Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-12-21
ESTABLISHED, 1881


&. e. Eaton, commanding the 72i Ohio,
waving his sword and encouraging his
men TO come on
Aen belonging TO Hatehs cavalry and
Cox's division Of infantry entered the
fort almost simultaneously with MeMll-
lens men, and claim, as they deserve,
share Of the honor
Two more guns we're thus added to
those We had already taken. Fourteen
dead and sixty wounded rebels we're
left inside the fort Our own loss was
singslsrly small
But nov came what NAV perhaps be
considered the great event Of the dAy.
McArthur's men, pushing on over the
bill they BID captured, side by side with
the cavalry, sw2rmed across the Hills.
bOro' turnpike and ihrew themselves
plump upon the lett hauk OF Walthall's
rebels, Who were posted behind stone
fences At toe same time, Gen. Elliotts
division Of the 4Ih Corps, (Wood's.
which had overcome all obstacles in It's
way, repssed them upon their right fank.
s scene Of Wild confusion instantly en-
sued The rebels broke all order and
attempted 10 escape Everywhere they
were beaded of Lieut. Budd turned
has two gnns upon them aad exploded
dozen shells amidst The frightened mass
Other batteries hurled death amongst
hem; and unable 70 6y in any direction.
they Ihrew down their arms and loudly
cried tor mercy One brigade was taken
almost entire.
The 4th Corps, under the brave and
able Wood, was in arms early in the
morning. Iss artillery kept up a lively
iire al the forenoon, distraeting the al.
tentlon Of the enemy from Smiths oper.
atoms on she right
As soon as the noise OF battle on the
right Indicated that the 10th Corps was
fairly engaged, Wood pat his powerful
corps IA motion, Gen. Ellio,ts division
on the right, connecting with Smith :
left, Gen kimball in the centre. nnd
Gen. Samuel Beatty on the left The
rebel skirmishers we're everywhere
driven like chah
On az eminenee called Montgomery
Hill, was the most advanced of lhe rebel
positions Colonel Posts bri kade of
Beat,y's division swept up the side Of il
like -whirlwind, aud captured many
prisoness ia the works.
Other positions with guns and prison
ers En intothe hands of the eorps-
all three divisions vying With each other
in daring and dash.
Al about p. NJ, Gen. Wood determ.
med 20 take fort Of considerable mag.
ntude to the left Of the Hillsboro, turn.
pike. The fire Of four batteries was con
oeniratsd upon a, AID then all three Of
The divisions moving fosward in columns
% regiments. crushed everything ia their
way, and Elhett planted his dag upon
The fort Two cannon were taken here.
IL vas after this splendid achievement
that Elliott, pressing on, came in con.
tact with the right asRk Of wahhalfs
meu posted behind the stone fence on
The turnpike, and assisted materially in
their diseom6,ure.
The morning was cloudy and gave in.
dieations Of rain. There was dense
fog al al early hour, bat this soon
cleared away; and - early as eight
| o'clock ne we're able 20 determine the
/ position Of the enemy Availing him
/ self Of the cover of darkness. he had
wIthdrawn both bis wings from the river,
| had everywhere contracted bis lnea. and
| was holding u strong position along the
I Granny White Hills, or, as this partiou
lar portion Of the chain is called, the
I 0verton Ridge. These bills constitute
the most westerly spur Of the Gambler
land Mountains The rebel right. held
by ; ID Lees corps. the extreme right
! BY Clsyion's division OF tbe sane, rested
upon bill ipsi 10 the left Of the Frauk.
/ lin pike. This hill is one Of the Over
ton Range, and i confronted By another
mach higher. on the opposite side Of sbe
turnpike. One division Of Cheatham' =
corps vas IN the centre, and Stewart
beld the left, which rested back upon the
same chain Of hills already mentioned,
and between the Granny White and
Hillsboro pikea
Il must be understood that in the cen.
ter OF their old position land, as they
I bad withdrawn both wings, they nov
/ held snly tbe center1 the rebels bad
originally constructed four lines Of In
irenehmenls The 6rst Of these they
Voluntarily abandoned on the l2,h iust
T25s second was the continuation Of the
ssrieS Of detached positions on the rebeI
lsfi, from wiieh we drove them OF
Thurslsy This they reinquished on
Thursday night, falling back to their
third line This they held on Ffida]
morning, although they evidently did
not mEch rely apon IL, and we're pre-
Z Il
whieb was the strongest Of all. Tb'
center Of this line was six miles from
the center Of the city
Our own troops were disposed 10 thi
following general order:
The cavalry, under Major Genera
Wilson. were onsihs extreme right Geo
eral Schofeid, With the ga corps, con
sisting IF Couch's and CoK's divisions
was a. frst held in reserve, but beforl
the main battle opened, bad taken posi
tion in the line on the left Of the cayalr,
thus forming the right Of our iufantr
line The 10th Corps General A. J
Smith) came next on the ieft Of schs
. 6sid It's three division, we're command
ed byBriz. Gen. Macarthur, Brig. Gen
GarrArd and Col J. 3 Moore, I'D III
nois. On the left Of Smith, the MAJ
ni6ceut 4th Corps (Gen. J. T. Wood
! was formed in close order Of battle, an'
= partially masssd It's three division
J wsre commanded respectively By Brig
Gen. Kimball, Brig Gen. Samuel Bsattj
Holding the extreme Ieft was Genera
. Steedman, with a division commando
. By Brig. Gen CrBft, and two brigades G
! colored troops, com mandsd respsctivel
! by Col Morgan Of the 44ih O. S. C. 7
and Col. Thompson Of the l2ih. To
psrficular position Of the different div
| aious "a t'ne IL is unnecessary 70 mentio
p as they we're yaried greatly during th
= dAy.
/ It was perhaps half past eight i.
when ell the inhabitants Of Nazkvill
were bro1ght TO their doors to listen /
! the deep and heavy thandsr Of artilIer
which came rolling up from the soutl
Ia short time the explosions we're :
, tremendsoas aud continuous that th
air trembled and the siodoE-panes RAJ
: tied ia their sashEg