, 1862-03-21
THE EVht4JA1I0N or NEW
MADRID.
A Letter from Major 3. B.
RAYMOND,

Raymond.
.. Major Samuel B. RAYMOND, we'll known to
our city readers. sends the following graphic
letter to his wife. Although not intended for
publication, It states the matter 90 well and
clearly that we ask the Maior's pardon for CIV
ing It entire, reproducing the diagram with
which be accompanies it. 1tshows clearly the
part the rebel gunboats we're able to bear In
the deht, and increases the marvel that the
rebels evacuated the place so easily.
US. STATES FORCES IN CAHpNEA41
NEW NApRID. Mo-, Headquarters
CHICAGO LEa1oN. 61sT REa'r LII.
VOLUNTEERS, March 14th, 1852
sent you minutes made in pencil of our
increment a1;o;3 On hew Maa1id, and thlnlag
and that you might Wish to show it to some
Of my friends, u thought would send Jou a
more explicit account, accompanied by dta-
gram, also including the details Of my en-
trance into the rebel works this morning:
ion On. Tuesday morning and took our posi-
On the extreme left Of the line. Our division
is under command Of Gen. Paine, and consists
Of two brigades, as fol1ows: The 10th and 18th
Illinois, forming the first bEisade. under conf
5lst Illinois and tie Yates Sharp Shooters.
forming the second brigade, under command
OF Col. Cumming Of the 51at. On Wednes-
da5 evening wehad orders to prepare one days
1ations and march at sunrise, without knap-
sacks Or oyercoats. At daybreak On Tuesday,
and forts, and very brisk and heavy cann<on-
aiding was kept up for several honrs. Mean
time the second brigade Of our own division
proceeded to the righb the first I.a1ii1s been
Detailed the night before to SUPPORT the plant.
tie town and halted just inside the line Of
pickets. There we reDoalned until atter one
O'Clock, when Gen. Pope visited our division
and ordered ug to make an attack on the up.
pcr.-fort.. We proceeded to the lett 1mmedl-
ward as skirulishers. At the same time Col.
Bradley was ordered to take the right wing
aud procecd up the lane to the support Of the
lett of the line of ekirmishers, while I was
ordered to take theleft wing and support their
right The right wing proceeded up the lane
short distance, and were then ordered to file
| into the corndeld. took the left wing into
the cornfield and proceeded forward We had
| advance but few yards, when they opened
upon US from the fort, with shot and shell,
| position little to the right, and had but just
| given 1he order to t'lie douu,7 when bang
came another yolley. We kept shifting to the
| right, until VIC found that they, BY some
means, knew what VIC were doing; and now
| the shell came thick and fast, one bursting
I
| With round--of grape. This was kept up for
an hour or more, when we were ordered to re-
tire out Of the cornteld, which we did very
reluctantly, for as yet We had not had an op-
portun1ty to give them volley. The men
behaved splendidly, and must say did not
+ Il half as strcaked as mad made ea1cula-
tions for. All the officers acted as coolly IS
they would have done at dress-parade. We
asee1talned that they had q lookout on the
top Of house, who gave them the range
every time We shifted, he being able f.
field. As we retired. Captain Constablc's
11th Ohio battery opened upon thcm, and can
! tell you there Was music for an hour or So
The order came for us to return to camp, and
of VIC went apparently having accomplished
shot and shell. At the battery Of the Giegs
guns 3 or were killed and 10 or Is wounded
and those were all the casualties of the dl1
as far as could learn.
Just as we got back to camp was detailed
to take three companies and occupy the ad
CT lard Oh me, being completely tuckered ouI
as WAS, but such is the soldiers fare, SO pu
on my accoutrements and started of with MI
detachment. While posting the sentries ont
OF them fired upon a squad Of the old guar
and wounded one in the leg. About midnigh
continued al night. At about ~ o'e1ocl
there was yolley fred and q couple of ou
| scouts who had been out in the bayou scout
| ing came running in, also one Of our corporal
came in out Of breath, Eaylng that three 0
our men were missiDg-nnother reported tia
We were being surrounded. Putting it ali to
gether, in connection with the fact that vi
had heard their boats running to and fro al
the night, came to the conclusion that the,
1lad received heavy rcinforcements and wer,
Hank us. I sent out squad Of men to recon
! noitre, eautiopiug them to proceed quietly an,
| carefully and ascertain the cause Of the firing
After tinlo they came back, havlnS found cy
cry;hing all right. The alarm was occasione,
by 4 loose horse tearing up the road I'll
/ E;csz,ts challenged aud receiving no auswc
| tired-t3e bullets whistlcd past the scouts JUS
as they were landing their canoes aud the
scatteTcd AID run, and that frightened tic col
poral who was relieving the guard, and I CD
tell yon it came ae,V near frightening so1Nbotl
elxc. The idea Of being tax en- prisoner did 10
: suit, and that was what we were afraid Of. : A
day-bzeak Capt. Wescott. Of Co. 4 and myEc
; started out to ascertain If they had receive
1cinforceraents, or whether, IS believed, the
, bad eyueuated the plnce. We proceeded cal
tionsly forward beyond the line Of pickets III
: til VIC ca1nc to q mill. Here We reeonnoitera
r again and could plainly see inside the fort an
saw the tents all standing, but could see n
signs Of life, We called two Of the picks
guard and approached the works cautiousl
2 and entered them at tile same time with
| t4ulA VI kNE ELu 4OAH. ouLA 1VUh4HE p1;it
everything showed the utmost haste in d
parturc-half packed trunks, boxes and kna]
sacks half cooked meals, clothiug, camp equij
age, etc, all scattered in Wild confusion -ol
rifles, tlint~locE muskets, huge bowic-kniyc
; etc, etc the scene was indc=crieahlc: The
= | were four guns in the fort and lots Of amul
= milton, all placed handy, and the guns had bee
apparently well served the day before, ever
+ thing being in its place and locking order1
, The work was constructed with bags filled vii
shelled corn piled up aud earth thrown upG
them-a ditch in front Of all a5atte Of tre
with the top outwards, about 100 feet in from
: 4 good many buildings had been burned, {
that they could get good range-al1 the fence
/ trees, in fact every obstacle had oeen remove
that would afford the least shelter to an
r yaucing foe. Five or six Of the best buildin:
2 were yet standing, but had been cut aud
i faced and nearly rendered untenable. i
- though not very formidable fertilization, =
h it would have been hafd to takc, without tt
= | assistance Of the gunboats. They seemed
1 hare had plenty Of everything, especial
. his haste a basket Of Champagne; one Of Il
? companies who styled themselves the e Go
+ jcderalt bFirks, - left everything and looked o
- only for the Bricks" In another tent lay
;; / pillow with the enclosed inscription sewed o
r tore it off to send You to keep with the 9th
3 relics: 49,,
y James L. Grahau1'e piIer
s Apresent from his mother Eliza 4. Graham J
| son dCDL sleap 10 Sonnd Nnen you get your pl
:, e. and let the Yankees slip upon a. yoa c,.n.,
l. In one tent lay the body Of an officer "
ID had been shot through the head. It was neal
l. laid ont and had been put in q boz, land vi
of ever commenced to 1nllrk it SO as to be Sc
le home had taken 4 sudden fright aud dropp
,e the brush. 4 1argc lot Of lIssage had be
N | carried to the river bank, to be loaded on t
re boats, and there left. All indicated ye
Of basty start, and I cannot imagine ri
lg could have frightened them 80. I Sc
d also Quartern1asters S requisitson, also p
q from Memphis TO Fort Pillow. Capt. "
r. colt got secession t11g, knife, ETC.
H. hare in our possession shell that pass
over our heads. You will get pretty 70
10 idea Of the situation of things from the acco
r. panyiDg diagram Our tents just CAME
d, night. There has been heavy firing on |
ea river to-day-caDnot tell where.
he ---- --------
u Kebe1 Literature.
of Those who have wadcd through hundreds
~ private letters left by the rebels at Manas
I'd Eay that drcaricr literature could not he i'm
&C ined. Not only are the home letters W-sp
il1-constructed, and very dull, but very n,
81 arc they enlivencd with spark Of fun, warr
he with n word Of hearty affection, or relieved
Il thoughtful sentence. One sentence renal
rs with careful reader. Il was: "You tall
IA peace. There can be no peace until the
ut sections are etther separated Or thoroue
3s. united" There is much talk OF hard tfu
y, 35s in prose and verse; occasionally a sente
in about new company forming in the viii