The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-04-18

struck by single shot. She arrived safely
at New Madrid and her commander and crew
were received with the greatest enthusiasm
by Gen Pope and his soldiers.
Meanwhile there was an achievement in
strategy and engineering going on which
should cover the Western Union men with
credit and glory. Col Bissell, with his indie
fatigable engineer regiment, cut a canal a.
round the enemy's batteries at Island 10, and
brought to New Madrid four screw steamers
and several transports. These vessels were
brought sirteen mies,through woods, swamps,
fields and sloughs.
The Carondelet was not long idle. The
rebels had batteries opposite New Madrid on
the Kentucky shore, and Capt Walker steam
ed over and shelled out the occupants and
spiked the guns; and when everything was
ready the steamers and transports ferried
Gen Pope's armv over the river, and the reo-
els at Island 10 were virtually surrounded.
The rebels saw they were handsomely bag
ged, and prudently surrendered with their
vast stores of guns, ammunition and army
supplies, and prisoners of war to the number
of five or six thousand.
The battle fought at Pittsburg Landing on
Sunday and Monday was by far the hardest
fought battle Of the war, and probably result
ed in the greatest loss of life of any engage
ment upon this continent. The battle was
terrific and the carnage awful. The facts
seem to be that the enemy had given out
word and our forces believed that the rebels
were fortifying themselves at Corinth, and
would wait there to be attacked. The rebel
generals knew that Gen Buell's army was a
bout to make a junction with that of Gen
Grant, and they determined to make des-
perate dash upon Gen Grants division before
the relnforcements of Gen Buell. arrived
The superior force of the rebels and their in
innate knowledge of the location favored such
move, and success was we'll nigh achieved
by it. BY some criminal neglect or blunder
our forces were completely surprised on Sab
bath morning by the enemy rushing in upon
them while they were eating their breakfast
The carelessness which made surprise pos
slble, and which came near annihilating our
army the first day, is unaccountahle and in
excusabe. 1t is quite remarkable under the
circumstances, that our forces formed at all.
and that so desperate resistance was made
In the face of such overwhelming numbers
and adverse circumstances. Later accounts
place the rebel force at least as double ours
the first day, and before the arrival of Gen
Buell. with reirforcements.
Very fortunately when our lines were press
ed back to the river on Sunday afternoon,
the two sunboats Lexington and Tyler came
up the river and opening their big guns upon
the rebels kept them back, and probably saw
ed our army from final defeat Gen Buell.
arriving with reinforcements Sunday night,
:he battle was renewed Monday morning and
We drove the rebels from our camps, which
they occupied the night previous, and regain
ed the ground we lost Sunday.
On the whole it was a complete rebel de-
feat, won by our troops at great sacrifice,
and as usual against adverse circumstances
Their greatest general, Albert Sydney Johns
ton. was killed and left upon the field of bat
tie, and their army forced to retire within
their defenses at Corinth.
The Union forces lost heavily in officers
and men. Brigader General W. II. Wallace
was killed, and Gen Prentiss taken prisoner.
y large number of our men were taken pris-
oners the first day. The number killed and
wounded is placed all the way from 5000 to
5000, while it is asserted that the loss of the
enemy was considerably heavier