HARTSVILLE, Engagements at. Harts ville, Tenn., on the north bank of the Cumber land River, about 35 miles northeast of Nash ville, is an important crossing and connected by good roads with Lebanon on the south and Gallatin on the horthwest. In August 1862 Gen. John H. Morgan, with his Confederate com mand, was operating north of the river and Gen. R. W. Johnson, with a cavalry command; was sent to drive him back. Johnson, approach ing on the Gallatin road, attacked Morgan 21 August, near Hartsville, and was defeated with a loss of 80 killed and wounded, and 75 prison ers. On 6 Dec. 1862 Hartsville was held by Col. A. B. Moore. with a Union force of three regiments of infantry, a regiment and a com pany of cavalry, and a section of artillery, in all about 2,100 men. Morgan had been instructed by General Bragg to operate on General Rose crans' lines of communication in rear of Nash ville and, learning that Moore was isolated, with no supports near, resolved to capture him. While two infantry brigades of Cheatham's division and Wheeler's cavalry demonstrated on Nashville, Morgan, with four regiments and a battalion of cavalry, two regiments of infantry and a battery, set out from Baird's Mills, 25 miles south of Hartsville, on the morning of 6 Dec. 1862, marched through Lebanon, crossed
the Cumberland below Hartsville, during the night, disposed his forces so as to cut off Moore's retreat on the roads leading to Gallatin and Castalian, posts occupied by other Union commands, and early in the morning of 7 December, closed in on the Union camp, sur prised it, attacked the troops. who were being hastily drawn up to receive him and, after a stubborn fight of an hour and a half, defeated and captured the entire command. Col. John M. Harlan, in command of a small Union bri gade at Castalian Springs, nine miles away, hear ing the noise of battle, marched to Hartsville and attacked Morgan's rear-guard as it was recrossing the river, recapturing some of the wagons taken. The Union loss was 58 killed, 204 wounded and 1,834 captured and missing. The Confederate loss was 21 killed, 104 wounded and 10 missing. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XX).