The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-03-20

!
till dark. n abandoning our position held
in the morning, fears were entertained that
the enemy would, in the exultationsof sup
posed victory, surprise our camp during the
night. Our men fought CALAMITY all day,
without hinching, as is evident by the loss
sustained. ~
The enemy had fifteen thousand to our
three thousand five hundred, disparity of
force almost unequalled. Some quarter
master stores at Elk Horn Tavern fell into
their hands, all of which were used by
them, except the dessicated vegetables and
potatoes, they having no idea for what pur-
pose these articles were used. Our loss in
killed and wounded was severe. Lieut. Col
Chandler was captured, with twenty men.
Col. Carr was wounded in the wrist, and a
grape shot grazed his neck. - -. -
Corporal J. 81. Rowles, while spiking a
i gun, was shot in both legs, not MORALLY,
Capt. Hayden, Of Dubuque battery, lost two
men killed, and had eighteen wounded, sew
eral MORALLY. Fifteen of the Sd Illinois
cavalry wers wounded. Colonel Smith,
Of the 35th Illinois, was wounded In the leg
and breast
Col. Dodge went into the eight with 6Io
men, and at night had 10 killed and so
wounded. Col. Vandever could count only
IT'S men Half his commissioned officers
were killed or wounded. Col. Phelps had
four horses shot under him, and half his
officers were killed and wounded. g
Lieut. Col Heron, of the 9th Iowa, was
captured, with several of his men. His
horse was shot under him, and bis ankle
being fractured by the fall, he fell into the
! eneuny's hands when our line fell back and
| they started in the direction of the camp,
the command having been much scattered.
I Lieut.. Col. Trimble was shot in the face by
a mimic ball, the latter entering the cheek
and coming out under the ear; but he was
able to leave the field onahis horse. Col.
Bussey rallied the other detachments of
cavalry and got them in position, when the
cavalry returned. -.4 $780,
Of two hundred and fifty men composing
the third Iowa which went into the charge,
40 were killed and wounded. The enemy
having taken three pieces and pFesssd us
closely, we fell back to large open field .
quarter of mile west of Leeville, where
the second brigade of General Osterhaus's
division, under Colonel Greusel, of the
Thirty-sixth Illinois, had taken position
; early in the day. The cavalry stampede
caused confusion, but order was soon restor-
: ed by Colonel Greusel, who commenced
throwing shot and shell from Hoffman,
battery on the enemy's cavalry, just on the
point of making charge. Colonel Greusel
then threw forward Captain Miller and
Parkhurst, of companies B and G, Thirty
: sixth Illinois, as skirmishers to find the
position of the enemy in the brush. Miller's
men advanced in fine style, fred on the
, enemy's pickets Just as he discovered six
+ regiments in line. Here it is claimed thai
Ben McCulloch was killed by Peter Pelican
. a Frenchman, who saw him roll off hif
4 horse.
THE RATTLE NEAR LEE TOWN.
This holly contested engagement, fought
: the same day at Lee Town, two miles north
of our camp, resulting in the death of Nc.
OulIoch and Mcintosh, had an important
bearing on the general result. 1t served &c
keep the enemy divided, and prevented 9
. large reinforcement participating in the &C
. ton Elk Horn Tavern. The battle wai
8 opened in the morning by General Oster-
9 haus, and General Sigel's division, who
was sent by General Curtis to observe the
enemy in that vicinity. nerrtt rr.ssss
e About o'clock, Col. Bussey, with the
: Third Iowa cavalry, Col. Ellis, with the
d First Missouri cavalry, Lieut.. Col. Van
: Deutch, with Benton Husssrs, and Col
Alberfs battery three pieces), repaired &c
the same point of reconnoitre Gen. Oster.
: bvus ordered Col. Bussey forward. Tht
. battery went in front, supported by two
J On passing through the denGe thicket, ths
! open field was reached, whege the enemy
: was discovered about four hundred yard
q | distant moving forward Gen. Osterhaul
= Immediately ordered the battery to opeI
q Ere on the enemy, he being in advance o
his whole command, which had not ye
reached the field Five or six rounds 0
grape were fred with telling effect on tn
i enemy, who were seen to fall. Gen. Oster
It haus then ordered Col Bussey to send for
]. ward detachment of cavalry to charge th'
b enemy in the road. The cavalry charged
If forward along narrow road, the cannon
t still firing obliquely. They were led gal
/ lantIy forward by Lieut.. Col. Trimble, thu
a men cheering. As they swept down TIL
Is narrow defile, about $50 rebel infantry fret
a upon them from an ambush within twenty
k feet of the road
b This deadly fire was succeeded by an at
o tackof rebel cavalry, who changed on then
= and also on the battery. Our cavalry
wheeled on the latter and emptied mum
Der of saddles. But We were badly cut t.
pieces, and the Benton Hussars were order
= ed to the support of the Third Iowa.
J, At this time the battery was captured b.
the enemy, who rushed from the bush
Meantime, the Third Iowa not being re
. inforced, fought their way through thl
Euccour. asss
Q At this juncture, IL o'clock A. NJ, Gen
= Davis arrived, bringing the Third division
along the Lee Town road Coming int
I, the field, which was surrounded by wood
l. in all sides, General Osterhaus being on hi
q left, the General sent forth line of skirn
Z ishers, extending across the open 6eld, tt
& feel the enemy, who were not visible Or
= reaching the fence on the opposite side thu
I, enemy opened CALLING fire on our Skin
> mishers from the brush, and the latter re-
; tired, slowly firing. Capt. AIbert's FRS
L Flying Artillery was ordered to open frt
on the enemy's position. At the same tint
s the Second Brigade, Thirty-sevenLh and
i Fifty-ninth Illinois, under Colonel Julini
White, were ordered forward on the Lee
e Vile road, and when near the enemy's po-
!, sition were deployed TO the right to tnrr
the left flank of the enemy, and the Skin,
r. mishers soon found the enemys position
y and the engagement at once became genera
e by q most terrific fire being opened by Nc.