The situation in Tennessee--a battle imminent.
The intelligence from
Middle Tennessee is but meagre; yet sufficient to give us a tolerably accurate idea of the condition of affairs up to Saturday last.
The heavy skirmishes of Wednesday and Thursday, of which we have already given brief notice, seems to have been kept up as late as Saturday.
One hundred and four of our wounded — chiefly the wounded of the first day's action, (Wednesday,) when the brigades of
Gens. Bato and
Liddoll were driven back — arrived at
Chattanooga on the 28th.
On Thursday, (says the
Rebel,) two divisions of our army were engaged.
The enemy were driven back five miles, and our forces re-occupied the positions of Liberty's Gap and Guy's Gap.
Hoover's Gap was also occupied by the
Confederates.
In the meantime reinforcements to
General Bragg are being hurried forward, and every precaution is being made to receive the enemy at the "front," where it is believed he will meet with a hearty reception.
Our troops are represented as being confident, full of fire and spirit, and anxious for the beginning.
The
Rebel estimates our loss so far at about one hundred killed and five hundred wounded. The
Appeal, of the 29th, says that
Rosecrans continued to advance as if desiring to give battle, in which desire, it has reason to believe, he will be accommodated, at the proper time and place.
Shelbyville was evacuated on Friday last, and a rapid concentration of our troops in the works at
Tullahoma was taking place.
Instead of
Rosecrans being weakened by reinforcements to
Grant, it is has been strengthened to such an extent as to make him confident enough to advance our weak defences in front, hence our commanders have chosen the battle-ground, if a fight is forced upon them.
Up to Saturday evening
Rosecrans continued to advance along the whole line, and at last accounts a battle was considered imminent.
