The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-06-27
The gattle Of BOOnviIIe.
Full description Of The Engagement.
Correspondence Of the st. LOUIS Democrat
j, To,ltpTRRs DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST,

tornoon at two o'clock, and reached point
mile below Providence last night, where II was
thought best TO lay up fora few hours 1hree
COMPANIES Of Bemsteins regiment unuGi ItS
command, were left TO protect tue CaPltal' we
,,ore cbsarsd enthusiastically by the little town
of Marion az we passed them yesterday eve
nirg This morning we took an early starr,
ana >, ached Rocheport before six o clock, where
VIC made short stop but found the people iEoSI-
~ surly and not disposed to be communicative
We learned. however, that the enemy "e'S III
non, idoyohle force a few miles below this place,
and preparing to make q vigorous defence
Leaving there, and taking the steam ierIyDoat
Paul Wilcox with Us, we ran ~ Sto%%ul'y siii We
had nassed the foot OF the island el9ht miles be-
-, 10 and seeirp a battery on the bluffs and
scents Fastening to report our arrival, we fell
bocL 20 a neiut opposite the foot of the island,
ard = o'clock g. NJ, dIsembarked on the
south shore, where the bottom land between
the river and bluffs is some mile and half
wide. No traitors were visible there. and the
troops az once took the river road to this city.
Following this road somewha; over a mile and
a half TO where il ascends the bluffs, several
shots from our scouts announced the driving in
Of the. enemy plckets
We continued TO ascend gently undulating
slope for nearly halt mile, when the enemy
were reported ia full force near the summit Of
the next swell of ground, about three hundred
wards from our front The enemy were exceed
ingly we'll posted, having every advantage in
the selection Of their ground, but as you Will
SEQ it has been clearly demonstrated, that one
secessionist is hardly superior to many more
than his equal number
Arriving at the brow of the ascent, Capt.
Totten opened the engagement by throwing q
few nine FOUNDER explosives into their ranks,
while the infantry filed oblique right and left
and commenced a terrific voey OF muSketTy,
which was for a short time well replied to, the
balls living thick and fast about our ears and
occasionally woundtng a man On our side. The
enemy were posted in lane running towards
the river from the road along which the grand
army ofthe United States were advancing, and
in a brick house on the north east corner of the
junction of the two roads couple Of bombs
were thrown through the east wall Of that
house, scattering the enemy in all directions.-
The well directed fire Of the German infantry,
Lieut.. Col. Schaeier on the right, and Gen. Ly-
ons company OF regulars and part Of Col Blair's
regiment on the left of the road, soon compelled
the enemy to present an ingorious aspect
They clambered over the fence into field of
wheat and again formed in line just on the brow
of the hill They then advanced some twenty
steps to meet u.s. and for a short time the can
mons were worked with great rapidity and eff
feet Just at this time the enemy opened a
calling fire from grove just on the lett Of our
center and from a shed beyond and still farther
TO the left
The slirmish now assumed the magnitude of
a battle The commander, Gen. Lyon, exhib-
tied the most remarkable GOODNESS, and preser-
we'd throughout, that undisturbed presence of
mind shown by him alike in the camp, in pri-
vate life and on the field Of battle. Forward
on the extreme right" Give them another
shot, Capt. Totten, echoed above the roar of
musketry clear and distinct from the lips Of the
General, who led the advancing column. Our
force was 1900 in all, but not over 500 partic-
ipated at any one time in the battle. The en-
envy, as we have since been reliably Informed,
were over 1000 strong, ana yet twenty min
utes from the time when the first gun was
fred the rebels were in full retreat, and our
troops occupying the ground on which they
Arst stood in line The cOusummate coward
ice displayed by the seceshers will be more
fully understood when add that the spurs OF
successive elevations now became more alb
rupt, steep and rugged, the enemy being fully
acquainted with their grounds, and strong po-
sitons behind natural dettnces, orchards and
clumps 0 trees offering themselves every few
yards. Nothing more however, was seen of the
flying fugitives until about one mile west of the
house of VIM. NJ. Adams, wher- they were frs
posted. just there was Camp Vest aud IA con
siderable force seemed prepared to defend the ap
prOach to it. Meanwhile, a shot from the iron
howtzer Oh the Mcdowell announced to u,
that Captain Voester with his artlerymen, anC
Capt. Richardson's company Of infantry who
were left in charge OF the boats were commenc
ing operations ON the battery over nale be
low Camp Vest. This but increased the pan
ic among the nginclble (?) traitors, and Capt
Totten had but to give them n few rounds be
fore their heels We're again in requisition ,&Cap
tains Cole and Miller, ut the head Of their com
panles, entered and took possession OF the Ell
emes deserted breakfast tables.
About twenty horses had by this time arrived
within our lines with vacant saddles, and the
corps repOrtodsl were successfully mounted on
chosen steeds. The amount of plumber secured
in Camp Vest, or Bacon, as the citizens her,
call it, from the name OF the gentleman ownin!
a fine house close by, was very large. Ont
thousand .wO hundred shoes, twenty or thirty
tents, quantities of ammunition, some fifty gun
Of various patterns blankets, coats carpet sack
and two secession flags were included in thu
sum total.
Leaving Captain Cole in command of the
camp, we pushed on toward BOonvlle, chasing
the cowardly wretches who outmanned us TIVE
to one The Mcdowell now came along up il
the rear and off to the right from our troops
and having a more distinct view Of the enemy
from the river aud observing their intention
mile east Of here. where the State has an arm,
extemporized, Capt. Wooster again sent then
his compliments from the old howitzer's mouth
which, with a couple Of shots from Capt. Tot
ten. and voley from LothrOps detachment o
Rifles, scattered the now thoroughly alarmed
enemy III all directions. Their flight through
the village commenced soon after eight o cOcl
and continued until after eleven. Some thre
hundred crossed the river; many went south
but the bulk kept ON wesJwardly. A good ma
ny persons were taken at the different points
of battle but it is believed that the enemy Sc
cured none Of ours.
Capt Richardson had landed below, and wit
the support of the howitzer from the steame
Mcdowell, captured their battery, consisting
oftwO 6-pounders with which they intended t.
capture our fleet) twenty prisoners, one Gals
son, and eight horses with military saddles
The enemy did not fire shot from their can
non. Speaking of prizes, the most brllian
achievement In that way was by our Reyeren
friend, William A. Pill, chaplain Of the Firs
Regiment He had charge of a party of fou
men, two mounted and TWO on foot, with which
to take charge of the wounded. Ascending tn
brow OF a hill he suddenly came upon a com
pany of twenty-fUur rebels, armed with revol
vers, and fully bent upon securing place o
safety for their carcases. tTh il intentions chang
however, when the parson ordered them to halt
which they did, surrendering their arms Sur
rounded by the squad of five men, they were
then marched on board the Louisiana, prison
ers Of war. The parson also captured two 9th
er sece ssonists during the day, and at one tim
needed wagon and horses for the wounded
and having friendly suggestions wasted on
stubborn old rebel, placed Il revolver at hi
head, and the desired articles were tOrthcOm
ing. In time of peace the preacher had pfepar
ed for war.
There were two men killed on our side--Ja
cob Kiburtz, commissary OF Company b, See
ond Regiment, who kept Il cigar mandatory
on Second Street, St, Louis, between Plum anC
Poplar, and NJ. l.. COoidg, Of Company FRS
Regiment. Nine Of our men We're wounded
but few of them severely. One man Is alsC
missing, who was known to have been badly
shot. Thos. McCord, Of LothIops regulars
was one of the most seriously hurt. The los'
of the enemy will probably never be fully ascer
tanned. 1t did not fall short of 50, and proba