The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-04-15


reliable. Our informants left the battle
f field on Wednesday,
The rebels attacked Prentiss' Brigade
at o'clock on Sunday morning, while
eating breakfast. 1t consisted of the
| 6lst Illinois, 9th Wisconsin, Oath Indi-
ana and list Ohio. The rebels were
said to be 10000 strong. Preniss
, had no artillery. His brigade was cut to
pieces and forced TO retire, with Prem
| tiss and many others prisoners.
AT l2 M. the entire line was Gercely
, engaged, but in full retreat.
AT P. M. the enemy had taken
t Swartz's battery, six guns; Dresden's
} battery, four guns Waterhouse's battery,
: two riied guns Fifth Ohio, six guns
another Ohio battery, name not given.
: Thousands of OUT soldiers had taken
refuge under the bank of the river and
utterly refused to fight In fact they
4 could not, for officers and men were in
J inextricable confusion. The army SEEM
ed utterly demoralized.
7 Gen. Mitchell's division about this
| time arrived on the opposite bank with
( $1,000 men, and were terried across dur
5 ing the night. The gunboats Lexing
ton and Tyler opened a tremendous fire
of shell upon the enemy and kept it up
: every half hour during the night, saving
t the army from utter ruin. They set the
1 woods on fire and many Of the dead reb
: els were burned.
7 AT seven the firing generally ceased.
/ AT midnight the rebels attempted to
e plant battery within three hundred
yards of our siege guns, but were driven
' back by the gunboats and siege guns,
e supported by three regiments of infantry
: of Mitchel's division.
r Our informants persist in estimating
| our loss on Sunday at 5000 killed and
5000 wounded, as low figure. Ii was
: undoubtedly tremendous Monday.
During the night the rebels were rein
forced by Price and Van Dorm from
Arkansas, with very large force.
+ Gen. Lew Wallace came up from
Crump's Landing with the 11th and Esd
: Indiana, 44th Illinois, 9Th Missouri and
) Wizards battery, and in the morning
attacked fercely the left wing of the
enemy. They went into the ght on the
double quick with tremendous shouts,
q and did terrible execution. By ten
: o'clock they had driven the rebels back
two miles. The battery performed pro-
digies of valor.
4 AT about 10 O'Clock the rebels were
| reinforced, and for few minutes our GAL
g liant boys were forced to yield. The
other divisions of Buell's army now APP
: peared, and at once became fully engag
ed and for two hours all the destruct
r i've elements of earth seemed striving
[ for the mastery. Southern chivalry
proved unequal to the unhinching cour-
age oil the army of freedom, end the reb-
els fled 10 ali directions. With some
t ZOO troops, Gen. Buell. followed close
ly. taking thousands of prisoners and
E shifting without mercy those who would
/ not surrender. He was supposed to have
; taken Corinlh, with all its immense
: stores Of arms and ammunition.
Carson, the scout, had his head taken
Y off on Monday by round shot.
The rebel troops were mostly from
/ Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, with
+ many from Georgia and Alabama. They
fought like tigers. Our informants
| could ride through the battle field, where
our forces were posted, but the dead
were so thick in the enemy's line, that
they could not do 1t. They assured us
that the rebels occupied our camps on
Sunday night, and took care of our sick
and wounded. but destroyed nothing,
expecting confidently TO have our entire
, army the next day. They thought the
: battle already won.
On Sunday Gen. McClernand Gu, his
| way through the enemy that had sur
rounded him. Most OF his troops be-
haved with great gallantry, but the sd
, Ohio was ordered TO the rear in disgrace
for having refused to fight. Capt. Har
vey, of Bloomington, ILL.,, is among the
killed.
Our informants were assured by those
who knew him, that John G. Breckin
ridge was taken prisoner. They saw
him pass to the general quarters.
1t is impossible to get list Of killed
and wounded.
CHICAGO, April l2-The following from
Cairo llth, to the Chicago Times.
> A steamer arrived at an early hour
this morning at Mound City, with $50
wounded soldiers from Grants army.
} DR.. Frank Ruby and Mr.. l.. w. Hart Of
, Chicago, came down the former was
t wounded by Mimic ball through his
leg, and the latter suffering from an old
! wound.
No intelligence is received from our
| special correspondent. Mr.. McWisner,
+ and it has almost become a certainty
, that he is killed or taken prisoner. He
, was with Gen. McClernand's column,
which at one time bore the brunt of the
, battle.
The responsibility of a complete sur
prise OF our army rests with the com
. handing officer.
Gen. Sherman occupied the most ad
D vanced position of the army.
On Friday large force of rebel cav
! airy appeared within sight of our lines,
and remained there. Gen. Sherman was
ordered not to bring on an engagement,
1 and he sent out no corresponding force
| IN meet them