, 1862-04-10


Iii obscure 1anding On the West bank Of
the Tennessee River, in Hardin county,
Tennessee, few miles from the southern
Of the State, has taken promi-
nent position in the worlds battle annals. |
a few days since altogether unknown out |
OF it's owa county, 1t has leaped into dis
patches, will sweep round the world, will
live with Waterloo and Austerlltz As de-
scribed BY friend at our elbow, who LEFT
'ittsssbrrg Landing On Friday, 1t then
consisted Of two log shanties, one under
the bluff, used as bakery for The troops,
and another On the top OF the bluff. Be-
sides these few scattered houses compris-
ed the entire town. It is twelve miles
from SaEannah, the county seat Of Hardin
the latter being On the west bank Of the
river.
The bluffs at Pittsburg are very bold
and from 150 to 200 feet above the river"
a little distance back from the river the
country Is broken into succession OF
sharp ridges, steep hills and go1ges, not
much unlike the region along the Potomac
in the front Of Washington. The roads
are excellent aud the country generally is
heavily timbered, with sparse c1earings
4 military man would pronounce the re-
eion unfavorable for field operations from
its irregularities and sharp gorges, suggest
ing ambuscade and masked batteries by
its very confo11natious. The whole vicin-
ity Of Pittsburg has been for two or three
weeks past an immense camp. Our view
Of the situation previous to the fight will
be made more complete by the statement
that the weather at that place Was mild
and spring-1ike and so warm that our troops
slept in the open air enveloped IN their
blankets, in preference to the closer at
nosphere Of the tent
Our lines extended along front Of from
SIX to eight miles, or from Cr7mp's Land
ing, six miles before Pittsburg, to place
about two miles south, or above on the
river. Our pickets we're thrown back into
the country to q distance varying from four
to eight miles west Of the river. This ad'
vance in the vicinity Of place called Pes
Ridge, Was held bg Ga. B. II. Prentiss
with IN unorganizey pr.ga1e, Of regiments
recently 1hruwn together. Gen. Hurlbut
four miles further csst. Lid column O.
1900 @mcn GEL. Grant had retained hi
headquarters at Savannah up to Friday, al
Though ,,snt few troops were left there
and he was daily expecting to transfer hi
headquarters to Pittsburg. Troops KEEP
arriving daily IN large numbers, to swell th'
federal forces. Gen Buell. was known t
be marching from Nashville, 125 miles dis
tant, with his heavy columns. This fac
decided the rebel leaders to defer the blow
no longer. Beauregard, it is said, did no
deem it safe to await attack at the not ten
able position at Co1inth, eighteen miles dis
tant, and resolved to make the assault,
hoping to throw Gen. Grants camps int
confusion, and that before Gen. Buell. coul
reinforce him.
The first attack seems to have been mad
on Friday, when, as stated in our Las
issue, the Federal outposts we're driven i
by a formidable charge Of rebel cavalry
This Was but the foreshadowiug Of gel
eral assault and engagement, which wa
only ended on Monday morning. The dis
patches we elsewhere give are very full 0
the general features Of the battle, whic
resulted in the rout and fight Of the enem,
We cannot believe that there will net t
sharp fighting yet before the rebel army
plainly beaten at all the points they has
made their OWL, but the fortune Of th
first splendidly fought field is against thel
decidedly, and that they can hold the
OWL at any point against our troop
flushed with victory, is scarcely possible.
The beginning Of the end is nigh. Co
inth Is the great railroad centre Of Il
southwest. That once in our possessio
and the communication between pri1cip
rebel cities is cut of, and OUT troops MI
sMeep across to shake hands with Butlel
band On the Gn1i, carry terror into the re-
Of Savannah and Charleston, place Mer
phis ard New Orleans within easy reac
and tie the Confederacy hand and foot b
fore the Government it has spurned q,
plunged IN war. All this will rapidly f
low present pressing events.