, 1862-12-25

n the open meadow below. They did not
think what welcome they were to receive. or
they surely would hnve. been more cautious.
1hs Rstts} d IN o. LOT, or is mhered up s, End
swept BY US to form in onr. rear, aud |
then our ire vas unmarked and We
resumed our harvest Of death. Five
hundred yards Is IN easy range for our |
rifles For the first time in our iiEee the
enemy stood in an open field within that dis;
tance, and We profted by the occasion. RisS
ing up We poured q volley into their t1ank-
How their ranks went like ripe and heavy
gran before the moWer'sscyt:e. They had not
calculated on such 4 reception as this and
tate long, another rolley, another swing Of
The great sythc Of death, and they broke and
fled into the woods, nor did
they stop until the brow Of the hill was pass
ed and they were so hidden from our view.
the fighting on that part Of the field closed.
We had not driven them from the
hill, but we held the plain, even
in reach Of their guns, unmolested..
Our eannoradfng was resumed and one Of
had been brought On the field while their shot
hew over our heads rs we rested on the
| ground. It vas wild and beautiful music to
us, filed with consciousness that we could
ovcrpoWer them in this line SO easily. But
while we listened another yoice Of battle rose
on our extreme right. Musketry was heard
again, and we knew that Gen. Blunt had ar
| rived with his reinforcemets from Cane Hill.
| It Was good news to us, Wear1ed with march
ing and @ aghting' md md we listened to 1 TIE e65
so it continued until night and
silence slroudcd the battle field; silence as
to hostile noises, but not Silence, for the voices
Of the wounded, from every direction, were
heard pleading for help OF full Of despaifingg
agony. The after part OF q battle is always
the most fearful. But We did not listen long,
for sleep, the sleep Of the weary, Of forgetfnl-
ness, came on US like an angel Of mercy.
That night Il flag Of truce, with Gen: Marina
duke, entered onr camps, and these flags kept
passing to and fro until 10 O'Clock q. M, when
Gen: Hindman having secured an ar1nistice
until O'Clock p. NJ, acknowledged himself
whipped and surrendered the field.
Then begun the work Of burying,. the
dead and collecting arms OF thest
9ns s h,g latgf n pp9ef rna had Tf1e em sSfSfeS 5 {
| 25 COO men, while we had not more than S,oo!
men engaged. In infantry they outnumberet
he more than two to one, and fought US whe!
| VIC lad marched 105 miles in three and hal
days. 1t was terrible odds, but We whlppe'
them, as their Generals acknowledged Whe1
has our Western army ever been beatene Tn
| loss Of our regiment in killed, wounded an
! | missing, {including i've prisoners) will reac
+ eighty to ninety Our total loss Ellee
wounded and prisoners, ao VII not ia mue
l any, EnCrE OF l. .IUU- 4uE FcuGAa achAONI ICus
a loss Of wounded equal to ours, and Of kille
Of three to two. We estimate their total 10;
at near 2,0c0.
h |, While We were get on the hill onr Lieu
r regiment ip the field, was compelled to 1ea1
t us= But the Colonel commanding the hriga6
r which we charged sent word to him that b
e, men fought nob1y. So much for what II
:. rebels think and say Of the 35th lllinoi
# Gen. Heron said We did the best fighting
{ any regiment On the field. All did mo
d :, nobly. The rebels lost Gen. Stein and sever
/ Golonels, &C., killed. Ourregiment captur!
y one stand Of rebel colors, and brought off t
l. | standard Of the Goth Wisconsin, left on II
g field.
+ Thus hare TIE fought and conquered:
j. " P, B,