The Placer herald., 1862-04-19
LATEST EASTERN NEWS.

On Monday last the telegraph brought us
the news of great battle fought between
the federal and confederate troops in Tenne'
see at a place called Pitts Landing or Pitts
burg, about fifteen miles from Corinth
where the rebels have an extensive camp
The battle lasted two DAYS, commencing on
Sunday. the 9th inst. Beauregard intended
to make the attack on Friday the 4th, so
the dispatches say but could not owing to
the condition of the roads.
The position Of the confederates in their at
tack was in form of a V. The poin. penetrated
Gen. Prentiss' brigade, which was composed
of the sixty first Illinois, seventeenth Wis.
consion, Twenty,tourth Indiana and Seventy
first Ohio regiments. His Brigade WAS cut
to pieces and forced to retreat, and Prentiss
and a number of his men were taken prison.
ers. At twelve o'clock, noon, the entire
line was fiercely engaged, but were in full re-
treat at four o'clock The enemy had taken
Schawrts's, Dresden's, Warehouses; and
two Ohio batteries. Thousands of our SOL
diels had taken refuge under the bank of
the river, ut:er y refusing to fight; in fact
they could not, for men and officers were in
nextricabe confusion. Our army seemed
perfectly demoralized
About this time General Mitchell's div
sion (5,OOO) arrived on the opposite bank
Of the river, and were terred across during
the evening and night The gunboats Lex
ipgton and Tyler opened fire on the enemy
and kept it up every half hour during the
night, saving the army from utter ruin.
Their shells set the woods on fire and many
dead rebels were burned.
At midnight the rebels attempted to plant
batteries within three hundred yards of the
sege guns, but they were driven away by
the gunboats and the siege guns, supported
by three regiments of General MitchelI's
division.
Our loss is estimated, for this DAYS fight,
at three thousand killed and five thousand
wounded.
1t is said during Sunday night the rebels
were enforced by the troops of Price and
Van Dorm froiu Arkansas; and that Gen.
Lew. Wallace came to the relief Of the Fed
erals with four regiments, and battery of
Artillery. The fight commenced again ear
ly Monday morning and continued until
dark, when it is said the rebels made gen,
eral retreat, and were pursued by 10000 Of
our cavalry short distance beyond the posi-
ton occupied by our troops before the battle,
which was five miles from Il Tennessee
River (Pittsburgh.) Our entire loss is sta
ted to be 10000 killed and wounded, and
that of the rebels $4,000.
General Prentiss managed to escape from
the rebels and returned to bis camp He
was slightly wounded. The rebel General.
A. 5. johnson, was reported killed. but it is
contradcted by telegram to his wife, who
resides in Los Aneeas. Beauregard receiv
ed a wound in the arm. He telegraphed to
Richmond that he captured SO guns, and
took 5000 prisoners, and tha; he then fell
back TO his works at Corinih, viii. h he was
fully able to hold This is denied y the U.
S. War Department.
From all the accounts we have received,
we are satisfied it has been the bloodiest bat
tie ever fought upon the American cont
nent. 1t will require somr week, to get tie
full truth and particulars of all The battle.
General Mcclellan has left The Potomac
and gone down to Yorktown to attack the
that place, which is occupied 10y very heavy
rebel force, their position exteuds across
~.
near James river. The formation "i land
and peculiar bend, enables them to com
mand with their notifications all the roads
up the peninsula. Generals Lee and John
son are both reported there-one at York
town and the other at Warwick Magruder
holds IA subordinate command, and is with a
reserve at Williamsburg. According to re-
ports OF deserters, the rebel forces number
fifty thousand, of whom thirty thousand are
reinforcements from the Rappahannock
Our Generals are pushing forward in prep
arations of an assault of the enerny's works
The latest figures give the rebels $4,000
which are daily being increased from Rich
mond. Information received through de,
serters, scouts and contrabands show the en-
emy has nearly 500 guns.
New York, April llth
A Baltimore letter says accounts of the
progress of affairs At Yorktown which have
reached this city, through channels believed
TO be reliable, differ materially from accounts
furnished by the Government. 1t seems
the rebel Government weIe posted as to eve'
ry movement of our army from the time a
portion of it returned from Manassas to
Washington. 1t was known at Richmond
what time the corps d'armee arrived at For
tress Monroe. 1t was also known what
time Mcclellan arrived. They also knew
when the march TO Yorktown commenced.
The number of troops Mcclellan had to
make an attack on the fortifcatons at York
town, was all that could de desired
The Iron steamer Merrimac has again left
Norfolk. She captured three small vessels
one loaded with coal. She occupies posi-.
which controls the mouth of James River,
and which will prevent the federal gun boats
from going up the river and sheling the