The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-12-20
THE BATTLE OF CANE HILL,
The Troops Engaged the Glory Won.

the Frontier makes history so rapidly and
brilliantly that it is with difficulty that the
recording pen fellows the illustrious line of
march.
Gen. Blunt left Fort Scott Oct. 1st. On
the 4sh of October be fought successful
engagement at Newtonia. On the 22nd of
the same month he overlook the enemy at
Old Fort Wayne, attacked and took from
him four pieces Of cannon and drove him
the field.
On the 2Sth of Nov. he fought the battle
of Cane Hill, and on the 7th of Dec. the
battle of Fayetteville, or Prairie Grove.
1t is of the Cane Hill engagement that
We now propose to give description.
The First Division left its camp, ten
miles south of Fort Wayne, on the morn
ing of Nov. 9th, and at ten o'clock on the
morning of the 2Sth it had marched thirty
Eve miles, and the advance guard "a part of
the End Kansas) had reached Cane Hill.
The enemy's artillery was strongly posted
on commanding point. The batteries of
Lieut.. Stover and Capt. Rabb were soon in
position and fierce fight ensued, which
lasted more than an hour. Major Fisk, of
the End, had his hat carried sway and his
head scalped by one of the enemy's shells.
Six companies of the 18th, under Colonel
Ewing and Lieut.. Col. Moonlight, followed
by the End, marched over bill toward the
rebel battery, while Maj. Plumb, with four
companies, proceeded to support Rabb's
battery. Gen. Blunt was with the End,
Before the movement was completed the
enemy abandoned his position, and retreat
ed to another eminence.
The whole of Col. Clouds brigade, the
Sd, and part of Col. Weers, the 2nd, had
now come up. Gen. Saloman's brigade, the
lst, did not come up until the fight at the
town was over. Hopkins and Rabb's bat
teries followed the enemy, and after half an
hours fight drove him to third position in
the south part of the town, where his line
was discovered, extending from east to west
for long distance
Gen. Blunt led our forces by a wide
detour to meet the enemy. When he
reached the position the enemy had again
fed. 1t was now O'Clock in the afternoon.
When the days work was thought to be
over, renewed cannonadiDg was heard to the
southeast
An account in the St. Louis Democrat
says:
A part of tne End Kansas and the Sd
Indian regiment (Col Phillips with the
mountain howitzers belonging to the Kansas
9th, under the command of Lieut.. Updyke,
had gone in pursuit, and overtaken the
enemy at that point-where he had made
stand. Immediately such of the command
as were near at hand, to-wit: the 11tb
Kansas, the 9th Kansas, with its two
mountain howitzers attached, and Rabb's
and the 1st Kansas battery, Lieut.. Tenny)
started for the new scene of action-Gen
Blunt, as usual, leading the column. The
advance of our forces up the frs: precipi-
tous ascent into the mountains, was most
hotly contested by the foe Here the SER
vices of the Indians was first called into
play, and with telling effect. The sides of
the steep and rocky hill, up which the road
passes, are thickly covered with woods.
From behind the trees on either side of the
road, up along the ascent, the enemy poured
their fire into our troops. Our batteries
and howitzers had found position in an
open space on the right, from which their
shot and shell were thrown, as nearly as
practicable into the enemy's midst. Phil
lips Indians, led on by that excellent
officer, advanced from tree to tree, pouring
an incessant and CALLING fire into the foe,
and he finally gave back, step by step, up
the steep and rocky mountain slope. just
then the llth Kansas came up, with the
daring, dashing Moonlight in its lead, its
gallant Col. Ewing also riding up in front
abou: the same time. At the top of the
hill, or near it, it passed the Indians, and
drove the enemy on.
Again half mile or so further ahead,
another stand was made BY the foe, when
the howitzers of the Indian regiment, man.
ned by some of the 9th Kansas men, were
brought quickly to the front, and the bene.
tit of their contents administered to the
rebels-the infantry, both whites and Iudi.
ans, firing heavy volleys as they advanced
through the woods and over the rocks-and
thus the fight continued for some six or
eight miles on through the mountains, the
enemy making an obstinate stand as often
at least as once in every mile. All this
time General Blunt was at the very head
Of our column, urging on the men. direct
ing their movements, and occasionally 'tak-
ing crack himself, with his Henry's
Volcanic Repeater which be carried along
through the after part of the day, when
opportunity offered
The rebels made final stand in a gorge
In the mountains, some nine miles distant
from Cane Hill. Our men falling back,
Gen. Blunt led charge in person with |
three companies of the 9th Kansas. 1t was