Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-04-18

eDc ciedreet, anu most cODnecttu az
count that we have seen Of the
great battle, from the pen of d" Carrie
ton" the reliable and excellent army cores
pondcnt of that paper in the West. Ii is
not the account of an eyewitness, but is
collated, he says, - from the lips of those
who were in the fight, who saw the tide ebb
and flow, who walked over the ground when
victory crowned our banners -
OUR POSITION.
Savannah has been the rendezvous. 1t il, as
already stated, on the east side Of the Tennessee
river. Here was BuelPs force, or those divisions
Of it which had been detailed 20 join Grant.
short distance above, on the west side, at Crumps
Landing, was Wallsce's division. Eight miles
still further up was the main portion Of Grants
army at Pittsburg Landing. Beauregard evil
IDENTIFY calculated that by a sudden onslaught
upon the advance at Pttsburg, he could annihil.
ate it before Buell. could cross the river, or be-
fore the force at Crump's Landing could be sent
forward to support IT,. COti-th Is eighteen miles
| from Pittsburgh, a days march. As Beaure-
| CARDS pickets within four miles Of Pttsburg,
il easy for him TO ring his entire force with
| in striking distance unknown TO Us. On Saturday
his columns were put in motion and advanced
close up TO their lines of pickets and placed in
| position to make the stunning blow a daybreak
on SuIdIy.
The position which Gen. Grant's advance oocu-
| pied was between two crceks-Owl creek, which
empties into the Tennessee near where tic river
makes its great eastern bend, and Snake creek,
which empties above Crump's Landing. The
| banks at PIttsburg Landing are very high-One
hundred feet-and the country back between the
| creeks is a succession Of wooded hills, with nu-
merous ravines, with clelrings, and occasionally
camp on account Of the many brooks ami riyulets,
which furnished water. Tie road TO C9Finth runs
| through the centre Of tie camp.
The force in advance was dispersed between
| these creeks. About iour miles from tie river,
| on the northwest side Of the road, Gen. Nc
CleTn9nds division, forming the light Of the line.
In his rear, toward tie river, was zen. ". II. L.
| Wallace and Gen. Smith. In the centre, near the
! road, was Gen. Hurlburt. Southeast Of the
road, in front, was Gen Preati.s, and in bis rear
Gen. Sherman. The guabolts Tyler and Lex
ington were near at hand doing police and guard
daty on the river.
Let it be borne in mind that il is four miles
from the river to MeCleFnands command, and
that what is taking place at one eni Of tre line
cannot Be known realty al the ether. For sew
eral days previous 70 the attack the rebel pickets
| were p close 10 our own. The railroad which
Gen. Grant had destroyed had been repaired, and
It was known that the rebels we're receiving large
achievements. But II was not supposed that
| Bcagregard would make al attack.
SUNDAY MORNING..
At an early hour, tie pickets q Prentiss diri-
sion were surprised by advance Of the rebel
lines. They tell back upon their supports. The
division was at breakfast Immclii..l, he long
roll was beat, ami rati0us abIndonci lor the mus
kets and equipments At first IL was supposed
t1at the rebels were simply making reconu0i-
s.ncc; but that Illusion was dispollei by the re-
treat of the pickets and their supports upon the
| main camp, followed by an immense body % reb-
es-the entire ri ght wing of the rebel army thir-
| ty thousand strong. They came in echelon or in
the form Of letter V, this point forward, 90 op-
| e ate a wedge and separate Prentiss force from
! the main body and from the transports, and If
] possible 10 capture the transports and thus pre-
vent Buell. crossing. II the centre could oe pene-
| trated or either division detached from the fed
eral force, Beauregard would fad 1t, with his
| overwhelming numbers, an easy matter 20 capture
OF annihlate the entire force the west side. Il
/ was, under the circumstance, the best possible
| plan Of attack, bat like many other schemes in
| this life, there error in the calculation.
Beauregard moderated the energy, bravery and
endurance Of the men whom be undertook O. ami
hilate.
Gen. Prentiss had hardly time to get his
regiments into position when the rebels appeared
at close musket range, with several batteries. A
fierce conflict began. Prentss had no artillery.
The rebels brought into position with great rapid
ity five or * batteries, and at once opened a Sc
we're cross FIRE upon the little baEd confronted By
more than ten times their own number They
held the ground with great bravery till a large
force had ouifanked them, aud nearly one half
including Gen. Prentiss, were taFeu prisoners
The remainder fell back upon sherman and Hurl-
burt IN confusion. IL was short conflict an
suited disastrously 10 US. Il gave the rebels
courage. They had begun well. The first blow
Of the wedge had driven It deep into the Federal
ranks. They had possession OF Prentiss' camp AID
were enabled to discover the position Of the entire
force, and to lay skillful plaas for other blows.
ArrEurr To cUr or SO 'cLERvAvp.
All this had been accomplished so suddenly
that but little known 10 the other divisions
Of what was going on. But while the rebels
were sweeping around Prentiss, large force de-
ployed from the advancing column. crossed the
road in front Of Hurlburt's division worked their
way through a succession Of raviues and pushed /
straight on to cleave McCleruand FROM the other |
divisions. 50 rapid were their movements. So I
well concerted their plans. that the intention was
not discovered tall they had almost severed his ]
force from the others. L. oking for the enemy in /
front, 1t was rot supposed that be would be dis /
covered almost in the centre Of the line. Il Is as
serted that the advance regiments OF the rebels /
wore the blue United states uniform, and carriei /
the stars and Stripes, which deceived our picksts
When Gen. Mctiernaud discovered the game OF l
the enemy, he, with great promptncss, brought /
his division into position, charged ii -ht down up
on the rebels IN flank and cut them up with ter
rible slaughter, forcing them 20 fee. by this
move he joined the divisions Of sherman and Hurl-
burt, AMI the entire force was brought into line
of battle 1t was now mid forenoon, when the
great battie-thjs fierce contest for rrouuI-be- /
came hot and heavy. Schwartz, Diosssrs ard
Warehouses; illinois batteries two rifei thirty
Founders and another Ohio battery were brought
into position On the LEFT, where the wedge of the
enemy was still driving in our advance. Terrible
was the IRE. The two armies at this time had
front OF about three miles. The FIRE was mainly
on our left and centre. Isis impossible % CON
Eey description o. the scene, as the conflict
ragged from eleven in the forenoon till four in the
afternoon. The sharp end Of the rebel wedge be-
came blunt under the terrible fire FOUR forces. .
and instead OF presenting an fctci,u. they were I
forced into line Of battle. But though our bat
teries were worked with great rapidity, AMI plow-
e1 remorseless'y .hrOugl their ranks they re- |
piled with larger number Of pieces and present !
I'd an overwhelming force. Being sutcrior in
number they were enabled 10 work their way
llong the ravires, and appear on our tanks. sub
Getting US to terrific cross FIRE Of cannon AMI
nusketry. Flushed with success, confident Of
rushing the inferior force before them and
moving that 1t was the conflict which would de-
de the fate Of tho Confederacy, they advanced
'raVely upon our lines. But they were met bv
leroic men. Every inch Of ground was contested.
hole squadrons Of men went down before the
errloie IRE, poured IN from right and left and in
ront. ID
1t was like great seething cIu'dron. One
hundred thousand men stood over that cramped !
erritory, stirred with fercest passions. There a
Tas an unbroken roll Of thunder Of cannon and
iusketry Division charged upon division Again ,
nd again the rebels advanced only to be cut down
tn IRE of the federal rifles ana musketrv. Reg
nents were rolled back Keeling and waverine bus c
leir places were filled by fresh troops, willie no
came TO the aid Of the forces under
lie federal generals. Longing eyes were turned 81
ward the river, watching Tor the smoke Of trans. ~
'rts, or for the advance OF endorsements from :
Jumps Landing and from Savannah, but tbsv diI j
u me; More hereely ragged the battle. Inch Il
inch the federal forces were COMPELLED IN DIV, 6
~, slowly yielding their camp to the rebels and "
treating toward the river. Reinforcement a. ol
yea to the rebels and. confident OF victory the, b
shed upon our batteries, capturing all Of those l.,
reaIy named upon our left ing-26 guns in ali. :
was sad hour. Thousands Of soldiers. Weerv c.
a worn gathered upon the banks Of the stream ~
Uttered by the bluff. Some had exhausted the, :
lmunition' some were wounded, some were ex- "