The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-25


We take the following from the Cincinnati
Commercial:
The battle ground was at place known
as Old Fields, in Pulaski County, and not
twelve miles west of White Oak, as tele-
graphed, but eight miles north of the mouth
of Fishing Creek. The forces under the
command of Gen. Thomas were as fol-
lows:
First and Second Tennessee; Fourth,
Tenth and Twelfth Kentucky Ninth and
Fourteenth Ohio; Tenth Indiana; Second
Minnesota Four Batteries, and Wolford's
Cavalry.
The 10th Indiana were on picket, with
Wolford's cavalry, and received the shock
Of the advancing enemy. They fought des-
perately, giving ground slowly, and allow
ing Gen. Thomas time to come up in good
condition. The attack upon them com
menced soon after daylight, Sunday morn
ing. 1t had evidently been the intention of
ZoIlicoffer to commence the attack in the
night, but he had been detained by the
| heavy rains, the height of the streams and
| the darkness of the night. Nearly two
hours elapsed before the Indiana regiment
was supported in force. The Indianians
lost eleven killed and forty-nine wounded.
Tie FIRST support received by the Indianlans
was from the 4th Kentucky, who lost nine
killed and twenty wounded The 2nd Min
nesota was in the fight next, and lost ten
killed and fifteen wounded The next regi-
ment in the fight was the 9th Ohio, Col R.
L. McCook The 9th Ohio was the first
regiment to charge bayonet, which it did
! in gallant style. The rebels fed at once.
throwing down their arms.
General Zollicoffer was attempting a flank
movement with two regiments when be
was killed. He came out of the bushes on
the flank of our forces, close by where Col
! Fry, OF Kentucky, was posted, and shouted
something to Fry, which was understood to
be not to FIRE upon the men in front, for
they were Mississippians One report of
what he said is: aYou are firing upon your
own men there. They are Mississippians."
Seeing his mistake, he discharged his pistol
at Fry, striking his horse. Fry instantly
returned the FIRE with his revolver, shooting
ZollicoHer through the heart. Zollicoffer
was very handsomely dressed. His clothes
were taken by the Federal troops as troph-
les. His corpse is said to have been very
beautiful, being white and clear as wax
work, with a little red hole in his left
breast, where the messenger of death en-
tered.
The Federals and Confederates were at
times within twenty yards of each other.
Most of the dead rebels were shot through
the bead. A surprising number were shot
in the forehead and arms The corpses Law
on hillside, where the severest lighting
took place, thick as flock of sheep.
The rebels took out but two field pieces,
and left them BOTH Our artillery was
vigorously used in the pursuit of the enemy,
hurting shell among them as they ran. The
battle was fought in a heavy rain, the mud
bnin nd ha fff1a
roaring torrents.
| The following is from letter to the
Commercial:
The 10th Indiana went into the woods
about quarter of mile in advance of
their tents to the support of their pickets :;
and braVely did they support them, too, for
over half an hour, against the whole force
led against them ; and never retreated a
step, nor gave an inch of ground, until
nearly surrounded by Overwhelming num-
beers then, to save themselves from being
surrounded, they unwillingly gave way.
Here was a crisis; and yell on yell went
up from the lantern-jawed Secessonists :;
they thought the day was all their own
But happily, any disastrous consequence
was prevented, by the arrival of the 4th
Kentucky and 9th Ohio to the support of
the gallant 10th.
Again our men made stand now there
was lighting in good earnest, and the I'd
Minnesota joined in with the 10th, and the
4th and 9th Ohio. Volley after volley rat
tied IN quick succession, and sometimes it
seemed as though there was only one con-
tinuous volley, interrupted now and then by
the growing of the yellow pups" which
had been brought to bear on the enemy !;
and when then once commenced, they dis
tributed their fayors freely in all directions,
in the shape of shot and she'll; and, gentle
men, excuse me from being the recipient of
any such favors. There were only two or
three shots from cannon fred by the enemy.
and they were either aimed badly, or the
pieces were out of range, for the shot did
not hurt anybody. Once they threw a shell
into the air, which burst when some four
or five hundred feet high. No damage was
done by it, and their artillery seemed to be
of no use to them whatever, while, on the
contrary, ours seemed to be of immense use
to US; and it was most ably and effectively
handled. After little more than two
hours of hard fighting, a most tremendous
volley of musketry, followed by ringing
shout from our side, seemed to have decided
the battle in our favor, for from that time,
although firing was kept up at intervals,
the secessionists, whipped and cowed, began
i their retrent, which in about twenty min
utes more became total rout; and from
the indications along the road, which we
afterwards passed over, the fight appeared
70 have been regular race from that point
back to their entertainments, to see who
could get there first, and the devil take the
hindmost.
All the credit and honor of the battle is
due to the 10th Indiana, the 9th Ohio, the
4th Kentucky and I'd Minnesota, For they
did all the fighting, as it were, single-hand-
ed, with the exception of what support they
received from the artillery They ali
fought nobly, and judging from the sound
of the musketry, they never wayered from
fixed determination to gain the victory,
and they did gain it. The combatants were
SO near to each other at one time, that the
powder burned their faces in the discharge
of the pieces; but the underbrush was so
thick that bayonets were of but little use,
and charge could hardly have been made
.. The rebel loss is reported to be 200 killed.