The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-19


gives long, but very vivid and doubtless correct
description of this battle. We have not room for
all Of it. 1t would FIJI our whole paper We
select q few items:
TYPOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF OUR Troops
And, first, of our positions: Let the reader
understand that the Pittsburg Landing is simply
a MARI ow ravine, down which road passes to
the river bank, between high bluffs on either eide.
There is no town at all-two log huts comprise
all the improvements visible. Back from the
river is rolling country, cut up with numerous
rayines partially under cultivation, but perhaps
the greater part thickly wooded, with some IN
derbrush. The soil is clayey, and the roads on
Sunday morning were good. From the Landing
q road leads direct to Corinth, twenty miles dis
tant. A mile or two out this road forks; one
branch is the lower Corinth road the other the
ridge Corinth road. short distance out an.
other road takes off to the left, crosses Lick
Creek, and leads to the river at Hamburg, some
miles further up. On the right, two separate
roads lead offto Purdy, and another, new one,
across Snake Creek to Crump's Landing on the
river below. Besides these, the whole country
inside our lines is cut up with roads leading to
our different camps; and beyond the lines is the
most inextricable maze of crossroads, intersect-
ng everything and leading everywhere, in which
it was ever my ill-lortune to become entapgled.
On and between these roads, at distances Of
from two to four or FIVE miles from Pittsburg
Landing, lay five divisions Of Major General
Grants army that Sunday morning. The ad.
vance line was formed by three divisions
Brig. Gen. Sherman's, Brig Gen. Prentiss' and
Major General Netherlands. Between these
and the landing, lay the two others--Brig Gen
Hurlbut's, and Major Gen. Smiths, commanded,
- IL
officer, by Brig. Gen. w. II. L. Wallace.
Our advance line, beginning at the extreme
left, was thus formed: On the Hamburg road,
JUS: this side the crossing of Lick Greek, and
under bluffs the opposite bank that com
manded the position, lay Col D. Stuart's brigade
of Gen. Sherman's division. Some three or
four miles distant from this brigade, OH The
lower Corinth road, and between that and the
one to Purdy, lay the remaining brigades of
Sherman's division, McDowell's forming the ex-
IRENE right Of our whole advance line, Hide
brands coming next to it, and Buckland's next
Next to Buckland's brigade, though rather be-
hind portion Of Sherman's, lay Major General
Netherlands division, and between it and Stu
arts brigade, already mentioned as forming our
extreme left lay Brig. Gen. Prentiss' division,
completing the line.
Back Of this line, within mile of the Land
ing lay Hurlbuts division, stretching across the
Corinth road, and w. b. L. Wallace's to the
right. Such was the position of our troops at
Pittsburg Landing, at daybreak Sunday morn
ing Major General Lew. Wallace's division lay
at Crump's Landing, some miles below, and was
not ordered up till about half past o'clock that
day.
OUR MEN SURPRISED.
Almost at dawn, Sherman's pickets were driv
en- in; very little later Premises were; and the
enemy were into the camps almost as soon as
we're the pickets themselves.
Here began scenes which, let us hope, will
have no parallel in our remaining annals of the
war. Many, particularly among our officers,
were not yet out of bed. Others were dressing,
others washing, others cooking, few eating
their breakfast. Many guns were unloaded, &C.
coutrements laying pell nell, ammunition was
i'll supplied-in short, the camps we're complete
ly surprised-disgracefully, might be added, un-
less some one can hereafter give some yet uudis
covered reason to the contrary-and were taken
at almost every possible disadvantage.
The first wild cries from the pickets rushing in
and the few scattering shots that preceded their
arrival aroused the regiments to a sense of their
peril; an instant afterwards rafting volleys of
musketry poured through the tents, while, before
there was time for thought of preparation, there
came rushing through the woods, with lines of
battle sweeping the whole fronts of the division
camps and bending down on either flank, the fine,
dashing, compact columns of the enemy
Into the just.aroused camps thronged the
rebel regiments firing sharp voleys as they
came, and springing forward upon our laggards
with the bayOnet, for, while their artillery,
already in position, was tossing shells to the
further side Of the encampments, scores were
shot down a. they we're running, without weap.
0ns, hatless, coatless, toward the river. The
searching bullets found other poor unfortunates
in their tents, and there all unheeding now, they
still slumbered, while the unseen foe rushed on
Others fell as they we're disentangling themselves
from the fsps that formed the doors to their
TENTS others, as they were buckling on their &C.
coutrements; others, as they were vainly irving
to impress on the cruelty exultant enemy their
readiness to surrender.
Officers were bayoneted in their beds, and left
for dead, who. through the two y hole days fear
full struggle, lay there gasping in their agony.
and, on Monday evening, were found In their
gore, inside their tents, and still able TO tell the
tale.
Such we're the fearful disasters that opened the
rebel onset on the line OF Buckland's brigade. in
Sherman's division. Similar, though perhaps
less terrible in some of the details we're the fates
Of Prentiss' entire front
Meantime what they could our shattered repi.
ments did. Falling rapidly back through the
heavy woods till they gained protecting ridge.
firing ~ they ran, and making what resistance
men thus situated might, Sherman's men sue.
cseded In partially checking the rush of the enc.
my, long enough TO form their hasty line Of bat.
tie. Meantime the other two brigades of the di.
vision ito the riQhtl enranr haatilv IN ,hoir ..,,.