Year: 1863

pShCa al lNu2cLt aus Alul, AuLupIAlH- AD4 y
five thousand effective men, with hundred
pieces of artillery skrmished all the way to the
battle field the enemy resisting stnbbornly.
The whole Of Tuesday vas spent BY our forces
L In recOnnOitering the enemy, who was found
strongly posted on bead of Stones river on
the west side, his flank resting on Murfreesboro
The center also had the advantage Of high
ground, with dense growth Of cedar, masking
completely their position which gave them the
advantage of cross FIRE. During the night
dispositions were made TO attack the enemy 10
the morning. After dark the enemy were re-
ported moving on McC00k obviously to attack
our right. This cOrresponded with the wishes
Of Rosecrans, who instructed McC0ok to hold
the enemy in check while the left wing would be
thrown into Murfreesb0ro behind the enemy.
AT daybreak on the 3lst Of December every
thing appeared working well. The battle
opened on the right, and by seven O'Clock omi-
nous sounds indicated FIRE was approaching
the left. The fight ragged furiously for some
time and the fire continued to approach on the
right with alarming rapidity, extending to the
center and it was clear that the right was
doubling upon the left. The enemy had com
PEELED US TO make a complete change of front
OF that wing, and were pressing the center.
AT this moment, SIX batteries opened on the
rebels, who began to give way, and were
driven back a mile. Our whole line advanced
The enemy again made a formidable demon
stration upon our left, while they prepared for
another onslaught on the right. Meanwhile
orders had been issued to move our left on the
enemy, but before the left had time to execute
them the enemy again burst upon our center
with awful fury, and it began to break. Rous-
seau's division was thrown into the breach, and
the enemy again retreated hastily into the dense
thicket Again they asSailed our right, and
again were they driven back. By this time
the number Of Stragglers was formidable and
<he prospect rather discOuraging but there was
no panic. The Commanding General visited
every part of the field, and seemed confident of
success Early in the day we were severely
embarrassed by the enterprise of the rebel cav
airy, who made serious dashes upon a portion
of McC0Oks ammunition and subsistence train,
capturing number of wagons and artillery
stores. Ammunition was alarmingly scarce
AT one time il was announced that not single
wagon load could be found. Some of our bat
teres were quiet on that account This misfor
tune was caused by the capture Of McCook's
train.


About two o'clock the battle had shifted
from the right to the left The enemy, disc0v
ering the impossibility of succeeding in bis
main design, had suddenly massed his forces on
the left, crossing the river or moving under
cover of the high bluffs from his right The
fight ragged with unremitting fury for some
length ct time when the rebels were checked
by our murderous fire Of both musketry and
/rtiery. The scene at this period was mag
nifcenty terrible The whole battle was in
full view, the enemy deploying right and left
and hrin0infr M, THAR hattariac Gna ctvla
and our own vomiting smoke and iron missiles
upon them with awful fury, and our gallant
fellows moving to the front with undinching
courage or lying fiat upon their faces to escape
the rebel fire until the moment for action
Solid shot, shell and MIME balls ratified around
like hail. Rosecrans himself was necessarily
exposed His Chief of Staff Lieut. Col GA
resche, had his head shot off by round shot,
and the blood spattered the General and some
of the Staff Three Orderlies were killed rot
ten feet from the General, and FIVE or six horses
in his staff and escort were struck.


Between four and five O'Clock the enemy,
apparently exhausted by his rapid and inces-
SAINT assaults, took up position not assailable /
without abundant artillery, and the fire on both
sides slackened finally ceasng at dark-tbe
battle having ragged eleven hours The loss of
life on our side, considering the terrific nature
of the firing, was comparatively limited. The
wounded and casualty list including captures,
will not exceed perhaps fifteen hundred, not
one-fourth of whom were killed This is at
\riNuted to the care taken to make our men
lie down. The euemys loss must have been
more severe. But among our losses We have
to mourn the loss of several OF our finest officers
When the battle closed the enemy occupied
the ground which was ours in the morning, aud
the advantage was therefore in their favor


RoSecrans determined to renew the battle /
this morning aud opened furiously with our
left at dawn The enemy, however. would not
retire from our right, and the battle worked
that way At eleven o'clock matters were not
very 1attering to their side. At twelve cur
artillery received new supplies of ammunition,
and terrible fire was opened on the enemy,
who began 10 give way Gen. Thomas pressing
on their center and Crttenden advancing on
their left.


NASHVILLE, Jan. >.


The battle Of Stones river is not vet decided
1t has continued for three days with intermis
sions yesterday and today. After the battle
on Wednesday, December 3lSt, the enemy per
sisted in moving upon our right to cut US off
from Nashville bat finding it too strong, on
Thursday morning, January lst, they suddenly
flushed upon the center, but were bitterly re-
pulsed by the left of the corps commanded by
Thomas, ard the right of Critteuden's corps
Later in the day they iercely asSaied the right
and center and were again repuSed Both sides
spent the remainder Of the day in sharp skir-
mlshing and maueuvering for positions. Du-
ring the night the enemy appeared to be
concentrating again upon the right Their
commands were distinctly heard in our camps,
but suspecting ruse. Rosecrans threw Bent
ley's brigade Of Van Cleves division across the
river on our left, with supports. where they
rested About ten o'clock this morning the
enemy made another formidable dash at our
center, but were handsomely repulsed


Between three and four o'clock this after
noon, tremendous mass Of the enemy was
suddenly precipitated upon Bentey's brigade,
and drove H. after gallant strnggle clear back