Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-13

I
that his men had not followed him and that ~
was about being captured by our men, h'
wheeled his horse and dashed his spurs INTO th'
steed's flank at that instant he threw up MS
arms and fell over backward, pierced by many
Mississippisns bullet. The enemy's troops
showed better drill and discipline than -natura
ardor and daring. Some Of their regiments ieL
after firing in volley and loaded on their baeks
then at the wcrd OF command they rose 70 theli
feet, fred almost simultaneously and cropped
again. Our men, on the contrary, kept moving
steadily onward or standing hrm in line, loading
and firing at will, with continuous, never
ceasiuy rattle of shots, their field officers only
giving such general commands as forward,
Guide eeuter - scenter dress n' forward on the
/ lsltn' or forward on the right
Gen. Helm was dangerously wounded by q
fall from his horse Col. Hughes, OF TIE SSnd
Mississippi was instantly killed by whole vel
Icy OF grape shot, and AdJutant tEzpatrlck, OF
the same regiment was severely wounded. Col
| Thompson, Of the Kentnckians, was wounded,
aud soon aiterward Brigsder General Clark was
dangerously wounded in the groin. -Four sep
! arate charges had now been made by our lines,
and four times had the Yankees been forced
back until We had entire possession OF ali their
camps, with the quarierInaster and cCmmissary
/ stores They found themselves in front of the
levee, with ire in their front and water in
! their rear, and they made their last desperate
etfJ-t here 10 save themselves from what must
| have seemed to them impending annihilatiOn.
Several times they started to charge our lines,
/ but the unRinching steadiuess and destructive
| FIRE Of our men, supported by CObbs battery,
! FsUnseiroy's pieces and other guns, dsmpened
/ their ariCr and rendered their officers appeal
| ab0rtiYe.
THE LOUISIANIANS ON THE LEFT.
But I nnst now speak of what was occurring
on our left where the Louisianians were opposed
/ to a strong force Of the enemy, supported by
two batteries Of artillery, who had chosen many
natural and artificial objects of defence. About
three miles out of Baton Rouge they left the
Greensburg road to the right of them, and clear
ing a large field formed in line of battle in the
woods and advanced. They speedily met the
enemy, posted in a strong tbicket. Here there
was a sharp engagement for ten OF fifteen min
Utes, when Col. Henry W. Allen, acting briga-
der, ordered a charge This was gallantly done,
with the bayOnet, aud the Yankees were driven
back TO a fence On the right, where they again
made a stand Here Col G. A Breaux made a
half-Tght-wheel with the Both Louisiana, charged
and drove back this body in disorder. Regain
ing their liRe, il again moved on, when they
| encountered the Yankees IN strong position be-
! yOnd the stout and tall fence Of the old race
| course, firing out Of temporary loop-holes Col
| them, which they succeeded in doing, but with
no little difficulty, on account of the strength of
/ the fence The other LouisanaBs, with Col
/ Allen, Lieuteuaut-Colonel Hunter and Lieu
| tenant-COlonel Sam Boyd were still driving on
ward and now again united with those Of Col.
/ Bceaux and Major Charles J. Bell, they forced
the enemy to a permanent stand. Here was a
/ fierce and bloody fight; two of the enemy's bat
teTies one Of them masked, supported by seve-
/ raj regiments of infantry. Our advancing line
was opposed to a converging fire of mimic balls,
grape and canister, and a flank movement by
| the enemy was only discovered by the sharp eye
/ Of our commanders in time to guard against it.
TAKING BATTERY.
Colonel Allen now galloped forward to the
front Of cur line, and, seizing the colOrs of the
ilh Louisiana, called upon the Louisiana boys
10 follow Linn. With cheers that rang loudly
above the roar of artillery and the rafting of
small arms, and with furious cries of Butler
and New Orleans ~ our gallant boys came down
70 charge bayOnets'' and dashed on after
their heroic leader. AS if the enemy had
reserved their GeTcest fire for this moment, there
was m0mentaTy lull, and then came fearful
roar, and double lOsds of canister and sheets Of
nhs balls swept through their ranks. Not once
did they falter. Onward, still on they kept.
In vain the Yankee officers appealed, shouted
steel come swiftly on, each gap filed up almost
as soon as made. The Yankee line wayered-it
fell back on the left, it fell back on the center, it
breke-hurrah lit fled Yes, our victorious
soldiers rushed up to the muZzles Of the enemy's
guns, their battery was il our hands. At that
glorious moment while Colonel Allen was wav-
ing, in exu.tation, the bullet-tOrn standard
he held, he was struck in both legs with grape
shot, and he fell to the ground. In the tempo
Tary confusion consequent upon this me2n-
ch0ly incident the enemy rallied. Our boys
found il impossible to drag the pieces of the
ground on account of It's broken surface and the
thickness Of the woods. They did succeed in
getting one gun a short distance, but could not
move it further The Louisianians fell back a
short distance, when Col. Bresux rallied them
| and again advanced, but their battery had been
drawn eff
About this time one Of the most destructive
discharges OF canister that was, perhaps, ever
fred ia any battle, was given from Semmes bat
tery the gun being pointed by Lieut.. West
just as he was about giving the enemy a round
of canister, aregiment of Yankees, in column of
companies came in sight advancing up the
road. West called for another canister shot and
trained his piece to take the column dagOnally
from front to rear The second round Of CSnis-
ter was Tamsd in on the first and the piece 6red.
The terrible sweep Of balls opened broad avenue
right through the whole column, in the path Of
which could be seen the mangled victims leap
ing, turn ng and writhing about, while the two
halves left standing, stood mOtionless with ter
Tor for an instant, and then turned and fed in
panic, only rallied when again behind their own
lines.
THE FINAL ROUT.
General Breckenridge, about ten o'clock, or
dered final charge, and Capt Buclzner, his sd-
iutant-general, a gallant and well tried officer,
rushed to the front and led on the lines in per-
SON And now roared Inc din Of battle loulest.