Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1861-11-16

Army Correspondence.
THE GREAT BATTLE At coLUMBus.
Columns, KY., Nos. I, 1871.
DKAn PLANTER The 7th Of November,
1861, will be q day long remembered by the
Yankees, end viii be enc to shine brightly
forth in the future history or histories Of the
Southern ConfedsSscy-as y on which the
most brilliant victory Of the present war was
gained. never wss in IN engagement be.
fore, and | think that ! have undertaken .
task to which I am unable to do justice-
that of describing 4 battle. But still / shall
attempt IL, and I hope my good friends, who
may read this letter, will overlook al imper-
~fect,ons and blunders.
Several days ago we received Official Or
ders y from Cairo to remove all the women,
children and sick from Columbus, ~ a fleet
Of 81 gunboats were coming down to she'll
the town, supported on both sides of the riv-
ser by 10000 men. To this we paid little At
~tention, u we had received several such or
ders before, and thought in only q sham but
in this w were deceived ~ the following
will show.
Yesterday morning At daylight, six gun
boats were seen in the large bend above the
town, coming slowly down, and, finally, two
rounded the point and engaged our batteries.
The cannonading was kept up for . long
it, when . terrible fire wal heard on the t.
land opposite u, and Boon the Watson batte-
ry commenced a heavy fire in the direction
Of the woods. All Vas excitement now on
this side the river-cour,ers dasbing at full
speed on sweat.eovered horses were coming
in every moment with all kinds Of news, and
thousands Of questions were asked a. to what
was the matter. The truth was this (as ] af-
ter heard from = Yankee prisoner: Under
cover Of night, the enemy had landed 1000
regulars on he island, and had advanced on
our camps early in the morning. The firing
continued or the island without eessa-
tion, and the roar Of musquetry and cannon
was deafening. Our men were almost clazy
with excitement, and the the cry Throughout
the camp was, " let u over I The Watson
battery by this time was silent, aud regiment
after regiment of our men were seen retreat
ing to the river. We thought sure We were
whipped, but just then another fire Of infant
~ was started which lasted 4 good while.
It was also 1t this moment that the 18th Lou
isiana regiment received orders to move to
and cross the river. With three hearty cheers
the men shouldered arms and 1t doubIe-quick
we advanced to the river, and crossed OF the
steamer Charm. Just ~ We landed on the
other side, the 10Th Tennessee regiment that
20 cowardly deserted the Watson battery aud
ran for life, attempted to crowd ON board, and
We had to keep them of with our bayonets.
THE Watson battery was captured by the
>un~v nxu;nu - khA ~rsua rd1v ~on1n~t of hhA
18th Tennessee, which in the hottest Of the
fight gave way and ran like scared sheep.
Oh ! how my blood boiled when I saw South
erners running y We effected . landing in
good order and were Immediately formed in
line Of battle, and were ordered BY Gen. Pill
low to the left Of the enemy and thus cut of
their retreat. This order we promptly obey
ed. We marched about 4 mile and . half in
the woods and drew up in battle a,ray At the
corner Of an old field. A flag was visible
about 800 yards of, and for Z while thought
It VA one Of our friends Under this belief
bur gallant MAJOR, E. G. w. Butler, rode for
ward to ascertain who the flag belonged to,
when 4 volley was fred and be fell mortality
wounded. The FIRE was Immediately return
ed by our men, and it wal kept up briskly for
1t feast an hour ON botk sides, ~hSn fhs YAM
KEGS lfor such they proved to BEL broke and
led in oil directions. Some came running !
past ~ and were shot down like rabbits
Dur men all seemed determined to make
everv shot count, for at every crack Of their
Of the Yankees at this point, we fell back
ravine. The enemy in the mean time had
the field and taken = position on the
.dge of the woods. Here they mounted .
and with their infantry, poured .
,eavy fire of grape and musquetry in the d.
we were, but all fell short or passed
,ver our heads. The balls whizzsd 20 near
that for a time I thought l would get hit
to save myself, got behind = tree. In the
beginning of the engagement, my cap was
hot from my head, and had to leave il on
he field, ~ the Continentals were then fall |
ng back. said before that we had taken
} strong position 10 q %ravins; in this We bad
rot been many minutes, when . tremendu-
'us firing Wss heard on the side of the woods
e the enemy were, and soon the cry |
rose, " they are retreating." You should
hen have heard the shouts that arose from
,ur boys!-they reminded me strongly Of
and they SOUNDED 20 natural.-l
Now boys, at them - went from one end Of
,anks to other. The enemy came pell-mell
light on the points of Our bayonets and they |
ell like hail be fore the unerring aim Of the
18th.
A Tennessee regiment was ia het pursuit.
md when they came up to ", . mist deadly
ire wss poured into our ranks from them and
With sad efect-forty Of the brave 18th fell
lead and wounded. The mistake was, how
ever, soon perceived and " pursued
hem together, cutting down the YANKEES
ike straw be fore the reaper's scytbe. They
lad to cross n old field, exposed to the whole
II our ire, and the field, when we came up, /
literally strewn with dead. dying and
wounded. One Of their Generals and two
fell together with their horses riddled
With bullets: We pursued the fasitves I've
nilea and ali alon4 Tia foadtwA FONT dad