Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-12-09

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in double line of battle, tour columns OF
attack along the line, converging to The
centre with intervals, and assaulted With
desperate fury our entire front Wag-
ner was lightly entrenehed, snd, holding
our advanced position, be received The
hrst shock he could not breast tie
fury Of the storm, and was pressed back
IN some confusion. On came the rebels
yelling like demons, flushed with their
success. Our ce7tre wavered, aud the
hne partially gass war. At this critical
moment, the gallant Col 0pdyke, Of the
S4th Illinois. rushed to the rescue wiih
his veteran brigade. Cox aud Kimball
slso sent troops 10 their support, aud
the line was again formed anG conf
dence restored. Our artillery was coo
eentrated and placed under command Of
Capt Bridges, Of the Chieago Battery
Right gallAntly did he saperintend the
management Of the ganS Asthe reheI
line swept forward. be poured q deadly
IRE into their ranks, aud the fearful car.
mage and destruction staggered bat
did not dismay them. The assaultine
eoinmn at FIRST consisted of Cheaiharn /,
and StewArt's corps, estimated a. twenty
two thousand men The rebels seemed
TO have grown desperate, and they mad
ly rushed upon oar works. The color
bearers were conspicuous for bravery
They advanced in front Of the hae OF
their respective regiments, and, waving
their flags, trolled the. rebel soldiers 70
the very ditch surrounding our works,
sheltered By which, our brave boys
poured into the faces of the despH1Ate
foe a withering FIRE Of lead and fame
The conflict was terrible. The two lines
met face 70 face, ten feet apart, and
rained into each others ranks murder.
Gus volleys Of masket.balls. The fighr-
ing was hand-to-hand. Along the entire
front the rebels were clnbbed with mus
kets from our works, Gad the Federal
and Confederate soldier fell side by side
IN the terrible eSnHics of death, and
their warm blood, mingling together,
dyed the plain. Never die men more
braveiy support cause or more gal.
lantly meet on the field Of battle As
fast as one assault WAS repalsed, the
rebel line was re formed and the attack
renewed Major General Stanley, CON.
manding the 4sh corps, was conspicuous
among the officers for bis bravery. 10
the commencement Of the battle bis
horse was shot from uader him, and one
Of his staff officers was struck down In
The same moment BY his side. He
struggled awhile on foot, bat, soon Gnd
ing q new horse, be rode coolly up and
down the lines aud directed movements
IS II be was the naater-spirit Of the
storm. About Eve o'clock be was struck
BY ; rife-ball 10 the back Of the shoul
der, and carried from the field. His
~ound is painful, though not serious
At eight o'clock Stewart and Cheatham
were reinforced by Gen. Lees corpa.
All this tioe the 6ght had ragged sith
anabaled fury, and the battle field was
with the dying and the dead
Thirty color hAgs, the standards Of as
many regiments, had been planted upon
our works, the bearers ehos down, aud
The flags left in our possession. The
Sighting lasted from four clock ia the
afesrnoon until ten O'Clock at night
No tess than seventeen different as
saults and fcints were made By The
rebels The officers and soldiers
Of our army were alike disfin
guished for personal daring and bravery
The rebel General Adams was shot and
killed while leading charge upon our
line. The dead body Of his horse was
foand beside bis own lifeless forni At the
very foot Of our breastwoFks. The dis
charges Of masketry and cannon were
heavy and ineeezant la the battle our
men expended one hundred wagon loads
Of ammunition. An amount fully equal.
Il not greater. was expended BY Hood
IL 10 stated as a remarkable fact that ia
one Of the assaults seventy-fge rebels
we're made prisoners, and forty.iour Of
this namber were commissioned cfsoers.
From this il would appear that the eu-
listed men required an example from
their officers 70 induce them 70 fght 80
desperately. When she assault con-
menced, the head Of our line was on the
way to Nashville, aud during the battle
the teams we're hurried forward as rap
idly as possible Before the close Of The
engagement the whole train was 10 mo-
ton, and nearing the capital Of Tennes-
see. At midnight the lines Of both ar
mics we're 9uiet, aud General Thomas
commenced the Withdrawal Of his army
General Woods division remained 10 the
rear to cover the movement The re
treat was deliberate and orderly. aud
everything was brought OF the Geld A.
our troops neared Nashville the next
day, to the spectator the march was a
strange and bewildering sight Float
ing above the heads Of the men we're
the thirty captured rebel banners, aud
the iri-barred flag and the glorious stars
and stripes we're blended together 10
wonderful confusion. The new line was
formed around Nashville within from
three 10 four miles Of the city. Our
soldiers we're worn out with fatigue and
loss Of sleep. For FIVE consecutive DAYS
and nights they had been marching work
ing in the trenches, aad fighting Yet
no murmur escaped them, no complaint
was uttered. Scarcely had our line been
formed before two-thirds OF the entire
army we're stretched upon the ground
wrapped ia the slumbers Of deep re-
pose. Tired nature gave way, and the
weary march, scenes Of carnage, and the
battle roar we're all forgotten 10 the sweet
hour Of heavy sleep The rebel army
advanced again and confronted Us in the
afternoon Hoods force is estimated to
number forty-fve thousand men, al
though prisoners claim that be has sixtv
thousand If Dick Taylor has joined
him, then the latter estimate, perhaps, is
correct Hood obtains the n1ass Of bis
supplies from the country, silhoagh be
preserves his communication with the
Confederacy BY way Of Florence. de
viii severely feel his loss Of ammunition.
-, in bis present situation, IL is difficult
10 obtain. Immediately after the battle
Of Franklin be despatched . wagon train
TO Florence 10 bring forward a fresh sup
ply. His soldiers have been enjoying
meagre subsisience, and their desperate
fighting IS partially attribated TO this
cause They well know that If our army IS
routed, our rich stores Of Subsistence
viii fall into their hands IN tie haTer-
sacks Of the prisoners captured vas
found parched corn, and Sometimes,