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[281] where he, at 2 P. M. next day,1 had a fight with a heavily guarded ordnance train, which he stopped, and claims to have damaged, but was unable to capture or destroy; returning during the night to Bragg's left flank, and covering his retreat on the 4th and 5th.

On the whole, the enemy's operations in the rear of our army, during this memorable conflict, reflect no credit on the intelligence and energy with which they were resisted. The prisoners--2,000 or more — taken by the Rebels were of course mainly stragglers and fugitives, barely worth paroling; but they figure largely in Wheeler's and in Bragg's reports. And it is not doubtful that Rosecrans's inability to improve his ultimate success was largely owing to the destruction of his trains by these triumphant raiders.

The silver lining to this cloud is a most gallant defense made on the 1st by Col. Innes's 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanies, only 391 strong, who had taken post on high ground near Lavergne, and formed such a barricade of cedars, &c., as they hurriedly might. Here they were2 attacked, at 2 P. M., by Wharton's cavalry, whom they successfully resisted and beat off. Wharton's official report is their best eulogium. He was in command of six or eight regiments, and here is his account of this affair:

A regiment of infantry, under Col. Dennis, also was stationed in a cedar-brake, and fortifications, near this point. I caused the battery, under Lt. Pike, who acted with great gallantry, to open on it. The fire. at a range of not more than 400 yards, was kept up for moro than an hour; and must have resulted in great damage to the enemy. I caused the enemy to be charged on three sides at the same time, by Cols. Cox and Smith and Lt.-Col. Malone; and the charge was repeated four times; but the enemy was so strongly posted that it was found impossible to dislodge him.

Rosecrans makes his entire force who participated in this struggle 37,977 infantry, 3,200 cavalry, and 2,223 artillery: total, 43,400 ; and states his; losses as follows: killed, 1,533; 3 wounded, 7,245; total, 8,778, or fully 20 per cent, of the number engaged. He adds that his provostmarshal says his loss of prisoners will fall below 2,800. He says nothing of prisoners taken by him, though we certainly did take at least 500, beside wounded. He judges that the Rebels had fifteen per cent. advantage in their choice of ground and knowledge of the country; and says that they had present 132 regiments of infantry and 20 of cavalry, beside 24 smaller organizations of cavalry, 12 battalions of sharp-shooters, and 23 batteries: of artillery — all which, he estimates, must have presented an aggregate of fully 62,720 men. He thinks their killed and wounded must have amounted to 14,560 men. If lie had only told us how many of them he buried, and how many wounded (or others) fell into his hands, he would have earned our gratitude.

Bragg, per contra, says he had but 35,000 men on the field when the fight commenced, of whom but about 30,000 were infantry and artillery; and that he lost of these over 10,000, of whom 9,000 were killed

1 Jan. 3.

2 Jan. 1.

3 Among our killed, beside those already mentioned, were Cols. Jones, 24th Ohio, McKee, 3d Ky., Williams, 25th Ill., Harrington, 27th Ill., Stem, 101st Ohio, and Millikin, 3d Ohio cavalry. Among our wounded, beside those already named, were Cols. Forman, 15th Ky., Humphreys. 88th Ind. Alexander, 21st Ill., Hines, 57th Ind., Blake, 40th Ind., and Lt.-Col. Tanner, 22d Ind.

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