Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-18
CRAvKN's LANDING,

TwsSty miles LsIoto PitiSbETg, April {
THE SECOND DAY OF TIE FIGHT.
had been up until two In the morning, watch
Ing the firing and bursting Of our she'll so when
went TO bed SLEPT pretty sound until O'Clock,
when the steward woke me mp, saying that ever
since O'Clock they had been fighting like devils.
l Immediately dressed and went on deck; and
such terrific firing was never heard before on this
continent. The rattling Of musketry was inces-
SAINT, and only equaled by the roar Of the cannon.
Although we were within half mile Of the
lighting on the left wing, where 1t was most
severe, we could not see q single thing.
The enemy's battery on the hill opposite Pitts
burg was charged early In the morning by Mel
sons division, and taken. l had forgotten to
make notes on Sunday, but on Monday did so,
and will give them to you just a. | wrote them,
| to show the contradictory reports we received of
the fight, and In what suspense we were all day
laying-within half mile of the fght without
knowing how 1t was going on, or being able to
participate In IL.
From to Q heavy and continuous roar OF artil.
lery. At 9 one Of the two parties charged on the
battery that had been firing all the morning, and as
write the rattle Of the musketry IL awful while
every second is heard the deep boom of cam on sue
ceedt by deathlike Stiffness for a minute when
1t Is broken by terrific cheers, shrieks and yells
and the cannon and musketry commence to roar
and rattle. Men coming TO the bank. Just hailed
two Of them. One without his gun. They report
our men losing ground. The artillery supposed
to belong to us They give no reason for leaving
the field but that the rebels were chasing our men
all around The musketry hes recommended
having ceased Tor aDouI tnree minutes. A cannon
ball just whistled near us. l fear the day Is
against us There 10 one large gun out there at
least 32-pounder, for every time 1t fires the con-
cussion shakes the boat Three men appear on
the bank (l0 ID a. m Reason for leaving, out
Of cartridges. (Those men returned in about Is
minutes, and went In the direction OF the fght.)
They say the artillery belongs TO us, Gen Nelson
commanding. A steamer arriving at Pittsburgh,
perfectly black with troops. The cannonading
gets nearer and heavier. At II dropped down to
Pittsburgh to ask for news. TLey say-"It's all
right" Firing OF both cannon and musketry
terrific. Captain Gwinn has just returned from
Pittsburgh. Reports that we are surrounded on
three sides. The firing as heavy az ever. 1t Is
now II m and the battle commenced at a. III
Two more boats coming up loaded with troops.
\ At p. IN. the firing commenced again heavily,
IL having ceased on the left for half an hour One
of the two parties must be making attack on
battery The Tyler had sent an officer on shore;
he returned with news that Gen. Nelson has been
fighting the enemy on the left all morning with
1000 men, and that Buell. hiss just entered the
hsld with 30 coo fresh troops. We started for
Hamburger at ]. As. Heavy firing heard back of
Hamburger. Left for Pittsburgh and arrived
there, sent boat on shore. Boat leads Of troops
constantly arriving. Rumors Of Johnson and
Prentiss killed and Beauregard taken prisoner.
On our left wing the musketry has ceased frlrg,
but the cannon are heard at intervals.
On Sunday night, just before dark, we heard
some body calling for help shore but we had no
time to pay attention TO 1t. 1t ccEmenced again
in the morning, so VIZ sent boat shore and
leg and the bone broken. He had crawled from
tue field as far as the shore, but could get no
farther.
About 10 O'Clock we saw a man going on all
fours slowly and painfully through the brush
wood skiTting the hill beyond Pittsburg He
must have seen US for a considerable time, but
preferred going Ii on his own hook; but az we
saw his journey would soon come to an end for
the path he had been pursuing was broken a few
yards further by land slide, and the hill was
too steep for him to crawl up. Wesent boa: on
shore and conveyed him TO hospital boat He
had been shot through the leg at two D. IN on
Sunday; had crawled a mile and a half TO the
river, and had slept in the swamp during the
rain, and had set out for Pittsburg In the morn
ing; had an old piece OF cracker hid In his sh'rt
About eleven, observed a man with musket,
supporting comrade, who, with his head fall
Ing on his breast, and his long and matted hair
entirely conceaing his face, was staggering
slowly along. The soldier had his musset in one
hand, with the other arm round the wounded
mans waist, and every ten or twelve steps he
would lay him gently on the ground to rest He
soon came to the place that had stopped the other
man, when he went and hid his musket, end at
tempted to drag the wounded man up the hill.
The Captain said he would wait and see If he
could get along before sending boat on shore;
but as he only got about ten steps in quarter Of
an hour, he sent for him, as the man was evident
ly badly wounded. We saw them get him with
difficulty into the boat and the other man go up
the bill, get his musket, and strike bee line for
the fight. When the boat returned we learned
that the man had been shot on Sunday afternoon
through the mouth, the bullet coming out at the
back Of his head, and also through the rig hit
breast. The man that went back had bad nothing
to eat since early Sunday morning. He asked the
officer in the boat IL he had anything with him 10
eat, for he said he had no time TO go to Pitsburp
The officer had nothing with him. so The man,
although he said he was very hungry, went to
fg ht again.
The banks Of the river at Pittsburg were stfewn
with the dead and dying.
The fighting that have described and heard
was all on the left wing, and in the center and
right II was just severe.
We started down to Craveus this morning TO
get some provisions. w