Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-10-03

The rebels made a desperate attempt to
turn our lett flank, bat repulsed Ia this,
they charged on the battery. For some
reason the 4sth Indiana was forced back
and the enemy took pos session of the guns,
hut the ERE Of the firm infantry became too
hot for them aud they had to reIiuquish
the ground. AT times the guus OF the COM
batautsi were muEzle TO muzEle. Here our
superiority with the bayouet was fairly
proved. for charging on them with yell
that could be heard above the roar Of ar
tillery, our boys routed them in every in-
stance. Again the enemy attempted to
turn our right flank, but the Sd Michigau
cavalry, Col. Misner, took position on the
extension of our extreme right aud repulsed
them with great loss. A dense cloud of
smoke now euVeloped the engaging forces
so that il Was impossible to distinguish
friend or foe, but the balls kept pouring in
like hail stones, cutting off the tWigs of
trees, and throwing up the dirt in all dlreo-
tions. There was no lulling in the ere. A
thousand Niagaras seemed concentrating
their mighty. sound while the earth fairly
tremble6 beneath the tread of the combat.
ants. No words can convey proper des-
criptiou of the magnitude of the strife. The
rebels resorted to many treRcherous devices
to get within our lines. and once or twice
they appeared with Union flags. Three
desperate attempts were made TO capture
the bth. Iowa's stand of cOlors, but It WAS
M go. The gallant boys who have march
ed upder their folds for sixteen months had
no idea of relinquishing them to rebel
hands, and they rallied and fougat, and
struggled with the most glorious heroism.
By this time the carriages were running
low, but the brave Col. Matthias, who nav-
orr aNhf tad \
in his life, still held them TO their work.
he was we'll aware of their critical posi-
tiou, but knew that IL he abandoned the
field the day was lost. at this juneture the
9th was relieved by the llth and 26th Mis-.
souri,, who stood mp nobly and poured iu
murderous FIRE, till darkness put an end to
the conflict. d.,.
Generals Rosecrans, Hamilton aud Salli-
van, were continually on The ground ex-
posed to heavy fire, urging aud animatiug
the troops by their presence. Gen. Ham.
ilton's horse was killed under him, and be
also had narrow escape, a Mimic ball
shattering his sword belt. They are enti.
tied to the highest praise and confidence of
the soldiers and people. Gen. Grant was
to effect a juuctiou with his division from
Corinth, but failed TO arrive in time, the
rebels having DISTRACTED the road by fell
Ing trees, so that his progress was slow.
The rebel force consisted of two divis-
ions under Gen. Price, a I'd it was their in
tenti6u to crush US before Grant could
render any assistance. In this they were
most wofully disappointed as they were
compelled to abandon the field, leaving
their dead aud wounded, aud falling back,
as is supposed, to, Tupello. The actual
time that QUE forces were engaged was one
hour aud a quarter, though TO those who
were in the hottest Of the fre II did not
seem over ten minutes, The lIth Ohio
battery suffered seyerly, OF one hundred
aud thirty men who went into the engage
ment, buttwenty are unhurt. While near.
ly every horse was killed. The enemy sue
ceeded in capturing some of the guns, but
they were re-captured the next morning
with three other pieces.
When darkness put an end to the con-
fliet the battle-ground was occupied by our
troops aud all expected renewal OF hos
tilities, All of the troops stood to AIMS,
but when the sun rose at last clear and
glorious, and the mist and battle smoke that
hung languishiugly over field and forest
was cleared away, no enemy was to be
found. The echoes OF the challenging
cannon that had been planted in the night,
spoke out loud and defiant, but failed TO
provoke reply. The battle was over and
the victory complete. But few prisoners
were taken on the field. They all agreed
that the rebel force was much larger than
ours, but said that it was impossible for any
troops to Withstand our FIRE. The 9Th Mis-
sonri rebel regiment was almost Rnnihila-
ted, while whole brigades we're so cut to
pieces that they could not be rallied again.
Brigadier General Little was killed, while
all of their field officers of lesser uote were
disabled. The rebel loss cannot fall short
of \ 300 IN killel, wounded and missing
Two hundred of their dead were buried by
our men on the 6eld. have no means Of
ascertainiug the toialIloss oneour side, but
do not think it will exceed Eve hundred
beaten, they left all of their wounded aud
prisoners that they had captured at Iuka.
not even taking thestrouble to parole the
latter. The whole of their retreat was n
complete rout, aud it is doubtful whether
Price can ever collect his scattered forces
so Rs to make another stand In the State
II heis properly followed up and not al.
lowed 70 fortify himself in any position,
the war will, indeed, be virtually closed in
the Southwest in less than four weeks.
The officers in many OF our regiments
have suffered sorely. COL Boomer, of the
26th Missouri, had his arm shattered by a
ball. Col. Eddy, Of the sOth Ohio, was
slightly wounded; Adjntaut Patterson, of
the 9th Iowa, received an honorable scar,
and many othets whose names do not
reclllect, but who will be held in lasting
remembrance by a gIateful posterity, Aud
then the long, long sad list Of prIvaIes
whose forms now lie low on the battle
field, who died the death Of the glorious,
with their breasts to the foe; who never
finehed or rmurmurmed in the leadeu storm,
are they not tmmortalized7 The 9TH lows
suffered the most, as they were in the ad.
vance, aud bore the brunt of the conflict.
Had they retreated or even wavered, the
day would have been irFetrievably lost.
or four hnudred and forty six who weat
into the action; TWO hundred and sixteen
are killed and Nonndsd.i W
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