Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-09
THE GREAT BATTLE
AT COLUMBUS
THE RECEPTION OF THE NEWS IN
THE CITY!

The notification Of The fact that a bloody bat
tie had been fought near Columbus, in yesterday
mornings papers. created the greatest imagiu-
1 able sensation in the city. The YaguenesS Of
the telegraphic reports and the absence ofdetailS,
tended rather 70 intensity and heighten the ex-
element, than otherwise. The city of Memphis
/ had some three thousand combatants in the army
up the river, and scarcely was there a human be-
ing amid our vast population Of forty thousand
persons, who had not g brother, father, husband,
son, or at least q friend, among them. The ez-
tent Of our information was contained in the
brief but po-tentious announcement that " our
loss was heavy and anxious minds could learn
no more.
The telegraph Office was crowded at an early
hour after breakfast with an eager multitude OF
inquirers, and what's the news" was on every
lip. Private dispatches came through from
various parties with a laconic a am safe SO
and so is badly wounded" such one is
killed, etc, but nothing Of the battle. An in
ezpHcable embargo had been laid upon the
| Geographic Iiue. and news Of the fight was evil
IDENTIFY looked on BY our military authorities as
a contraband article. The people took it as an
omen Of evil, aud it was silently whispered that,
I perhaps we bad not heard the worst
Between ten and eleven o'clock the extra AP-
PEAL was issued, containing an interesting let
ter from the field Of battle. with such other de-
tails as we were able to gather from passengers
who arrived by the down train nom Columbus.
This relieved public apprehension 10 a great ex-
tent, and served in some measure to moderate
tn. intensity Of the prevailing excitement.
This battle was the first in the war that Mem
phis had felt, and the whole population were
eager to learn its full extent
A large meeting of citizens was held after
tea last night, to make provision for the wound
ed, who are expected to arrive to-day. The
proceedings viii be found in our local columns.
II BATTLE.
As mentioned in our extra published yester-
day. passengers who arrived from Columbus
at 10 o'clock A. NJ, furnished further accounts
in regard 70 the great battle fought there on
the dav previous. The fight occurred on the
Missouri shore. and not at Mayfeid creek, as
was Supposed.
Col. Tappau's Arkansas regiment, with Wat
sons Louisiana battery, had been eucamped
Just opposite Columbus for some days, and We're
under orders to march on the day Of the battle.
Early in the morning, the enemy, 7o00 strong,
landed seven miles above on the Missouri shore
and moving down opened a vigorous fire on this
regiment.
Gen. Pillows brigade, some $500 strong,
composed Of Wrights, Pickett's, and Walkers
Tennessee regiments, We're Immediately ordered
over 10 their relief They fought gsllsntiy
against superior numbers untilther ammunition
Vas exhausted
They were then overwhelmed and driven bsck
with great loss-to the very verge OF the nver'
where they again made 8 stand, Sighting with
5heir bayonets.
At this critical iuucturz Gen. Cheathsm's
brigade was sent over. and. with the assistance
Of Blvthe's battalion, carried the fortunes Of the
day,
Towards the close of the day the valor Of
our troops proved too much for the Hessians.
when the fight came to " cold steel" quarters
they could stand It no longer and took refuge
ia q retreat, which is described to rs as being q
| regular Bull Run rout, with the loss OF a vast
! quantity Of small arms and ammunition, sew
eral pieces Of artillery, and untold numbers Of
\ slain. They managed to find their way in hot
haste, up the river 70 their transports, from
which e4y had recently debsrked.
They are said TO have lea aeIss' Of dead
| behind, and as they ran, panio-suicken, Ike
swine into their boats. were slaughtered at
every step Of their progress, without mercy
Their loss, We presume, from all accounts,
cannot be less than FIVE or SIX hund'od.
CASUALTIES.
The latest intelligence from Columbus is that
Quarermaster John c. Fiunie, Of this city,
was severely wounded in the face by Minnie
musket ball. The wound Of Capt. Safarrans
although severe. i. WAS hoped would not Foye
moral
We also have q report that Col. Pickett OF
/ the 2fzf Tennessee, vas wounded. Ills wound
was not, however, considered dangerous.
Col Wright, of the 18th Tennessee regiment,
lad two horses shot from under him.
Capt. Easely company D. Of Col,.CanoLfs
regiment, (the 10Th TENNESSEE was dangerous
Is wounded in the breast. Capt Sam. Vance,
u the 2Isr Tennessee, was wounded in the
hand
Our information leads ms to believe that the
loss Of the Confederate forces, IN killed, wound
% and missing, viii approximate q total Of five
hundred The early part Of the engagement
was fought under the greatest Disadvantage,
and in the regiments engaged the heaviest loss
occurred A letter published elsewhere esti-
mates the loss in Col. Tappan's ARK regi-
ment 81 fifty OF sixty killed and TWO hundred
wounded. Capt Burton's company, attached to
this command. Is reported 10 have sustained a
severe loss. The loss in Col Pickett's Tenn
regiment reaches one hundred and sixteen killed
aud wounded. These commands suffered the
most seyerely-tbeir aggregate loss being about
three hundred and seventy. Additional losses
in the other regiments engaged, viii, we think.
swell the total 10 the esiimste stated above.
INCIDENTS.
We are informed that a single discharge from
the l2s-pouDder, mounted in the batteries al
/ Columbus. killed twenty Of the eneemy and
one horse,
The batteries Of the enemy are reported as
consisting OF fifteen pieces, Of which several
were captured. One Of the guns attached 70
the celebrated Watson's la battery, was lost
ia the river, in consequence Of the horses hav.
ing become unmanageable. The whole battery
was at one time in possession Of the enemy, but
was retaken. The Watson artillery gal
Iandy served throughout the entire engagement
and It was a matter Of great regret 70 the ga.
liant command that they should, after victory
rested upon our banners, meet with the tdbing
loss mentioned above.
Additional particulars win be found in oui
correspondence aud special dispatchcs.
q The West Tennessee HHig announces that
3 difficulty occurred between two negro men be-
longing to Robert }. Chester, ESQ near that
place, on Sunday last, when one Of them cut
the other So severely with q knife, that the H.
II. H. -a-r1