Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-18


DAVID HUNTER, Major General, &c.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE PITTS.
BURG BATTLE AS WITNESSED FROM
THE GUNBOATS.
The following spirited description, written by
Washington boy bm fifteen years old, will be
recognized as the best yet written-so far as his
limited points OF observation extended-of the
battle OF ittsburg Landing:
PIrrsBURG, Tenn, April MONDAY night
My Dear -: Yesterday and to-day was
fough the greatest battle fought during this war
II is impossible for me to attempt to describe It,
for as yet we know nothing positive, and I sup
pose that the frat details we will get of the fight
will be through the newspapers.
Twill give you an account Of what part The gun.
boats took In the fight; and Gen. Wilson and all
the officers acknowledge that but for us The enemy
would now be In possession of Pittsburr.
Yesterday morning we were laying at Crumbs
Landing, tabout three miles beloY PIttsburg, J
when we heard cannonading up the river None
Of US thought anything Of 1t until a steamer came
down. and called out in passing that they were
fighting up at Pittsburg. We then got under
way, and stood up the river, and came to near the
Tyler, which was laying about half mile above
Pittsburg. We saw soldiers coming by twos aud
three all along the bank OF the river, some with
guns and others without. The cannonading In
the meantime was incessant, apparently about
two miles back OF the river, and occasional dis
charges Of musketry. We sent a boat ashore at
Pittsburg, but they could tell nothing bu, that
Gen. Prentiss had been surprised and six Of his
batteries taken. We hailed the men on shore
but they all told different Stories some saving that
our troops were being cut all 10 pieces. When
asked why they had left the field, they replied
that they had been sent back being unable 10
do duty. Meme Of them evidently knew any thing
for they had run away without firing a gun In
about two hours as many as two hundred came
through the woods to the river bank, and seeing
the gunbOats felt that they were SAFE and most Of
them stretched themselves out 10 take a snooze
Everybody on board was hi ghly exasperated with
them. We returned to Crump's Landing about 10
to see IL we could hear any thing OF Gen Wal
lace's division. The banks of the river from
Pittsburg to Crumps were lined with the towards;
some lounging along towards Crumps and Others
laying In the shade under the trees and bushes
Very few of them had guns, as they had thrown
away everything to run faster. One big strspping
fellow was anding staring stupidity at the boat
with nothing In the world on but a white flannel
undershirt. was glad to notice one thing, that
Is that not single officer could be seen among
them. Arrived at Crumps no news of Gen Wal.
lace, for not single one OF bis men had come
back. We laid there till p m when hearing
the Of cannon increase, IL possible we got
under way and stood up the river; banks lined "a
before with our brdrs soldiers. We went IN
little above Pittsburg to Join the TYLER We Law
to q short time when q shot came whizzIng over
our boats, and then they. commenced to fall
around NJ In the water pretty thick. We opened
hre-the Tyler and this vessel-in the direction
the shot came from, and for about uarter Of an
hour we kept up very brisk cannonading (As
/ write Capt Shirk has Just returned from the
Tyler, where he has seen Gems Grant and Mel.
this night laying dead and wounded on the field
Of battle; and the steamboats, LAYING here are full 10
OVERLOOKING Of wounded; but there will be a good
many places vacated to night. Il is just dark
M Int 10
more shots came, and as We were afraid of kill.
ing our own men, for We could not ten TO whom
the cannon that we heard belonged we ceased
firing We dropped down to Pit.burg, and
there got word from General Grant that our men
were rapidly losing ground, and that the enemy,s
shell were already falling Into Pittsburg. There
Is nvine separates Pitt.burg from hill abou.
thousand yards off and the enemy had gained
possession Of II, for we could see the flashes Of
their guns a. they fred into a battery which was
replying to them from Pittsburg. This was the
time that we, by our fire, saved the whole army:
for just as We opened Gre on the rebels our men
l were begi inning to abandon the battery in Pitts
burg, and thus all would have been lost, for
they. g. the rebes--weuld have completely
| outhanked our army on the left, got between our
center and the river. and all the steamers and
stores assembled at Pittsburg would have fallen
into their possessions; in fact they would have
bagged the whole army. head and tail; but We
poured such heavy and destructive fire into
them that we dismOunted two of their guns
killed great many Of their men, and although
~ we have since learned, we killed about 20 of
our own troops, we checked their advance en-
tisely. All our firing had been altogether at ran
aom, 20, The foliage and trees were SO thick on
Were entirely hidden from our view. As one OF
our officers said Tonight: ''Our shell must have
been guided by the hand Of God, since they
achieved such great results" 1t was by this time
dark, and the aring had nearly ceased on both
sides.
We got orders to FIRE q. Intervals of Eve minutes
all night. The Tyler to Ere until one O'Clock and
then we to take &c up until daybreak, bu, as we
only had about LOO shell all told and nearly All
of them Eve second fuses we only fred every
fifteen minutes. And thus ended the Hrst DAYS
fgbt
General Buel's advance had arrived few days
before at Savannah, and his main body were ana
are arriving constantly. ! suppose, OF course,
Gen. Grant Immediately sent for reinforcements |;
for about one p. m. troops began 10 arrive from a
en-miles' march from Savannah, assiy and tired
for ali day long the sun had been intensely hos
6enerals Nelson and they say Buei arrived, AND
were ferried over about S p m. General Nelson,
on bis arrival, went Immediately Into the field
and slept all last night under tree, with mother
earth for bed, and dark and lowering clouds fer
canopy, and thunder and lightning to lgll him
to sleep; for never heard II rain so heavily az it
did last night All night long, boats continued
to arrive with troops but IL it had not been for
the gunboats, IL would have been too late for, to
show you how utterly unprepared the army was
for this attack, the rebels attacked Cen Prentss
division early In the morning, but General Grant
did not arrive from savannah until 10 80 4. a.
no enc thought OF sending word 70 him to come
up; and The Arst be heard Of the fght WA by the
cannonading. 80
am tined now, and Il II IL getting late; %
VIZ write an account Of ts-days hs BIT tomorrow
The posiroa % Affairs to night a. far a. we can
Learn, u this: The .ssny have retrea,ed ave
nile BACK General Buzz, vita fresh army Of
1880 men, 10 ready to pufsue them bVNSreak ~
day gensrai Beauregard Is rnmored to hays
been taken prisoner, with both arms shot On Al.