, 1862-08-19
THE BATTLE 0FBAT0N ROUGE
REBElAcc0uAT or BREcKlkRIDcE's
ATTACK AND REpVLSE,
His Army Fired on by Rsbe!
Gueriljas.

His Army Fired on by Essbe!
cuerilias-
Heavy Mortality Among Con-
federnte Ofiicera.
Correspondence Of the Grenada Appeal
CAsP on CoA1TB RIVER,
Thurrday, August I, 1854
On Saturday, July 26th, We received march
Ing crdefs, ana on Sunday the tralns left for
JACKSON 1t Vas now announced that de-
scent upon Baton Rouge and the po session of
the Mississippi River was contemplated. The
Plan ss,tas Wss very fasible one notTithstanding
was to attack the enemy In the raar Of tue
town and destroy or capture his troops, while
the ram Arkansas would engage the gunboats |
and prevent their rendering any assistance to
their comrades on shore The Arkansas had
been repaired, her crew renewed, and she was |
ngain ready for action. We waived ut Tangt-
lahoa several days to ascertain definitely that /
she was prepared. In the meanwhile, the |
quattermssters we're busy hiring teams and |
engaging transportation. But with all their t
erdeavors, their success vas in no way com
mtpeurate with the wants Of the army.
At last ne were of. Gen. Van Dom had |
teltgraphed Gen. Breckinridge that the Ar |
kansas Was ready, and there Was now no OBJ |
etacle to our success but the long, sandy, |
hlszipg road Of sixty miles. The boys stepped |
gafiy away to the sound OF music'e inspiriting
etreins, their battle. flags streaming proudly
and their hearts pu16atiDg quickly at the pros
Pect Il furnishing the foe. Yet one third Of
the small number with which we had left
Vickeburg were PROSTATE with sickness, aud
1t appeared as If more troops remained behind
than went forward. The heat Was terrible,
and the men tell out Of ranks rapidly. Almost
eve'y farm house on the road side was con-
On Sunday the Sd inst, Gen. Brecklnridga
advised Gen. Van Dom that he would be pre-
pared to stack Baton Rouge at daylight the
| Following morning: Gen. Van Dorm replied
that the Arkansas would not reach position
| where che could participate IN the fight until
| Tuesday morning It was then definitely de-
| ternined that the attack shou1d be made at
| daylight on the morning OF the 5th. the ram
| Arkansas, OF whose steady and Uninterrupted
progress down the river We had been con
aiantlY advised, cooperating With the troops.
At 10 o'clock Monday night, August 4th,
I! the troops, about z, 400 in all, advanced from
| their camp Oh Comite River. Tie men were
] in the finest spirits, and confident OF accom-
| plishing their purpose before hreakfast-time.
The march Of ten miles over smooth, sandy
| road, between well cultivated plantations, WAS
conducted with quiet and order.
| An UNFORTUNATE AND FATAL MISTAKE.
But about dawn there occurred one those
| terrible misadVentures that are frequently the
harbingers of gloom aud disaster. While the
column was advancing, about three miles
adense piece Of woodland, and on the ..otl1er
By 2 field Of eugar-cane, there came terrific
yolley Of musket1y from the woods where q
body OF partisan rangers had been posted.
It was evident at once that there wss 8 mis-
take, but the confusion incident on the
alarm could not be ohViated, and several cas-
ualties occurred. Brigadier- General Helmu's
horse fell into ditch and disabled that gal
laLt young officer, his leg being badly naa6ed.
The troops we're thus deprived Of his valuable
services In the field, and he was compelled to
remain restire away from the scene Of action
while bis bold boys were winning fresh
lanrela. Captain A}e2. e. Todd, e brother Of
Mrs. LincolD) Of General Helmn's staff, WIS
commanding the 4th Kentucky, dangerously
wounded. Captain Todd was young gentle.
/ man OF fine accomplishments, great personal
daring, exceeding amiabi]ity, and the Warmest
home affections. But the evening before he
F wrote to bis mother, and just before the accl-
dsnt he Was converting with Lieutenant L. E.
: Payne, ordnance Officer Of the brigade, com
municatirg the Iues6agea he wished conveyed
,. home, in case Of his tall. Brave boy, he met
his death serenely, and his body was inferred
BY tender and loving hands. Cohb's Kentucky
battery was also rendered hors du combat, the
gun catrjages and caissons being broken, aud
,, , the pieces rendered unmauageable. This WISE
; ezceedin1y unfortunate from The great expert
= = ence and intrepidity Of Captain Cobb and his
: | cannoniere. At Shiloh the battery was admir-.
! ably manned, and at Vicksburg, while ia com
= maDd Of Lieutenant Gracey. 1t successfully
drove back one Of the enemy's gunboats.
TIE ADVANCE.
) Order being restored, the column advanced
| and soon the line Of battle Was formed. Gen
: Clark's division occupied the right and tha
4 | nf fen Rnup1pA The 4efr Tha H1Vpnea ira
: made in four lines, that Of the left over yer,
' rough country, across bitches, through suga
e cane, over fe1ces-a very fatiguing and ex
G hausting march. It Was ten minutes to f1Y
o They were in good position, under cover, AM
it opened out upon our advance with consider
u able precision and effect. It vas, ho weve1
= hut the work Of moment to dislodge them
). Like SO many coveJs Of patridges, they start
y ed up and few rapidly before onr advancing
It cheers, as With fixed bayonets they fol1owe
e the retreatiDg Yankees. The morning Wa
1t quite ioggy and heavy mist hung over th
IS the entire landscape, rendering it difficult t
re plant our batteries 50 as not to operate eithe
u upon one or the other Of our wings. Our ow
u lines were then cCnyerging towards q commo
ir centre, the enemy fleeing towards his camp
H. But it Was not without loss that we TIM
.. drove them in. They, eonght every posslbl
IL covert place, and rallylng, gave q peppery 8
ID lutte to our men. Their batteries we're ais
y admirably handled, and belched forth devast
ID ting columns Of canister, grape, schrapne
N slell and solid shot. One by one. hoHeve
be t1ey were forced to give back. Limber-u
Id and to the rear march, Vas the constant orde
A and bad it not been obeyed, all their gu,
bal would have fallen into our possession A7
re was, the 9TH Louisiana charged battel
v twice, each time at considerable loss, al
be commander, Col. Allen, falling, shot thronE
re both legs. This somewhat demoralized Il
ne regiment, which had already been distinguis
IL ed for its good conduct. Capt. Hughes, col
n, manding the 22d Mississippi. fell dead VIII
nd leading charge; Col. Sam: Boyd, Of the Lo
N. arm the gallant 3lst Mississippi. whfla char
as ing ahead, lost its colors; but the battle f
1e- vas immediately. grasped ey a lieutena!
7ie who, bearing it aloft, was shot down, and
it. But onward went the left. Gen. Ruggles y
ty. conspicuous for daring. and bis aid, Col. Ch:
res Jones of Louisiana, while delivering an ord
no Was struck down by shell and seriou:
,er wounded. Our troops we're nov in the caml
on to .pillage. The Sd, 9Th and 7th Il
me lucky regiments we're going ahead ii
ore q hurricane Nothing. could stop th
ms fearful and determined progress.
oastinate ttin The resistance
. as we're the odds against them, they pre-
cd forward, mostly at q sscharge bayone1
yelling like madmen. Col. a. P. Thompse
of Paducah, 1ell, wounded severely throu
er the neck, and Adjutant R. B. L. Soery, u
~ wounded dangerously Other officers VI
down. but the men marched ahead. After
a-a fall Of Col. Thompson, Col. Ed. Crossla1
lar who lad been leading his brave eth Where'
IL | tie fire Was hottest, assumed cOmmand Of
I Iset brigade, and he discharged this difficult dt
Ia with equal bravery aud skill Capt. Bowm;
~ led the Sd Kentucky, and did it gallant
od Mojor johnson not reaching the field >uati
1s was we'll nigh wop. Lfent. Col. Cofer was
command Of the 9th Kentucky durfog the fl
,re. Of II action Conspicuous tor his daring,
weak from sickness, and scarcely recover
uad from terrible wound received at Shiloh,
IN IN was forced to yield his position to M3jor
,rs L. Clsrke. This young officer was quite eq
400 to the task. He was 1ntreped, skillful :
,en prudent, band brought his men safely out
~ Il ore tbsn one tight place. The IS ii A1Bba
1aa which nad never before been under fire. &C
III. with all the Goodness Of veterans. Its Ct
mander, Col. J. ". Robertson, was as 6,
n posed as Oh dress parade and led his br,
ain, len lta lIso essly eangt: rang aaoad 1, sue
an, W optLitut Col. Goodwin, q young Officer
great promise, The conduct Of this brig
ara. (Preston's) was pre-eminently noble, and
into s.tt tua.o senci ~" Eou ~ uase 1s,p nEsn
A. ately he is confined to his bed with typh
oo' fever, at the residence Of friend, near Clint
IN. Miss. Col Thompson, however, IS acl
~ brigadier, proved gallant and intrepid 9
mander. Of the members Of his staff, G
" p Wa1tera osa 6a.coynr raa xrn,rp