, 1862-08-21

|
10 be two re. inents, afterwards kneWn to be
The b and 5th Louisiana. At this moment
the action became fearful, the enemy opened
! murG eroas fire, aud charged uppn the pieces. +
One Gun the enemy captured, the other vas
was fcrced to fsll back to ditch, and small
piece Of timber, where they rallied, .aad open
I'd in return most destructive fire, killing
every rnan tbat attempted to carry off the
piece they had captured a color beas1r of
The 9TH Louisiana rushed out and called on
bis men to rally to the fag, when he was I
killed: no less than four color bearers were
killed in succession while attempting to raise
tee FShe1 standard. At the critical moment,
C 1nFsny B. 9th Michigan, deplo5e1 as ski
mishers, then rallied, and with tremendous |
At Ibis moment the enemy were falling liter |
ally like Leaves, and becoming panfc-stTicken,
the hole line suddenly fetfeased, abandon |
ing their flag, the piece Of fartillery; and num-
ber Of prisoners.
Gyz1iag these conflicts the other arms OF the |
service were not idle. Minis battery, sup
ported By the Goth Massachusetts,, was charged
no less than three consecutive times, and
each tine the epemy was repnlsed With great
slaughter, the canister and grape actually
making great lanes in the ranks OF the enemy.
The tehtls, i'll fact, never could get near the
battery: the men worked 1t as co1lly as il
engaged in an eEening parade; end when this
battery was not Immediately engaged IN de-
finding itself, it was occupied in throwirg
percussion shell into the enemy all over the
good opening. Ii is Impossible to partIcu
1ar:ze the coudnct Of al! the batteries; they
did most excellent SERVICE Lieutenant Ev-
ertt's battery particularly distinguished IT.
self.
The battle now ragged from 5ito o'clock.
constant fighting, artillery and musketFy rnfn-
Cling in one continued din. One company Of
Ihe Indiana reg iment, Who purchased with
their own money their arms, the Morrtll rifles,
fired between seventy and eighty rounds each,
when in no case those whe used the Ordinary
government arm fired more than thirty or
iorty rounds. In this five hours' fearful work,
our men fought with the hot burning sun in
tseir taces, giving The enen,y an immense ae-
vantage. The artillery Of the rebels, some
fifteen pieces, did ver5 little damage: It was
badly wrought, Was never in good position,
rot more th6n two or three men were killed
By the artillery. Col Dudley commanded the
right wing, where much OF the hardest fight
lug was done. ard took the entire command
after Gen. Williams fl u, which was about Z
O'Clock. The fA'l Of the commanding Gen
e1a1 created, Of course some little confusion
il. lis immediate vicinity, but Col Dudley
rode to the spot. and shouted, "Boys, keep
stiff upper lip, the day will soon be onrs.'
IS SOON as the enemy we're repu1sed, Col,
Dudley drew in his lines SO as to give the gun
boats q chance to assist In the engagement,
which movement vas done ia splendid man-
rer. Ezpecteng every mouent to be charged
BY Tic entmy, be posted his batteries so as to
support the infantry as they fell back, who in
turn supported the batteries as they retired.
THE share Of the gunboats in the aifair, and
the destruction Of the rebel ram Arkansas,
have already been given in the dispatches Of
Admiral Fa11agut-Ep..I
| Throughout the action our men were In the
| yery best OF spirits. After repu1sfng the enc
! my and rafting for another charge, they
| amused themselves with making jest5 Of mis-
takes, and telling amusing Incidents Remarks
| like the following could be heard, SNOW, boys,
! o patching to the way we Have got to give it
| to them when the varnfnt5 come back" In
fact, they seemed to feel as it the whole aff4ir
| vas holiday frolic. Ore Of the most sigui-
fieant facts developed Of the demoaalizIng ef.
itcts Of lying still IN camp was sho9n in the
fact that after the hattie began, 3 large nun
her Of the patients In the hospitals got OF
/ their beds and hastened to the field. The eE-
citcment Tons cd the sinking energies and oeyed
the way to returning health: .,
untcers, regardless Of the possibility Of an at
| tack from the enemy, went ont on the field
| and commenced bringing in their wounded
companions. The dead and wounded were il
heaps, and this was particularly the casein The
Indiana and Vermont camps, and in the GENE
| 1erJ, yshere the enemy fought behind the
tomb-stones, and also where the fence dgh1
wos SO fearfu1ly carried On. The field va:
literally covered with the dead where Minis
battery had play. On the right. where tht
1hree companies Of the 9th Michigan were
STATIONED, the enemy lett twenty nine Of theil
dead in their failure to capture piece Of oul
artillery.
On the 9Th we commenced hurying ou
dead The number is aupptsed to De about
eighty Killed outright, but as they were
brought i'll hy friends and decent1y inferred
1he number can only be obtained from tht
enemy we're buried. on the 7tb about l70. ant
cur scouts reported that the dead were scat
tsrtd along the road for five miles-woaudet
men who had died in their attempt to retreat
The woods were still to be searched-the E5
se1 may possibly have caused SEea. havoc.
The enemF's force, commanded b5 Maio
General John c. Breckenridge, and Brigade
Generals Kpgg1es and Clarke, was cpmpose'
Of two Louisiana regiments, tthe III All
18Th. two Mississippi regiments, two Tenne=
see regiments, one from Alah ,ma and 81, 4:b
| 5:h, 9th, 9TH and Sth Kentucky regiments
formed especially under the supervision O
General Breckenridge, and before the fight
with the other regiments not Of Loui5iao oa
sta.ioned at Tieksburg and Jackson. T
which must be added . large force Of irregu
j | sEIe QF tuEEl!A13. WIN. ii tu6 A1EAlEAu 1ASu44N
hung on the rear, to kill the wounded or 70
oEe side or the othcr, as might be most cor
; renicnt. The attacking force Of the epem
. was at least 5000 strong, while our tore
, never numbered more than GOO at any tim
engaged iu the action. So much for the in
perfect details OF one Of the most brilliantl
, | Fought battles Of this gigantic war.
The following is an underestimate Of tt
, wounded in the battle Of Baton Rouge:
I E.ro}T T+E / +3,v
Fourteenth Maine =: d ThiTtselth Massst'. ;, ;.
Eon,,h n2sh;sn WiScontin 10 Ninth Conn., zsb).
| Among the officers killed and wounde
/ | Tere-
, Indiana regiment-Lients. Lathram At
: Seeley, killed, Lieut.. Col. Keath, u u. Hay
9 Capts. Campbell, Grimsley and Kelton, Lieut.
: Blaustead aud Bryant, wounded.
Sixth Michigan-Cspts. Soute aud Baco
: 1ieuts. Howell, Fassett and Rns6ey, wouude
s GENERAL BCTLEIs'S C0NGRATTLAToF
+ ORDER.
On August ., Gen. Butler issued the folio
: ing congratolatory order:
d HEAperAHFERs DEPARTMENT OF TIE GULF,
+ New ORLEANS, La August9, 1862.
/, Soldiers Of the Army of the Gulf:
GENERAL ORDER No. 57.-Your success:
G lave hitherto been substantially bloodless.
d Taking and holding the most importa
e strategic and commercial positions, with t
Il MD OF the gallant navy, by the wisdom OF 70
C combinations and: the moral power OF T1
r as1ns, It has been left tor the LAST few days
C baptizc you in blood.
r The Spanish conqneror Of Mexico won i
e t~perishable IenoWn BY landing In that count
d and burning his transport ships, to cut OF
le hope OF Tetreat- You, more wise and econO
ical, but with equal providence againss retire
e sen1 yours home. 49,, -
y Organized to operate On the sea coast, 5
=. advanced your outposts to Baton Rouge,
~ ~ capital of the State Of Louisiana, more tt
y y $50 miles into the interior. -.
y Attacked there By division Of onr re-
~ ~ enemies nnder command Of q mnjor-geae
III recreant to loyal Kentucky, Hhom some Of
~ Aonb}y superior numbers, Jou have repul
~ 81 in the open tield his myrmidons, who tt
II; advantage Of your sickness, from the m,ls
~, y, OF tie marshes Of VtcksbuIg, to nlake c<
~ ~ Tie brigade at Baton Rouge has routed
~ enemy.
~ He has lost three brigadier-genera1s, kill
~ wonldsa and prisoners, many co1onels
.ryy Yeu{haye captured three pieces Of a!tl1l4
~ six caise 6us, two stand Of colors, and q Is
~ ~ number Of prisoners
of .Tou have buried his dead upon the feli
IN battle, and are caring for his wounded.
A. have convinced him that yon are never so
1t, as not TO fight your enemy h:he desires
,on nd Yoa have shown hin that If he cannot
re-, re- an outpost aftef weeks Of preparation,
ras your eeperal should :ssy be 'vas proud Of .
the It would .be 70 pia1sc 'u1tseh, oas 1e
80 In this battle the Northeast and the No