The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-26
The Facts Relative TO the Surrender Of
Union City.
From the olney Unl Journal

HUH NAtls
From the olney (Inl Journal
The recent disaster to the 9Th Ten
nessee Cavalry at Union City, Tenn, has
given occasion for the severest assaults
upon Col. Isaac r. Hawkins, command
ing that post. He has been denoun-
ced as a coward and traitor, who had
sold his command to the rebels, and
every effort has been made TO blast his
reputation while himself was q prison
er in the hands of the enemy, and Of
course could not be heard in his own
defence
As relative Of the CoL's-having
served under him for two campaigns,
and knowing him to be an officer Of
approved courage, and gentleman Of
unhinching integrity, we naturally felt
a strong desire TO see these false allie
cations refuted In order to learn the
facts in reference to the surrender of
his command we, last week, visited
Cairo, where we met with a number Of
officers, who were present and alter
wards made their escape from the Teb-
els. From careful investigation we
gather the following facts which we
submit to the world, believing that
they constitute the true history OF that
affair
Col. Hawkins was IN command OF
about 800 men of the 9TH Tennessee
cavalry, about 300 of whom were mount
ed About 100 Of these were armed
with Enfield Rifles, the remainder with
carbines.
At2 o'clock ?. N, March 23rd Col
Hawkins telegraphed to General Bray
man, commanding District OF Cairo,
That Forrest with 1000 men and ar
tillery, was approaching via jackson,
Trenton and Dresden. and that unless
he could be reinforced he should eyac-
uate the place on the morning Of the
2ith, to which the General replied, go
on Strengthen your Notifications You
shall have help in time Immediately
a heavy force was set to work giving
such additional strength to the works
as circumstances and time permitted.
The fort was a rude structure, compo-
sed Of sort of log wall four feet high,
against which an embankment of earth
had been thrown from a shallow ditch
outside the wall This formed an en-
closure containing some acres Of ground,
and was made more for the protection
of the horses of the command than to
resist an attack.
At about ii clock, P NJ, the whistle
of the locomotive was heard, and the
Col. remarked confidently, There Is
the I22d, Ga regiment known to be at
CairO,) we are safe now. When the
train arrived, however, it proved to be,
. instead of the promised reinforcements,
Capt. Odlin, A. A. g., who had been
sent to ascertain the truth Of Colonel
Hawkins report.
Capt. Odlin remained till about p O.
clock when he returned to Columbus,
assuring Col Hawkins that rsiy0rcs-
nae7tts mere then or tie lgay to join him.
During the night scouts were sent out
IN different directions. 1t Royal,
with detachment, skirmished with the
enemy during good part Of the night,
few miles out from the fort and made
his way to Columbus Before day, the
next morning, the picllets were driven
in and the attack commenced. The
works were assaulted from different di-
rections, but as the rebels advanced on
horseback, they were met by the Ten
nesseeans with q fire so deadly that
they broke and fled in confusion. At
ter this repulse, Col Hawkins, IN full
confidence that Gen. Brayman would
redeem his promise to send reinforce
ments, assured his men that if they
could hold out for one hour longer,
they would certainly have assistance.
The rebels then dismOunted, and to
the number of 1900 or 1900 under
Duckworth, Faulkner, Freeman, Tan
sill Bell, Russell and Greer, taking adj
vantage OF the fallen timber, endeayor-
cd TO advance by stealth, but sharp
eyes were watching for them and three
times in Succession these advances
were repulsed with severe loss. Du-
ring this time while the men were Un-
der cover Of the works, Col Hawkins,
with reckless disregard Of personal
danger, passed from one point TO an
other, a conspicuous mark Tor the
sharp-shooters Of the enemy, bat no re-
monstrances from his officers could in
duce him 10 put himself under shelter.
For hours the conflict ragged with
undated fury About log o'clock, 1t.
Nicely who was in command of the
company armed with Enfield Rifles, re-
ported to Colonel Hawkins that his
ammunition was nearly exhausted,
only few rounds being left What
shall we do? said the Lieutenant
Shoot as long as you can, and then,
d-n EN-, give them cold steel said
the Col. "Fix bayonets,' shouted the
Lieutenant, and that end OF the fort
bristled with the cleaning steel
At this moment Mcdowell, with 200
or 500 fresh men arrived to aid the enc
my, making the assailing force to out
number the garrison by four or five 70
one. The firing now ceased and flag
of truce approached and q surrender
was demanded. This was a moment Of
deepest anxiety. The demand was ac-
companied by the brutal threat thatno
quarter would be given in case the fort
was taken by assault The promised
reinforcements though long since due,
had failed TO come up. The rifemen
were nearly out Of ammunition, the
carLtne ammunition was exhausted, and
for some time the men had been using
musket cartridges, and even Of these
the supply was short To defend the
works against q close assault, required
at least FIVE times the number Of men