The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-24

broke and ran. like sheep. For moro thar
q mile the conquerors pursued, and only
sse M H mr. lC n &sns ed
battery, Capt. Hotchkiss, came up nearly
fanty, and'by delivering a well directed
l,fre upon the AaIk Of the rebels, assisted
materially in driving them from the woods
This preliminary battle, as have said
Confined uslin the impression that here
the enemy was aboutlto inakela grand eff
fort to drive back our army. But as d.
/ vision or two only had arrived, we felt II
highly inprudento to ASSET him at once,
and hence resolved to REMAIN 2inz order oO1
battle with what forces we had, y and wait
| for thsiremainaer To ccotte hpJog9I qomuT
lq But, the enemy could mot waltz The
!; head of our colamn had not rushed into the
trap which he had set for it; be had al
ready lost time in his retreat without acr
complaining anything, and in his exaspe-
ration hesf determined to assail and over
whelm that portion of our forces which
had arrived even though they were drawn
up and ready to receive him.1lonl-ol b9to9
4, At about II % o'clock A, NJ, artillery fir
ing commenced; aW 40 oiiiad g saw 979dt
|os ARTILLERY FIGHT ON THE LEFT. 19i5a9
ot Upon the left where Jackson's division
was stationed, was one of our batteries
feeling for the enemy. Il No response was
elected, however, nor did a battery con,
nected with Mitchell's division, which came
up about this time and took position upon
the right Of Sheridan's 3, meet with any bet
ter success. u 31cq lnG rHoH 30 sl>IlAd w
I'D Capt. Loomis' Michigan battery, posted
on hill which overlooked the whole space
between our advance bodies and the wooded
hills where the enemys legiOns lay massed,
also threw a few sheelstoward these heights,
and Capt Simonson Goth Indiana battery
fdid the same. But the enemy gave no
sign. The position occupied by these two
batteries was peculiarly favorable for oper-
ating against the enemy should he endeav-
or to cross the open space in front Of them,
but it was at the same time exposed and
dangerous if the enemy should, previous
j to charging, open fire with his artillery
from his position upontthe hills .yGgGa
9aa / was talking with Capt. LOOMS, who
stood beside his guns, just previous to the
commencement, of the terrible struggle
which was to. drench the ground ON which
] stood with blood. Personally acquainted
with every officer, and, almost every man
in both these batteries, having gone with
them through Gen. O.. NJ, Mitchell,s long
campaign in Tennessee and Alabama, !
could not avoid a feeling Of sadness as !
looked around upon them, and reflected
that, perhaps, ere the setting Of the sun,
the mingled ,corpses of some of them Jw0nld
be stretched beside, their guns. Yet no
sadness was yisible upon their countenances.
No! They had long, ardently wished the
time to come when they might measure
strength with the rebel hordes, and now, as
there seemed an immediate prospect that
their wishes might be gratiied, their hearts
leaped joyfully In their bosoms, and their
beamed with animation. - -
G. Both SimOnson and LOOMS were as cool
as though no enemy were within one hum
dred miles, although they both confidently
expected, each passing minute, that before
its expiration the thunder of the rebel ar
tillery would open fiercely upon them iFsI 1'
- Captain Simonton was in the midst Of a
very vivid description which he was giving
me Of the operations about Stevenson, AL
ALBANIA, in which his battery bore distin-
guished part, when spherical shot buried
itself deep in the side of the hill, Just be-
low where we were standing, and q half
dozen more whistled fiercely away over
head, and raised great clouds of dust as
they struck in the dried-up fields beyond.
At this time but two pieces Of LOOMS bat
terry were in position upon the hill, the re-
mainder being stationed upon another en-
inence some distance in the rear.
These were at once ordered up, the shot
and shell of the enemy's guns meantime
continuing to pillow up the ground in our
vicinity, and to crush through the branches
of some half dozen trees, which were
grouped together on the hill Immediately
to the right Of LOOMS position. -'L
Captain Loomis, said /, as he was rid
i ing back toward the main portion of his
battery upon the hill behind, "dont you
intend to reply to that fire?" eyes, sale
he, "Ill fetch EN-" Simonson's battery
had opened in the meantime, and another
away off to the right of the road.
All Loomis' pieces were now in position
and laundering away with the sharp, quick
deadly report which rifled PARROTS always
make. To the extreme left another bate
ry Immediately opened, and the enemy re-
piled from at least half dozen ditferen
positions, and shot and shell Of every de-
scription, few in all directions. The enc
my's artillery seemed very badly managed
Their missiles struck everywhere excep
where they intended them to strike, and il
actually seemed that the safest points
which could be selected for a circuit o
two or three miles were in the very mids
| of our batteries. --.TE 5g(l 7GE.as.g0
ROUssEAu's DIvIsIoN-LYTIRs BRIGADE.
4 At the foot of the hill, Just behind tn
batteries, were stationed Rousseaus divi
sion, the 18th brigade, Colonel Lytle, t,
the right, and most of it upon the east 0
the right Of our whole line, being to tn
east Of a narrow lane which ran north an,
| south, and opened out into the field wher
LOOMS was posted, just where stood tn
group of trees have mentioned. 81 The s9tl
brigade, Colonel Harris of the I'd Obi,
I 1oF% <,f r. Il,