Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-04-30

= IN double 9tttc6 Tor the men; the cannon
aiding continued all day, without interrup
= ton, and from the amount of firing it wa
evident that our men were engaged il
5 one great and IrepresSibLe conflict. Within
three miles of Savannah, we halted TO
our ammunition and rations. While here
) the Division of McCook came up; we drew
rations of crackers, and each man wa
supplied with 40 rounds of cartridges
We Immediately moved on toward Savan
| nah, where we arrived at dusk. Here
/ our (Gen. Crittenden's) Division went a
board of steam boats, and were soon of
for the Landing, the seat of war; remain
ing on board some time, for the purpose
of drawing rations of meat, each mar
putting a small piece in his haversack.-
About midnight we landed, each regiment
forming as they left the boats, and were
marched up the bank, upon the plain,
when we stacked our arms; the darkness
was intense, except the glaring light OF
the lightning flash, that portended an ap-
preaching storm; by this we could discov.
er the position of our troops, under Gen'
Grant, who had been driven by the rebels
the day before, to the very landing, or at
least from all their camps. The rebel
troops had now possession of the field,
save the position where our troops lay,
which was under the guns of our gunboats,
which drove the rebels back, short dis
tance, with their shells. The night was
dark and gloomy, the rain descended in
| torrents, the distant roar of thundUr, the
lightning fash, the moaning of the wind
among the trees, the groans of thewound-
ed, the ghastly dead in every direction,
these, together with an occasional shot
from the gunboats, and the explosion of
the shells thrown to protect our troops
from the advance of rebel troops, occasion
al musketry from our pickets, and the
bachanalian yells of the rebels, who were
then revelling in our camp presented a
varied scene of gloom, grandeur and hor-
ror.
At daybreak our troops began to move.
The troops under Gen'l Buel consisting of
Genl Nelson's, Crittenden' S and McCook' s
Divisions having arrived as reinforcements
were placed among the advance. AT SIX
o'clock in the morning the 4lst Ohio, un-
der Gen1 Nelson, opened the fire on the
left. Gen1 Boyle's brigade, including
the 10Th, was sent to the right, which
had already opened the fire; unslinging
our knapSacks, we were ordered to the
left, near Genl Nelson's Division; here we
were thrown in line, our right resting up
on the Corinth road, two companies were
thrown out as skirmishers, in advance of
our lines; on our left was - Battery.
We were thus prepared to make charge
upon the columns of the enemy if they
should attempt to force a passage upon
the Corinth road. While thus in line, a
battery of the enemy opened upon us with
shot, shell and grape, which was respond
ed to by our battery, on our left. We
were in an open wood, in full view of the
rebel battery; in the rear of the 18th was
Gen'l Boyle and his aids. Gen'ls Buel and
Crittenden rode along in front of our lines,
viewing our troops, and the position of
the enemy. The rebels now opened their
batteries upon US with fury, shell, ball and
shot few like hail over our heads; at first
their shot passed some 20 feet over our
heads, but they soon lowered their guns.
Major Edwards sitting on his horse, in the
rear, and near the centre of the regiment
apparently unconcerned, watching the
enemy, was struck by six pound cannon
ball and killed instantly, being the first
man struck. A shell burst over the heads
of Company G and wounded A. Harring
ton, he being the first man wounded
Several others narrowly escaped. The
fire becoming so severe, discretion was con-
sidered the better pant of valor, and the
whole line lay flat upon the ground, under
a most CALLING fire of forty minutes. Had
it not been for this our Regiment would
have been cut to pieces without chance
to return the fire. The firing having
ceased, we were thrown in advance, occu-
pying the same position in relation to the
Corinth road. Here we were posted in an
open wood of small timber, in front of a
small open field, to the right and left of
which were thick brush, and in the field
in our front tall grass, to the rear of which
was fence and an open field with brush,
grass and trees. At half past lO o'clock
a column of rebels appeared with their
flag, advanced, and opened upon us a most
CALLING fire, which we briskly returned.-l
Our position being unfaverable, we retired
a few rods and then opened again upon
them. The firing was brisk and severe, |
several of our men were killed and wound |
ed. The enemy had the advantage of us
in position, they being secreted in the tall |
grass, yet our shot told well upon them, |
as 4S were found dead upon the field, |
showing our guns were the most effective. |
We retained our position until the rebels |
retired; the battery on our left at the
same time played upon thick wood to
our left, in which were a body of rebels /
that were driving small number of In
diana troops, who retired to our right un-
der cover of our guns. During the battle
the officers of the 10Th, with one or two
exceptions, behaved with becoming brave
ry, and stood the fire like old tried vete-
rams. Many hair breadth escapes and III
cidents might be told of different members
Of the 10Th in this great battle.
The remainder of the day we were held
in reserve, to support different attacking
lines. In the afternoon we were attached
to Genl Nelson's Division, held as a re-
serve to support batteries-our line was
changed, double quicking from
one position to another.
Between four and five o'clock, the fir |
ing ceased, our troops having driven the
rebels back some four miles; they now re-
treated, the route being general. Our |
line of battle extended some or miles, /
and en- Monday was conducted with much |
military skill. Large bodies of troops |
we're thrown out at the different points of /
attack, with lines in the rear held in re-
serve. The loss of the rebels was far greater
than ours; the ground was strewn with
the dead, over many hundreds of acres,
in many places the ground was literally
covered with rebel dead. Appoints where
the battle ragged with the greatest fury
the forest trees were battered down by
cannon, bushes were shorn down with
nusketry as with a scythe. Caissons,
wagons, batteries of rebel guns, muskets
md other small arms, canteens, gun ac-
&C., literally covered the
ground for miles around. On Sunday
night, the rebels revelled in our camps,
broke open the trunks of officers, the
stores of quartermasters, took a large a.
nonnt of clothinu i'm fact clothed whole