The Evansville daily journal., 1862-03-27

their right drove them back .baHyTaF mil
when the enemy go fhefr guns in rositio
again In a degse vs. OOt aankeds by Il fantrJ
and drove us back A short artillery en-
gagement ensued, when Gen. Shields OF
dered Col. Tylor to turn their left hanE
which was executed by our troops, bu
with considerable loss, the enemy beinI
protected by a stone ledge. The SAT
PennsyIvania and 18th Indiana charge,
their centre, and the fight became general
Col Murray of the S4th Pennsy lvania, wa
killed. The enemy retired slowly, bringing
| their guns to bear at every opportunity
Our men rushed forward with yells, wher
a panic seized the rebels Our troops fol
lowed and drove them till dark, capturing
three guns, three caissons, muskets, equip.
ments, &C., innumerabIe. Our troops bi.
vouacked on the field.
Gen. Williams LIST brigade. Col. Donelly
Of the gath New York commanding, rein.
forced Gen. Shields. Gen. Banks, who was
on his way to Washington on Sunday, re.
turned and assumed the command. In the
meantime Gen. Shields division pursued
the enemy beyond Newton, shelling them
the whole way. Jackson's men were per-
fectly demoralized ant beyond control
They threw overheard the dead and wound
ed to Tighten the wagons.
1t is noticeable that neariya all the Confed-
crates wounded were shot in the head and
breast testifying the superiority of our
marksmen. The loss on our side is chiefly
among the Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana
troops Those who conveyed the false in
telligence to Gen. Jackson causing this dis
aster to the rebels have heavy weight OF
guilt to.. o..shoulder. 1t was evidently known to
many in town that Jackson was approach
ing, from the holiday attire and buoyancy
of spirits among men aud womsn here.
Gen. Shields command being screened from
observation on each side of the town, led the
informants to believe that all our troops
were eVaeuating and that Jackson could
enter nnmolested.
Good judges say the enemy loss is over
200 killed, 500 wounded and 300 prison
ers, including an aid to Jackson
Our loss is about So killed and I25
wounded.
On Sunday morning the rebels received
reinforcements under Ger. Garnett, amount
ing to 5000 men. The Union forces did
not exceed 10000, men, with the exception
of 500, which were all of General ShieIds'
division exclusively. At half past ten
o. clock the enemy made feint on cur left,
opening a heavy fire of artillery; while the
real attack was directed against our right,
with The object of aanking it. Gen. KIM
bali commanded on the right where the
heaviest fighting was done. The enemy
were strongly posted in the woods aud be-
bind a stone wall. The rebel artillery W was
posted on eminences on bo b sides of their
left wing. Our whole artillery force en-
gagged consisted of four batteries, of "a
pieces. The contest ragged furiously till 3
p. M, the lighting being done chiefly by the
artillery, at a range of not more than 300
or 400 yards, and often much less.
The rebel infantry opposite our right
now emerged from the woods and attempt
ed to capture Daum's Battery by q charge.
The first effort was nearly successful, but
the heavy discharge of grape compelled
them to retire 10 confusion. A second and
weaker attempt likewise failed, and the
enemy fell back with heavy loss behind the
stone parapet. General Tyler now or
dered his brigade to charge the enemy's
batteries on the left and a most steadily
encounter followed. Twice our men reeled
under the storm, bat in the third effort they
routed tse rebels with tremendous slaugh-
ter. Our loss in these struggles was
heavy. Out of 800 men in the s4th Penn
5ylNdulht 20 were ktiI6u anu . 8 WOunuS0.
Many officers were killed and wounded.
The 4th aud sth Ohio shared the glory
aud the losses of the Saith Pennsylvania
The enemy's killed and wounded stfew-
ed the ground in profusion.s Their left
wing was entirely broken and their centre
waVering. On their side, the 4th and 9Th
Virginia regiments suffered most.
The former was terribly decimated. Sew
eral attempts to rally the right wing failed,
and to add to the confusion the Irish bat
talon Of 15O men, when brought forward
and ordered to FIRE on the Union troops,
refused, and a rebel regiment Immediately
drove this gallant little band forward, but
could not compel them TO FIRE upon u.s.
Forty corpses of the one hundred and 6fty
afterwards strewed the field. Meanw bile
the rebels gave way on their left and CEN
ter, with loss of 700 killed and wounded
and 236 taken prisoners. Besides these,
about l, 800 muskets were taken and many
other valuable trophies. Our loss does not
exceed one hundred killed and three hun
dred wounded.