The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-04-12
TIE GREAT BiTTLE.

We are jus. beginning 10 get some reliable
details from the great battle at Pitsburg
From several gentlemen who were in the
fight, or on the field aferward. the follow
ing are gathered and sent without reference
to their agreement or otherwise with dis
patches heretofore given you. Our infor
mans left the battle field on "Wednesday
morning, at five o'clock.
The rebels attacked Prentiss' brigade g
six o'clock on Sunday morning, while eat
ing breakfast. 1t consisted of the LIST Lii
nois. Col. Fry 10th Wisconsin. cath Indi
ana. and list Ohio. The rebels were said
10 be 100 90 strong. Gen. Prentiss had
no artillery. His brigade was cut to pie
ces, AMI forced to retire with Ptentiss and
many other prisoners.
At twelve NJ. The entire line was fisrcely
engaged. but in full retreat AT four o'clock
the enemy had taken Swartz's battery. six
guns; Dresden's Battery, four guns; Water
houses Battery, two rifed guns; fiftieth
Ohio, six guns and another Ohio battery,
name not given.
Thousands Of our sold ers had sought
refuge under the bank Of the river. AMI ut
terly refused to ght. In fact. they could
not, for officers and men were in extricable
confusion. The army seemed utterly de
moralized.
Gen. Biell's division, abont this time ar
iivcd on the opposite BANK, with fifteen
thousand men, and were ferried across du
ding the evening and night. The gunboats
Lexington and Taylor opened tremendous
lire of she'll upon the enemy, and kept it up
every half hour during the night saving the
army from utter ruin. They set the woods
fire, and many of the dead rebels were
burned. AT Z the firing generally ceased.
At midnight the rel bells attempted to plant
a battery within 500 yards Of our siege
guns, but they were driven back ny the
gunboats and the seige guns, supported by
three regiments of Nelson's division. Our
informants persist in estimating our loss on
Sunday al 8, 900 killed 5. 900 wounded as
low figure. 1t was undoubtedly tremendous.
MONDAY
During night the rebels were re enforced
by Price and Van Doren. from Arkansas.
with very large force. Gen. Lew. Wal
lace came up from Crump's Landing with
the l 18th and 23d Indiana. 44Ih Illinois, 9Th
Missouri. and Wizards battery-. and in the
morning attacked fiercely the left wing Of
the enemy. They went into the fight on
the double quick. with tremendous shouts,
and did terrible execution. BY ten O'Clock
they had driven the rebels back two miles.
The battery performed prodigies OF valor.
About ten tie rebels were re enforced,
and for few minutes our gala Mt boys were
forced TO yield. The other division Of
Buell'S army now appeared, ard at once be
came fully engaged, and for two hours all
the destructive elements of earth seemed
striving for the mastery
Ga thattstal field Southern chivalry prov
al t,b e. ba a. -, e
the army of freedom, and The rebels lied
in all directions.
With SONG 1000 troops, mostly cavalry,
Gen. b Iell followed the fugitive fee. taking
thousands of prisoners, and shifting with
out mercy those who would not surrender.
He was reported TO have taken Corni,h,
with all It's immense stores OF arms aud am
muuition. Carson. the scout. had his head
tom Oh on Monday by round shot. The
rebel troops were mostly from Louisiana,
Texas. Mississippi. with many from Georg
ia and Alabama. They fought like tigers.
Our informant could ride through the bat
field where our forcss were posted, but the
dead were SO thick in the enemy's line. that
they could not do it. They assure US tina,
the rebels occupied our camps. on Sunday
night and took care of our sick and wound
ed, but destroyed nothing, expecting conf
IDENTIFY, to have our entire army the next
day. On Sunday Gen. McClernand cut
his way through the enemy that had sur
rounded him. Most of his men behaved wi b
great gallantry, but the Fifty-tLird Ohio
was ordered in the rear in disgrace for re-
fusing TO fight.
Capt Harvey of Bloomington. Ill. is
among the killed.
Our iniormau: were assured By those who
knew him, tina, John c. Breckenridge was
taken prisoner. They saw him pass 10 the
general quarters.
1t is impossible as ye. 70 get lists of Kill
ed and wounded
The Chicago delegation of ply sieians and
nurses arrived this morning, and have gone
TO Pittsburg in the hospital steamer Louis
lana.
DR.. MVicker is here awaiting the arr-
val of Gov. Yates On the steamer from
Quincy, to see especially to his wounded
soldiers. He will establish depot hospit-
al here for our sick aud wounded.
No official dispatches have been received
here this morning..