Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-04-15
mo R1SrIs 81 PIissburG landing.

correspondence OF tno Nipv,Hh"u "
following acsount Of the recent two days con-
Act at Pittsburg Landing. 1t 10 the best ac-
count we have yet seen, giving the poaiAons o.
tho different regiments. and the various moves
made BY our own forces and BY the enemy our
log that fierce aud protracted struggle:
FIELD OF BATTLE,
PtrrspuRo LANDING, TKENp April o
..-- 80 VIA CAiRo, April II.
This battle Of Pittsburg Landing, iouens mere
on sunday and Monday, was the result Oh on
attempt on the part OF Johnston anu Dsau'u n
rard 10 attack and defeat our forces IN ue'ai'
Thev knew they outnumbered Hfants 'tooprI
and thew hoped 10 drive them Into the nver,or
oompel them to surrender, before bus~s 70 in'
| foFcemenis arrived asL
marched out from Coripth sixty thousand
a,roo0. in three main divisions, commanded
by Sidney Johnston, Beauregard and braxton
Bragg. .,,.,.h
Friday night an advance party had skirmsn
with our pickets, and took Major Crockett Of
the Seventy-Second Ohio, two LieuteBants Of
the Seventieth Ohio, and seven pfiVa'es prison
ers. A brigade was sent out to support 'ne
pickets. Alter q little engagement they drove
the rebels back to the battery they already mad
in position, and took sixteen pfiRonere on
Saturday there was another alarm, and some
picket fighting.
General Grant announced TO some, at least,
of hIs Generals of Division, that there was
| ereat probability Of o rebel attack, but still
| tbere seems to have been little general expec'
tation of, or preparation for 1t.
On Saturday night the following was the dis-
position Of our forces:
On our extreme left, on the bank OF Lick
| Creek, perhaps two miles from Pitsburg Land
ing, S,uart's Brigade of Sherman's Division.
On our extreme right, say five miles from ritts'
burg Landing, and near Snake creek, otner
three brigades OF Sherman's Division, VIZ; NC
Dowell's, Hildebrand's and Buckiands. be-
tween these two extreme points lay the following
Divisons. viz; Next TO Stuart's Brigade, Prem
tiss'a Division: then McClernand's Division,
/ and between these two and the Landing, Hurl-
burt's Division and Brig. .-Gen. W II. l.. Wal
llace's. Then, 8 miles below, at Csump'e Land
| ing, lay Moi Gen. Lew. Wallaces Division.
There were no bEesstwofks or detenses OF any
kind TO any Of our troops
EARLY Sunday morning, while the so!dler't
were preparing breakfast, the rebels surprised
| and attacked Prentiss's Division In heavy force
l Troops held their camps but a short time, and
speedily commenced falling back, resisting al
they retired. The main portions Of the Twen
ty third Missouri and Twelfth and Fourteenth
\ Iowa we're surrendered aud taken prisoners
with Gen. Prentiss himself.
Meantime the rebel center and leit had CONT
upon our center and right, composed Of Nc
Clernand's Division and three brigades Of Sher
mans, and the fight had become general along
our whole front line Of cay tour miles.
1 The rebels easily succeeded in getting In on
L -l.nf n . = - lxrk - apa
vision, and before nine o'clock the shattered
Fragments OF his regiments were falling back
In utter disorder. g.
This left the right fAnk Of Stuart's brigade,
forming the extreme left OF our line, unpro
i tected, and the rebels came pouring rapidly
down on that. simultaneously Breekinrldge'I
troops, which had come up by the FarmingtoI
road from Corintb, appeared on the opposite
bank of Lick Creek, and commencsd Smelling
their front. Thus attacked, this brigade Wsi
compelled to fall back, which they did In par.
tial disorder. They took a position on the next
ridge, held this with very sharp fighting fol
three-uuarsers of an hour, then fell stii further
back and toward Hurlburt, who, now thas Prem.
:iss's division was gone, formed their only pro
tectIon on their right fAnk, then fell back 10 the
rear of McArthur's brigade, and nnally, badly
shattered, took position to reorganize the regE
ments on the bluff above the Landing
Three brigade's Of Sherman's division form
| ing our extreme right, meantime maintained 9
| wavering SIGHT with the rebel left, gradually
| falling back from their camps and being fierce
| IL pressed toward the Landing. Waterhouse's
Illinois battery was taken; Others we're com
PEELED TO fee, and by ten, all three brigades hat
retired, 10 more or less disorder, toward thu
Landing. %
4 About the same time MoClernand's division
which had been driven from Its camps and com
i PEELED to fall gradually back, having los
Schwartz's and Dreseer's batteries, got back II
the position of w. Fl. L. Wallace's division.
1 Two divisions only we're lets 10 contest the
day with the rebeis--tI -tIufI5urt's and W. H. L.
Wallace's Fragments Of regiments and brig.
ades from the three driven back of Sherman's
| Prentiss's and McClernand's, were also reOr-
ganized and brought up to assist Hurlburs and
| Wallace. 1
Gen. Lew. Wallace had been ordered about
twelve O'Clock to leave Crump's Landing and
hurry up TO battle. He had TO make twelve
miles march, and did not arrive in time for any
part Of the action on Sunday.
By ten o'clock, Hurlburt and w. II. L Wal
lace were hercely engaged. The rebel attack,
Of course concentrated upon them, and the en-.
emy from his superior numbeFss was enabled 70
their fresh regiments 10 engage our weary and
thinned ranks. IEs aaW geI M
| From ten to nearly four, however, they held
up against the tide OF rebel success, sometimes
gaining but OfteDeF losing, till about four Hurl-
burt gave way for final stand near the Land
ing. W. Fl. l.. Wallace about the same time
was mortally wounded, and his division, now
hanked on both sidee, also gave way.
The last stand was made within half mile
of the Landing. Twenty-Five guns, including
some long thifty-tgos and PaIrott twenty. pound
ers were arranged In the form Of crescent, 10
defend the Landing. The troops we're rallied
and firm resistance offered to ths advancing
rebels. tl4 tai
The gunboats Taylor and Lexington also now
took part In the action, and poured In furious
cannonade. The rebels were checked, apd for
that evening the Landing was saved.
K By FIVE O'Clock Nelson's Division Of Buell's
forces had begun crossing the river, and beicse
dusk the TbiFty-sixth Indiana. from hls advance
brigade. had got into action along with Grants
rallied forces. ggc9d o
After dark, Lew. Wallace's division arrived
and took position for action on the extreme
right. Sherman, McClernand and Huribuft re-
organized their shattered divisions as we'll ss
possible, and took position to Lew. Wallace's
left Nelson's, Tom. Crittsnden's and Mo.
Cooks divisions crossed and took position, Mel
son on the extreme left, Critlenden on bis right,
and MoCook closing the line between these
and Grants old iorces.
Throughout the night the gunboats kept up o
heavy oannonading, compelling the rebels to re-
tire from the ground they had gained through
the day, as far as beyond Hurlburt's and W. H.
L. Wallaoe's camps. On our right also, the
rebels fell back about third OF a mile, 10 the
cover Of heavy woods. refcs iasu. I
Troops lay on their arms all night About
midnight heavy thunderstorm came up, which
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