Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-14
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Times
The Battle of Pitfsburg.

CAIRO April IL, 2 A. MA steamer arrived
at an early hour this morning at Mound City with
$50 wounded soldiers from Gen. Grants army.
No intelligence is received of the Times
special correspondent, Mr.. M. G. Misener, and it
has almost become a certainty that he is killed or
taken prisoner. He was with Gen. McClernand's
column, which at one time bore the brunt of the
battle.
The responsibility of the complete surprise of
our army rests with the commanding Officer. Gen.
Sherman occupied the most advanced position of
the army.
On Friday a large force of the rebel cavalry
appeared within sight of our lines and remained
there. Gen. Sherman ordered not to bring
on an engagement, and he sent out CORE
spending force to meet them. They remained
in position until Sunday morning, and served as
screen behind which Beauregard formed his
troops in battle order undiscovered.
Taylor's Chicago battery was at the outerm0st
point of our position, and received the first as
sault
The first intimation our soldiers had of the
approach of the enemy was a voley of musketry
which was poured into the encampment The
enemy were held in check, however, until they
succeeded in making flank movement, by which
they got in the rear of Gen. Sherman and sur
rounded about 5000 men, all of whom were
taken prisoners Gen. Wallace, of Illinois, re-
ceived his wound at the same time, and was left
on the field until the next morning. nearly twenty
hours, before he was found He is yet alive, al
though in a critical condition.
When the rebel flank movement was executed
there were four Ohio regiments guarding the po-
sition, all of which displayed inexcusable inefh-
cheney. The 18th Ohio turned and fed from the
field without firing a gun. The SD Ohio, which
supported Warehouses; battery, took to their
heels after firing three rounds, and occasioned
the loss of the battery. The list and 57th Ohio
also fed after firing one or two rounds. The
cowardice of these regiments left the point unde-
Tended, and the enemy Immediately closed in and
surrounded the more advanced regiment. These
troops were all green soldiers. 1t is stated also
that the 18th Wisconsin and the 10th Iowa fled
from the field after firing two or three rounds
At noon of the first day the enemy had six OF
our batteries in their possession All OF these
IRE turned against us and used during the bat
tie, but were recaptured during the rout of the
second day. When the enemy fed they burned
their wagons and left their wounded behind. all
of whom became prisoners.
Warehouses; Chicago battery entirely
disabled by the breaking of the axles from con-
cussion. They were imperfecty formed. The
battery lost three guns. One man was killed and
sixteen wounded. Taylor's Chicago battery had
one man killed and ten wounded The disabled
guns were drawn off the field by hand. Wizards
Chicago battery had five men killed and thirty
wounded
Gen. Buell's whole army has arrived at the
field of battle, with the exception of Mitchels di-
vision, and is posted in the advance.
| The enemy's loss is much heavier than ours,
both in killed and wounded. Ours in killed,
wounded and prisoners is not less than lO,OOO.
One New Orleans regiment, the Louisiana III
gers, were almost entirely left on the battlefield
/ killed or wounded. They were nearly all wealthy
/ 4 II.o al ,,,f ha 10,
Gen. Prentiss escaped on Tuesday and came
into camp alone and on foot. In the confusion
of the retreat he managed to elude the rebels
vigilance and after many perls in getting through
both lines and arrived in safety He was wound
cd during the battle, but not seriously.
COL David Stuart, Of Chicago, was wounded
in the breast. and it is reported seriously. 1t is
thought the ball penetrated the lungs.
In the flank movement on the first day the 9Th
Iowa regiment was captured almost en- masSe but
few of them escaped, and none were recaptured.
The ID Michigan battery was captured by the
enemy and recaptured by our troops three or four
times. There more fighting over il than any
other battery on the field AT the time of its
second capture Gen. Beauregard urged forward
three regiments in person, and received bullet
wound in the arm from a yolley delivered by our
troops.
Our troops pursued the enemy but FIVE miles
lFOu TIE TlftE anu Tue t"t dItuicS arc nov CAl-
camped within sight of one another. Beauregard
| is well ntrenched, with communications open to
both railroads.
The artillery duel on the afternoon of the first
day is described as being magnificent. The two
armies by tacit consent ceased fighting, and the
artillery ranged in front of zach lire and in great
force opened upon each other. For nearly two
hours contest ragged which shook the earth for
miles around and filled the air with stunning
roar The iron storm tore all intermediate OBJ
jects into fragments, and carried death in every
direction Night closed the scene, and the con-
tending armies laid down in their tracks to rest.
| A telegraph line had been in progress of con-
struction to the direction of Gen BuelPs advance.
On the Tuesday previous to the battle General
Buell. was seventy miles distant, building bridges
and crossing overlooked country. The telegraph
line was completed before the attack, and Gen.
Buell. received an intimation thereby. He then
made forced marches and arrived in time to turn
the tide. But for General Buell's aid Gen. Grant
would certainly have been driven into the river
next day.
Beauregard intended to make his attack two
days previously, but extraordinary rains impeded
his progress and delayed his arrival on the ground
Had be attacked the time intended, Buell. could
not have reached the spot in time 10 have saved
us from defeat.