The New York herald., 1864-12-02


great battle may mOmsusarny Ss expected.
OPERATIONS BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Oar Nashville Corrsspondence.
NAaavmLs, Tsnu., Nov, 20, 1884
UACuAnoS o. ruIAsKL
On Wednesday morning last the 23d inst tho evacua.
zion Of Pulaski three miles south Of hare, the
Tennessee aad Aiabsma Railroad, commenced BY
sorces under Geoera r. W. johnson. and last
lett - three p. n. Il known that General Hood
nankns The town upon tho wss aud pushipg norsbw@d
rapidly At eleven O'Clock A. y. could hsr 90
casienally casuosadins In . ssushwesssry direction.
When the movement Ast commenced the Fourth army
oeEps commanded by General d 9. Stanley. and two d.
visions sf shslwsny Ahird corps, General ssnodsld.
sAes dstashmsnss under oomnAud Of General Johnson
comuandant Of ths post and District occupied the town.
fhs pcsitoa strong and wsil fortified. fne of
ride pits, coveredsby cAsvats d f, assstis,
roandsd the entire town. forming running line Of over
four miles, Besides this. three fosr hills, command
Ing the town, were we'll fortified.
ExuKMKn COLUMBIA
We reached Columbia at NJ, and found every
thing In commotion. All trains have halted this
pons.hirty thres miles north OF Pulaski and iortytwo
south Of Nashville. 80 ..ah
On Thursday, the Oath inst, ~ eleven A. H., Hoods
advance had fsnked this place. and aghtng desultory
character commenced about eix miles west Of tho
AZ one hour all movements indicated sudden
ton; the next, trains being unoaded. Again.
grand movement Of ambulance trains. transportation,
oatle and refugees would 70 harbngcr tho giving
Of this position. The road reported between
US and Nashville ut three r. A. six O'Clock trans be
gan TO leave, but mostly empty. Az seven r. H. left
for Nashville, which place reached without Interrupt
tiop.
THE FIGHT COLUMBIA AND EVACUATION OF uH TLAcI.
On Friday, the 25th inst, at thros NJ there
severe fighting west OF Columbia for
that tho infantry fire could DO distinctly heard During
the night OF tho Goth the evacuated by our
forces, which falling this place stand
may be made At Frank lin, eighteen miles from here
u ID doubtful. In the meantime It is reported that
Decatur and Huntsville have been surrendered General
r 8. Granger was In command OF the former place.
This surrender Of tho Tennessee and Aabsma road
open the enemy the line OF the Nashville and
Chattanooga road, and surrendsrs all OF Western Ten
nessse. - - @k &tF
Tho excitement here s intense and the only antidote
for the general feeling Of depression which these evacua
sions arc calculated 70 produce 10 that to-day under
stood that General Thomas abuant, ud asserts that
hs n getting Hood just where he wants him. s.st
Mr.. D., p. ConynghAm's Despaschss.
CoIyxmA, Tenn, nov. "a, 1854
.- NAcU~->au On rULAsHl $500 el-s.4
For Soo 1aVD pg0viouo - The eveesaeSea - Puleek
FORESTS cavalry had bssu operating onour nanks, vbs
the main force o hoods army pressing % us In
'front.'.
On the 2ad and aad Garrsrd1 cavalry skirmisbsd
pretty sharply with Forrest, General Haton, who hsA
command the left flank, gradually falling back al the
time 20 Columbia. On tho afternoon OF the
S3d Capron became hoty engaged Mount Pleas
ant, eleven miles southwest Of Columbia and after
stubborn resistance steadily fell back His object
70 Forests advance snt iDfantW would reach
Columbia. On the morning Of Wednesday the infantry
evacuated Pulaski and fell back Columbia, about
thirty miles distant. We had previously shipped OF all
our supplies. and ammuuitoo that Hood had
nothing bus tho bare deserted city 10 goat over.
ooHcsvrxAnoN AT COLUMBIA.
| RAbout eight O'Clock on Thursday morning, Nov ~
our advance, under General Cox, commanding Twenty
third army corps. arrived 10 Columbia jast 10 time to
support CoIooel Capron, who. gradually retiring as
have described SO hard pressed that he could
hold out much longer against the superior numr.rs
pressed him. General Cox's timely arrival Pc
vented the town falling tho euemy's hands for
Forrest having driven cavalry through Mount Pleas
ant and captured squad OF them pressing hard for
| Columbia. He followed up as far a. Little Bgby
| creek, within four miles Of the town.
On Friday, the diminishing was renewed. The rebels
got possession largo brick house the Mount Pcas
ant pike. Here there sharp light for come time.
our trying dlslodge them, which they ultimately
| succeeded In doing.
rHs COLUMBIA.
Our troops now position about mile In from
Of Columbia, woo6s division Of tho Fourth corps and
Cox's division OF the Twenty third corps taking the
i 'front.' ne their righ, nank extending to within about q
mile OF Duck The OF tho troops occupied the
hills and an echslon line between the town and Duck
| river.
Early on Saturday morning the euemy's dismounted
cavalry vigorously attacked oar ne, Grst striking Hen
dcrson's brigade Of cox's DIVISION and Woods division
They pcke,s At points, but were kept
| at bay by heavy line Of skirmshers. The enemy
opened several batteries scndng SHELLS into the TO
Our batteries reped and sharp cannonade kept
/ all tho forenoon. Tho skrmsnng continued all day,
Forrest all the tine wedgng for Duck river which no
reached In tho forenoon and crossed ovcr of his
! cavalry. Meantime some OF FORESTS dismoiutoi Ia.
fantry kept up a sharp skrmsn nro along frori,
while Hoods main army wheeling left flank
| In an cssierly direction.
These nank movements WIN compc, rs to sacuats
| Columbis which viii be done, expect, To night
Our losses during tho thrce days operations In killed
| and wounded will not exceed hundred and nf,y.
Captain Groeo Fortyun,h oh'o Inspector of The Frs,
brigade was shot through the bowels Ito Is tho only
| officer Of whom have heard killed.
General schoaeld 10 in command OF tho troops In tho
neld General Thomas sl at Nashville All our sup
plies, stores, sick and wounded have scu to Nash
/ Vile.
Several Of the inhabitants have also eft. We have
some three or four hundred o,orib nds hanging 70
the army. Tneso havo followed " on our mcvo frSm
! PULASKI 10 Coiumbli
| uoop's rsrxSrroxs
Hoods movements bavo boon orratic that II very
4 hard to dedne his real Intentions.
/ F,rrests attack right II evidently feint 70
1ver Hood moveneuts Forrest Is evidently wheeling