The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-10-16
q EvANsvILLE, IND TH .URsDAY MORNING

mence the attack upon Rousseau, and
now. began one of the bloodiest passages
of arms which has occurred during the
war I witnessed it from beginning to
end, and gazed upon 1t with an indes-
cribable horror, which took away all
sense of danger Those whom / have
longest known and best loved in the
whole Union army, here fought and fell
in scores before my eyes and died in
every terrible form of death / may be-
hold great battles hereafter, and my
heart may become somewhat callous to
their bloody scenes, but never shall /
forget what saw at that time, nor will
the impression made thereby ever pass
away saf 81 az HeE Tzh -a-
THE ATTACK or LYTLEs COMMAND. eti
The 17th Brigade, Colonel. w. H.
sLytle commanding formed, as l have
said, the right of Rosseau's division, and
I it was against this that the rebel leaders
directed their fercest assault Emerging
from the shelter to which they had re-
tired after their first repulse from this po-
sition of the line, they advanced in heavy
masses toward our position. Their ap-
| pearance, as regiment after. regiment,
and mass after mass, came forth from
beneath the woods and advanced down
the slopes of the hills, was imposing in.
the extreme Distance concealed the
rags composing their uniform; the bright
sunbeams glancing from their bayonets
flashed the lightning over the field; and
the blue flag with single star waved
all along their lines, as proudly as though
| it were not the emblem of treason, sla-
very and death Attheir head advanced
General moonted upon white horse,
/ and surrounded by numerous staff, all
4 having b0rses of the same color. How
ever one might hate these traitors, he
could not but admire this conspicuous
and daring valor, for each one of these
pale-horse riders instantly became
mark for shower of bullets, several of
which sped not upon their way in vain.
Near the foot of the slope of hills, the
wooded crests of which had formed their
original position, they planted a dozen
pieces of artillery, raking the Sd Ohio
and AID Indiana, which now advanced
to the summit of the hill (upon which
Loomis and Simonson's batteries were
posted at the beginning Of the aetion) in
order that they might meet the dense
/ masses of. the enemys infantry, which
were advancing under cover of the fire
| from their artillery
As soon as these two gallant regiments
appeared upon the crest, they were salu-s
ted with a tempest of bullets from the
Tnuzzles of at least four thousand mus.
kets, at the same time that the cannon of
| the enemy thundered upon their front
and flank. The Third Ohio, Col John
Beatty, sustained the heaviest fire., and
as long as it remained upon the hil its
ranks were continually p}owed by the
terrible discharge from the enemys arr
tillery. -nffr.t.& d
But while it remained there, (and it
] remained until third of its number
/ strewcd the field, } it never for an instant
beeased to beleh forth volley of fame
into the face of the foe, nor could the
rebel legions, with all their desperation,
summon courage to charge Every Off.
Ger stood like a rock to his post, and the
gallant Col. Beatty, dismounting from
his Interchangeable horse, placed himself
I coolly and calmly in the center of his
Pregiment, cheered both by voice and ex-
ample his danntless men, and seemed.
| tOtdll1 @8lCOuSCiOuS lu1t QCdln NdS GftIl-
where around and about him. j
At last shell frem the rebel cannon
set fire to pile of straw, the flames of
which instantly communicated to large
barn upon which the right wing of the
THIRD Ohio rested. In q moment the
Whole was in blaze; the heat became
intense cand uncomfortable; and though
some of the heroes stood until their faces
kwere blistered rather than break their
ranks, they were compelled at length to
retire in confusion upon the center and
4 left of the regiment, which they also
threw into disorder. Slowly and reluc-
.antly the officers began to follow their
men down the hill, at the foot of which
they Immediately reformed the torn and
bleeding ranks.
| During this time the 18th Kentucky,
| (Col. Curran Pope, which was in the
rear of the Third Ohio, and under shell
! ter of the hill, became intensely anxious
to advance, and more than once sent up
to ask the Third Ohio to retire, and al
low them for time to face the foe. & As.
soon as the disaster of the burning barn
threw the Third into disorder, Col. Pope
4 shonted "forward" to his regiment, and
with the utmost alaerity it rushed up the
eminence. No matter that muskets, ri
4 fles, cannons, hurled Immediately against
it every deadly missile Of war; no matter
that the roar of musketry and artillery
which greeted its appearance sounded
not like successive volleys, but like the
continued rattle of ten thousand drums.
No matter that its ranks were deeimated
ere it had been there single minute; it
stood like wall until Lieut.. Col Jouett
and Major Campbell were both killed,
and Colonel Pope was wounded and his
horse shot from under him. ThenAit re-
tired, and rallied at the foot of the hill.
4 All this time the 10th Ohio we're lying
upon their faces to the left of the Third,
near the summit of the same hill, and
upon the other side of lane, as | have
before mentioned. And now occurred
the most terrible disaster of the day.
Theiretreat of the Third Ohio and Fif-
teenth Kentucky had left the right wing
,. of the Tenth uncoved, and whole brig
ade of the enemy, forming in mass, ad-
vanced toward them over ground of'such
) nature that if the Tenth did not re-
ceive warning from some source, the
rebel column would be upon them and
annihilate them before they could rise
=