Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-14
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Conmer
The Battle of Pea ssidge.
BY AN orFlcrn ls rHr REGULAR ARMY.

phatically the Buena Vista of this war Com
mencing on the morning of the 9th of March, by
the attack OF the combined Confederate forces
upon Gen. SigeI's Division, then stationed at
Bentonville, Gen. Seel sending his train ahead
and reserying one battery, with between eight
hundred and thousand men, commenced one of
those mastery retreats which have already rem
dered his name famous Planting portion of
his guns, with his infantry to sustain them, he
would pour the grape and shell into their advan-
cling squadrons, until qnailing before the muir
derous fire, they would break in confusion. Be
fore they could reform, Sigel would timber up
and fall back behind another portion of his bat
terry, planted at another turn in the road Here
the same scene would be gone through with, and
continuously for ten miles.
What made this march more difficult achieve
ment was the condition OF the roads, which were
in many places very narrow and badly cut up.
This brought General Sige's Division to the
west end OF Pea RIDGE where he formed juno
ton with Generals Davis and Carr's Divisions.
Night coming on, strong pickets were placed, the
teams corralled, and the soldiers lay upon their
arms.
During this day, General Curtis was diligently
preparing earthwork defenses, cutting timber, &C.,
to check the progress of the enemy along the
Fayetteville road, where they were confidently
expected by him. During the day and night of
the 9th, Van Dorm moved mis- entire forces around
the west side of our army, Gen. Price occupying
the Fayetteville road north of General Curtis's
camp while NcCnlloch and Mcintosh lay north
of Gen. Sigel. The Confederate forces fronting
South, Prices forces formed their left wing. The
distance of the main bodies of the wings of each
army apart was near three miles, thus forming in
fact four distinct armies. Van Dorm and Price
being opposed to Gen. Curtis, who had with him
Gen. Daviss, Cars and Asboth's Divisions, while
McCulloch and Mcintosh were opposed to Sigel.
who had but one Division, that of Gen. Oster-
haus. Gen. Curtis was compelled to make
change of front; in doing this he withdrew all his
forces from the South range of hills, except
few companies to guard the Fayetteville road,
and placed them almost two miles North, their
front resting on thebrow of range of hills front
ing TO the n orth
| On the 7th the httle commenced on the right
of our column, and ragged furiously during the
entire day, Col. Cars division bearing the brunt
of it on our side The Confederates, owing to
their immense superior numbers, the numerous
and deep ravines and the thick brush which COW
cred the hills, succeeded in driving our right wing
| from the ground occupied in the morning The
loss here was severe on both sides the short range
at which the fighting was done giving the rebel
shot guns, which were loaded with from fifteen to
twenty buck shot each great advantage over our
more deadly but single balls The Confederate
! forces camped on the battle ground, while our
right wing fell back about from one half mile to
mile. The entire fighting ground occupied by
this portion of the armies did not exceed three
fourths of mile in diameter.
| The fighting ON the left wing, this day, pro-
ceeded with various changes, and occupied far
greater field, extending over space of from one
and a half to two miles McCulloch commenced
moving his forces to the south and east, evident
ly intending to form junction with Van Dorm
and Price. and by so doing surround our entire
army on three sides, at the same time cut off to-
tally all hope of retreat of our forces. General
Sigel, detecting this movement, sent forward
three pieces of flying artillery, with supporting
force of cavalry, to take commanding position
and delay their movements until the infantry
could be brought up into position for an attack.
These pieces had hardly obtained their position
and opened fire when an overwhelming force of
the enemys cavalry came down upon them like
a whirlwind, driving our cavalry, scattering them
and capturing the artillery and setting it on fire.
| This onslaught, which was made in the most
handsome style, allowed their infantry to reach
unmolested the cover of dense wood. West of
this wood was large open field. Here, and in
the surrounding wood, 2rotracted struggle en-
sued between McCulloch and Osterhaus. Gene
raj Davis was ordered up to Col. Osterhaus's as
sistance; and our forces, thus strengthened, final
ly routed and drove the enemy in all directions.
McCulloch, Mcintosh and a number of the Con-
| federate officers were killed.
! Thus while the Confederate forces had been
successful on our right, we bad been equally
successful on o1r left The morale, however,
was in our favor. The discipline of our troops
enabling our defeated wing to remain compactly
together, while their defeated right, owing to
their lack of discipline and loss of commanding
officers, was verp much disorganized.
During the night of the 7th both armies lay
/ l,lr0 tbor
managed to form junction of all their forces
upon the ground held by their LEFT wing, which
was naturally position of great strength
The morning of the 9Th was one of the deep
est anxiety on the part of our army. The Con-
federae forces held the only road for our retreat;
both armies had drawn their lines close The
woods and hills literally swarmed with foes The
prisoners we had taken assured us that the Con-
federates were perfectly sanguine OF capturing
our entire force, together with all our supplies.
They outnumbered us three to one: besides, our
men were much exhausted with two days fight
ing and the loss of sleep-the nights being too
cold to sleep without fire, and our proximity to
the enemy, and position, not allowing us to build
fires along our advance lines. Near a thousand
of our men were dead or wounded. Both parties
were, eager for the fray-0ne, stimulated by an
apparent certainty of success and hopes of plum
der; the other. determined to conquer or die.
The rising sun was saluted withthe smoke and
roar of cannon. Colonel Carr's division was
strengthened by large part of Colonel Daviss
divsion-thus enabling our right wing barely to
maintain its position. Gen. Sigel having learned
the exact position of the enemy's batteries, com
menced to form his line of battle, by changing
his front so as to face the right flank of the enc
my's position. Probably no movement during
the war has shown more skill in the disposition
OF forces, or caused as great destruction to the
party attacked with so little loss TO the attack
ing party. He first ordered the 25th Illinois,
under the command of Colonel Coer, to take a
position along a fence in open view of the enc
my's batteries, which at once opened fire upon
them. Immediately a battery of six of our
guns (sever al of them IL Founders, rifed.) were
thrown into line one hundred PAGES in the rear OF
our advancing infantry, on rise of ground.
The 18th Missouri then wheeled into line,
with the 25th Illinois on their left, and anoth-
er battery of guns was similarly disposed a
short distance behind them Then another regi-
ment and another battery wheeled into position
until thirty pieces of artillery. each about fifteen
or twenty PAGES from the other. were in con-
tinuous line, with infaptry lying down in front
Each piece opened fire as it came in position
The fire of the entire line was directed so as to
silence battery after battery of the enemy. Such
a terrible fire no human courage could stand.
The crowded ranks of the enemy were decmated
their horses shot at their guns large trees literal
ly demolished; but the rebels stood braveiy to
their post. For two hours and ten minutes did
Sigels iron hail fall thick as autumn leaves, fu.
rious as the avalanche, deadly as the simeon
One by one the rebel pieces ceased to play. On
ward crept our infantry. Onward came Sgel
and his terrible guns. Shorter and shorter be
came the range. No charge of theirs could face
that iron hail, or dare to venture on that com.
pass line of bayonets. They turned and fed
A&in Sigel advanced his line, making another
pztisl change of front Then came the order "a
cllzZge the enemy in the woods. and those brave
bd who had lain for hours with the hail and
She of the enemy falling upon them, and the