of our troops. All who have given any
account of this battle concur in praising the conduct of the combatants.
It was fought with the utmost determination, and with no flinching on
either side.

One incident is thus described by an eye-witness:

"Just here Martin performed one of those acts of heroic, but useless
courage, too common among our officers. When his regiment wavered and
commenced to fall back, he halted until he was left alone; then at a
slow walk, rode to the pike, and with his hat off rode slowly out of
fire. He was splendidly mounted, wore in his hat a long black plume, was
himself a large and striking figure, and I have often thought that it
was the handsomest picture of cool and desperate courage I saw in the
war."

Our loss in this fight was very heavy, especially in officers. The list
of wounded officers was large. Captains Sale, Marr, Cooper and Cossett,
and a number of other officers, were killed. Captain Sale was the third
Captain of Company E, Second Kentucky, who was killed. Captain Cossett,
of the Ninth Tennessee, was under arrest at the time, for charges of
which he was acquitted after death. He was killed, fighting with his
musket, as a volunteer. General Morgan's clothing was torn with balls.

About this time an impression prevailed at General Bragg's Headquarters,
that the enemy was about to evacuate Murfreesboro' and, perhaps,
Nashville. General Morgan had come to Liberty on the 19th, in order to
reconnoiter with reference to ascertaining the truth of this rumor.

Upon the day before, Colonel Breckinridge had been ordered to move to
Lebanon with his brigade, and a section of Byrne's battery, and was
informed that he would be supported by Gano. In the order he was told:
"The object of these demonstrations is to discover, if possible, whether
the rumored evacuation of Murfreesboro' by the Federals is true, and if
so, to what point they are moving their forces. In the event that they
are falling back to Nashville, the command will move from Lebanon, cross
the river and attack and harass them. At Lebanon, or within twenty-four
hours after your arrival at that point, certain information can be
obtained as to what is taking place on the enemy's lines. In the event
your pickets or scouts report an advance from Readyville or
Murfreesboro', you will not leave your present position."

Upon the 19th the following dispatch came from General Bragg's
Headquarters to Wheeler:

"_To Major Gene