, 1864-12-23
our NASHVILLE LETTER.
The Complete Destruction Of
Hoods Army.
sIXTY-OFE CANNON CAPTURED
UP IT, THE GOTH
Che Defeat of Bate and Forrest.
WHEREABOUTS OF BRECK-
EkRIDGE,

| NASHVILLE, Dec s1tn, 4o0t.
] have no other news than the utter dis
con4ture Of Hoods army, and the prospect
Of its curly md complete destruction. Is not
this cnoughs It ought to satisfy any patriot
for day. My intelligence from the front
dates 10 yesterday noon, when a staff officer
ofGeneral 1homas' left his corps, and arrived
here last night. He reports that there is no
Imagination sufficiently vivid to conceive OF
the utter decentralization Of Hoods army. he
conyersed with rebel Colonel who had just
been taken prisoner II am" said the cap
tive, ''uttcr1y broken hearted; our army is
destroyed your victory is decided our men
cannot be rallied the whole army is mob,
and it is with great difficulty, that re can get
men enough together to form rear guard" !:
The number of prisoners taken up TO the
time the officer left, was s, 237, including the
wounded of the enemy, who were lying in the
combat at that place, in the battle there on
the s6th nit. These muster about 900. We
captured cannon as follows: Thursday, 18;
Friday, 50; Saturday, 6 Sunday, 8; Monday
9. Total, 61.
Of thfsnumber. about ten OF twelve we.c
taken from the rebel cavalry, and the remain
dozen pieces left In any part of his command.
The infantry have but two pieces. :
The woods are full Of sttagglcrs and willing
prisoners. never saw men so pleased at BE-
ing taken az are all Of these men, whether
P and hg 9eel aee ead Thsy Il all Say the game Is
Our infantry keep close upon the rebel
rear, and our cavalry on its hanks. Gen.
Thomas intercepted courier with dispatch
from Hood to his cavalry commanders to do
their best to keep Thomas back or all was
lost, But to do this they are poFerless: Our
and not only that, but Wilson'S command Of
mounted men is to-day equal to the whole
rebel army.
At daylight, yesterday, Thomas sent for
Wilson, and said: "General, you are now
able to cope with al the men. Hood eau
bring into The field; yo9 can move foster
the flank, fight their whole force, and sdip
them; you can do it readily" No sooner
Was the command given than Gen. Wilson
proceeded to obey tt, and at the time the OIL
Ger from whom I have received this informa-
ton left, he bad struck Hoods left flank, and
was engaging 1t; but, us to tie final result,
know nothing.
MroKTAST REVELATIONS.
Among the prominent citizens Of this vi
cinfty, conscripted during the siege, was
Archie Cheatham, a cousin Of Gen. Chatham.
The General VAS naturally disposed to favor
his relation, promising him soft place."
and in the meantime gayc him pass to 50
where he WISHED. The two were together for
over week, and Archie learned from the
General the strength OF hoods S army, and his
designs and hopes, &c, which he commui-
cated TO friend here, after he made his es-
cape; and frum him learned the facts,
Gen. Cheatham, Notwithstanding the assur-
ance Of spies to the contrary. conienled that
Thomas had not more than x, 900 men-haif
conscfipts who wouldn't fight he would not
believe that Smiths corps was here, or that
schotield WIS here with his army; aud In this
Hood and the other generals agreed with him.
They lnd no doubt Of their ability to capture
Nashville "Why," said Gen. Cheatham,
"1homas is no stronger than at Franklin !;
Nashville Is weaker place than that; NC
compelled them to cyacuate Franklin, and
why not Nashvilie?''
A,chie asked the General the rebel loss at
franklin. His reply was: "Oyer 5000, Of
whom 5000 belonged to my own corps; we
lost fourteen general officers, including colo
nels commanding brigades nine Of these
were generals
Archie states that the rebel commanders were
perfectly astonished when they saw Thomas
march cut OF the fortincations, as they looked
upon such move as pEeposleIous and fool
hardy. They soon learned, to their sorrow,
who had been deceived as TO the ,relatlse
e1tsue1o s1u eRuuh " tne Dei1ts,e
+,,ot H., ,s..aa.a., o1ar.aai 10 .,;tS Iu. ~
tinsa; IIs eue ~ ~ as,on st 5s no9 ",.n .ne
q ~ II HtnI ~ * ~ onaianus' -o'00'' e"'"4's'
''goU 49, auaai, %tev ~ +, aot,s. ~ +1,oso
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.tranIi,, az - Head,s .s yDu .u Us
~ hstt1e - - E,i1 nom. o IN iGss, T.; ~
ton 4or,s h.++io. ~ maar hera o,d ~ ,rsnit ~ ~,
aM11 15ora III ~ raarlra aii canine s1n,n H.,
;ICsnt1r. thrs rs 1an-;nt. ~ IN ~ 1h6 .-n., ~
~ Ta31n.ssaa sae ~1'S0O ~ 'AA~ "'A15 ~
~ H,,t tl"t ;s mt no+ ~, IN The 7th po+o.
ui Loas - ~ ot n aot 80. Wy ~, M
NJ w ~ El;ga " LIZ 4S ass %n 4oss @ " p ~
anu anu W r llaaS' Ut totn, FORREST ana nales
',s;o ME- ue!Gaseu ngn' Y m me @ sanc nanenlu
i;1Sad ba;,,1 Mtn Eau a0s1 rra =, has tue
;sn 11,asa ~ aLs - 49, rtias "sEn
inesS S;h, ~ ~ ~ ~. 1a ~
" ~, ~ ta1. a " . rne
Eooshn-t - s,,t,;cn i r. sor +hs t;ctn,-. Is d.
t;essuo ~ ,s.1sta ~ A1e ''s'0A5 ID "e'
e1sr1G ~, aEu IN, eo snI.e H. to, ~ N neo
;,ai,,a;,,a ~ 80 aa'eia,.anI ;,f'n+, - .t
Meiua5 sasan III unu Ataa.s, 4 auo tnsac - -
1oesy 1oy nope 10 9envG ana. W. ase sooa tcs
49, lnole, ana.lHIna'pes neati5 tne eutlfe
amy e1e u c19sses ene .ennesset slaeF. ,.
W nase naa analul1see .9 eo.sean. tan oa51u
and thc mud is feaftfnlly deep; but Thomas
10 the entire rebel army, the bad weather Is
mr. pnin