Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-28
FROM h SEVILLE.
The Battle of December I5th'-POsl-
tIOn of Affairs on our Left--'The
Charge and the HePulSe-''lnel-
danfa
NAsHr1LrE. Dec. %. 1854.


move Of General Thomas army. The
move was made sooner than was anticipa-
ted. Before midnight Battery E was or
dered to take its position on the line.
Leaving the task of giving detailed ac-
count of the lato brilliant victory to those
who had better opportunities for learning |
the facts, your correspondent proposes only
to write of what he saw on the left during |
Thursdays fight
To the peaceful citizens of Nashville the |
cloudless sky of Thursday morning, De-
cember Is, 1854, little betokened the thun-
ders which, before night, we're to roll and
echo among the neighboring hills; but the
soldiers in line at the trenches could guess
its meaning. The ground, though very
soft and muddy, the frost having bat just
left it, was as favorable for battle as
could be expected at this season of the
year.
The Cumberland approaches Nashville
from the East, but just as it reaches the
city, changes its course to the North.
There are numerous pixies leading out
from the city diverging like the parts of a
fan. Of these, the first on the left is the
Lebanon tIaon Tho AEv,-freosDOlO, Holans
vile, Franklin, Granny White, etc. The
Chattanooga Railroad leaves the city be-
tween the Murfreesboro and Nolansville
pixies, and between it and the river lies
the left Of cur army. On the Lebanon
pike about milo from the city limits,
was our outer line Of works; behind these
we're stationed, as q reserve force, Battery E
and strong force of dismonnted cavalry,
under command of Colonel Minor, of the
7th o. Y. @. A mile and quarter South
of this position is hill on the line of the
railroad, on which were strong rebel lines
and fort Midway between these
two positions on the Murfreesboro
Pike, at an early hour, General SteadmAn
| led out his column, about eight thousand
strong, and formed in line of battle. These
are the troops that arrived from Chatta-
nooga the day after the battle at Franklin,
and the negroes on tine left of the line are
the ones who, day later, so brsvely fought
their way from stocksde on the ChAtta-
noogs Railroad through to this city. With
| this line are two smooth-bore twelve
Founders, and the other section of the same
battery is already in position on hill on
the other side of the railroad. At q few
minutes after eight this battery opened
fire on the rebel works, and our line OF
skirmishers advanced. After an hours
heavy skirmishing the order is given for
a charge, and, with q shout, our main line
moves rapidly forward, charging up the
slope and over the first line of works. The
fort even was carried by the negroes. But
our force was not strong enough to take the
| second line of works, and, being exposed
to a strong fire from it. was soon forced
reluctantly to abandon the ground which
aad been so nobly gained, and retired
alzirmishing to the Murfreesboro pike
Nearly two hours time was occupied il
this fight, and our loss ct this point was a!
heavy for the number engaged as at any
point on our whole line that day. Tht
negro troops suffered the most, and many
of their wounded passed to the rear. On
poor fellow with bad wound in his breas
walked back mile before he was takeI
up by an ambulance. The sweat poured
from his dusky fsce-and no wonder-fo
he brought of his gun on his shoulder.
this fight about three hundred of the enc
my threw down their srms and we're run
ming to our lines to give themselves up
but that the negroes, though ordered t
cease firing, fred upon, and killed as man,
as fifteen Of them, whereupon the rest re
turned and took up their guns again.
do not tvouoh for the truth of this, but Civ
it as 1 heard it from q Lieutenant VIII
said he saw it.
Before noon, our line of skiFmisher
sgain sdvsnced-this time farther to tn
right, and under cover of piece of wood
Skirmishing continued throughout tn
day, but our men did not again chsrg
the rebel works. DuIing the afternoon
Battery E and two other batteries kept u
E heavy fire upol the rebel fort Th
= enemy replied but feebly, directing the
fire upon that section of the battery betoI
mentioned as being across the railroad
= During the night the enemy fell back, an
the next morning, General Stesdman
main force advanced far beyond the raj
!, road, and is said to have fought splel
L didly.
The object of Thursday mornings 8
: tack on the left seems to have been to dra
e the attention of the enemy while oil
y forces msssed on the right for the mai
attack, which was not made till Afternoon
= Well, Hood has ceased to trouble NRsl
y vile, and We are back in camp, enjoyin
% the comforts of our winter quarters-tE
= mora, perhaps, after the little taste we hay
y Just had of life at the trenches in winte
i Since the battle it has rsined nearly ever
day, and now it is turning colder. Sue
\ weather must be hard on our army pm
u suing the enemy; but it is still harder {
= the latter, and they will find themselY
u in 8 trap when they reach the Tenness
'l and view the rolling torrent before the
and the Yankee bayonets coming up b
hind.
May not General Thomas claim Il
~ honor of having gained the most splend
~ victory of the war-since, not by sieg
OF but in tho field, in two days of fghtiI
~ and two Of pursuit, he has captured ov
- eight thousand prisoners and sixty piec
e[ of artillery-and more TO come yet. .
or The good news Of General Sherman
y, arrival on the coast is appreciated by t
W. army here. The soldiers who follow
'e' Sherman to Atlanta, evidently believe
him. I have heard many of them regr
y ting they could not accompany h
50 through Georgia. A Dutchman the oh
. day speaking of him said: "ShermRn
lust the man for such move. Where
can't go, 10 other man don't need to tr.
Hoping your patience has not be
TX, over-drawn upon, and wishing mel
ng Christmas to all i am,