NASHVILLE, Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 10. The Fedral loss in the battle of Franklin, as ascertained by official reports, is greater than at first supposed. In the Second Division of the Twenty-third Corps the loss was thirty-four officers and 588 men killed, wounded and missing. In the Second Division of the Fourth Corps, the loss was 49 officers and 1,191 men killed, wounded and missing. In the Third Division of the Fourth Corps, 27 officers and 276 men were killed, wounded and missing. A large proportion of the slightly wounded are in the hospitals. The loss to residents living near the line of the two armies, is estimated at over half a million of dollars. Gen. CHEATHAM, whose headquarters were at the residence of Mr. A.V. BROWN, was shelled out from there yesterday by our batteries. The residence is reported as completely destroyed. On Sunday last, a small party of Confederates, about fifty in number, succeeded in crossing the Cumberland River, this side of the Shoals. Three of the number were captured and brought in yesterday. They claim that the whole party deserted from the rebel lines, and were making their way to their homes. Another prisoner was captured yesterday, and four deserters came into our lines to-day. The latter report that Gen. Hood is about to make a movement of some sort. Gen. COOPER’s brigade, in its march from Johnsonville to Clarksville, was terribly harassed by guerrillas. Sixteen men of the Thirteenth Indiana were captured, thirteen killed and three wounded. One of the latter, left for dead, escaped, and reported the above facts. The weather is very cold. About two inches of snow fell at Nashville yesterday and last night. The river is five feet deep on the shoals, and rising.
NASHVILLE, Saturday, Dec. 10. The situation of affairs remains unchanged. In front of the Fourth Corps not a shot was fired up to 2 o’clock this afternoon. Since then some slight skirmishing has occurred. Owing to the slippery state of the ground, the men find it impossible to move about. The rebels can be plainly seen from the front of the Fourth Corps standing about their camp fires. Hostilities may be said to have ceased on account of the bad weather. Deserters who come in say that the rebels have strong intrenchments, with two rows of chevaux de friese, with wires stretched around to strengthen them. Col. LOUIS JOHNSON, instead of Col. G. M.S. JOHNSON, commander of the Forty-fourth Colored Infantry, has received from the General-Commanding the highest praise for the manner in which he fought his troops at Mill Creek Station No. 2, having gallantly kept the enemy at bay for sixteen hours, and finally fought his way out, and reached Nashville with the loss of one hundred and fifteen men, killed and wounded. No report has yet been heard from the gunboats which went down the river yesterday morning. No cannonading has been heard here since their departure. The river is three feet deep on the shoals, and falling. From the Louisville Journal, Dec. 8. Prior to its evacuation, Johnsonville, on the Tennessee River, was garrisoned by a brigade of colored troops. It appears that the retreat from that place was hasty and somewhat disorderly. A large amount of Government property was destroyed by our troops, and the march from the Tennessee River to Clarksville, on the Cumberland, was marked with great demoralization. The wagon train was loaded down with stores, plunder not worth the hauling, and negro women and children. The officers placed no restraint upon the actions of their men, and they were allowed to straggle, pillage, burn and destroy. We are informed that every house standing near the line of march was fired and hurried to the ground. A guerrilla force hovered upon the rear and flanks of the brigade, and proved a great annoyance in the retreat. About forty of the black soldiers were killed and wounded by these partisan rangers. The officers took no precautions to keep off the enemy. In the contused straggle, the soldiers were bushwhacked by the wary enemy with the greatest ease. The brigade consisted of five regiments, and yet the troops were unable to protect their train. A number of the wagons were captured and burned by the guerrillas. Our officers ordered the destruction of a portion of the train to prevent it from falling into the hands of the bushwhackers. It is estimated that the destruction of private and Government property on the retreat will exceed a million dollars. If the facts are as they were related to us, the officer in command of the Colored Brigade should be held to a strict responsibility for the conduct of his men. There was no necessity for a panic-stricken, disorderly retreat, for, after leaving the Tennessee River, no enemy followed in pursuit, except a handful of mounted guerrillas. Gen. COOPER’s brigade of white troops, which was cut off from the main army when Gen. THOMAS retreated from Franklin, has also arrived at Clarksville. For several days great fears were entertained for the safety of Gen. COOPER and his command. Both brigades were at Clarksville yesterday morning, making preparations to move up and join the main army at Nashville. Correspondence of the Boston Journal.
NASHVILLE, Saturday Evening. Dec. 3, 1864. Everybody went to bed last night with the expectation of being roused from their slumbers at an early hour by the roar of artillery. But they were disappointed. The forenoon passed: 12, 1, 2 o’clock came, and still all was quiet on the Cumberland. A few moments afterward, however, an artillery firing commenced, which lasted till dark. It extended along the line from the left to right centre, chiefly in front of Gen. SMITH’s corps, which occupies the light instead of the extreme left, as I reported yesterday. There was a little skirmishing, but there were few-casualties. It is confidently stated that the enemy will open the battle to-morrow morning. All our Generals were out in person examining the position on the right, where the enemy are heavily massed and where it is believed the great struggle will take place. Col. JOHNSON, of the colored Forty-fourth regiment, came in this morning. He fought from 11 o’clock in the forenoon till 3 next mornings. He had two hundred and seventy-five men when the train was attacked by the rebels. He made his way to a block house, in which thirty men were stationed, and disposed his forces around it. For sixteen hours the unequal fight was kept up. “Bravely they fought and well,” and what ever be said of the conduct of this officer at Dalton, he nobly redeemed his reputation for personal courage in his long fight yesterday. From the position of the ground, it was impossible for the rebels to charge him without exposing themselves to a deadly fire, and as every one of our officers would have been shot and each of their men enslaved, had they been captured, they would have given the assailants a desperate reception had the attempt been made. The firing on them was entirely by artillery. They made one charge on a portion of the besiegers, and dismounted several of them. They lost in killed, wounded and captured nearly 100 men — about 60 wounded, and 20 killed and 20 captured. It will be remembered that Gen. THOMAS would not recognize the parole of these officers, as it was not in accordance with the cartel, but it is not likely that Gen. FORREST would have seen it in that light had he captured the new regiment. The old regiment is believed to be at Mobile, working on the fortifications. A deserter who came within our lines yesterday informed the authorities that LEE had issued an address congratulating his men on their brilliant victory at Franklin, and assuring them that if they evinced the same devotion to their country and an equal courage, they would soon possess Nashville and its vast stores of supplies.
The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864 