The Murfreesborough Fight.

Nashville Daily Union
July 16, 1862
p. 2, c. 1

Several prisoners who were captured by the guerrillas at Murfreesboro', and subsequently paroled, have arrived in the city. We conversed with one, a private in Col. Winkoop's cavalry. He said that the Michigan Regiment, in which he was taken completely by surprise, and were in the hands of the enemy almost before they had time to fire a gun. The camp of the Third Minnesota was a mile or a mile and a half from the Michigan camp. Our killed amounted to 80 or 199 in all, with a good many wounded. Hewitt's battery fought gallantly until all their ammunition was expended. Our officers were taken South, probably to Chattanooga, and the privates were paroled. Col. Duffield is lying, mortally wounded, it is feared, at the house of a citizen. The more we consider this unfortunate affair the more incomprehensible it appears to us. Here were twelve hundred good men, hale, hearty and brave, no doubt, who were surprised by a troop of guerrillas, almost before they had time to make any resistance. There is no doubt that had they been encamped together and well guarded, they could have repelled the enemy with terrible slaughter. Instead of uniting, however, they were far apart, and thus were cut up in detail. Why were they not in a position to support each other? The officers certainly knew that they were in an hostile region, and liable to a raid at any moment, and it is a mystery to us why they were not in a condition to assist and support each other. If such military tactics are to be followed in Tennessee, Gen. Buell's whole army can be destroyed in two weeks by three thousand guerillas. Remember the fable of the old man and the bundle of sticks, which while tied together, could not be broken, but when separated could be snapped with ease. Some of our officers seem to take a price in being careless of danger. They think it shows a generous confidence in the rebels to put themselves at their mercy, and it generally ends in the utter demolition of the confiding officer. The rebels never expose themselves in this manner; they are always on the alert, and are rarely caught napping. The reason is that the rebel leaders intended to fight when they began the rebellion, while ours generally hope to conciliate the rebels by being confiding and careless, and catching their runaway negroes. We say this with no disposition to cast reproach on our unfortunate soldiers. Doubtless they were true and brave men, and would have fought well. The difficulty or misfortune was that they did not realize their situation or the people they had to deal with. For Heaven's sake let there be no more such mistakes!

Latest from Murfreesboro'.

Reliable persons from Murfreesboro' report that the guerrillas have fallen back towards McMinnville. There were not over 2,000 of them, consisting of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry, Texas Rangers, and Starns' and Morgan's old troops. Our loss is stated at 33 killed and 62 wounded. Guerrilla loss 50 killed and 100 wounded. The citizens treated the wounded humanely without distinction. The rebels went off without burying their dead, who were interred by the citizens.

Article transcribed by Vicki Betts.