Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-21
LEW. wALLACE's MovEMENrs.

IN front, nmDefeu up ana maue tne opening OF
their Mondays retreating.
LEW. wALLAcE's MOVEMENTS.
In speaking of the opening of Mondays battle,
I mentioned Major General Lew Wallace's open
ing the ball at O'Clock, by shelling with emilia
ding fires rebel battery. A few shots demon
strated to the rebels that their position was un-
tenable. The instant sherman came in to pro-
tect his left, Wallace advanced his infantry. The
rebel battery at once lmbered up and got out Of
of the way. The advance had withdrawn the d.
vision from Sherman, making a left half wheel
to get back into the neghborhood of our line;
they advanced some two hundred yards, which
brought them to a little elevation with broad
open stretch to the front. As the division halted
the crest of the swell there passed before them
a rare vision. Away to the front were woods.
Through the edge of the timber, skirting the
fields, the head of a rebel column appeared march
ing past in splendid style on the double quick.
Banner after banner appeared: the "stars and
bars" formed a long line, stretching parallel with
Wallace's line Of battle Regiment after reg-
ment appeared, the line heightened and doubled
and trebled: the head of the column was out of
sight and still they came. Twenty regiments
were counted passing through these woods. The
design was plain The rebels had abandoned the
idea of forcing their way through our left, and
now the manifest attempt was to turn our right
and Thurber's-and the wholecoumn was sheled
as it passed The rebels rapidly threw their ar
tillery into position, and a brisk cannonading be-
gan After a time, while the fight still rested
with the artillery, the reDels opened a new and
destructive battery to the right, which our men
soon learned to know as 'sWatson's Louisiana
battery" from the marks On the ammunition
boxes they forced il from time to time to leave
behind.
Batteries, with a brigade Of supporting nfan-
try, were now moved forward over open fields,
under heavy fire, to contend against this new
assailant. The batteries opened, the sharpshoot-
ers we're thrown out to the front to pick off the
rebel artillerists, the brigade was ordered down
on its face to protect it from the flying shell and
grape For an hour and half the contest lasted
while the body of the division was still delayed,
waiting for Sherman. By 10 o'clock Sherman's
right, under Col. Marsh, came up. He started
to move across the fields. The storm of mus
kerry and grape was too much for him. and he
fell back in good order. Again he started on the
double, and gained the woods. The Louisiana
battery turned; Marsh's position left it sub
ject to fire in flank and 'front.' and then fled. The
other rebel batteries at once did the same, and
Wallace's division, up in instant now that a
master move had swept the board, pushed for
ward. Before them were broad fallow fields,
then woody little ravne. then corn fields, then
woods.
The left brigade was sent forward 1t crossed
the fallow fields, under ordinary fire, then gained
the ravine, and was rushing across the corn fields,
when the same Louisiana steel rified guns opened
on them. Dashing forward they reached little
ground swell, behind which they dropped like
dead men; while skirmshers were sent forward to
silence the troublesome battery. The skirmish-
ers crawled forward llthey gained little knoll,
not more than seventy five yards for the battery.
Of course the battery opened on them. They
replied, if not so noisily, more to the purpose.
In few minutes the battery was driven off, with
artilerists killed, horses shot down, and badly
crippled every way. But the affair cost US
brave man-Lieut. Col. Gerber-who could not
control his enthusiasm at the conduct of the
skirmishers, and in his excitement incautiously
exposed himself all this while rebel regiments
were pouring up to attack the audacious brigade
that was supporting the skrmishers, and fresh
regiments from Wallaces division came up in
time to checkmate the game.
Butthe battery was silenced. Forward" }" was
the division order. Rushing across the corn
fields under heavy fire, they now met the rebels
face to face in the woods. The contest was quick,
decisive. Close, sharp, continuous musketry for
a few minutes, and the rebels fell back.
Here unfortunately, Sherman's right gave way.
Walace's flank was exposed. He instantly form
ed Colonel Woods (76th Ohio) in new line of
battle, in right angles with the real one, and with
orders to protect the flank. The 11th Indiana
was likewise here engaged in sharp engagement
with the enemy attempting to flank, and for
time the contest waxed fierce. But Sherman
soon filled the place of his broken regiments,
again Wallaces division poured forward, and
again the enemy gave way.
By two O'Clock the division was into the woods
again. and for three-quarters of mile it advanced
under continuous storm of shot, Then another
contest or two with batteries-always met with
skirmishers and sharp shooting-then, by four
O'clock two hours later than on the right, a gen
eral rebel retreat-then pursuit, recall, and en-
campment on the old grounds of Sherman's di-
vision, in the very tents from which those regi
ments were driven that napless Sunday morning.
The camps were regained. The rebels were
repulsed. Their attack had failed. We stood
where we began. Rebel cavalry were within
half mile of us. The retreating columns we're
within striking distance. But we had regained
our camps. And so ended the battle of Pittsburg.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
do not pretend to give more than an estimate;
but / have made the estimate with some care,
going to the Adjutants of different regiments
that had been in as heavy fighting as any-get-
ting statements of their losses sure to be very
nearly if not quite accurate, and approximating
thus from the loss of dozen regiments to the
pfODdDlc loss Oh all. Il nave Tluuen over tDe
grounds, too-have seen the dead and wounded
lying over the fed-have noted the number in
the hospitals and on the boats. AS the result OF
il all, | do not believe our loss in killed and
wounded will number over thirty five hundred to
four thousand. The question of prisoners is an
other matter.
Reports that certain regiments only have half
the men answering roll call indicate nothing.
The regiments are all more or less disorganzed,
and the soldiers scattered everywhere Many 90
home with the Sick many are nurses in the hos
pitals, many keep out of sightseeing all they
can.
THE NUMBERS ENGAGED.
The best opinions of tie strength with which
the rebels attacked us place their numbers at
$4,000. They may have been reinforced 5000
TO 10000 Sunday night
Grant bad scarcely 10000 effective men on
Sunday. OF these, half dozen regiments
utterly raw; had scarcely had their guns
long enough TO know how to handle them
Some we're supplied with weapons on their way up
Buell. passed three Divisions that took part in
thea ction-N elson's ,Crittenden's and McCook's.
They numbered, say 20 ,000-a liberal estimate
Lew. Wallace came up on Monday with say sew
en thousand more. That gives US. counting the
Sunday men all effective again, 81 900 on
Monday, on our side, against $1,000 to 10000
rebels Ii was not numbers that gained Us the
day; il was fighting. All honor to our Northern
soldiers for it.
Further items of the Pittsburg