The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-04-16

the rebel wounded fell into our hands, /
In passing over the battle field on Satur-
day, evidences of the sanguinary struggle
were still visible on every hand. The trees
and shrubs were shattered and cut down,
the ground was ploughed by the cannon
balls, horses were lying in every directions
and guns dismounted, and fragments of cais-
sons scattered about, indicated how terrible
and destructive had been the fire of artille-
nv. The rebel batteries were under the inn
mediate direction of Gen. Bragg, of "a lit
tie more grape" notoriety, and were served
with great skill and accuracy. The range
of the guns was most excellent few shots
striking the trees above seven feet, and
great many ranging but one or two feet
| from the ground. How our men withstood
such a cannonade is most remarkable.
Passing, with Lieut.. Bruner, through
Gen. McClernand's encampment, we noticed
that the tents were all perforated with bull
lets, with here and there huge rents in the
canvas, indicating where the cannon balls
passed through. The rebels slept COM
fortabIy in these tents on Sunday night,
while their lawful owners lay upon their
arms, exposed to the pitiless peltings of q
soaking rain. So confident were the enemy
that they would retain possession of the
camps, that they destroyed no tents, and did
no damage to their contents, beyond rifing
some officers trunks and appropriating all
they contained.
! It was during the hottest of the struggle
on this, the right wing of our army, that
Gen. Yeatch was ordered to Netherlands
assistance With battery of 24-pound
howitzers he advanced promptly to the res
cue, and fought with that division until it
was forced back towards the river by over
whelming numbers. The fire of the huge
guns seemed to produce little effect on the
rebel columns. The ranks promptly closed
up the gaps made by the grape and canister
and musketry, and On they swept, irresisti-
BILE as an avalanche.
From Netherlands, we rode to General
Wallace's, division, over ground the whole
of which had been the battle field. Indeed
it has been estimated that the battle field
proper was al least six miles square, almost
every foot of which had been contested at
some time during the two days fighting.
We found Gen. Wallaee's division, but no
camp. 1t, with all of Gen. Buell's army
had been without tents during the week,
exposed to the rain, which had been I'M
| Gil ha Hrrht Ruf
aud inconvenience of their position had no
effect on the spirits of the boys. They
were cheerful and expressed q willingness
to try the rebels another tussle. The Indi-
ana Eleventh and 24:h were but a little
distance apart. We called on Coils McGln-
mis- and Hovey and found them making the
best ont of their situations. Colonel
Hovey made narrow escape during the
hatts0,af rIfg Is taucK MS Head to prevent
its striking him. As it was, it just touched
the top Of his cap, knocking it back on his
head and passed harmlessly on. Lieut..
Col. Gerber observing the shrewd dodge of
the Colonel, turned to the regiment and
proposed three cheers for the Colonel which
were given with will. Shortly after
wards poor Gerber himself was struck with
cannon shot and instantly killed.
1t has been asserted that Gen. Lew. Wal
lace, in marching to the relief of the divis-
ions struggling against such odds, took the
wrong road, and consequently failed to ap-
| pear IN time to render any assistance on
Sunday. This is net strictly correct. On
hearing the firing, Gen. Wallace left bia
camp ut Crump's Landing and took road
that would have brought him in proper
position had our forces maintained the
position they held at the commencement of
the fight. But on arriving near the scene
Of conflict, be found our lines driven back at
every point, and his men, instead of facing,
were actually in the rear of the enemy |
Realizing the danger of his position, Gen. |
Wallace rapidly withdrew his division. and |
making a retrograde march to Crurnp's /
Landing, advanced again by another
road, reaching Plttsburg Landing about five
o'clock Sunday evening, in time to CO.
operate with Gen. BuelI's forces in the at
tack next day.
Having spent couple of honrs quite
pleasantly in the camps of the 18th, Esd
and Gath regiments and obtaining correct
lists of their killed and wounded, We start
ed for the camp of the 3lst, arriving there
about the middle of the afterpoon. While
Adjutant Ross was copying a list of casual ,
lies in his regiment, in company with {
Lieutenant Wood, we visited that part of I
he battle field in which the 3Ist and 44th !
Indiana regiments participated. 1t was the II
ortune of these regiments to oppose the
orces under Gen. Beauregard, who com b
handed the left wing of the rebel army. y
he position taken by Gen. Lauman's brig G
de, of which they formed part, was well e
dapted for defense, and most nobly did
is men defend it. The 3lst and 44th lay
ehind the crown of little knoll, along