The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-02-21

whelming force which the rebels continued
to push against them.
Oglesby's, w. q. L. WalIace's, and Nc
Arthur's brigades were successfully obliged
to retire; portion ofSwartz's and MeAl-
listers batteries had been lost and gained,
and lost again and it was not until the adj
vancing enemy had reached Cruft's brigade,
and Taylors and Wizards batteries could
be brought into action, that we were able
TO stem the tide. These two batteries out
did themselves. Grape, canister and |
shrapnell, and an uninterrupted musketry |
fire from the First Nebraska, Forty-eighth |
aud Fifty-eighth Ohio, proved too much for
the so far victorious foe, and they at last |
were Oblis Cd to retire.
By this time it was noon. Gen. Grant !
had just returned from the landing, where
he had conference with Commodore Foote. |
That officer had informed the General that |
il was impossible for him to put his gun
boats in a condition to make another at
tack for several days at least. Notwith-
standing this, upon being informed of the
severe repulse orr troops had met with in
the morning, he saw that some immediate
action on our part was necessary to retrieve
the day -
He Immediately gave order to bis Gener-
ais of divisions to prepare for an Immediate
and general attack along the entire lines.
The regiments which had suffered most Sc
verely in the morning, were withdrawn.
Gen. Lew Wallace was given division
composed of two regiments of his own bril-
/ gade (the Eighth Missouri and Eleventh In
diana, and several other regiments, whose
loss in the action of the morning had been
| but slight and was given the job of clear
ing the ground we had lost in the morning,
| while General Smith, commanding the left,
received orders to storm the works under
which his division was lying.
GENERAL SMITHS ASSAULT.
Gen. Smith is, emphatically, a fighting
man, and as may be imagined, the events
| of the morning had tended to decrease in
no measure his -pugnacity. When he re-
ceived his long desired orders for an assault
of the enemys works, his eyes glistened
with a fire which, could it have been seen
by his maligners, would have left them in
no doubt as to his private feelings in regard
to the pressnt contest. All the arrange
ments were completed by three o'clock, and
his column was put in motion soon after.
The force under his command was as fol-
lows:
Col. Cooks igade-Seventh Illinois,
| Fiftieth do, Twelfth Iowa, Thirteenth Mis-
souri,, Fifty-second Indiana
Col. Lanmans Brigade-Second Iowa,
Seventh Iowa. Fourteenth Iowa, Twenty
fifth Indiana, Fifty-sixth Indiana.
i Under cover of Capt. Stones Missouri
battery, this force began the assault. 1t
was a formidable undertaking, which, under
less brave and skillful commander than
Gen, Smith, might have proved disastrous
failure.
The hills at this point are the most pre-
cipitous of all those upon which the enemy
were posted Selecting the second and
Seventh Iowa, and the Fifty second Indiana
for the storming party, Gen. Smith defect
ed the main portion of his division to the
right, and having succeeded in engaging
the attention of the enemy at this point,
himself headed the the storming party and
advanced upon the works from his extreme
left 1t was q most magnificent sight. I'm
appalled, by the perfect storm of bullets
which rained about him, the General on
horseback, and with his hat on the point of
his sword, preceded his troops, and inspired
them with fnrore there was no standing
with.
I I5UeauIry, ff->ey the esaIlan L
Hawkeyes and Indianians advanced. The
enemy's grape and canister came blowing
through their ranks, but not shot was fired
in return. Closing up the ranks as one
after another of the brave fellows dropped
to the earth, and animated by the fearless
example of their undaunted leader, they
pressed steadily on. The works gained
one tremendous volley was poured into the
astonished enemy, and, with fixed bayonets
a charge was made into their ranks which
there was no withstanding. They fed in
confusion over the hills, and at last we had
penetrated the rebel SebastoPol, and the
misfortunes of the morning were retrieved.
Capt. Stones battery, which, in the mean
time had been doing tremendous execution
in the rebel ranks, was promptly advanced
to the position gained, and instantly, sup
ported by the remainder of his division,
the point was secured against any force the
enemy could bring to bear against it.
GEN. LEW. wALLAcE's ATTACK ON THE RIGHT
In the meantime Gen Lew Wallace had
completed his preparations for an attack on
the enemy occupying the position be had
wrested from US in the morning, soue two
miles and half to the right. Just as his
column was being put in motion, messen-
ger arrived with the joyful tidings that
Smith was inside the entertainments. With
a cheer tat resounded far and near, the
irrepressible Eighth Missouri and Eleventh
Indiana, which occupied the front, ad-
vanced on a double quick into the encoun-
ter they had so long been seeking. These
two regiments, from their superiority in
drill and fighting capacities, have been con-
sidered 'crack corps" and most nobly
did they uphold to the letter their enviaole
reputation.
They did not tarry long to bother with
powder and ball, but with a shout of itself
terrific enough to eppal their foes, gave
them the cold steel with will which will
! long be remembered. Shell and round
shot, grape and canister were hurled at
! them in vain. Still onward they pressed,
them. valiantly supported by the First
| Nebraska, Thirteenth Missouri, and other
regiments of Col. Thayer's and Cruft's brig
AIDES, steady advance was made, until by
dusk the ground which had been SO hotly
contested in the morning was ours again,