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Doc. 46.-skirmish at, Rural hills, Tenn.


Louisville Journal account.

camp of Twenty-Third brigade, Fifth division, near Stone River, Tenn., November 22.
the following little affair is probably worth writing you about. On last Monday two hundred men and officers of the Eighth Kentucky regiment, under Lieut. Col. May, were detached to guard a train of supplies to Col. Hawkins's (Fourteenth) brigade, then stationed some seventeen miles to the south-east of Nashville, at a point called Rural Hills, and fortunately reached there without casualty or molestation. It had rained all day, and Col. Hawkins did us the favor to give us the use of an old shed and buildings, constructed for camp-meeting purposes, situated about one hundred and seventy-five yards in front of his right, for our quarters for the night, assuring us that his picket-lines were strong. The night passed, and Tuesday morning dawned with favorable auspices for a rencounter with the rebels — wet and misty. And sure enough, just as we were breakfasting, the crack of several rifles on the lines warned us of an attack. Our men sprang to their guns, and had not time to load before the enemy appeared in one column dashing down an opening leading out from our left front, and in another column protruding from a wood into a field to our right, and stretching along the front of Col. H.'s brigade. A dense cedar thicket extends out from the old camp-ground, the two columns coming in on opposite sides of it, the force in the field to engage the brigade in front, while that before our left was to dash past the camp-ground down a short lane to where a section of artillery lay, and take possession of it, was obviously the programme. The rebels were mounted on magnificent chargers — of Kentucky's best breeds, doubtless — and came dashing on like thunderbolts, evidently unsuspecting any thing from the “ancient sanctuary,” where we were ensconced.

Our boys rushing out at all sides, poured a galling fire into them, mowing down some of the best models of rebel chivalry, and completely frustrating them in their well-concerted movements. They faltered for a moment, then discovering our position, opened a sharp cross-fire upon us, and made the bullets whiz above our heads for a minute, and then commenced a stampede in their regular style.

Meanwhile the section of artillery opened upon them, their main force being discovered about one and a quarter miles to our front under cover of the edge of the woods, which was responded to briskly by two or three pieces, throwing their missiles very scatteringly, and without effect. This was continued for half an hour, when the rebels withdrew, leaving from twelve to sixteen men and a horse or two dead, and the usual articles, such as guns, hats, old clothes, etc. On our side not a drop of blood was spilled.

Omelet.

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Joseph G. Hawkins (2)
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