Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-18

was supposed tl,at the rebels were simply
making q reconnoisance but that illusion
vac dispelled by tho retreat ct the p'ese''
and their supports upoo the main camp.
iollowei ~ an inmense holy OF the rebels
1.-The entire right wing Of the rebel army
thirty thousand siropg. They came IN
echelon. or In the form Of letter v. the
point forward, 60 operate asa wedge and
istaraie Prenus' force from the main body
and from the transports. and " possible 10
e,pture the transports and thus prevent
Buell. from crossing. n the centre could 10
penetrated, NJ either division detached IRON
the Federal forcr. Beauregard would find u.
With his Overwhelming numbers. ~ essy
matter io capture or uprih,iste the entire
force on the wet eide. Ii VAS, under the
circumstances. the beet possible plan OF At
tack; bot like many other schemes IN this
life. there Was an erpr in the. calculation.
B,surcgard moderated the energy. bravery
and endurance Of the men whom be under
took 20 aunihilate.
General Prent,.s had hardly time TO ge,
his regiments into position when thu rebels
appeared at close musset range. with sever
nj batteries. A fierce conflict began. Prem
ties force consisted Of the dl-t Illinois, Col.
FRY : the 10th wi.cansin. Col. REM. Allen;
the 2i'h iodians. Col. A. y. lln'ey the
1l., Ohio. Col. Rodney Mason. lie had 40
artillery. The rebels brought into position
with great raridity Eve or six baterls., and
at ones orened severe eros. fre upon the
little hand confronted by more than ten iimc-
,htir own number. They held the ground
with great bravery nll a large force had out.
esnkrd them. and nearly one half. includ'
ing Gen. prenii... were taken prisoners.
Tie remainder frll back upon sherman and
lIurlburt IN confusion. II "a. short con-
fie,. and resulted dnsiruu.ly 10 us. II
gave the rebel. 0irnse. They had begun
we'll. The first blow of the wedge had
driven t deep into the federal ranks, leaving
macy killed aud wounded ON tho federal
eide. with bat fe~ casualties on theirs.
They had possession II Prvnti..' camp. and
were enabled to discover The position OF tho
entire force, aud to lay 'klllfal plans icr
other blows
sTrrsrr To ctr orr s'cIERS,ND.
All thi. had been accomplished % sud
drnl, that but little va. known IN the other
divisions OF what va. going un. but while
tie rrb,l. were sweeping around Prentl.-. q
largo iotc- dsrloy~i upon the advancing
column. crossed the road in front Of liurl'
burI', DIVISION. worked their Way through .
succession Of ra'ine., and pushed straight
on io clsayc M,Clsrrani from the other d.
visions. - rapid were their movements. ~
well concerted their plane. that Tho i"isa'
ton sa. not discovered all they had almost
,e,cr,d hi. fnrcr. from tie others Looking
for the emmy in front. It va. not .upp-'d
that he would - Discovered 10 ,lmo-; TIC
centre OF the linr. Ill asserted the, ths
advance regiment of the rttc.s wore the blue
United States uniform aud carried the Siar'
AMI Strip. Which deceived our pIcset..
When gen. McClcusnd discovered "
game Ut the enemy. h". With great prompt
n,,.. brpugh, HI. division into position.
charged rgIi down upon tho rrtcl- 10 Hank
and cut ,lsm up with a terrible slaughter
forcing them O. hrs By ,hi. means h'
iiinsd tho division. II sherman and lIurl
bart. and the entire force 40. brought int
line at battle. IL W.. now mil forenoon
when the Great 'aiile-thIs fierce contest
Tor grpuui-hccamc hot and heavy -
Schwartz. Dresser AMI wA,crhuu.c's Ill
inoi, batirr,c. two r,Asd thirty FOUNDERS
ant another Ohio battery were brought ln',
position On the left. where the vede" OF ,h'
enemy W.. It'll driving IN our .iVance
1cfrlbl, was the FIRE The two arm'e' n
tn, time had front Of about three miles
The Gre vAs mainly IN our lett and @ ntr"
It's impossible iu convey a description %
the .c.uc. ~. The crnhlti ragged from rlr'sr
In the forenoon tll tour ~ the afternoon
H.. sharp ,rd Il :he tchcl ~eigs t-'chm
blunt under the terrible Err Of our iurce.
aud instead OF Irr--niing 40 albion, The!
were forced into liU- ~ battle To
though uuT 'aItrTir- r-ru worked With gr'a
rap,iiiy. aud rlus,i rtmor'eIc.'ly throncl
their rans., they replied si,h larger mum
her VI pIscs. and Ire'en'ed an o'tr~h'lm
Ins ioTcr Being superior m nnml-rs 'hs.
were cna'l-i a. work their way along ITO
ra,incs. and appear on our lins', suhpctnl
U. % terrific crO-- bro Of cannon and mus
kerry Flushed with succr--. confident o
crushing the inferior 'orcc IN irunt OF them
and knowing that u ga. the conflict which
would decide the iat- Ot the tOui,ioucy
they advanced bta'sly upon our lines. Ba
Ties were me, ~ heroic men. Every met
Of grnund "a. contested Whole 'Quadrun
vi men went down byiorr the jerrihc hr
pourrd Ia from right ard JET, and IN 'front.'
Hundred, tell nc every ,ollsy Great "a
tie hartc,, Of death. The ground in fr,n
q, Shrrmiu'- and lIurlbutts camr- wa- u
plAeFs literally covered with th. killed an'
WOUNDED
IL vs like n graf soothing cauldron
One hundred thousand men stood over tina
ctamr.d trrrit ~, s,Irr,d with hTrc"-t pas
.iOns There was an unbrotsn roll ni ihun
der Of cannon aud musketry. DNl'iOr
charged upon division. Agn'n and agar
the rebels advanced ouly g. be- cut down by
the terrible fire Oi the federal riilcs and mus
kerry. Regiments wer. rolled hack rrelinr
aud ~ayeung but ih,ir pl-cc- were hI'e'
by irr.h tr, ops. While 20 rrinlJrcemrni'
came O. the aId of the force- under the f"d
.-.l generals. Longing eve. were 'urnrt
toward the river, watching for the smoke o'
Transports. OF for the advance OF reinforce
men,s from Crump's Landing and from "a
yaunah. bat they did not come More hercr'
~ RACED the hsIIle. Inch 10y inch the led
sral forces were compelled to give way
slowly yislding their ciup To the rebels and
retreaiing toward the riy,-. Reinforcement
arrived 10. tie rebels. and confident ot vie
tory they rushed upon our batteries. cup
tnring all Of those already named upon ooi
lett wing-iweniy six guns 10 all. IL vat
.ld hour. Thousands OF soldiers, WARY
and sorn. gathered upon the banks OF 'h.
stream. sheltered by the bluff. som" Rad
exhausted their ammunition. s1me were
wounded, some we're exhausted with tbs
hard conflict aud utterly unable to move,