State of Tenn.
Clabern [sic] Co.
Nov. 5th, 1861
Dear Cousin,
As it has been some time since I rote [sic] you a letter I thought I would write you this morning. I can say that I am well at this time, hoping these lines will reach you and find you all we.., I have nothing of importance to write to your at this time, all the boys is beter [sic] sadisfied [sic] than they have been since we left Thanesville. I reckon we will take winter quarters heare [sic]. We are at Cumberland Gaps. [sic]
I believe all the boys is geting [sic] well but Win Tatum, he has the mumps very bad. Burell Clifton is mending very slow, him and Tatum is going to Knoxville to the Hospitle [sic] with the wounded and theare [sic] I expect they will get furlows [sic] for home. J. J. Brown says he don't [sic] want to go home. Silas Tidwell is pestered with rheumatis [sic]. I believe that the rest of the boys is able for duty. I was very sick for about a week, but I am able to eat my allowance now. The first that I got that I could eat was sum [sic] soup that Jack made of an old hen he got hold of on the road, he made the best soup that I ever eat. [sic] I believe Lige Caps [?] said it would been [sic] a heep [sic] beter [sic] if that bug hadent [sic] droped [sic] in it. I believe that it cure [sic] me. I thin we have a healthy situation heare [sic] , theare [sic] is a good sulphur spring hear [sic] and plenty of other water, theare [sic] is a spring [that] breaks out of the mountains that turnes [sic] a splendid mill and furnace, it is a grand seen. [sic] I think you would be delited [sic] to be heare [sic] a day or too, [sic] and as boys is scearce [sic] theare [sic] you had as well come out and take christmas [sic] with us.
Tell aunt [sic] Lily that Jim and George is well and at work today. I expect that I will have to work tomorrow, we have to build a Comersary [sic] house and work on the batery [sic] & c.
We are making calculations on geting [sic] leters [sic] when the Capt. gets back, I want you all to write as often as you can and give me all the newse [sic] you can, gave [sic] my best respects to all inquire friends [sic] and reserve the same yourself, so I will close by remaining
Your affectionate Cosin [sic] until death
C. F. Austin
WPA Civil War Records, Vol. 3, p. 48.
5, Action at Nashville
Reports of Gen. Braxton Bragg, C. S. Army, commanding Army of Tennessee, and Brigadier-General N.T. Forrest, Commanding Cavalry.
KNOXVILLE, TENN., November 9, 1862.
We had a brisk skirmish with the enemy near Nashville on the 5th, killing and wounding about 100. Our loss very slight. Destroyed a large number of cars, engines, water-tanks and bridges on Nashville and Louisville road. Brig.-Gen. Forrest was in command. Enemy is re-enforcing. Our forces are moving up. I leave to-morrow for the front.
BRAXTON BRAGG.
Report of Brig. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, C. S. Army, commanding cavalry.
BRIGADE HDQRS., La Vergne, Tenn., November 6, 1862.
GEN.: Agreeably to orders received, I moved my commands on the night of the 4th instant in the direction of Nashville, distributing them as follows: Col. John T. Morgan's regiment [Fifty-first Alabama], of Partisan Rangers, and Capt. W. C. Bacot's battalion, Forrest's regiment, to the right of the Murfreesborough pike, with instructions to move forward on the Lebanon, Stone's River, and Chicken pikes, and to drive in the Abolitionists' pickets at daylight, which was done agreeably to orders and in gallant style, killing and wounding several, with the loss of 1 man killed and 2 horses wounded. Lieut.-Col. [A. A. ] Russell, Partisan Rangers, on Murfreesborough pike, followed by Col.'s [J. B. ] Palmer's and [R. W.] Handson's brigades, with four batteries of artillery, commanded by Maj. [R. E.] Graves, after proceeding to Dogtown, 3 1/2 miles from Nashville, encountered the Abolitionists' pickets, at which place he (Col. Russell) was ordered to dismount his command, press forward, and drive in the pickets. He succeeded in driving them to their first line of fortifications with considerable firing for 1 1/4 miles. I here found them in some force behind a brush and log fortification around a high on right of pike. Here they made a stand, but after a short resistance [I] drove them from their position and gained the hill, at which place I planted my rifle battery of our pieces and opened fire on Jones' Hill, 1 1/2 miles distant. At this time the firing was heard from Col. [John T. ] Morgan, at Edgefield. About the same time Col. [James W.] Starnes opened fire on the Nolensville pike, he having been ordered, with Col. [G. G.] Dibrell's regiment, Maj. [D. C.] Douglass' battalion, Capt.'s [S. L.] Freeman's and [Franklin] Roberts' batteries, to the left of Murfreesborough pike, down the Nolensville, Mill Creek, and Franklin pikes. The engagement now became general, Capt.'s Freeman's and Robert's batteries having opened from Nolensville pike a vigorous fire on Saint Cloud's Hill. The firing was kept up until 10 o'clock, when I withdrew my forces.
Our loss in this action was 3 killed, 10 wounded, and 5 missing. Loss of Abolitionists, 15 killed, 20 prisoners, and supposed 20 wounded, one shell from Nolensville pike killing 5 in fortifications.
I then moved Col.'s Starnes' and Dibrell's regiments and Capt. Freeman's and Roberts' batteries out on the Franklin pike 5 miles. The Abolitionists were in ambush with four regiments of infantry, twelve pieces of artillery, and a battalion of [William B.] Stokes' cavalry, commanded by Brig.-Gen. [James S. ] Negley. They opened fire upon us from their position. I placed Freeman's and Roberts' batteries (four pieces each) on left of Franklin pike, between the Nolensville and Franklin pike, and returned their fire. After a spirited contest of an hour, they gave way, falling back down the Franklin pike toward Nashville. At this time I ordered my cavalry to charge, which order was quickly obeyed, their infantry and cavalry retreating down the pike toward Nashville. From this position my guns commanded the pike and played upon the Abolitionists with good effect, killing and wounding some 20 at one fire, which caused them to break and flee in disorder. I followed them up for a mile, when my artillery ammunition gave out and I withdrew my forces.
My loss in this action was 1 killed and 3 wounded. Loss of Abolitionists, 40 killed, 20 prisoners, and reported 60 wounded.
After this engagement I moved back to La Vergne.
Great credit is due Capt. Freeman's battery, and Lieut. [J. H.] Wiggins, commanding Roberts' battery, and their officers and men, for their coolness and discretion during this engagement. My officers and men acted well during the day, obeying with promptness each command.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
N. B. FORREST, Brig.-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 20, pt. I, pp. 6-7.
Report of Brig. Gen. James S. Negley, U. S. Army
HDQRS. UNITED STATES FORCES, Nashville, Tenn., November 5, 1862.
SIR: This morning at 2 o'clock Forrest's cavalry, numbering about 3,000, with four pieces of artillery, opened a sharp fire on our picket line, on the south, between the Franklin and Lebanon pikes. The picket line on the Murfreesborough road gradually withdrew, for the purpose of bringing the enemy under the guns of Fort Negley, two of which were opened upon the enemy and drove him speedily beyond the range.
Almost simultaneously with the attack on the south, John Morgan's forces (2,500 strong, with one piece of artillery) made a dash on Col. Smith's command, on the north side of the river, with the evident intention of destroying the railroad and pontoon bridges. After a sharp contest, in which several companies of Illinois troops behaved with great gallantry, Morgan was repulsed, leaving a stand of regimental colors in our hands, 5 killed, and 19 wounded. He then burned an old railroad building in Edgefield and retreated to Gallatin.
Finding the enemy on the South taking a position beyond our picket lines, Col. Roberts, with two regiments of infantry and one section of artillery, was ordered to advance on the Murfreesborough road, while I took the Sixty-ninth Ohio Infantry, with a portion of the Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania, Fourteenth Michigan, and Col.'s Stokes' and Wynkoop's cavalry, with two section of artillery, numbering, in all, about 1,400 men, and pursued that portion of the enemy on the Franklin pike. They were speedily driven from every position by our artillery until we reached a distance of 7 miles from the City. Col. Stokes' cavalry was here directed to charge upon the enemy's rear and then retreat, with a view of bringing to a stand; but the main body of the enemy, with their artillery, had suddenly turned into a lane to the left, while our cavalry, in the excitement of the chase, pursued a small portion of the enemy within 5 miles of Franklin, capturing some prisoners, killing several, and taking a drove of cattle. Previous to the return of Stokes' cavalry, the enemy appeared in considerable force upon our left, front, and rear, with the evident intention of cutting off cavalry and our retreat. The infantry and artillery were immediately moved forward a mile, to the support of our cavalry, which was ordered to rejoin the column immediately.
Upon receiving intelligence from my vedettes that the enemy was in force a mile to our rear, masking a battery close to the road, an entire regiment of cavalry making the charge receiving a fire so destructive as to drive them back in great disorder. The enemy then planted several guns on the turnpike, which were driven off before they could charge their pieces. Our forces then retired in good order toward the City, the enemy making one more attempt to get in our rear, nearer the City, but were immediately driven off by a regiment of infantry and a section of artillery, which had been ordered forward as a reserve. The concerted plans of the enemy, who had Handson's brigade of four Kentucky regiments and two Tennessee regiments of infantry, with five batteries of artillery, were defeated, and enabled our troops to give an additional proof of their efficiency and valor.
As we did not reoccupy the field of action, the enemy's total loss is unknown, but is represented by prisoners to have been large. Twenty-three prisoners were captured, including 2 captains of Morgan's artillery. Our casualties of the day were 26 wounded and 19 missing.
I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAS. S. NEGLEY, Brig.-Gen., Cmdg.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 20, pt. I, pp. 3-5.
"The Skirmish on Wednesday"
We have been able to obtain but a meagre account of the skirmishing on Wednesday, as yet. From reliable sources, however, we learn that twenty three prisoners were brought to town.
* * * *
During the day, some six or eight Federal soldiers were killed and thirty two wounded. We have heard of four Confederates killed in the vicinity of Edgefield, and one on the Nolensville pike, besides other, whose name we could not ascertain, on other pikes where skirmishing took place.
Nashville Dispatch, November 7, 1862.
5, "The Circus."
Lake & Co's company, performing in this city, is beyond comparison the most complete and excellent we have witnessed anywhere. We attended last evening, and found a series of unique, wonderful and beautiful feats introduced into the ring, which astonished all beholders. Of all the merry men ever introduced into the ring in this country, for originality, quaint humor, quick repartee and pungent satire, Hi Mark stands foremost and conspicuous. His style of clowning differs from all others; it is particularly his own-never condescending to borrow the jokes of others, and telling his own in such a manner as cannot be imitated. He never makes a blunder, is always sure to hit the right parties, and his shafts of wit at the expense of fashionable vice and follies never miss the mark. We are happy in confirming the high estimation in which he is held among circus managers as the most gentlemanly wit of the age. Of Little Alice we need scarcely speak, from the fact that her recent performance at the circus excited the astonishment and surprise of the audience. On the whole, the performance of this company cannot fail to please the most fastidious for, unlike most exhibitions of the ring, there is nothing unchaste for the eye to see or ear to hear.
Nashville Daily Press, November 5, 1863.
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