New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-11-13
TEE BATTLE or gEI.hAol
The Eleventh Louisfane Reginsent.


we IeeelVeQ o call yeStefuay IFoHi PTifdee deOs
Austin, Of Company d, Eleventh Regiment of
Louisiana Volunteers, who is just down from Co.
iumbuss Ky., sent by Col. Marks on special bust
ness Private Austin s a nephew of our esteemed
friend, Dr. W. @. Anstin, Of this city and is, per-
haps, the youngest and the smallest specimen of
the real soldier we ever saw, as he is only feet
70 inches high, and Just 16 years of age. He is
one OF those b-ys however, who, in spite of their
youth and nndeveloped frames, have mind and
courage enough to carry them through anything.
He s a native OF Virginia. but for some time past
has been gesidDg in this city with his unce, at
tending school. When Gel. Marks, who was a
neighbor Of his unele's, was about leaving with
his regiment George went 80 him and begged to
be allowed togo along, and declared that he felt
himself able to fight for his country and If he
could not go any other way, he would run away
and join the first company that would take him.
Col. Marks, who was in bis boyhoad q chip Of ex
actly that sort, sympathised with him entirely !,
saw his uncle, an5promising to- take good care of
him, prevailed upon the Doctor 80 let George go.
SO George became soldier, and was attached to
Company A, which was under tie command Of
Lieut.. Joe Miller. He slept and messed with the
Colonel, but otherwise underwent all the hard
ships, and did his share Of the labor5 of the regu
lar soldier, and did them well from the time he .
left him to the hour OF his return. Prom him we
obtained the following particulars concerning the
part played by the 1Ith Regiment, ufsssr Coione
Marks, in the glorious victory of Belraont, which
! We shall endeavor to give, as near as possible, in
| his own words
| Zone regiment which had been stationed on the
bluff at Columbus, received orders about 10 O'Clock
to cross the river and assist the troopssover there
We went on board the steamboat Charm, and
crossed, it must have been near ii O'clock. When
we arrived on the other side we began landing the
| troops and the left wing had got on shore, with
| Col. Marks, Lieutenant Colonel Barrow and Major
| Butler, when the enemy began throwing shells at
| US in quantities, some OF which struck the boat in
several places. Col. Marks then oYdefedthe boat
to back out and land the right wing seme dstance
higher up, which was done under. the: direction Of
| Capt. Austin, who commanded When we've all
| on shore, line of battle was formed, and Colonel
| Marks ordered US to advance by the left feak,
| which was done. After proceeding in this way for
about q mile through the woods, some of the
enemy were observed in the bushes, and we were
ordered toire, which we did, and seem discovered
an Illinois regiment, who were unarmed, and were
| evidently searching for dead and wounded. They
took to fight Immediately: but we killed good
many of them, and took about sixty prisoners.
| The enemy we're about this time discovered in
i force in a field, and had the Watson Battery in
their possession. We filed off behind the fence
which surrounded the field and opened fire upon
them. They answered with musketry and several
Col Marks ordered US to charge. We-dfd so, and
the enemy retreated in good order, leaving the
battery Dehlnd OF Whlen we EoOR POSSESSION anu
followed on firing upon them as we advanced as
fast as we could load. In this manner we pursued
them tor seven miles, they all the time retrsating
t1 in excellent order. But when they neared their
lgun boats they broke and run helter-skeiter, and
we after them, shooting and bayoneting as fast as
| we could; the slaughter was tremendous. We
were forced TO desst, howeverb by the gnas Of the
boats, which began to play upon Us as they put
out from the shore with all that was LEFT OF the
g Yankees. 0.-. neag.@- g4as- sgf4eg. t.4 s5
r During their retreat the enemy's fire was con.
v C1r nal
Barrow and Major Butler, all had horses killed
e under them; and it was at this time that Major
2 Butler received his death wound and Lieut.. Alex
r | auaer was killed. The retreat of the enemy was
8 orderly and well conducted, and, had they not
9 broken just they were going on board of their
e boats, we. could not have secured near so many
Il prisoners.
George says that every officer of. the regiment
behaved nobly and states that Lieut. Alexander was
d the first man in the regiment who was killed. He
g fell in the arms of First Sergeant McCandlish.
If Capt. Austin ran to him with his eanteen to give
: him some water, but found him, corpse. The
ball had entered his right side and passing through
his body entered his left arm broke it, and lodged
N lust under the skin. He died almost nstantaneousy
IL ,s Major Butler was wounded at about hafpast Il
N O'Clock and lay upon the field where he fell unit
the return of the troops from the pursuit He dice
y the next morning.
g As George was on the extreme right of the regi
e ment, he had a good opportunity of seeing tht
se whole affair far the regiment was concerned
t. and he speaks in the highest terms Of the conduc
~, " of the men, He told when questioned as to hi
"a feelings on entering battle, that at first he felt
d, little uneasy; but after the first fire he did not fea
| nything, and when he saw Bob Alexander fall hi
a1 alI heart burned to revenge him.
a Capt Austin and Lieut.. Miller he describes a
be having been as cool as when on parade. He know
.l, ,lao 1se
;s throughout the battle. George says that he sht
re off the ten rounds which he had in his cartride
We box, and then took thirty more from the box of
ey dead Yankee that he found, all of which he use
N. in the pursuit. He told of negro servant tn
I'm belonged to Captain Ventress, of the. Lebau'
lid Guards, who, when the regiment marcked, stole
1e musket from one of the sick men and came alon
en- This negro fought like tiger, killing with his
an hands several Yankees, the body Of one of who
nd a big red whskered fellow he broug hit over to
Az lumbus after the battle and exhibitt ID with all
nd airs af conqueror. Capt. Austins boy Tom, a
raj wanted to go into the fight and up being refus
rs cried like a child saying that HI! too wanted
VA VA fight for " de souf.'' -
the George says that when the ste amer Charm Fl
ar landed on the Belmont side b saw Major Be
ner hoover go up to Gen. Pillow an ask him for Go
sake to get back his battery, hch had been tai
in after the men had used up a. their ammun itie
of but that Gen. Pillow answe red it was an impo
on bility as his men had not a single round of ami
hs nition. Betzhoover then turned, and for the
e a time saw the Eleventh Regiment, part of VII
rn- was then landing. "Huu ah," said he, 81 see
ent Louisianans, my battery is safe,'' and as soon
;m the regiment formed he and his men fell in
ent the rear; and when the artery was recaptured,
red took it in charge. All til guns, however, had b.
cen spiked except one, and this the Yankees held
all to until the moment wb EN- they broke into dsor
ght and ran for the boats. This gun was a favo
our piece with the company, and hsa been mar
aGI JEFF Davis by the boys 1t was forana to be in
IN order, and the comp any was no little elated in
oats ting it back. George says thf.t the boys of
the Watson Battery excited the admiration of
ley whole army By their bravery, and the fact of
had guns having been captnred W as owing to their
and ting out of ammunition. hey lost one man
ght, had three wounded. From George we learn
tls it Lent. Lingan, of tt e Cannon Guards, AZ
enty Adjntant-fSeneral OF the First Brigade, who
q. Adjutant-G General BolIi ing prisoner, and not