Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-04-18
THE BATTLE OF PITTSBURG.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS.


Special dispatch 10 the Boston Journal.
CHICAGO, April 10.
Intelligence has been received from Pitts
burgh, up to Wednesday morning, from men
who were engaged in the great battle there.
Gen. Prentiss division was attacked at 6
O'Clock on Sunday morning by the whole
rebel advance force. The division made a
splendid resistance, but was cut to pieces and
Gen Prentiss and large number Of his men
were taken prisoners. TIE rebels advanced
rapidly.
At noon Gen. Grant engaged the Coofedc-
rate forces, which greatly outnumbered his,
and he was forced to retreat. At O'Clock
in the afternoon the rebels hsd taken Scbwar-
tvs battery Of guns, Drcsden's battery of 4
guns, Warehouses battery Of guns, also
nine Ohio batteries. Gen. Grant vas forced
to leave his camp in great confusion. The
regiments we're all mixed up, and hundreds
Of the officers were killed. 10 was impossible
to bring the troops into line. The enemy had
taken possession Of the camp Al this trying
period, the gunboats Lexington and Ty'cr o.
pened fire on the rebels, and did terrible ex-
ecution in their midst. Az the same time
Mitchells division Of $4,000 men. from Blu
ellis army arrived on the opposite bank Of
the river, and were taken across in trans ports
tempted to erect batteries within 500 yards Of
{ our lines, but were hindered and driven back
by the firing of the gunboats, and by three
regiments Of Mitchol's command
The rebels were rc-enioIccd during Mon
day morning, before day, by 10000 men, in
GLIDING the rebel army from Arkansas, under
Price and Van Dorm. Gen. Grant was rein
forced before day by the brigade of Gen. Wal
lace, that arrived from Crump's Landing
Gen. Wallace proceeded to attack the left
wing of the rebel army, by day light on Mon
day, his troops going to their perilous work
at dCube-quick, and with loud cheers they
attacked the enemy and swept all before them
for two miles. A heavy rebel reserve, how
ever, was brought up at this point, and Gen
Wallace was compelled to yield the pursuit
From this time till past noon the battle was
engaged in by the whole of both armies, and
the conflict ragged with great fury and fearful
slaughter.
Other portions Of Gen. Buol's army then
arrived so our reinforcement, and a charge
was made along the whole line, and the rebels
broke and fled in the utmost confusion, fol-
lowed by Gen. Buell., who is reported to be
possession of Cornth. The rebels were very
confident Of victory on Sunday night, and
their reverse must have been very ling
The ground is covered with the dead on
the rebel side Their wounds we're very gem
, orally terrible as the fighting was done at close
range. The rebels rested and slept in Gen.
Grants camp on Sunday night 1t is said
that Gen. Wallace has not been killed Il is
reported that Gen. John C.. Br, ckinrdgo is
our prisoner. The number of rebels taken
by our army is large.
(Signed) CARLETON.
Further advces from Pittsburgh Landing
give the following particulars about the bat
tie. The enemy attacked, at o'clock on
Sunday morning the brigades of Gems. Sher-
man and Prentiss, being the first engaged. -
The attack was successful and our entire force
was driven back to the river, where the ad-
vance of the enemy was checked by the fire
of the gunboats Our force was then ncreas-
cd by the arrival of Gen. Grant, with the
troops from Savannah, who inspiri,ed our
men by the report % the arrival Of two div
isions of Gen. Buell's army
Our loss this day was heavy, and besides
the killed and wounded, embraced our camp
equipage aud SO field guns. The next morn
ing our forces, now amounting to so. 900, as
sumed the offensive, and by o'clock +. NJ,
had retaken our camp and batteries, together
with some 40 of the enemy guns and a num-
Der OF prisoners, and the enemy were in full
retreat, pursued by our victorious forces.
/ Our casualties were numerous, and include
Gen. Grant, wounded in the ankle slightly /;
Gen. w II. Wallace. killed Gen. Smith,
severely wounded Col. Hall, 9th H., killed :;
: Col. Logan, of the 32d H., wounded severe
ly Col. Davis, Of the 5lst H., wounded
severely. Maj. Hunter, of the 32d Ill e,
. killed Col. Peabody, Of the 25th H., severe
I ly wounded. Our killed, wounded and mis-
sing are not less than 5000
The correspondent Of the Tribune telegraphs
an account Of the battle and says Our in
formants state that Breckenridge was taken
prisoner. They say they saw him pass to the
a Generals headquarters.
: The Times special dispatch, in its account,
e says Gen, A. S. johnson was killed in the
I morning Of the second day s fight, during the
$ attack on his position By our forces, while
4 endeavoring to rally his men. Apparently
D fearless Of danger he rode along the entire
d front, wavirg his sword, shouting to dismay-
n ed officers and frightened men When the
rout was at its height, cannon ball struck
l. him, crushing his skull and killing HIM in
n s;anty. His body was found by our pursuers,
< and brought to Cen Nelson's tent.
# The rebels in making the first attack on
y Sunday morning, carried the stars and stripes
and wore the federal uniform. Gen. b age
$ is reported to have been killed.
The Gdzete's Pittsburgh, Tenn, cores
b pendent says the sum and substance Of the
battle on Sunday-we were pushed from dis
?, aster to disaster, till we lost every division
y camp we had, and were driven within half
e mile Of the landing when the approach Of
night, the timely aid of the gunboats and the
= tremendous efforts of our artierists and Blu
/ ellis approach, saved us.
e On Monday after nine hours hard lighting,
@ we simply regained what we had lost on sun
day. Not a division advanced half mile be-
yond our old camps on Monday, except Gen.
Lew. Wallace's.
The lowest estimate placed on our loss OF
a killed and wounded is $780, and in prisoners
from 5000 to 1000. The rebel loss in killed
and wounded is probably 1000 heavier. The
rebels, in their retreat, left acres covered with
e their dead whom they had carried to their
rear, and destroyed the heavy supplies they
had brought up.
e A special dispatch to the Journal from Ca
d iro says that Beauregard called a council o
c war of all the best rebel Generals before tn,
III