New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-18
TIKI TENNESSEE BATTLES.

Everything we read Of the great Battles near
Pittsburg Landing impresses US moro and
more deeply with the conviction that the tri-
umph Of the Union arms was nothing less than
Provdentsl. The surprise of our advance was
perfect, and the division Of Gen. Prentiss was
demolished without loss to the enemy. BY 9
o'clock A. NJ, We had lost, in killed. wounded,
and prisoners, not less than three thousand,
while the residue of five thousand had been so
utterly stampeded, dispered, demoralized, that
they were considerably worse than nothing for
the remainder of that day. Gen. Grant had
not yet arrived on the battlefield, and there
was no commander on our side; Gen. Wal
lace. though but five miles of, did not arrive
at the scene of action till nigbtfall; while SIXTY
thousand Rebels, the flower of all their armies,
led by their very ablest General, Albert Sidney
Johnston, backed by tho prestige and dash OF
Beauregard, and already flushed with victory,
were pressing thirty thousand disorganized
Unionists, half of whom had never before been
in battle, down q steep bluff to deep river,
in which the great mass Of them must have
been drowned had they attempted to escape by
crossing It.
Great bravery and tenacity were eviDced by
several of our Generals on the field; but it
seems to us that the army was saved more es-
pecially by Gen. Grants chief of the staff and
director of artillery, Col. Webster, aided BY
the admirable management Of the two gunboats
that came up from Savannah after the day
WAS already lOs.-and of whose movements the
Official Report published to-day is so entirely
satisfactory. Webster's mastery disposition aDd
spirited working Of the few guns stl left to
us in the afternoon, and the superb handling
Of the gunboats by their commanders, arrested
the triumphant Rebel hordes in full career,
killed their chief, and compelled Beauregard to
de.ist from the attack at nightfall. Next morn
ing. Gen. Buell. was on hand, with good part
of his army; Gen. Wallace was also in posi-
ton; and our victory of Monday was easily
won and never doubtful. Had Beauregnrd had
twenty thousand more fresh men, no would
probably have held on another day and been
much worse handled than he actually was.
How is it that he dhn pretend that lac was
not whipped on Monday He admits that ne
retired"-that be did not feel inclined to
renew the combat-apd he solicits of Grant
tho privilege of burying his dead. Is not this
coniessiDg defeat
But he says he took guns and prisoners.
Certainly be did, during the surprise OF Sunday
morning; and, as the prisoners were hurried
to CoriDih, be doubtless kept them. But did
he get away with go naDy guns rs he brought
On this point, Gen. Grants lame dispatch If
as fogsy 10 are most Others; but all the report
ers on our side agree that the Rebels lost
heavily in guns as well as baggage. Thus
The Louisville Journal Of the 18th, says:
awe hsy. inst seen friend of ours K.Utueky surgeon
who was at Pisbug Lsading daring the lsse battle lie
came NJ On the boat that arrived here Suhdsy sd
iha forces only recsptured on y ndsy ali the bate
ries lost BY Sunday bu. good many Of the bare u
the enemy aud learn from Ohio officer who "a In h
battle that the nGmbs Of R.b, bs,tes captured clever
i Amounting if elbow t. battery to siIy'i'
run. The fact that the Conedesses sbsndoned many
their guns eud srge number Of their wounded upon the
field shows s the Rebel have been scarcely ls
than terrible rout And the testimony Of those We have
with who upon tie field is ths, 1t rou
hat tie Rebels fed With the utmost precipitation and tho
with effective cavalry ght have captured Thousands
cut them pieces before they could have got 10 Conth"
, This is but one OF many statements al
substaotlal'y agreeing. How are they met
/, Who is the opposing witness If there be
none, it is clear that while the Rebel general
ship Of Sunday was the best and ours of that
day all but the worst ever seen on tbis CONT
nent, the steady valor of most of our soldier'
and the gallant bearing Of their officers con-
verted what would naturally have been a ter
rible U0icn disaster into a decided Union vic
tory.
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