Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-04-18
NO. g..
(Army correspondence Of Cincinnati Tim $. }
The Battle of Pittsburgh Landing.
PIrTsBURGH, April 5.-Midn

semclrcIei the right resting on point nort
" OF Crumps Landing. our centre being direc
VI y in front of the main road to Corinth, an
our left extending TO the river, in the directio
. of Hamhurg-a small place four miles mort
y of Pittsburg Landing
- 1t has been known. for some duys t,ast tha
, proper attention had not been paid to the plac
= ing of Pickets "A sufficient distance from ou
: 'front.' lines TO insure against surprise, and il
: some cases it had even been neglected altogeth
er. No p'ckets, it is said. have ever been plac
: ed IN front Of Gen. Irentss division, although
1t was known that the Seccsh spies and scout
ing parties were continually lowering even neal
: TO the outside of the tents Of his regiments
They were to be met by every scouting party
which left our caTps, and the encounters of the
last few days have proven so disastrous 10 them
that they determined to repay them with in
terest.
AT twoOclock this morning, Col. Peabody,
OF Prentiss Division, fearing that everything
, was not right, dispatched a body of four hun
dred men beyond the camp. for the purpose OF
looking after any force which might be lurk-
ing in that direction. The step was wisely
taken, for a halfmile's advance showed bea-
Wy force approaching, who fired upon them
with great slaughter. Those who esca ped. fell
back to the 1wenty-if1h Missouri Regiment.
swiftly pursued by the enemy. The contest
had been Of but short dura tion, and the adj
vance OF the Seces-iOnists reached the brigade
oil Col Peabtdy just as the long roll was
sounded ard the men were falling into line
Their resistance, taken so unawares, was OF
but short duration, and they retreated in as
! good order as was possible under a CALLING
fire, until they reached the lines Of the Second
Division.
AT six o'clock the attack had become gen
eral along the eutire front of our line The
enemy in large force, had driven in the pick
els of Gen. Shcrmaus Division aud fallen with
vengeance on the 4sIh Regiment O. V. NJ.
! Col. Sullivan, the 10th, Col CockerclI, and
the 72d Col Buckand. The troops here had
never before been in action, and being so un-
expectedly attacked ere they could fully uodcr-
stand their position, or get into file, they made
as able resistance as was possible, but were.
in common with the forces of Gen. Prenliss.
forced TO seek support on The troops immedi |
atey in the rear. The 9Th Ohio Cavalry. for |
mcrly belonging TO this division, had been re.
moved to Gen. HurlbuI's command the dar be- |
fore yesterday, and their place supplied and
camp occupied by the I'd Illinois Cavalry.
These latter knew nothing of the approach Of
the enemy until they were in iheir midst, firing
into their tents aud applying The torch as they
came.
The slaughter, on this, first onslaught of the
enemy, was very severe, scores falling at every
shot Of the cnemys guns, and all making their
best effort 10 escape or repel the foe. Il how
eve Al. IL
Iorto was overpowering and nothing was left
tor the advance line but retreat. This was done
in considerable disorder, both officers and men
losing every particle Of their baggage, it of
course falling into the enemy's hands.
Al hall-past eight o'clock the fight had be-
come quit general, the second line Of divisions
having received the advance in good order, and
made every preparation for a suitable reception
Of the foe.
As your correspondent reached the third ,
line Of our forces, he met several thousands of ,
stragglers, many Of them from the hospitals. /
but many more who had never before witness ,
ed the service Of the battlefield, and who so i
ar had not found it much better TO their liking I
Their faces were turDed to the river, and nei- :
her persuasion nor threats could induce them 1
20 change their course. I must say; that at a
his jdncture, your correspondent was strongly t
emlnded OF the great panic at Bull Run, for 1
appearance indie atcd that the same scenes
we're likely 10 be enacted upon this occasion. II
Hen and women came promise uously zingIy {,
nd by dozens, filing The road; limping. stag s
.ering along, in some cases supported on the =
rms of comra 'es or oihe s but all having the "
al destination and bent on the accomplish II
of the sat1 = /
be sound of the wbizzing balls, which were "
ying in every direction. b.
. The timely arrival of General Grant. who iC
I'D FASTENED up from Savannah. led TO the n
loption of such measures as put termina.
on 10 this uncalled for fight from the battle OF
ell. A strong guard was posted ACROSS the m
lroughiarCs, with orders to halt every soldier or
hose face was turned rverwaId Some few sf
the wounded were allowed to proceed, but M
le selfconstituted guard who had chosen that n
J means Of escape, were made to keep with or
the lines under the penalty offs stronger ad- \
oiniiion at the hands of the established lines Ri
seutries. III
All the wagons and other vehicles of trans- gr
ortation on their way to the camps were ku
rned back, and the road given as far as prac- be
cable to the use oftbe ambulances which were ne
'w getting TO be very plenty. They were .ou
1t, however, sufficient for the demands Of the m;
cason, there being in many cas- cs but two th'
each regiment, and heavy army wagons do
ere used to make up the deficiency. These ra,
tiled along over the jlded road, and through fg
G mud, filed to the top with the wounded rel
ID such Of the sick as were unable to leave
e regimenial hosp ital without assistance. tn;
At ten o'clock the entire line on both sides ~
as engaged in one Of the most terrific battles ~
er known in this country. The roar of the az
nnon and the musketry was without inter- 81
ission fom the main center TO point extend nO'
g half way down the left wing. The great na
ruggle was more upon the gathered forces y.
hich had fallen back on Shermans position P'.
to the next line of troops. a desperate au'
arge had been made upon the 14th Ohio any an.
1teryr and i not being sufficiently sust aimed
a force ofinfautry it was at last relinquish- uo
and fell in the hands Of the enemy. An WI
her severe fight occurred for the possession "
the 5th Ohio battery, which resulted in three u'l
its guns being taken by the secession forces !
By eleven o'clock quite number of the cur
Of regiments had fallen, aud in apr
me cases not single field officer remained a C
t the fighting continued with an earnestuess tha
lich plainly showed that the contest on both reg
lee was for death or victory. Thealmost deaf the
ing sound of artillery, andthe rattle OF the at
lsketry, were all that cold be heard as the The
N stood and silently delivered their FIRE, ev- bat
'ntly bent on the work of destruction with ed,
srVor which new no bounds. Foot by foot any
! ground was contested, a single narrow hou
ip of open land dividing the oppenents.- epti