Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1862-02-12

From ssvefaa accounts whish rsacA ua
by mai, we obtain the following paxsieu-
larss 4a a-sag
From accounts furnished by records
found In camp and by pgisoaags, ths rebel
foree consisted of about tan thousand iE-
fantry, eighteen hundred cavalry, and six
teen pieces Of artillery. Two Of the latter
have not been discovered, and we're prob
ably concealed. EollieodsF was in stroRg
eeslsiou, and bis entertainments eoald
have been defended againss thirty thous+
and aaeEA. IL bad winter quarters With huts
for nfty tho usaad men and everything
Was vsRy comfortable. So precipit8se was
the evaeuaGien that trunks were leet in the
huss 80 II the owners bad gone One 20 o
dress parade; shaving materials were 4eSt
behind, private correspondence, Ainia-
lures. extra clothing, &c. The FebeAs
seem to have been we'll clothed in 5eans,
but they were without overeoatss Thesr
discarded .kngpsacks contained two Or
three days. fations. They were well sup
piled with blankets, and had plenty Of old
army regulation ones, white and black
| striped, which were unbaled. ''*a'E@
TIE route Of the rebels was pressed IN
| til oar men reached elevsted positions
| which partly commanded the camp. Our
regiments were thrown across the country
| from White Oak Greek TO the Cumberland
river, while Col. Harlan's regiment ad-
vanced some distance on the top Of
hill to prevent the enemy from occupying
| il during the night. zollieofer was evil
IDENTIFY under the impression that General
Thomas had but two regiments With him,
and that the reserves could not come up
on account of the swollen streams. He
therefore left his intreuchment and march,
| ed eight miles In the hope to cut him of.
He was correct In measure, for General
Schoepf, on Friday, sent three regiments
the Twelfth Kentucky and First and See
ond Tennessee, and battery, to General
Thomas, but they did not arrive in time
to participate; and on Sunday be sent the
Thirsy-first, Thirty fifth and Thirty eight
Ohio from Somerset, and they we're oblig-
ed to cross Fishing Greek by meansof an
overStretched cable, to which they 'cIung,
advancing hAad OVER hand, stringfng along
the rope, such was the swiftness of the
current and the depth of the water. When
Zollicoffer discovered his mistake, his u en-
fought we'll, bat they oould not resist the
bayonet charge. Our men shos with great
precision; the forrest trees through which
the enemy resreated were riddlied with
balls. 20
sATURpAY-THE NIGHT BEFORE YHR BArTLR.
On Saturday evening before the battle
the advance brigade Of Gen. Thomas di-
vision, consisting Of the Ninth Ohio, Sec
ond Minnesota, Tenth Indiana, another
Ohio (the number of which was unable
to ascertain) Col. Woodford's Kentucky
cavalry, and one Ohio battery, occupied
q position some eight miles south of east
of Somerset--abont four miles soath of
the fork of the roads from Somerset to
jamestown and Columbia The regi-
mepts were encamped On the right and left
Of the direct road from Somerset to HaEt's
Ford of the Cumberland River, just North
and Seth Of which the rebels had insrenoh-
ed themselves.
On Saturday afternoon part of Scbeepf
force (stationed q short distance from
Somersetl consisting of two Kentcky reg
irnents, First and Second Tennessee, and
Captain StannArd's Ohio battery, was or
dered to join Gen. Thomas but owing to
| the high water In Fishing Greek, which
they had to cross, and the muddy roads,
did not reach him until midnight. About
O'Clock in the morning another brigade,
consisting of the Fourth and Tenth Ken
lucky, Celonels Fry and Harlan; the Four
teenth Ohio, Eighteenth Regulars, and a
Michigan regiment, together With another
battery, arrived, SO that the column IN
der the immediate command Of General
| Thomas just before the commencement of
the battle, Was composed of thirteen in
fantry regiments, about Eve hundred cav
| airy, and three batteries, with an aggre-
gate Of eighteen pieces { (parrott, smooth
bore, and rihed guns.)
While one of Gen. SahoeplFs brigades
| vas Joining Gen. Thomas, another under
his command was trying to ford Fishing
Greek, few miles below the crossing
point of the former. But the water was
found too high and turbulent, and hence
be was not able to perform his part of the
next days engagement, which was IN
doubtedly to flank the rebels on their
right.
The night proved terrible 10 our troops.
A cold rain continued TO pour down con-
stantly. Only the brigade Of Gen. Thorn
~ had their tents pitched. All others ar
rived on the ground without any means of
sheitering themselves, and were hence ful-
ly exposed to che chilling wind and rain.
SUNDAY MoEsISG-PRELIHINAKIE
The enemy, under the immediate CON
mand of Major General Crittenden, march
ed, eight regiments strong, from their
camp, last Saturday night. Their mount
ed guards were skiEmishing through the
greater part of the night, with ours. Col.
Woolford's cavalry were doing outpost
dusy that night. the Tenth Indiana oc-
capied wooded bill on the right of the
road. On the left was field, stretching
down the hill for several hundred yards,
In trout of the woods was another field of
about twenty acres.
The enemy formed In these two fields,
attacking the Indiana troops both 10 front
and upon their left flank. 4 section of
Captain stannard's battery had been bro't
up, and was stationed in the road. The
attack here was made about O'Clock in
the morning. Col. Manson, coming up to
the position just after the attack began,
and seeing that his men must be overpow-
cred before the other regiments could come
up, ordered bis naen TO fall back, which
they did in good order, aghting as they
went. Capt. Stannard reluctantly gave
up the privilege Of fgiving the enemy one
good bIissard from that point, and retir-
ed, too.
Immediately to the rear Of the woods
where The Tenth was stationed Is another
field, with steep descent 10 rayine, and
then comes another dense forest, On the
left Of the road the clsarings contiuue to
the rayine, the sides of which at thai point
are covered with growth of scrub oaks
and other timber.
QUE T1eoPs RErIRE-ARE REINFORCED