Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-09-27

Murfreesboro. The command hal
: ted; the order was given to loat
and cap guns. What a trying
moment, in the darkness and 81
: lence, and after the long and wea
Try ride, to be Gaping and loading
, arms for the wild work, to begir
in q few minutes.
Col Wharton, with a small de
tachment Of his .Texas Rangers,
was sent forward to cut off and
capture the Federal picket posted
two miles from town; good, hon.
est fellows, apprehending no dan
ger.
/ Under less imperious circum-
stances it would have been unpar-
donable to have disturbed them ;
tbut the gray dawn was breaking
ii was time they were waking, at
least Col. Wharton thought SO, as
he shortened theslumbers and took
the arms of the trembling sons of
Mars, twenty in number. Their
vidette, however, in his flight,
fired off his musket, and our col
Iumn-numbering not more than a
thousand mentor the rapid march
and the certainty of fight had
made many stragglers-started at
gallop, and believe me, it was a
wild, exciting race of two miles.
The noise made by thousand
horsemen riding at gallop upon
the rocky road, was calculated to
awaken the "seven sleepers; and
the prisoners told us afterward they
heard it, and thought that a great
storm was approaching-so there
was.
The good people, aroused by the
same storm, hurried to their win
dows, and when they saw the gray
jackets of the riders, thronged
the roadside, frantic with excite
ment and delight. Old men and
women, beautiful girls and bright
faced children, all cen deshabille,"
were possessed of the same deliri-
um. AS we passed [ heard an old
lady scream out at the top of her
voice, "My God, how good our
Southern boys look!" and a lovely
girl with tresses flowing to her
waist, her dark eyes blazing with
the inspiration of priestess of
old, exclaimed, "Thank God we will
be free to-day again" Though
strict silence had been ordered,
the enthusiasm of the cavaliers
broke forth in long and hearty
cheers that could not be restrained.
Fortunately the Federal regiments
were not encamped together; and
SO sudden was the attack they
could not communicate with each
other nor act in concert. Their
yells and rapid pistol volleys told
the rear of the column that the
gallant 9Th Texas were doing well !
their appointed work, and in the
space of a few moments the entire |
command was engaged.
The several regiments of the
isolated as they were from
each other, were driven from their
positions, and forced to surrender;
their provost guard Of eighty men,
though shut up in the court house,
thought discretion the better part
Of valor;" the captain of their
battery gave up his sword when
he found his escape hopeless one,
though be had shown himself to
be "game and plucky" throughout
the whole action. Forests loss
was comparatively trifing, be
tween seventy-fve and hundred
killed and wounded. The briga-
lier general commanding and his
staff were captured early in the
action; and his entire brigade
we're killed and wounded and made
prisoners; four pieces of artillery,
i splendid wagon and ambulance
rain, five or six hundred horses |
md mules, two thousand stand of
arms, and quantity of supplies,
we're the spoils of the fight.
The effect of this daring and
successful blow was wonderful
The Federal garrisons were smit-
en- with astonishment and fear;
or Forests victory had more than
luintupled his force in their imag-
nations, and taught them they
we're an most danger when they
believed themselves safest. 1t
fitted the dropping head of the
country within the enemy's lines,
md inspired new courage and