, 1864-12-20
FROM NASHVILLE.
The Battle Near Nash
ville-Thrilling De-
tails.
SrLendid VaIor Of tho Col.
ored Troops.
Terrific Charges Of Our Forces---
The Rebels Everywhere Driy-
en---CaSualties and Incl
dents Of the Fight.

l
III with the booming Of cannon from the vari
Gus forts around the city, and battle seemed
to be impending almost oYer our heads. a
thick fog for time obscurcd the view of OH
line cf defense, from which, however, could
| plainly he seen, every lew seconds, the firing
fem Fort Ncglry and our batteries from thai
| point to tho river on the east. Between
and 10 O'Clock the nists receded before 4
brisk wind, and occasional bursts Of sunshine
l1nparted strange beauty to fields and groves
which were cut with 1uurderons rihe-plts and
,idged with angry batteries aud hreastworks.
Heavy fighting vas reported At this tlme be
tween the MuEfrccsb0ro and Granny White
plkes. Other batteries just beyond Mrs. Ack:
Inns residence kept up vigorous firing, and
| the fame of the guns was distinctly Visible
trcm tho city. The firing soon became gene
raj along the lines. The roar Of the guuboats
down the river was heard above the laud bat
teries. Fort Negley "answered' from the
misty STROUD" )" and along our Notifications
'lar flashed the red artillery" During the
| morning. our troops were ordered to charge
| the first line Of rebel hreastwofks on Rains
Bluff, on our left, which they did with resist.
less lmpc1uosity, under raklng fire, and
routed the rebels completely. The 18th, 18th
fcrcd considerably in this very gallant charge
The 18th lost q Captain killed and lcutsn
| ant wounded.
About IL o'clock Gen. Bcatty, whose com,
mand occupied our line OF defense in front ol
the Acklin place, led charge upon the rebel
from their strong position, and planting hta
| own batteries upon them. We took some
| fifty prisoners in this charge. The movement
was executed In splendid style, our men moy-
Ing up IN perfect order in the face Of CALLING
fire. At this point our lines were advanced
| about one mile.
| Another brilliant charge was made during
the afternoon by the I'd brigade Of the 10TH
corps, commanded By Col. Hubbard, an accom-.
plishcd and intiepid officer. The brigade CON
sists Of the 5tl Minnesota, 11th Missouri, 8th
Wisconsin and 41tt Illinois. Six cannon were
captured in this charge with comparatively
Col. Robert Stewart, of the Indiana cavalry,
behaved as ever with distinguished gal1antry.
in charging the enemy. The headquarters oi
the rebel Gen. Chalmers, on the right Of the
Hillsboro pike, were suddenly charged upon
by our cavalry, and the doughty General mar
roWly escapad capture. His books, official pa.
pers and fifteen wagons fell into our hands
and made their appearance at the Provost
Marshal Generals Office to report in due time,
The prisoners brought in up to o'clock p.
m. were chiefly from Mississippi regiments, in
Stcwart's corps, and numbered about GOO.
The regiments chiefly represented are the 4th,
fantry. Several Arkansas regiments werc
also represented and Seldon's Alabama Bat
te1y. We do not think the number OF prison.
ers will fall short Of ], 200. We have captured
at least sixteen guns from the enemy, and VIC
hear four others, reported, correctly We can
not soy.
Tic heavy fighting Of the day was on our
right wing, to The west Of the city, from which
point general movement, was made tc
turn the rebel left, The position Of the vari
Gus corps along this part Of our line, begin,
ing at the river, was: the 23d under Gen. T.
]. Smith, the 18th under Gen, schoaeld, and
the 9Th under Gen. Wood. While feInt was
kept up on our left, our right pushed steadily
and resistlessly around, charging and taking
I brcaktWork after brcastworE, with q daunt
less yalor unsurpassed In the war. With ali
| the advantages Of Notifications and entrench
ments, the rebel troops were manifestly infe.
| rior to our own in courage and determination
! They manifested very little Of the furious
desperation which marked them at franklin
| The gunboats made themselves felt in thi:
| palt Of the contest, By sheliing the rebel:
with continuous volleys, which fairly shook
the city at times. One of their shell:
dropped in large building flied with rebe
shaTpshooters, who annoyed us exceedingly
| and rent it to atoms. The inmates have mol
! yet reported themselves.
OPERATIONS ON orR 1EFT-GES. s1EpMAN';
| cosclA>'D.
| 4 detailed account Of the movements OF
1
Of the battle.
As eoon as the heavy morning mist permit
ted movement, Gen. Stedman advanced
two bslgades Of colotcd troops, consisting
The 12th, 18th, 14th, nth, 44th and 111th reg
iments, under Gems. Morgan and Thompson
and one brigade OF white troops under Lieut.
Col. Grosyenor, Of the 18th Ohio. These
brigndes were thu only ones on our left en-
gagged in offensive operations. The purpos.
OF this advance was to divert the attention Q
the rebels from our real movement on thei
lett. From haif-past seven O'Clock TIL eleven
vas Kept up, and the rebels believed that ou'
troops were making the contest there in ear
nest The first line Of rebel detenscs was II
Rams "ooo, oelne tne one hela by Zen
steoman On ne "a nst', ano suoseqncntl.
abandoned den' etedman1 directed thes
operations IN person. sk,rm1shers Wer
klIoNn aoF"aIa unaer ea1nnS nre, anu u
ls1h ONO. pashlne on ~ double quick
charged the rehel works, traSersing an inter
venlng space o1 over tnles ;a, nnnaeea 1an yards
perfectly open ground Wnlch le1t them uu
sheltered from re firc Of ths reeel @ guns:
MeEaso1ses @ " luesS te4ttpIs ulSaus ~
Thicn we're no' terr1ole 10 our herolc men
saTu.s ann caes.1 asoss eue ossGPaass 4 oacs
panad and ~ tsa,ae4 San ~ a.,eTS Ts,h it icy "eI
o1oete1 70 1ala eaek. Inc iatn nao one ga
!ant omcer Auueo N inls ea1ng eaa1Fe, zap
.a.n otos'enoa, c eousm 70 tie1.. Coi. n;,i9 mtos
xas sn9t P +h'a me heaa Ihae
names We coqld not ascertain. were wound
cd. Ihe Goth Indiana, composing part o
this brigade, under the brave Lieut. Colone
EspF, behaved with admirable courage ami
resolution. The record Of the day would b
incomplete we're We to omit the admirable
troops, not man Of Whom falteTed IN II
iace OF me sweeping, ocaaly hre OF the rebe
1ntFenclments. 1ney r1snea 10 1ne lraV IN
petuousiy, apparently WIN as much a!acrit,
as jewellers 60 to the banquet, ana did no
1alteF ioI moment, untli Their m officers com
man9eo lheM 20 hll oack. 5ne purpose Q
Inc chafge hao beea attained, Tor the fgh
*as now raging f9r1oosly on our right; tn
Teoel lelt auaFercd anu fecollea before lii
blnze o1 our arthleTy ana muskefIy, the star
anu st1Pes3"eIe planted on rebel entreneh
ment6 WHICH were aoanQoneo one oy one, nd
gunboats and shFieked Ike Death.Angels, d
they blasted the rebel lines with their volca
me breath;
me fene1s naa ior1 on our leil. whicl
opened severe n1e upon the adVancln!
troops OF Gen. Stedman at this point. AT
ter these troops fell back, We Kept up stron:
Eklrmaeh line, ana nnally, getting into Rains
house, opened port holes, and By we'll aim
I'd fire speedily hnshed the guns of the rebe
fort. Our loss in the charge in killed ant
"ounoeos Mah I'iooaols % ouf enure 10, los
I'm @ co1orcd rnf shsftar uanshaa ~ a. ~, ~
den sWnr1,;s IN Vcst tcr5nv bc;n~ nndor ~ r.
the first time. It's bcha9ior Tas ti1c them
ofuniyersai or praise, Il wrote its own teeor. es
;ntbood. fornearly baifits of1 ser ,werr Eiliet
n4 Wourdcd. The hills Of Nashville ~ vii nIee Tor
eyer attest how Desperately he desnisrd slor M
viii fchf when l,e str;;cs for fccedon M
ehar1S We neglect IN s1st. t1,at ~ tI,;s aaro, o
s1nnse the Ehte eoiders did II not stan nerf