The National tribune., 1898-10-13
AMERICAN CONFLICT.'
Continued froin nrst pase.)

. tcon,inuee froih nr.. paseJ
: prisoners; also, % pi9es of artillery: In
> horses having been slasj, and our troops be
: ing unable to withdraw them, by hand, owe
= the rough ground i bntr the enemy had beel
f roughly handled, apd lady damaged at al
a points, having had no success where we hat
open ground, and our troops properly posted
none, which did not depend on the Origina
!, crushing of our right ahd the superior masses
j which were, in consequence, brought to bea
( upon the narrow front of Sheridan's ant
Negley's Divisions, aud q part of Palmer s
coupled with the scarcity of ammunition
caused by the circuitons road which the trail
had taken, and the Inconvenience of getting
it from q remote distance through the
Ecedars." ="
TWO DAYS LATER.
Beth armies maintained their respective
positions Throughout the following day
Friday, Jan. /, 1868. There were artillery
duels at intervals, and considerable picket
firing whereby some casualties were suffered
mainly on our center and left but nothing
like serious attack: the lines OF the two
armies conf Ontilg each other at close range,
alert and vigilant; while brigades and regi-
ments were silently moved from point to
point, and rife-pits and other hasty de!enses
were constructed on either side, in prepara-
ton for the impending struggle.
Meantime, some ammunition trains
which the rebel cavalry had driven from
their proper positions in our rear, and COM
PEELED to make long circuits to rejoin their
commands-were brought up and their con-
tents distributed. At night, our men lay
down on their arms again, and all was quiet
Hitherto, The weather had been bright and
mild; SO that there was no suffering save on
the part of the wounded.
| The quiet remained unbrollen till 8 o'clock
of Jan. 3; when the rebels suddenly opened
fire from many batteries which had mean
time been stealthily planted in front of our
center and left. lIascall's Division of Crit
tenden's Corps was exposed to the heaviest of
this fire, and suffered severely, Estep's
battery being quickly disabled, losing so
many EO-ses that its guns were necessarily
drawn Off by infantry. But Bradley's and
other batteries now opened on our side; and
after nalf an hours firing the rebels ceased
as suddenly as they had begun. Our infan-
try, though losing heavily, did not change its
position.
Van Cleye's Division, after losing its chief,
had been moved back toward our left, Col
Sam. Beatty commanding; and, at daybreak
this morning, had in good part been sent
across the stream, takins post on the bluff
beyond, as If III pursuance of Rosecrans's
original purpose to take Murfreesboro by
determined advance OF his left Throughout
the morning. the rest of Van Cleve's infan
try, and two or three batteries, followed
The rebel army having been nearly all
moved farther to our right, in executing or
in nj fbe do,
on that wing this movement encountered
no opposition, though ,skirmisiing along
Beattys front grew llvefier and more deter
mined toward midday; showing that the
enemy were gradually . creeping up At
noon, battery 0peaed On our front. while
other batteries were eescenTmovins to our left,
as if to flank Us in that quarter.
BEEcKINRIDGE's GREAr CHARGE
At 3p. m. our sNrrnishcr5 reported that
the enemy were throwing down the fences
before them, rs il making ready to charge,
and before any dispositions could be male to
receive them Breckinritge's entire corps,
strengthened by ~ Napoleon 12-pounders,
forming three magnificent columns of
assault, seemed 10 emerge from the earth,
and aided by Il heavy enfilading fire 0fi
Bishop Polk's artillery, toward the center
swept Oh to the charge II ~.
Their strength was Overwhelming, and the
fire OF our first line, consisting of the 5lst
Ohio, Sth Ky. Both and 18th Ind, barely
sutficed to check, their determined and conf
dent advance. In q few minutes our men
gave way in disorder, sweeping the second
line with them, or constraining it to folloy
their example.
The reserve, consisting Of the 10Th Ohio,
9th and 11tli KY, was then sent up, anu
fought gallantly, but was far too weak; and
being threatened by a movement on the
right flank, fell back, fighting, TO the river
and acrossit, losing heavily.
But r,ow the solid rebel mas es formed
six deep, eagerly pursuing, came within
range OF Crittenden's careiully-planted bat |
teries across the stream, and were plowed |
through and through, while the divisions Of
Negley and Jeff c. Davis, with ST. Clair |
Morten's Engineers, pressed forward to the |
rescue The rebels were in turn over
matched and hurled back in disorder, losing |
four OF their guns, the flag OF the 26th Tenn, |
and considerable body Of prisoners.
Had not darkness 1allen direetlO, while a I
heavy rain had set in, Rosecraus would have
pursued the fugitiyes right into Murfrces-
borO. He says i'll his report:
The enemy retrcated more rapidly than
they hiN advanced. ln20 minutes they had I
lost 2, 900 men, sJ
AS it was, Crittenden's Corps and Davis's
Division both passed over rcoccupied the
commanding ground, ana before morning
were solidly intrenched there, ready for
whatever emergency.
DRIVING OUT SHARPSHoOTERs
Another night Of anxious chfillness
gave place to a morning OF pouring rain by
which the ground was so s0dden as to i'm
pede the movement Of artillery We were
short of ammunition till 10 a. H.. when an
ecled tram was welcomed
Batteries were now constructed on the
ground SO hands on,ely gained on our lett by
which even AInrtreesbOro could be silelled:
and Gems. Thomas and Rousseau who Lad
Tor days leen annoyed ly rebel sharpsllooters
from the cedar thickets in their front. OBJ