Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-03-14
SCENES AT FORT poNELsoN.

"was the dangerous enterprise accorded to
Gen. Smith. Gen. McClernand had tried
it thrice and failed not for want of pluck
or men, but the position of the enemy
was better defended, and less easily APP
preached, although more easily seen. The
task fell into able hands Some imputa-
tions have before been thrown upon Gen.
Smiths loyalty by MALICIOUS rivals, but on
yesterday did the General not only win.
dictate his loyalty, but his ability and
skill to WELD them easily. and to WELD
them we'll. On the right
however, lay an open space, up which
climed the brigade of Lauman. The I'd
Iowa led the charge, followed by the rest
in their order. The sight was sublime.
Onward they sped needless of of the bull
let's and balls of the enemy above. The
hill was 50 steep the timber cleared, that
the rebels had left gap in their line of
rihe-pits on this crest of hill. Through
this gap they were bound to go. Right
up they went, climbing up on all tours,
their line of dark blue clothing advancing
regularly forward, the white line Of smoke
from the top of the works opposed by
line from our troops. They reach the
top! Numbers fall The suspense is
breathlessl See, they climb over the
works! They fall-they are lost An
other group and still another, close up
the gap! All is covered in smoke The
lodgment is made--thc troops swarm up
the hill side, their bright bayonets gilt
terlng in the sun. The firing slackens.
What is more wonderful is, that Captain
Stones battery of rifed n-pownders,
close behind the brigade, is tugging up
the hill, the horses plunging, and riders
whipping Upward they go, where never
vehicle went before, up the precipitous and
clogged sides of the hill. No sooner on
the crest than the guns were unl;:n bered,
the men at their posts. PERCUSSION shells
and canister are shot spitefully from the
Parrot guns at the flying enemy. The
day is gained a position tiken--the
troops surround the guns, and the enemy
has deserted his post. The thirty four
FOUNDER which had caused so much havoc
is silenced by Col. Cooks brigade, and
the rebels fly to the main fort in alarm.
The day is gained, the foe is running
Cheers upon cheers reud the air. and in
few minutes all is hushed. In the midst
of all this warm work. there rode the
white haired Gen. Smith, his snowy mus
tache standing out like brstles, his hand
waving majesticaly, his bearing erect and
proud-undauted by the deadly hail, and
unmoved at the brilliant success. Sure
of his point his batteries placed, the enc
my's guns are turned upon them, and he
ordered his reserve into line with all the
GOODNESS of Hannibal. An offer comes
to him of more troops. Thank you gen.
tlemen; think we have already more
than enough calmly replies the General,
and in fifteen minutes the lines were dis
posed of for the night The loss, | am
happy to say, to our forces. was small
compared with the amount of firing. Our
los, in the storming of the works. will
not exceed two hundred killed and woun-
died. That of the enemy, must have
been at least that number, notwithstand-
ing that they were intrenched behind
breast-works. -F
If the prisoners which have fallen into
our hands are to be regarded as a fair
sample of the Southern army. they are
indeed a pitiable lot of wretches. The
omcers are men of some little refinement,
WV the rank and file are only like so
many wnitc serfs. The hiatus between
tnc privates and officers corresponds to
the gap in social life between the intelIec-
.ual arristocracy and the poor white trash
--benighted, ignorant, and uncouth far
beyond expectation even for the most ru-
raj of inhabitonts. Their appearance, as
they were marched on board of the trans.
port, presented picturesque aspect A
favorite and common substitute for blan-
kets is a strip of snowy carpeting. White
blankets and uniform homemade and
hutternut-colored jeans is the costume Of
the privates and some of the colonies.
They have little or nothing else but the
confederate bonds and Tennessee shinplas.