The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-23 00:00:00

marched from Corinth on Thursday, April 4 ;
the right, under Johnston, marching towards Ham-
burg,
below Pittsbarg; the left, under Peauregard,
proceeding by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to-
wards
Purdy, which lies in from the river and a
little higher than Pittsburg, where they had pre-
viously established corps of observation. It is not
possible to estimate their forces, but recent accounts
gave the total strength of the Confederates at
Corinth as 75,000 men, though a correspondent
of a New York paper affirmed they had
not 40,000. Neither can it be known as yet
whether the Generals effected a junction of their
forces. It is most likely they made a combined
attack. At all events, at daybreak on Sunday
morning (April 6) the Confederates fell on Grant
with the utmost fury, and seem, even from the
Federal accounts, to have broken and routed the
Federals, who were, they allege, but 38,000 strong,
while the Confederates are stated to have mustered
60,000. Their efforts were principally directed
against the left wing, where General Prentiss was
posted, and the camps and tents of the infantry sta.
tioned there were cleared out by their tremendous
fire, which must have come upon the Federals in the
nature of a surprise. General Prentiss and many of
his men were taken prisoners early in the day;
" large numbers of men, panic struck, others worn
out with hard fighting, with the average percentage
of skulkers, straggled towards the river, and could
not be rallied." Sherman's division, on the right of
Prentiss's, was driven out of their camp in disorder,
and the right wing, under M'Clernand, was imme-
diately afterwards assailed with equal vigour, and
held its ground with difficulty. The energy of the
Southerners did not endure to the end, though the
battle raged all day along a front of four miles.
The resistance of the Federals was all the more
obstinate that they had the Tennessee behind
them, and knew General Buell was coming to their
assistance. The airival of the reserve under Gene-
ral Hurlburt somewhat restored the centre; the
Confederates were repulsed, but again they re-
formed, and again they beat the Federals out of
their camps. Late in the evening the Confede-
rates, seeing that Buell's corps had actually arrived
at the opposite side of the river, and that another
reinforcement wss coming up from Savannah in all
haste, renewed their efforts, at five o'clock "occu-
pied two-thirds of our camp," and "at the same
time heavily engaged our right ;" they had gained
the river bank, but the superiority of the Federals
in artillery now stood them in good stead, " Colonel
Webster, Chief of the Staff, got into position the
heaviest pieces of artillery, while a large number of
the batteries were planted along the entire line,
from the river bank north-west to our extreme
right, some two and a half miles distant. About an
hour before dusk a general cannonade was opened
upon the enemy along our whole front with a per-
petual crackle of musketry. For a short time the
rebels replied with vigour and effect, but their re-
turn shots grew less frequent and destructive, while
ours grew more rapid and terrible." Not only were
the Confederates on the right exposed to this fire,
but the gunboats Lexington and Tyler, we are told,
coming up, "rained shell on the rebel hordes" at
short distance, and at night fall the battle ceased,
and Federals and Confederates rested from their
bloody labours, and lay on their arms on the field.
With night, however, came help to the exhausted
Unionists. Major-General Wallace, who had mis-
taken his road, arrived before midnight. Brigadier-
General Nelson's division also reached the field, and
took ground on the right, and was followed by Gene-
ral Crittenden's division, which formed in support,
and General Buell in person came over to take com-
mand of his corps and to eonsu.lt with the Generals
as to the best means of retrieving the fortunes of the
day. It was resolved to attack the enemy at dawn,
and the divisions of Nelson and Wallace were ac-
cordingly moved in advance, and opened fire on the
Confederates as soon as it was light, the divisions of
M'Clernand, Sherman, and Hurlburt being in sup-
port. Although the Confederates' "resistance at
all points of the attack was terrible, and worthy of
a better cause," they gradually gave ground before
" the dreadful desolation produced by our artil-
lery, which was sweeping them away like chaff
before the wind." At one time it is confessed
they " gained ground," but the left, consisting of
Nelson's fresh men, was driving them before it, and
at 11 a.m. General Buell had outflanked them and
",captured their batteries." Again the uonieuerates
rallied on the left, and beat back the Federals. The
Confederate right at the same time must have de-
feated the enemy, for we are told " they forced
themselves forward in another desperate effort."
The odds were, however, now turning rapidly
against them, in spite of a valour and desperate
courage which excites the unwilling admiration of
the Federals. "Reinforcements from General
Wood and General Thomas were coming in—regi-
ment after regiment"—which were sent to General
Buell.

At 3 p.m. General Grant, perceiving that the
Confederates were wavering before these continued
attacks of fresh troops, " ordered a portion of his
body guard to the head of each of five regiments,"
and led a charge which decided the fate of the day.
" The men followed with a shout which sounded
above the din of the artillery, and the rebels fled
in dismay as from a destroying avalanche," and
did not make another stand. At 530 the Confede-
rates were in full retreat for their strong position
at Corinth, pursued by the Federal cavalry, with
what result is unknown,—probably with very little.
And now as to the losses on both sides. It is not
necessary to observe that the " Eighteen to Twenty
Thousand Union Men, and Thirty-five to Forty
Thousand Rebels Killed, Wounded, and Missing,"
will be found an exaggeration. Nevertheless, the
number on both sides must be pretty considerable,
and will, no doubt, entitle the battle of Pittsburg
to a bloody page in history, though it may not be
deserving of the sad distinction of the "Bloodiest
Fight of Modern Times," which is given to it in the
" sensation" headings of the newspapers. Of the
Confederate losses we shall not learn anything for
some time to come. It is confidently asserted that
General A. S. Johnston was killed by a round shot
on Sunday, and. General Beauregard, with less ca.,
tainty, is reported to have lost an arm. The list of
the Federal losses are not yet made out. It is
known already, however, that General Wallace and
Acting Brigadier-General Pegram are killed. Gen.
Sherman and Acting Brigadiers-General Sweeny,
Crafts, and D. Stuart are wounded. Gen. Prentiss
is taken. Of Colonels, Ellis (10th Illinois) is killed,
and Davis (46th Illinois), Kyle (41st Indiana), and
Stout (18th Kentucky) are most dangerously, if not
mortally wounded. Colonel Sweeny received two
wounds in his only arm, having lost one in Mexico,
and was also wounded in the leg, but kept his horse
throughout the day. Colonels Craft (31st Illinois),
Hayne (48th Illinois), M'Kenny (17th Kentucky),
Morgon (25th Indiana), and Mason (71st Ohio), are
wounded more or less severely. Major Goddard
(15th Illinois), Lieut. Canfield (72d Ohio), Major
Eaton (18th Illinois), Captain Irving Curran, Aide-
dc-Camp, Captain Preston Moreton, Captain Dillon
(18th Illinois), Captain Mace (sth Illinois), Captain
Carter (11th Illinois), and Major Page (57th Illi-
nois), are killed. The loss of officers and men will
doubtless be in l;roportion to that of the colonels of
regiments, and it must be remembered the returns
are as yet most imperfect. What the results will be
it is not easy to predicate till more accurate accounts
have been received of the condition of the Confede-
rates after the battle. It is plain enough their mis
calculation as to 13uell's movements cost them the
day, and that the Federals must have been beaten
but for his opportune arrivals. The Southern papers
claim, indeed, a great victory, and assert that the
Confederates took eight batteries of artillery and
numbers of prisoners. If they retired in tolerable
°llleriwithout suffering the enormous losses ascribed
s~ttheria, they will doubtless halt at their strong po-
B`tio's near Corinth, and Buell and Grant, crippledf
the d
, fere gator which the Federals confess to have
st wait to reorganise their army and re-
ceive reinforcements before they attempt either an
attack in front or
to move round either flank in the
difficult country arat-
'lathe Confederate camp. Amid
all their reverses the
Ccmfetterates have been cheered
lately byrumoul s that Rota,
great event was about to
take place in their favour. Their newspapers have
alluded to it ; and in Baltimore and
openly by Secessioneilastes7thheoruegiht hasno
been predicted
one could, or would, t;ay what was its precise nature.