, 1862-04-23
TCotnaunftAted-1


most memorable battles Of the pending
par, richly merits the favorable recognition
Of the press and the country. Captain Ed
ward McAllistez, who organized this battery
and commanded It in the bloody conflict, both
at Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing, Is
a Young farmer of Tiu county, In this State,
and fkir type Of the versatile, vigorous aud
13striotlc yeoman1y Of the Northwest Whilst
engaged In the peaceful pursuits Of agr1cul-
tnre, and bis heart untronb1ed By the impulses |
4of rAu]tiug ambition he heard the very first |
blast OF the Sorthnan's loyal bngle calling |
Tire good and brave to the defense Of their
country, He waited for no second summons,
hut With jealous alacrity obeyed the first. |
The plow Of the husbandman ~as LETT In the
fur1ow OF early spring, and the hand which had
guided it was g.asping sEord-a sword, too,
acquired under no ordinary circumstances.
The people Of his towu assembled On the
Sabbath day, large congregation in one Of
The churches Of Plainfeld, and In their pres.
ence, amid pray ers and pious inyocations to
Heaven, the Rev. Timothy Lyman presented
sword to Captain McA1lister. as the sword
became It's captain. Was at Cairo among the
first there; at the battle of Fort Donelson
he commanded four heavy siege guns. After
that battle, Gen McClernand supplied him
With four fine a4-pound brass hoEitzera~
Without military education, mere farmer,
but possessing {aiE share Of that peculiar
aptitude which distinguishes the American
character, he has attained, In . few shoIt
months, an excellence As 50 artllens! "nlc9
has won the admiration OF the sclentlne anu
the highest praises Of his comnander, and
for gallant service, without the aid OF in1ue11,
i'll friends, has been promoted to Major Of
Artillery.
furnished by one of his officers, shows the
Tart be took In the late terrible battle at Pitts
burg Landing:
PITCBcRG LANDING, april 7, 1862,
<sWe were attacked yesterday morning and
our army surprised by Beauregard with st
least &, 600 men, and some think SC, 900. We
went into batte1y 2t ha1-past seven a. n, uu-
der Gen McClernand's eye, and fought like
the turies for two hours and half With all our
four guns, Thcn the enemy charged upon our
battery and the infantry giving way, some
eigh. o. ten Of our men were shot, and several
horses Killed. Then VIC fell back leaving one
gun and three caissons in the hands Of the en-
emy. The whole line fell back and formed
asaip, were followed upaod attacked On three
sides With desperate Tigor. The enemy
charged again snd again, but F4s he'd q IN cheek
numbered Us, and finally drove cur whole line.
We {of the battery were most Worn out, and
after the battle in the morning were not
brought in again until our lines broke in the
afternoon about three O'Clock. Then we were
put In the hottest place; but the confusion
Vas 80 great that cur men Kept running past
our frpnt and embarrassed our execution. We
were obliged to fall back again, losing five or
sK more men and another gun: Then We
formed another line OF all the artillery left US
for the last stand, and were nov close to the
landing, and if beaten again, Grants army
would be no more. Lieut.. Borland had beer,
twice grazed By bullets and had his horse shot.
Lieut.. Coorers horse WAS also killed The
Captains horse WIS being held by the halter,
for moment, when q bullet severed the bal
t.raId the horse ran OF, and the Capt. did With
out one. Only one thing cheered ns. Buell. s
army had begun to come II. and like Y ellington
at Waterloo We all prayed for night OF Buell.
to come" Then came the last attack on oul
line Of artillery. We had about thirty guns
in our line, our two On the left, and great
God how they thundered for about TIVE
hours, The enemy attempted to storm u:
again, but could not stand moment before
cur terrible storm Of shot and shell Nigh
closed the conflict, the enemy having posses
sion Of all cur camps, but before O'Clock
five thousand Of Buelps men got over tht
river, and there were more to come. But tt
severely. The whole army were just Is the.
had fought. One company had ta1pau1ins ant
didn't get very wet Well, at daylight II
next morning our side begun the tight. "
or die Oh the field. McClernand ordered on
battery up with his division, and calling CAp
tain Mctiiister up to him, said: "Captair
you1 two guns are all I have left-do you
come, but resolved to make the most Of on
time, whether more or less. The General pr
us In position, and told Us to shell the timbt
before his division went in. He stood by an
ea~ Us work When he vas satisfied II
CEASED, and the old DoHelson boys went il
The General soon sent for Us again, and v
fought under his eye, shelling out a butter
in which battery Of rlilcd guns helped u
stationed some considerable distance to OF
right, but which the enemy's cavalry charge
and drove away. Then We turned upon tt
cayal1y with canister and drove them ava
also. Here ne stopped for half q
hour, for our ammunition was gon
but q load came sud we opened Q
that load aid then the infantry went in a,gai
strong. A light battery took our p1ae
and VIC fell back to our first stand, and too
in another load Of shells. For four hours v
waited orders, during which the musket1
mighty storm, hut the contending arnit
were 90 mixed that we could not IRE viii
ont risk Of Ii ling our OWL men, and th
fight was over cur Last c2mp ground, Buell.
tine fben CEN Meolernna SSr saRp9fs sent a for
to come on. The enemy having been drive
back, had brought up two batteries whi<
were holding our whole line il check Gen
I'll Sherman met us, and SO did volieys OF sho
shell and minnie balls. Says he, pointing t.
yards one OF the enemy's batteries, "Captai
Silence that battery as soon as possible" Y
went into battery IN face Of q storm Of ca
non-ba1ls and opened OF them with our blooe
shells, the Captain sighting one Of the gu
himself: We saenced that battery in just f
teen minutes, and the infantry went up 81
took possession OF it. We had two Of 0
men wounded, and one cannon ball kill
three Of our horses.
The other rebel battery still playing up
the infantry, we moved a quarter OF q 4,
further of, vent into battery again in +
sight of them, aud drove them of the ie
followed and poured shc1 into them till (
supply all failed. About that time the e1
ny's whole army fell back in confusion. II
ended the battle, but We got another load
shell and staid on the field till dark Our
terry made its two last efforts directly uni
the eyes Of Gsaerals Sherman, MeClerna1
and 3 stranger General belonging to Bne
army, and they all praised Us to the ski
Taylor's battery was not In this days fight