Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Terrific Battle at Murfreesboro – Rebel Gens. Cheatham and Rains Killed

NEAR MURFREESBORO, Dec. 31 – Our whole line suffered terribly this morning, four regiments of regulars lost half of their men and all their commanding officers. Gen Anderson’s troops suffered terribly. Majors Rosengarten and Ward are killed. Gen. Stanley, Rosseau and Palmer are wounded.

Two o’clock P.M. – Gen. Thomas has just broken the rebel centre and driven the enemy a mile. We are advancing our whole line. Gen. Rosencrans [sic] is personally superintending the movement. One shot killed two of his staff officers. The [15th] Wisconsin lost seven Captains. Gen. Negle’s artillery is still moving the rebels in the centre. Gen. Crittenden – left wing – has taken the entrenchments at Murfreesboro. The rebels Gens. Cheatham and Rains are killed.

NASHVILLE, Jan. 2 – The Federals encountered the rebels on the 30th ult. near Stuart’s Creek, and after heavy skirmishing the rebels were driven back.

We captured 100 prisoners, and killed and wounded a large number of rebels.

Our loss was 70 killed and wounded.

At daybreak on the 31st the fight was renewed with great fury. McCook’s corps was opposed to Hardee. After desperate fighting with heavy loss McCook retreated two miles. He soon rallied, and was again driven back.

At night he was four miles this side of the ground occupied in the morning. The fight continued until 10 o’clock p.m. at which time we had maintained our position.

The Federal loss is very Heavy.

Killed – Brig. Gen. Sill, Lieut. Col. Garesche, Chief of Gen. Rosecrans’ Staff; Brig. Gen. Willeck, of Indiana; Col. Kell of the 2nd Ohio; Col. Straffer, Acting Brigadier General, Col. Farmer of the 15th Kentucky; Col. Jones of the 24th Ohio; Lieut. Col. Cotton of the 6th Kentucky; Lieut. Col. Jones, of the [39th Indiana]; Major Carpenter, of the 19th Regulars; Major Rosengarten of Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2. – The Secretary of War to-day received the following:

Cleveland, O. Jan. 2.

The following has just been received by telegraph from Cincinnati, dated Murfreesboro, Jan. 1:

A terrible battle was fought yesterday. – The latest from the field is up to noon. The rebel center had been broken, and things looked favorable. The losses are reported to be enormous. Stanley, Rosseau and Palmer are wounded, and the rebels Cheatham and Rains are killed.

– Published in the Zanesville Daily Courier, Zanesville, Ohio, Saturday Evening, January 3, 1862

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