The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-04-17


Canfslt, commanding the 72d Ohio was {
mortally wounded and borne dying from
the field. Col. Sullivan of the 48th Ohio
was wounded, but continued at the head
OF his men. Company officers fell and
were carried away from their men. AT
one Of our wavering retreats, the rebels,
bya sudden dash. forward, had taken
part of Warehouses; battery. which Nc.
Cernand had sent them over Beers
battery TOO was taken, aud Taylor's Chi !
cago Ligh, Artillery was SO terribly poun-
ded as TO lie forced 10 retire with heavy |
loss As the troops gave way they came
out from the open fields. pIelely raked
by the enemy's fire. For them, "ll was
lost, and away went Buckland'S and Hi
debrand's brgaIes. Obioans and Illinois
aus together, to the reT aud right, In
such order as they might.
ATTACK ON M'CLERNAND' RIGHT.
AS Sherman fell back, McClernsnd
WAS comp .lled to bring in his brigades a.
gain to protect his left against tho onset
Of the rebels, who, seeing how he lie had
weakened himself here, and inspired by
their recent success over Prentiss. hurled
themselves against him with tremendous
force. TO meet the attack, then the
whole division made change Ofthe front
aud faced along the Cornth road. Here
the batteries were placed in position, and
till ten O'Clock the rebels were foilcd in
every attempt to gain the road.
But Sherman having now fallen back,
there was nothing to prevent the rebels
from coming in, farther out on the road,
and turning Netherlands right. Prompt
to seize the advantage, brigade Of them
! went dashing audaciousy through the di-
VISIONS abandoned camp. pushing up the
, road to come 10 above McClernand, be.
. wecn him and where Sherman had beeL.
: Dresser's battery OF riilrd guns opened
a on them as they passed. and with fearful
slaug ghter--not confined, alas! 10 one side
5 only--drove then back.
0 But the enem)'s reserves were most
9 skillfulIy handled; and the constant ad
y vance oil fresh regiments was at last too
!. much for our inferior numbers.
o The soldiers fought bravely 10 the last
Jet no man question that-bu. they
, were at fear ul disadvantage. Gradual
e ly they began falling back, more slowly
Z. than had PrenLlss' regiments, or part oi
. Sherman's, making more determined, be-
r cause better organized resistance. ocoa
sionally rallying and repulsing the enemy
}. 10 turn Tor hundred yards, then b.ing
< beaten back again, and renewing the re-
treat to some new position for fresh de
lensc.
By eleven o'clock the division was bacl
!. in a line with HGrlburt's. 1t still die
some gallant fighting; once its right. .swep
h around and drove the enemy for a consid
" erab.e distance, but again fell back, aud
:, at the last it brought up near the position
4 Of w alace's division.
We have seen how Prentiss, Sher maj
and MoClernand were driven back; how
fight as they would, they still lost ground
;" how their camps were all in the hands o
- y, the enemy; and how this whole front line
~ ~ for which Hurlburt and Wallace were bu
- - the reserves, was gone.
y As Prentiss fell back, Hurburts lei
" aided Wallace in sustaining the rebel on
!" u, set. and when McClornart gave way. tn
r' remainder OF the division was thrown for
- ward. The position beyond the camps
W however, was not good one, and the dl
90 vision was compelled to fall back, throug
- ts camps TO the thick woods behind
:; Here, with open fields before them, the
), could rake the rebel approach. Nobl
49, =" did they now stand their ground. Frol
aa ~" ten to half past three. they held the enl
'o' my in check, and through nearly tn,
80 ''' whole time we're actively engaged. Hur
%, 'n burt himself displayed the most DARN
,"s 49, and brilliant gallaulry, and his exampl
iipo with that Of the brave officers under hin
~, M 3 rvol the men TO the sternest enduranc
o Wv, Three times during those long hou
,,i I the heavy rebel masses on the left char
~ ed upon the division, and three time We
>" they rspulsed, with terrible slaughter
-. Close, sharp, continuous musketry who
ih lines brlching fire ou the rebels as Il
w., W. laden storm swept the fields over whit
~ ,"' they attempted to advance, were too mu,
-; H. for rebel discipline, and though the b
:" dies left scattered over the fields, ev
y, ~ on Monday evening, bore ghasIly tes
y" w. mouy to the daring which they had be-
~, precpited toward our lines.
,ca WALLACE 8 BRIGADE-THE LFADER woUHDE
ian Let us turn TO the fate of Hurlbur
rts companion divisou-that of Brig. Gre
IN, IL, l.. Wallace, which included the
and 7th Iowa, OH and 2elh Illinois, a
several of the olher regiments compost
Major General Smltb's old division. W
M lace had also three excellent batteri,
lut Stones, Richardson's and Wsber's {
'li- from Missouri formerly an artillery B
The talon, under tho General management
Al Major Cavender. .......
m With him, too. the fight began abe
It's ton o'clock, as already described, Fro
cts that lime until four in the afternoon. th
Oh, maufully bore ur. The muskelry &
a'd WAS absolutely continuous; there W
It scarcely moment that some part Of
ow limo was not pouring in their rattling v
pc lays, and the artillery WAS admiral
Did served with but little intermission throu
us' tho entire time.
lost Once or twice the infantry advanc
ing attempting to drive the continually
creasins enemy, but though they CO..
] as hold what they had, their numbers W
nd not equal 10 the task Of conquering Q
8 more.
om- Four separate times in turn the ret