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out of town under a strong guard; after which they gathered up the loose mules and horses and drove them away.
The citizens carried our wounded to the hospital, and the enemy's to private houses.
It appears that Colonel Leicester had received the alarm in time to form his regiment and march it just far enough to allow the enemy to fall in upon his rear, drive out his camp guard, and burn his magazine.
The rebels then made a charge upon the battery, but a discharge from the right wing sent them back in dismay.
He then held a council of war and concluded to surrender his regiment and the battery without resistance.
In vain did his Lieutenant-Colonel try to persuade him to desist from this cowardly act, but to no purpose; he and some of his poltroon officers sold their regiment, when they might have maintained their position and retrieved the day. The men were well armed, well disciplined, and were eager to fight; but their Colonel faltered, and dared not lead them on to victory.
The loss of our regiment was fifteen killed and seventy-five wounded. The whole number engaged was one hundred and fifty at the camp, and seventy-five provost-guards.
The Minnesota Third had six hundred effective men, a battery of four guns to support them, and lost one killed and seven wounded. The sick and wounded officers were all paroled on the spot, the rest were marched to Meminville with the soldiers, where the soldiers were paroled and sent back to Murfreesboro.
They arrived in Nashville a few days ago, where they intend to remain until they are sent North.
I was fortunate enough to get to the hospital and evade the parole.
I shall soon join my company, which is now located in Tallahassee, with four others, under the command of Major Fox.
After the rebels had completed their damnable work of destruction, they left the town and compelled the citizens to bury the dead.
This shameful disaster is attributable to the mismanagement and cowardice of Colonel Leicester; had he left the regiments and battery in a condition to support each other, they might have whipped the enemy and saved the Government nearly a million dollars.
Yours truly,
The Texas Rangers in the fight.
gentlemen: Another most brilliant victory is added to the history of our struggle for independence.
Hereafter the thirteenth of July will be a day enshrined in the memory of Southern patriots.
The most successful expedition had been planned, and for days was moving forward from Chattanooga.
On Saturday, at twelve o'clock, the command, about sixteen hundred strong, left the vicinity of McMinnville, and after a march of fifty miles the gray dawn of the quiet Sabbath found the command all safely within two miles of Murfreesboro.
Being halted here for a few minutes the arms were examined and the plan of attack agreed upon.
Again the word was given and they moved forward.
The Texas Rangers had led the advance during the entire march, and they still occupied the position.
In a few minutes more a gun was fired and the pickets on the Woodbury pike were their prisoners.
Then commenced this daring charge in good earnest.
Colonel Forrest had assigned the attack on the first encampment to Col. John A. Wharton and his daring rangers, together with Colonel Lawton and the Second Georgia cavalry, whilst he was to lead the remainder against the other forces.
The Texans were now fully in earnest, and they spontaneously awoke the still morning with their usual terrific yell, which enlivened the charge; and when Colonel Wharton, at the head of the column, reached the point where he was to turn to the right, he led his men and dashed forward.
By some means the regiment was here divided, and only one hundred and twenty men, of all those assigned to this important work, were found with him — the remainder of the regiment and Col. Lawton's regiment following Col. Forrest.
Supposing his whole force with him, he at once charged through the brigade wagon-yard and through the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry, a portion of it being here — probably one hundred and twenty-five--then into the Ninth Michigan, which was just beyond and already formed in a hollow square to receive the charge.
The fire being now exhausted, and the support failing to come up, they re-loaded in face of the enemy, and bravely charged on foot.
Thus did this Spartan band fight on foot or mounted, as circumstance justified, for four long hours.
Supposing all the while that reenforcements would come to their relief, they heroically battled against four times their number, who had the advantage of position and long-range guns, at every point, inflicting terrible havoc upon the enemy.
During one of these foot charges, the colonel, being mounted and leading his intrepid band, received a severe flesh-wound in his arm. But, nothing daunted, he still retained command until some time after, when Lieut.-Colonel Walker came up, when he turned it over to him. He soon effected a union with the remainder of the regiment, and with Major Thomas Harrison, led until the final surrender at eleven o'clock.
During these four bloody hours, this small number, soon reduced below a hundred, did the work assigned to a thousand men, and undoubtedly to their gallantry, persistent determination, and unflinching charges upon these camps, is mainly attributable the final glorious issue.
No blame can be imputed to the other three fourths of the regiment, that kept them from participating in this most honorable and desperate conflict, for they were by some strange blunder led to another part of the field, where their fighting was unavailing.
Surely, if gallant bearing and glorious success, gained by desperate fighting, is ever rewarded in this great struggle for home, happiness and liberty, then should “Murfreesboro” be inscribed in golden letters upon their battle-flag by order of the commanding General.
Modern times do not furnish an instance where such a badge of honor and distinguished valor
