back through Ringgold Gap and
Taylor's Bridge party Of rebel cavalry.
we're driven 10 confusion by Col. Harrison.
The head Of the column marched on and
rested at Ringgold during the night. The
movement was recommended yesterday
morning The cavalry in advance had sew
sral lively skirmishes with the enemy's
mounted force, consisting Of the LIST Tennes-
see rebels. They were, however, continu-
ally pushed back, until about four p. NJ,
when our forces came in sight Of Tunnel
Hill.
Here conflict commenced in which q
great deal Of fighting was done, especially by
the enemy, hut with little loss on either
side. Col Harrison having pushed far to-
ward the front and seeing the enemy much
outnumbered his force, retired until met BY
our own infantry advancing. Certain Of
support, he again pressed forward and drove
the rebels precpitately out Of the town OF
Tunnel Hill On the Tunnel Hill Ridge,
! the enemy had an entire brigade Of cavalry
, under charge of General Wheeler himself,
with four pieces of artillery, and opening
upon US from the latter, our progress was OF
+ course checked, our own artillery not being
up. They directed their FIRE principally at
Col. Boone, who with his cavalry had ad
vanced upon Col Harrison's right 1t be-
; ing now dark our advance retired about four
miles toward Dalton to await supplies, as
they had started with rations for three days
q only. .. ...-.,. w.. 17
, In the meantime General Stanley's com
: mand, General Gratis Temporarily com
manding, advanced from the vicinity o
. Cleveland, preceded by cavalry force und.l
Col. Long Fourth Ohio Cavalry. The lat
: ter is said TO have penetrated to within three
9 miles Of Dalton to-day. Il
! Ringgold and Tunnel Hill are both al
Q most completely deserted. not more thar
,, half . dozen families being in each place. II
seems tolersbly cerain that within the last
three days Hardec corps has left Johnston
to re inforce Polk. Thslast Of Claiborne
r division lett on Monday night. Our move
\ ment may possib IDLY bring them back. W.
. may have q fight at Tunnel Hill tomorrow
The roads are in tolerable condition. Tn,
Q weather is splendid for campaigning.
J. The following are tho casualties in tn
s two days fighting, rs far as have yet q.
IS Illinois, wounded Blough, SSth In
1t diana, severely; Landrum, ssth Indiana
IS and Dwight Thompson, 10th Wisconsin
Vt slightly. :. rs.... ...t'
r SECOND DISPATCH.
n TUNNEL HILL. Va.
q Our troops having advanced to Tunne
s Hill on Tuesday, tell back in the eyenin,
e four miles. Yesterday forenoon, about II
D o'clock, the advance was again resumed. -
J Portions Of Johnson, Baird's and Davis
u command moving forward on the main roa,
d from Rinqgold toward Tunnel Hill, wher
n Gen. Crafts command. Stany's division
marched by the Catoosa Springs road, fur
d ther to thu. left. The principal column wa
!. preceded by a cavalry force, under Colone
n Boone, Of the 18th Kentucky, Lieut.. Co
:, Watts, OF the I'd Kentucky, and Col. Hal
- manded by Col. Harrison. Gen. Johnsto
y followed the cavalry; Gen. Kings brigad
being in advance. No skirinshing oi col
% sequence took place unit at hall past ! |, W
10 formed ourselves in tho immediate yioint
<, OF the town of Tunnel Hill. Here it 500
~ became evident the rebels were resolved D
making stand. The cavalry had advance
"A some distance ahead Of the infantry, but O
soon as the latter was up in sufficient nun
bers TO support, the cavalry advanced !
column along the road in plain view of tn
bill, on which the rebel cannon were plante
=. the day before. No enemy had as yet bee
y observed, when suddenly a battery, plante
st on the hill to the right of the Tunnel, open
ed, and number OF shells we're thrown wit
f. great accuracy Immediately into our ranks
'. Several were killed and wounded. Gen
ID Whipple narrowly escaped death from tn
rs near explosion Of a shell. No confusio
O. was created, however. and the cavalry n
tired to shelter Other portions Of the ii
fantry came up and were deployed in linz
i. Hambright, Of Johnson's command, bein
4 on the extreme right. Carlin next, aud Kin
i aext. Then came McCook, of Davis CON
. mand. and Gen. Morgan aext. Gen. Crai
Z was on the extreme left. Meantime ou
p artillery came up, and Capt. Hotchkiss' 9
y Minnesota Battery, placing two l0.pounde
;, PARROTS on an eminence 70 the right Of tn
road, opened on the enemy with some ei
feet, lesseped, however, BY the appareu
, imperfection Of the shells, but few OF whc
exploded. Capt. Harris, 10th Indiana bal
terry, afterward placed two Of his pieoas in
Q field to tho left OF the road, and assisted i
dislodsing the rebel battery from its pes
y lion. Oar infantry now began to advance
Gen. Morgan taking the rebels on the righ
. flank, and boldly marching along tho crss
8 ofTuunel Hill, completely turning tho on
# emy's works, who aed withou, firing gun
o Their retreat was rendered more nscessar
as Col. Hambright's advance thrsatene
:. their left flank. Our whole line now NOV
ing forward we occupied without farths
contest the ridge of Tapasl Hill. All alon
% its crest were tolerably formidable works o
n stone and logs. and on the Eastern side wa
= the deserted camps Of Claiborns's division
% TWAS now 4. p. n, aud the rebels fed rap
ID idly along the Dalton road Onr troon