Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-17
5ailg 9ppeal,
-r-o-- orr FygyTyG EDITION or YESTERDAY.
Zen. yuu Doru,S Report OF she Rattle al
ETEETorB.

rr-,a1T-, ,H-FRs TRANSMITS DISTRICT
Jaak-ouport, Ars., NsTaa -, 1852.
/ roroxrr: have the honor 70 report that
while at Pacshoutas, I received dispatches on
. rhe pa %. February, informing me that Genera.
! Price had rapidly fallen back from Springfield
before Superior force of the enemy, and was
/ endsavOriug to form junction with the division
! of Gen NcCullech IN Boston mountains.
/ For reasons which seemed to me imperative, !
/ resolved 20 60 IN person and take command OF
! the combined forces OF Price and NyCUll0ch. !
reached their headquarters Ou the Sd OF March,
and being satisfied thst the enemy, who had
( halted on Sggsr creek, flty-Gve miles distant,
/ was only awaiting large reiuforcements before
be would advance resolved to attack him AZ
once. Accordingly 1 sent Tor Gen. Pike 70 ION
/ me vi h the forces under his command, ana on
( the morning of the 4Jl Of March, moved with
/ the divisions Of Price and McCuliOch by way OF
Fayetteville aud Bentonville to attack the enc
my's main camp on Sugar creek. The whole
! force under my command was about 10000
/ On the 9th we lefs Elm Spring for Benton
vile and from prisoners captured by or scout,
/ ing parties on the 5th, l became convinced that
/ up 30 that time no suspicion was entertained OF
} our advance. and that there were strong hopes
/ cf our eEecting complete surprise. and attack
( ing the enemy before lEe large detGchments en-
! canned at various points IN the surrounding
+ country could raloIn the main body. therefore
eodsav0rad 10 reach Bent0nvile, II miles dis
( taut, By a rapid march; but the troops moved
/ SO verv slowly that it was "A A. N. before the
I head Of the leading division (Prce's) reached
/ the village, and we had the modification to see
/ Sgers division, 1000 strong, leaving it rs we
eu-gred Had we been one n5UI sooner we
should have cut him of with his whole force and
certainly have b9atgu the enemy next day.
WcH1owed him, our advance skiTnishing
with his rear guard, which was admirably ban
died until we had gained point ON Sugar creek,
about seven miles Beyond Bentouvilie, and with
iu one OF two miles Of the strongly Intrenched
camp of the enemy.
In conference with Gems. McCu.l0ch and
McIutcsh, who had accurate knoVleCga of this
locality had ascertained that by making a de-
tour OF eight miles, I could reach the telegraph
read leading from Springfield to Fayetteville,
and be Immediately IL T5aT Of the enemy and
his iuuaIcaWelfs.
/ had resolved 30 adopt this roste and there
fore halted The head Ct the colCmn near The
point where the road by which 1 proposed to
move divarges, threw Gus my pIcks-s and BIZ
vouslel as if fr the night; out soon after dark
1 MARCHED again, moving With Prices division
~ advance and taking tho road by which
hoped before daylight TO reach the rear of the
enemy.
some o5struc ions which be bad hastily thrown
iu the way, so imUcdei cur march that We did
not gain the telegraph road until near 30 0O'clOck
A. N., gt tine 1tL.
From prisoners with forage wagons, whom
our cavalry piCkets brought in, We were assured
cLa5 we were ly. expected ma that quarter, and
that the promise was fair f..r complete surprise
at olce ma3e dispositions for attack, and
directing Gen. Price 10 move forward cautiously,
soon drew the tra Of a few skirmishgTs, who
hEr. J ~ 2
we were fairly engaged, the enemy holding very
good positions and maintaining a heavy hre Of
artillery and small arms upon the constantly ad-
vsuciuE columns which were balng pressed
upon him.
had directed Gen EcCullocb to attack with
his forces rle euemv's left. and before 10 o'clock
il was evident that If his division could advance
or even usintsiu its ground, ] ccuid 1T once
throw forward Pics's lett, advance his whole
liue and snd the battle 4 sent him g dispatch
to this eG-ct but it was never received by him
Before Is was p-uned his brave spirthad winged
its GIT, and gue of the most gallant leaders Of
the Cuta5aracy had fought his last battle.
AJous J.. NJ. I received by aids-ds-camp the
information -a.t O. ms. AicCUiioch and Mcln
flsh and Col. Herbert were killed, sn&that the
division was .bout any head l nevertheless
pressed forward with the attack, and as sunset
the enemy was flying before our victorious troops
at every point in cur front, and wIsn night fell
we bad driven him entirely ire n the field OF
battle Our troops sleptUpon tuer arms nearly
2 mile bevoud the Dout at which he made his
last stand and NY headquarters Tor tie night
were az the EIEhgu Tavern. We had taken
during the day seven cannon and about two
hunG-e5 prisoners.
In the course of the night sscertained that
the ammunition was almost exhausted, and that
the Ctticer ia charge of the ordnance supplies
could not find his wagons, which, with the sub
eisterce train. had been sent to Beltonville
Most Of the troops had been without any food
since She morning of the 9th, and the artillery
horses vere bCgten out 1t was, therefore, with
no .fttle anxiety that I awaited the dawn of day
When if came, il revealed to me the enemy in
new and strong position, offering battle
made my sposIU0ns AZ once TO accept the gage,
and hv Z O'Clock the CannCuatug was as heavy
as that If the previous day
On the side of the enemy he FIRE was much
better sustained fer being freed from the attack
of my right wing, he could nov concentrate hs
whole artillery. Finding that my night wing
was much dsgrgaulzed, and that the batteries
were, one after the other, retiring nom the field
with every shot expended, I resolved to with
draw the army, and at once placed the amOu-
auces, with al of the wounded they would
bear. upon the Huntsville roa and portion Of
HcCui-8ch's division, which had joined me
during the night, 10 position TO follow, while 1
50 disposed nt my remaining forces as best to
deceive the enemy as 70 my intention, and 10
hald him in check while executing it.
About ly O'clock ! gave the order for the
column 20 march, and soon afterwards for the
troops engaged TO fall back and cover the rear OF
the army. This was done very steadily; no
attempt Was made by the enemy 20 follow us,
and we eucaurad, GbUut 3 o'clock b. NJ, about
r.r #Tg..h f.t tst q
STATIONS Were made by his cavalry upon my
as~-a -a train and the batteries OF artillery which
-es.frgaE by iIgreut routes from that taken by
the array, bat they were instantly checked, and,
thanks 30 the skill and courage Of Col stone
and Nsior Wgde ell OF the baggage and artillery
isiued the army Ia safety
SD far as can ascertain, our losses amount
20 about SIX hundred killed and wounded and
two hundred prisoners, and One cannon which
having become disabled, ordered TO be thrown
into a ravine.
Tae best information / can procure O. lhs
..-n..s loss places his killed at more than seven
hunH.ad. win at least an equal Uam0Cr wound
I'd W-causur-d about three hundred prison
sr, so that bis total lgss is near about two tAoo-
sand We brought away iCW cannon sud zen
hag7s-a wagons, and we burnt upon rns n-io
.nssg cannon taken by Mcintosh IN MS brilliant
cbsrR Tie h3Eses baying bsau killed, these
guns clul3 mos be brought away.
The force with which l went into acton was
! less than Iiogl men: inat CT the enemy Is YaFl-
/ 0usly estimated at from l. 900 to 24,JeO.
/ During +he whole Of this engagement ! was
/ with the Missouri division under Price, and /
have never seen better fighters than those bis
sour troops or ruo.e gallant leaders than General
Pdce and bis gtICe, From TIE br5t ID the last
shot tt'y continually pushed on, and never
yielded an inch they bad Won; and when at last
they received -hr order to fall back, they retired
steadily AID with cheers. Gen. Price received a
severe wound eaIly In tie action, but would
neither retire from she deld nor cease 70 expose
himself t3 danger
No successes can rrpsir the loss of the gallant
zeqi who tell ora this well fought field. McCul-
Iocb was the first 10 fall I lad found him in
fhe frequent conferences, had with bin, sa-
pacious. prudent counsellor, and bolder sol
5iar newer al for his country.
NrInt1sh had been very Euch distinguished
Z ~ .l.-,.r,-.b sH, ora4as5g1s which have tsyef