, 1864-12-14
FROiI NASHVILLE.
The Military Standardization Of
the Two Armies,

The Military STANDARDIZATION o1
the Two Armies,
CAN HOOD ESCAPE:
d Daring Night Charge through tn.
Robel Lines.
NAsHr111r, Tenn, Dec. :, 1854.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
The following very exciting event in con
ncction with our late movements here. h,v,
thought worthy Of public notice a. cncour
agcmeut to the troops engaged, and may b.
Of Interest to yonr readers, as the recital O.
all brave and gallant acts are and ought to be-
DESPERATE CHANCE AND GALLANT CHARGE
AS We lay on the banks Of Duck river somr
fifteen mtles above Columbia, towards even
ing OF Nov. 23th, the steady boom Of our can
non from that direction had ceased, We had
been engaged Since 10 o'clock q. m, with For.
rests command Of mounted infantry; hold,
ing him to the opposite side Of the river, Our
4oss had been considerable, though not near
20 great as that of the enemy, who whenever
ne pushed bis column down to or In the river,
our deadly Spencer reserved till then, would
leave fe" of them ever to return. Afewdes.
perate attempts Of this kind satistied them OF
the impracticability Of crossing in our front.
They had already fallen back, leaving only a
thin line Of sharpshootcrs, with whom our
boys were sporting. and had buIltf1re out
OF our range, killing hogs and apparently pre-
pairing supper and blv0uac for the night.
an order from our Brigade Commander,
nm Ind incl {,o 1T
headquarters for us to leave thin line in our
front and quietly withdraw our command.
This was being executed when one Of our
pickets on the flank, looking down the river.
reported the ford below us captured and the
enemy pressing forward towards our flank In
force In a moment more another picket came
n to say that the enemy wero advancing OH
the turnpike TO cut off our rear and retreat.
Assuming authority, withoutawaiting orders,
Mnjor ). Norris Young, commanding the 5tl
Iowa cavalry, Immediately concentrated his
regiment and hastened to cxtricate it from
The impending danger.
On our right was the river with tho enemy
swarming opposite; On our left = dense cedar
thickct and forest, broken with rocks and
raylnes; forward was the narrow road and
turnpike, leading to franklin past our camp
and brigade heaaq nrters, two and d half
miles distant. There the road from Columbia
to Shclbysillc, mp which the rebels w.r, nd
vancing, crossed the franklin pike above the
bend If the river in which we then were, and
the country became open, with fields and
farms and here we expected Of course to find
our bri gale commander holding this outlet.
this isthmus tor us. We Ind reached to with.
In mile Of this outlet when IN orderly came
dashing down, saying the enemy had posses
sion Of our camp and the crossroads, and that
Gol. Capron was gone In momcnt after
dlsorgantzed squad came rolling back, saying
''they had been fired on, driven back aud sew
eral Of their number killed, aud that the cue-
my were in force iu eur 'front.'
1t was now near seven o'clock, and in that
forest and situation the darkness could be
felt, as every step We expected to be lighted
up with deadly yollcy, and visions of South
US. This darkness also lent courage to the
coward tongues, and they were saying one
to another, "what snail We dos"'" Let us
try aud 90 around :" "let us scatter, and
then every man for himself" s1let us wait
tiEl daylight md see what to ao,'' &c. Then
Major ioung's VOICE was heard to rise above
thr confusion, and thrill through every nerve
with these words: I" IAe 5th Io.ca, thdt xew7
turns her front from the joe, is going straight
through tt tie brarc Jopou o,d n.e." With.
out further command from that well known
voice, heard before in times Of danger, the
trusty sabers ofthe 9Th lcaped from their
scabbards dimly glittcring III the twilight,
then all was hushed and quiet, save whis.
pered encouragement to q comrade, or q
trooper squaring himself in the saddle. The
scouts sent ont few minutes before were
now returning, reporting Ross brigade in
our Immediate front, and Jackson's division
short distance to our left. Just then, to
the surprise Of all, the Sth Michigan came up
from our rear, then the 10th Illinois, and
these regiments gone with the brigade com
Haander. This unexpected addition to our
force, comprising the whole Of our brigade.
made our number over !, 500 men.
As the commanders came. up Maj. Young
told Them Of the determination to take the
9th through with the sabre, and that he would
dispose their forces SO as to be of assistance
and go through with him. With alacrity the
Whole force moved into their several posi-
tions- The Instructions were few and simple.
- Forward and forward onl-, to attemp: to
fall back, to rally In the darkness and forrest,
was confusion and death or captivity The
enemy once notified of our place Of attack,
down."
almost held my breath as the order q for
ward' passed from colnmn to column and our
lorees commenced to move. In five minutes
We struck the rebel lines, lighted up by q blaze
q tire as they poured their yoIfey intd US.
Then as the Majors voice rolled back from
far in advance, 'tCharge," !" and the bu-Ier took
up the sound amidst the cheers Of our bravo
men. who plunged thefr spurs into their
horses sides, the blood mounted up IN nv
veins, and all was forgotten but the excite
mcnt Of the moment. In less than moment
more We were dashing on over the down
troddcn, scattered und fleeing foe, the cries
OF their wounded and dying, growing fainter
and fainter on the night wind, as we left them
behind.
But what q memorable sight this terrible
night ride was. The outlines OF our columns
marked By our blazing carbines, looked like
monstrons, fiery, Kissing, rushing scrpcnt5
and the sahrcs glitteringin in the flash, dazzling
the eye and almost turning the brain
About midnight Major General Wilson was
agreeably surprised BY Major Young, rs he
reported the tst brigade, 9Th cavalry division,
entire and saf. within his lines. The brigade
commander, who arrived some hours pre-
viously, had reported rs NIL killed or captured.
In THE daring charge Of our brave and gal
liant troopers, turning the supposed easy yic-
tory Of the rebels into disastrous and hui
initiating defeat, our loss WAS only some
thirty in all out oE fifteen hundred brought
through safe.
Such charge, at such an hour, and so sue.
cessful, is hardly equalled in thls war, so full
Of daring, gallautry and romance. BLADE.
NASHVILLE, Dec. ..
Never were two armtas apparently more quiet
thnn thosetn full view from the window beside
which am now writing; yet both are busy.
There are no other movements, but there arc
"notcs Of preparation" for action which cannot be
mistaken. Both armies arc at work, throwing mp
intTenchmcnts, building forts. etc.
Occasional reconnoissances develop tho fact
that the rebels IRE get here in force; and as Hood
was ordered to s'goiuto Nashville or into hell,'
# Is the impression Oh the part OF Gen Thomas,
thAt.h will yer attack our lines.
Rebel eympathizers here, however, are Of dit.
Serent opinion, and profess to beEeSc that Hood
will fy from here, and make a move either toward
Kentucky OF V1reinia. So far as an concerned,
ne shall sec what VIC shall sec. had expected
battle ere this. bat none hasabeen fought.
Hood is doing his beet to blockade the river be.
low here. and has. IN some measure, succeeded;
Ia here, and we baya no need OF the river for any
purpose. The rebels say they intend to eros. be-
low. Yesterday shot was fired from house by
a noted rebel, F. r. Rains, uncle OF Gen. Rains, 1
4 md Killed one Of our men. Tbs house is between
On It. Gemolishing 1t md killing the owner.
A. large number Of .original sccessionfsta,'
WHO we're 20 rnmpant for war, IN 1861, but who
krpt ont Of tle way, OF deserted it, and who have
in the country around. i wish hundred or 50 Of
onr citizens here, Of the same character, would
meet similar fnte. They would do us legs harm,
md the tehela less good, by being In the ranks,
Tould do veil to send few .. them out to thcir
lriends. They would then be free from Lucoln's
aespotisru, and enjoy the sweets of liberty under
that mild ruler Jefferson Davis.
[rozen- The sun, however, IS shining, and the
roaus have neaEfy dried mp.
OF the Cincinnati Commercia1,l
NASHVILLE, December ., 1864.
Tho magnitude of the joke perpetrated by