The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-02-27
NUMBER 45..ll
happen to fall in the particular, place
which in this Instance proved SO disas.
trous.

happen to fall in the particular, place
which in this instance proved SO disas.
trous.
49,, Saturday. >
Saturday, which was destined to wit
ness the grand denouncerntilt Of the
tragedies which had scene about Don
elson, was cold, damp and cheerless.
Onr troops, however, had bit little
time to cogitate upon the weather, or
any other subject, ere they were called
upon to attend to more serious matters.
The enemy; during the night, had trans.
ferred several of their batteries to por.
tions of their works within few hund.
red feet of which our extreme right
wing was retiring. Upon the first com. :
ing of dawn, these batteries suddenly
opened on the Ninth, Eighteenth,
Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth,, ahd Thirty
first regiments, comprising Oglesby's
Brigade, and who had the advance.
Simultaneously with the opening Of the
batteries, force of about IL. 900 in.
fantry and a regiment of cavalry, was
hurled against the Brigade with vigor
which, made against less steady and
well disciplined troops, must surely;
have resulted in their entire demolition
Sudden and unexpected as was the
sally on the part of the enemy, it did
not find the gallant Ilinoisians unpre-
pared to meet them. The attack was,
made in column by regiments which
poured in upon the little band from no
less than three different directions
Every regiment of the brigade found
itself opposed to three, and in many,
cases to no less than four different reg
iments. Undismayed, however, blythe
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 intrench-
ments, but only to be pressed back
again into their former position, until
at last, having expended every round
of their ammunition, they were Obliged
to retire aud give way to the advance
ing regiments of Col. w. ii. L. Wal
lace's brigade of the Eleventh, Twen;
tieth, Seventeenth, Forty fifth, Forty
eighth Illinois, and Forty ninth Indiana
regiments. .lra~ =. ,.n co;so.,,
Here again was the battle continued
with redoubled vigor, now or one side,
and now another giving way. Our
troops fought with the GOODNESS of vet.
Grams and the desperation of devils. I
would not diminish the gallantry of our.
own troops by saying that the enemy
did not fight brayely and well. They
did both. An exact statement of The
varying fortunes of the field for the
three or four hours following the first
attack, it is impossible at present TO
definitely present. Suffice it to say, our
troops fought and not only fought; and
fought conrageously, but fought coolIy
and scientifically. In the thickest of
the fight, where officers had to remove
the dead bodies of their men,out of the
way of the backward wheels, regiments
performed maneuvers which. Scott in
his tactics pronounces impossible to be
made on the battle6 field. 'As'''o
The battle, for the most part was
fought in forest, with thick under
growth beneath, and regiments acted
mostly on the principle of hitting
head wherever it could be found.
SwarminG on all sides of them, they
were not at loss to find them. = One
regiment vas only driven from before
them when another sprung up to take
its place, and there is hardly regiment
of the force engaged but was opposed
to triple its numbers. Thus went the
tide of battle for FIVE hours-now gain
ing little, but upon the whole obliged
to retire. Officers and men dropped
upon all sides. Field officers, were
borne killed and ounded from tile field,
and their next in command coolly took
their place and continued the fight. =;
Lieut.. Col. White, Of the 3lst Lieut..
Col. Smith, of the 4sth; Lieut.. Col.
Irwin, of the goth. and Major Post, of
the 9Th Illinois, and scores of company
officers were all killed, gallantly leading
on their men. @ "a -. q.
Coils. Logan, Lawler and Ransom
were wounded, but yet firm in their
determination never to yield. n-fs
And still with unyielding courage
the gallant Illinoisians and Indianians
would not acknowledge themselves
When the last cartridge
had been expended, and orders were
given. to retire, for other regiments to
take their place, soldiers, grim with
smoke and powder, would angrily in.
quire for what, and beg TO be allowed
to use the bayonet. But it was not in
the power of mortal men, occupying
the position ours did, and exposed to
such raking artillery fire as the enemy
subjected them to-, to maintain their
ground against the overwhelming force
which the rebels continued to push
against them. ...~
Oglesby's, w. Fl. L. wallace's and
brigade were successfully
obliged to retire; portion Of Swartz's
md McAllister's batteries had been
ost and gained and lost again, and it
was not until the advancing enemy had
reached Crafts brigade, ard Taylor's
and Wizards batteries could be brought
into action, that we were. able to stem
The tide. These two batteries outdid
Grape, canister and
an uninterrupted musketry
FIRE from, the First Nebraska, Forty
eighth and Fifty eighth Ohio, proved
too much for the so far victorious foe,
and they at last were obliged TO retire.