Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-23
THE BATTLE AND VICTORY OF
PRAIRIE GROVE.

victory won by General Heron, at Prairi
Grove, -Arkansas, we copy from the col
respondence of the St. Louis Democrat
} As will be seen by the account, that office
J has proved himself possessed of true mill
tary capacity, although he is but twenty
six years of age The result of the battle
when the terrible disparity of numbers i
considered--seven thousand federal
} against twenty-six thousand rebels
something unparalleled In the history 0
the war, and stamps every man in Genera
HerrOn's army as a hero. General Blum
came up at just the right time, and man
aged his artillery with splendid effect
Altogether, there has been no more bril-
liant victory since the war commenced. A
portion of the Second Ohio Cavalry wert
with General Blunt. The account says:
it.6, PHARIE GRovE, Arkansas, Dec. s..
There has just been another great battle
in Northwestern Arkansas, exceeding in
Ridge, as was remarked by some Of the
veterans who were present on both the
occasions alluded to. The details are as
follows:
General Blunt had advanced some
twenty miles south Of Fayetteville, Arkan-
sss, with his forces, and there drawn the
attack of Hindman, who advanced upon
him rapidly from Van Buren, with about
10000 troops and twenty-five pieces of ar
tillery. Blunt, with his little band of
/ 10000 men at Cane Hill, would have been
but mouthful for such an immense army
of well-disciplined soldiery as this. He
knew his danger, and sent hurried mes
sages to General Heron, who has the COM
mand Of the second and third divisions of
the Army Of the Frontier, and was at that
time at Wilson's Greek, four miles south Of
Springfield, Missouri. The moment Gen
eral Heron received intelligence of Gene
raj Blunt's danger, he set his army in mo-
tion, and made forced marches, accom-
plishing the feat of pushing his infantry
l13 miles in three days, and his cavalry
132 miles in two days and a half
On the morning of the 9TH inst, as the
advance guard, consisting of the 1st Ar
kansas Cavalry, and a portion of the 9th
and Tth Missouri Cavalry, were entering
wood upon the south bank of Illinois
creek, ten miles south of Fayetteville,
they were fred upon from ambush and
thrown into a panic that resulted in a
rOut, and the loss Of their baggage train Of
tWenty-four wagons. They went flying
back two or three miles until they met the
main body, when they were rallied once
more. Major Hubbard, Of Pea Ridge fame,
with q portion of two companies Of the 1st
NTs-..,,-. &,-so % 81 i.
Of rebels, but without success. Their su-
perior numbers bore down everything be-
fore them, and among others this little
band Major Hubbard himself and two of
his heutenants were captured and the re-
mainder forced to retreat at double quick.
Our infantry were soon brought forward
and few pieces of artillery got into po-
sition that sent the bold scoundrels back
as rapidly as they came. General Heron
followed up his advantage as quickly as
possible, and soon found himself in con-
tact with the main reDet Iorce.
This splendid army, contrary to our ex-
pectations, was well-clothed, well-armed,
and well-fed, and better drilled than our
own soldiery. It consisted of a corps of
26, 900 men, commanded by General Hind
man, and was in four divisions, command
ed respectively by Generals Parsons, Mar
maduke, Rains and Frost, and was sup
ported by park Of artillery of twenty-five
guns. Besides this, they had a great ad-
vantage in position The battlefield was
q magnificent stretch of open ground,
skirted on the east by an abrupt hill, COW
cred with thick woods On this bluff, con-
cealed by the forest, were posted the reb-
els in full force.
Our forces only numbered $500 or
1000 and consisted of the following ia
fantry: The Gath and 37th Illinois; the
18th and 20th Iowa the 25th Indiana and
20th Wisconsin. In addition to these were
four companies Of artillery, who worked
tWenty-four guns and some half dozen
companies Of cavalry Our men were
worn down by long and continuous
forced march, and some of them had been
without food for twenty-four hours. How
ever, when the ball opened, they deployed
into the field with loud huzzas, and went
at the work in hand with great bravery.
It took some little time to get into position
and place the batteries in the most COM
msndiDg localities, and it was fully ten
O'Clock A. N. before the artillery duet was
in full voice. As may be imagined, forty
five or fifty cannon Well-manned and dis
charged as rapidly as possible, make a
tremendous racket This was kept up un-
til dark, when by that time green troops,
who had never seen a cannon before, laid
down within yard of o gun unconcernedly
and slept, undisturbed by the firing. We
did not lose a single man throughout the
whole day by artillery, though score or
two Of horses were killed. Our gunners
were much more skilled and precise in
their aim than the rebels, which was shown
by the result.
Upon the bluff, or ridge occupied by the.
secesh, were many fne farm-houses, which |
had been erected upOH the elevation to es-
cape the damps and vapors of thn- - I
ry0iUTT.-- Tvru tine rear OF two OF these |
houses was kept up Well-directed FIRE of |
some eight or nine guns. General Her |
ron ordered the whole fire Of our artillery |
to be directed upon the one nearest to US,
and silenced it in ten minutes.
The 20th Wisconsin infantry, led by /
Lieutenant-C Colonel Bertram, then charged |
up the hill and took the battery upon a
They had no sooner gained |
possession Of the well-earned prize, than |
the rebels arose in myriads frdm the /
bushes in the rear Of the garden contain |
ing the battery in question, and poured q
fire into the ranks Of our boys that sent !
their columns reeling back down the de-
cliyity again, with great loss of life and /
limb. In this struggle 1917 were reported
officially as killed and wounded.
Within twenty minutes sfterward, the
18th Iowa, with the gallantry charac-
teristic Of the soldiers Of that State, essay
ed the vain feat with similar i'll success.
They performed deeds Of valor almost in
and shed their blood in torrents,
but it was all useless. They retOok the
battery, and we're on the point of removing
it within orr lines, wheh the rebels pour
ed in upon them in endless numbers and
forced them back with great slanrhfer-