The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-04-18
BATTLE OF PITTSRIRG LANDING.
Gsn. Graas's official Repsrt.
HEADQUARTERS DlsrHIcr WEsr TEssEssEg.
lIrrsBC No Atrii q 1872

fifrsEGko, Apfn " 1882. ~
Capt n. II. NcLean, A. A. Gen. Dep'f
u the IHiss,ssippa, 81. Losis., Mo.
CAPTAIN 1t becomes my duty again to
report another bsttle, fought between two
great armies, one contending for the main
tenance OF the best Government ever de-
yised, the other for its destruction. 1t
Is pleasant 70 record the success of the
army coutendiDg for the former principle.
On Sunday morning our pickets were
attacked and driven IN by The enemy.-
Immediately the five divisions stationed
al this place were drawn up in line of bat
tie ready TO meet them. The battle soon
Xaxcd warm on the left and centre, vary
ing at.times 10 all parts OF the line.
Ihe most continuous firing Of mnsket
ry and artillery ever heard On this cont.
nent WAS kept up until nightfall, the enc
my having forced the entire line to fall
back nearly half way from their camps 10
the landing. At late hour in the after
noon desperate effort was made BY the
enemy to turn our left and get possession
Of the landing, transports, &c. This point
was guarded by the gunboats Tyler and
Lexington, Caplain Gwynn and Shiik,
Y. .. N, commanding, tour 20-ponnder
Parrott guns, and q battery Of rifled guns.
As there is deep and impossible rayine
for artillery or cavalry, and very difficult
for infantry 1t this point, no troops were
stationed here except the necessary artill-
erists, and small infantry force tor their
support. just at this moment tnea ad-
vance Of Maj. Gen. Buell. column "a part
Of the division Of Gen. Nelson) arrived,
the two Gencrals named both being pres
ent An advance was immediately made
upon the point Of attack. and the enemy
soon driven back. In this repulse, much
is due to the presence of the gnnboats Ty-
ler and lexington and their able eommala-
ders, Captains Gwynn and Shirk. Dur
ing the night the divisions under Gener-
ais Crittendcn and McCook arrived.
Gen. Lew Wallace, at Crump's Land
ing, six miles below, was ordered at an
early hour IN the morning 70 hold his d.
vision in readiness to be moved in any d.
rection to which it might be ordered. At
about Ii o'clock the order was delivered
to move it up to Pittsburg. but owing to
its being led by circuitous route, did not
arrive in time TO take part in Sundays
action. During the night all was quiet,
and feeling that great moral advantage
would be gained by becoming the attack
ing party, an advance was ordered as soon
as day dawncd. The result was gradual
repulse Of the enemy at all points Of the
line, from morning until probably 5 O clock
in the afternoon, when It became evident
that the enemy was resreatiDg.
Before the close OF the action, the ad-
vance OF Gen. u. j. Moods division ar
rived, in time 70 take part in the action.
My force was too much fatigued from two
days hard fighting, and exposed in the
open air to drenching rain during the
intervening night, to pursue immediately.
Night closed in cloudy and with heavy
rain, making the roads impraosicable for
artillery BY the next morning. General
Sherman, however, followed the enemy.
finding that the main part Of the army had
retreated in good order. Hospitals Of