The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-02-26


is probable, too, that the boats might under
\ 20 q score OF as severe ordeals without being
liDcapacitafed to the extent they were. The
balls which demolished pilot houses and cut
/, rudder- chains, can only be regarded as chance
shots, which IN dozen or more contests
I would never happen to iall 10 the particular
place which in this instance proved so disas.
trous.
SATURDAY.
Saturday, which was destined to witness
the eraud denouement Of the tragedies which
had a scene about Donelson, was cold, dauiE
and cherries. Our troops, however, had
but little time to cogitate upon the weather
or any other subject, ere they were called
upon 10 attend to more serious motters. The
enemy. during the night, had transferred
several of their batteries to portions OF thei'
work within few hundred ieet ol which our
exteme right wing was resting. Upon the
first coming of dawn, these batteries sudden
| ly opened on 0glesby's Brigade who had the
advance. simultaneously with the opening
Of the batteries, a force Of about 12,OOO in.
fantry and regiment OF cavalry, was hurled
against the Brigade with q vigor which,
made against lass steady aud well disciplined
troops, must surely have resulted in their en-.
/ tire demolition.
Sudden and unexpected as was the sally
| on the part Of the enemy, it did not find the
gallant Illinoisians unprepared TO meet them.
The attack was made in columns ofregiments
which poured in upon the little band from
no less than three different directions. Every
regiment oi The brigade iound itself opposed
| to three, and in many cases no less than four
different regiments, Uu1ismayed, however,
by the greatly superior force of the enemy,
and unsupported by adequate artillery, the
brigade not only held their own, but upon
two occasions actually drove the rebels fairly
into their intrenchments, but only to be press
ed back again into their former position, un.
till at last having expended every round of
their ammunition. they were obliged TO retire
Col. w. Ii. L. Wallace's brigade of the
eight Illinois, and Forty.ninth Indiana regi.
meuts.
Here again was the battle continued with
redouble vigor now one side and now anoth-
er giving way. Our troops fought with the
GOODNESS OF veterans and the desperation OF
devils. would not diminish the gallantry
OF our own troops by saying that the enemy
did not fight bravely and we'll, They did
both. An exact statement OF the varying
fortunes OF the field for the three or four
hours following the first attack II is imposs
idle at present to definitely present. Suffice
it to say our troops fought, and not only
fought, and fought corageously, but fought
coolly and scientifically in the thickest Of
the fight. where officers had to remove the
dead bodies Of their men out OF the way ol
the backwards wheels, regiments coolly per.
formed maneuvers W which Scott in ois tactics
pronounces impossible to be made on the
battle field.
The battle, for the most part, was fought
! ia forest, with thick underground beneath,
Of hitting head wherever it could be found.
Swarming on all sides Of them, they were
not at loss to find them One regiment
was only driven from before them when an
other sprung up to take lis place, and there
is heardly regiment of the force engaged
but was opposed to triple its numbers. Thus
| went the tide Of battle for five hours---now
gaining little, but upon the whole obliged
to retire. Officers and men dropped upon all
sides. Field officers were borne killed and
wounded nom the field, and their next in
command coolly took their place and contin.
ued the fight.
And still with unyielding courage the
! gallant Illinosians and Indianians would not
acknowledge themselves vanquished. When
the last cartridge had been expended, and
orders were given to retire, for other regi-
ments to take their place, soldiers, grim with
smoke and powder, would angrily inquire for
what, and beg to be allowed to use the bay.
onet But it was not in the power of m 1rtal
men, occupying the position ours did, and
exposed to such raking artillery fire as the
enemy subjected them to, to maiutain their
ground against the overwhelming force which
the rebels continued to puah against them.
Oglesby's, w. IL. l.. Wallace's, and Nc.
A:thur's brigades were successfully Obliged
to retire; portion of Swatz's and McAllis
ter's batteries had been lost and gained, and
lost again. and it was not until the advancing
enemy had reached CRAFTS brigade, and Fay.
lor's snd Willard batteries could be brought
into action, that we were able to stem the
tide. These two batteries outdid themselves
Grape, canister and shrapnell, and an uuin-
| terrupted musketry fire from the First Ne.
braska, Forty. ninth and Fifty eighth Ohio
proved to much for the so lar victorious foe
and they at last were obliged to retire.
BY this time it was noon. Gen. Gran,
had just returned from the landing. where he
had conference with Commodore Foote.-
That officer had informed the General that II
was impossible for him to put his gunboats
in a condition to make another attack, for
several days at least. notwithstanding this,
| ,,nop ha;nr IN eoruad of tho cayo ra rannlca ouv
troops had met with in the morning, be saw
that some immediate action on our part was
necessary to retrieve the day.
He Immediately gave order to his Generals
Of divisions to prepare for an immediate and
general attack along the entire line. The
regiment which had suffered mos, severely in
the morning withdrawn. Gen. Lew. Wal
lace was given division composed Of two
regiments OF his own brigade, (the Eighth
Missouri and Eleventh Indiana,) and several
other regiments whose loss in the action oil
the morning had been but slight, and was
given the job OF clearing the ground we had
lost in the morning, while Gen. Smith, com
manding the left, received orders to storm
the works under which bis division was ly.
ing.
GENEhAL SMITHS ASSAULT.
Gen. Smith is. emphatically, fighting
man, and as may be imagined, the events O.
this murning had tended to decrease In nc
measure his pugnacity. When he received
his long desired orders for an assauls OF the
enemy's works, his eyes glistened with fire
which. could it have been seen by his inalig.
ners. would have left them in no doubt as tc
his private feelings in regard to the present
contest. All the arrangements were com.
plete by three o'clock, and his column was
put in motion soon after.
Under cover Of Capt Stones Missouri bat
terry, his force began the assault. 1t was q
formidable undertaking, which, under less
brave and skillfnl commander than General
Smith, might have proved disastrous fail.
ure.
The hills at this point are among the most
precipitous Of those upon which the enemy
were posted. Selecting the Second and Sew
enth Iowa, and Fifty second Indiana for the
stOrming party Gen. Smith dedected the