The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-04-17

who laQ endured Inc ure Oh buiteisOn were IN
the ranks before them.
In this Quarter it seemed, for the period of
nearly an hour, that the enemy would succeed
in driving our forces Three different times
they drove our men slowly before them, until
thew came in sight OF the river, and were plainly
visible even to those on the main landing be- |
low.
THE GUNBoAT TAKES HAND,
While the conflict ragged the hottest in the
quarter We were writing Of the gun boat Tyler
passed slowly up the river to point directly
opposite the force Of the enemy, and poured in
a broadsde from her immense guns The shell |
went taring and crashing through the woods, |
falling trees in their course, and spreading
Ea7oc everywhere they fell. The explosions
were tremendous, and the shell falling far in
land, most probably from their direction in the
very heart of the secession force, must have
told with a startling effect At any rate. at
tribute the failure of the foe to carry the left
wing in great measure, to the we'll directed
shots of the Tyler The land force might have
been able to have successfully kept back the
immense weight of the enemy, but from my
observation of the matter, think they were
greatly aided by the we'll directed shots from
the gunbOat.
Up to three o'clock it will be remembered,
the battle had ragged with fury which defes
ueScIlp lloH AT GFeIS pOIAt tho IeDelS Hau
found every attempt to break our lines una
vailing. They had striven to drive in our main
column, but finding that impossible, had turn
ed all their strength upon our left wing. Foil
/ ed in that quarter, they now made another at
tack on the centre and fought like tigers. They
found our lines well prepared for and in full
expectation of their coming; every man at his
post and all willing to bring the contest to a
definite conclusion
In hourly expectation of the arrival of the
forces under Gems. Nelson and Thomas, who
were at Savannah, and to whom messengers
had been sent, fact as well known to the Sc
cessionists as ourselves, they made every effort
to rout our forces before these achievements
should have come forward. They were, how
ever, fighting against wall of fIe and steel,
manned by as brave hearts as ever smelled the
essence of gunpowder Folley answered vol
ley, and for a time the battle of the morning
was re-enacted over the same ground; and
with the same vigor on both sides
At five o'clock there was short cessation in
the firing of the enemy, their lines falling back
in the centre for the distance perhaps, of near
ly halt mile They then suddenly wheeled
and threw the entire force upon the left wing,
determined to make the final struggle of the
day in that quarter. The gunbeat Lexington,
in the meantime had arrived from Savannah,
and after sending messenger to Gen. Grant
to ascertain the direction in which the enemy
lay from the river, the two boats took position
about half mile above the landing, and pour
ed their shell up deep ravine rea ching to the
river on the right. The shots were thick and
fast and told with thrilling effect.
In the meantime General Wallace had taken
a circuitous route from Crumps Landing, and
appeared suddenly on the ight wing Of the
enemy. In face Of this combination of cir
cumstances, the rebels felt that their enterprise
was for the day failure, and as night was
about at hand they slowly fell back fighting as
they went, until they reached an advantageous
position, somewhat in the rear, and yet occu
plying the main road to Corinth. The gun
boats continued to send their shell after them
; until they had entirely got beyond their reach
Thus ends an outline of the battle of the first
day
There is 10 time or opportunity at this hour
to obtain list; or even any accurate knowledge
of our loss by killed, wounded or missing
Some OF our Ohio regiments have suffered Sc
verey, although the number of those severely
wounded is comparatively small Gun shots
in the arms and legs are very plentiful, i
seemingly having been the object to wounG
rather than kill outright, being in adherence t.
the policy that it requires four men to take
care of one wounded, while none are required
to look after the dead.
ARRIVAL OF GEN. BUELL's FORCES.
After a wearied watching of several hours O.
the most intense anxiety, the advance regi
ments OF Gen. Buell's Division appeared OF
the opposite bank Of the river, at Ave O'Clock
? tets afternoon. Steamers were immediatey
sent over, and the work of ferriage began, the
t Both Indiana and the 9th Ohio being the frs
to cross, followed by the main portion of Gen
5 Nelson : Division
They were succeeded by Gen. Bruces com
mand, embracing among others the 1st and &c
+ Kentucky. Cheer after cheer greeted the ar
rival OF the reintorcements, q knowledge o
e their Importance in the crisis being firmly i'm
= pressed upon all who had witnessed the event.
/ of this dreadful day. Without a moments de
n lay they disembarked and marched to the ad
vance, where they rested on their arms for the
f night They had come at double quick from
) Savannah, bat their comrades in the field haC
Q sustained an untlinching fight for fifteen hours
f and they We're glad to relieve them and afford
{ them a few hours rest
, AS sit tonight, whiting this epistle, the
) dead and wounded are all around me. The
| knife OF the surgeon is busy at work. and am
J. putated legs and arms lie scattered in every di
t recton. The cries of the suffering victim, anC
= the groans of those who patiently await fo
u medical attendance, are most distressing t.
!. any one who has any sympathy with his fel
low man. All day long they have been com
= ing IN, and they are placed upon the decks anC
: within the cabins Of the steamers, and where
: ever else they can find resting place, hope
: my eyes may never again look upon suct
i sights Men with their entralis protruding
others with broken arms and legs, others with
bullets in theT breasts and shoulders, one poor
! wretch | found whose eyes had been shot en-
tirely away, All kinds of conceivable wounds
are to be seen, in all parts of the BODY, and
from all varieties ofweapons.
: 1t is midnight, and besides the cries of dis
tress, all is silent save the hourly discharge Of
brOadside from the gunboatS, sending heavy
shells into the vicinity of the enenys camps
l should judge that they are having rather a
, sleepless night under the circumstances The
rain is beginning to fall heavily and merciless-
y on the poor wounded who are exposed to it,
| peltngs, every particle of sheltered space is oc
cupied by them, and yet there are hundreds
who have no protection from the storm Yet
t these are the circumstances incidental to this
terrible war.
There is no use in ende av0ring to deny this
is the great battle of the rebellion. No harder
. fighting has been done in any contest which
has ever taken place in this or any other coun-
try. Soldiers stood at their guns and fed them
With cartridges hour after hour, from early
dawn until sunset. Officers havesbeen present
wherever their presence could afford encour-
bO biISAi ihcAi anu P4IfdIGcs AuuShGG
hand, have hungry, thirsty and WON, fought
with an energy and perseverance which defes
all description, / cannot particulafize, for
among so many, fear l should do injustice by
ommitting to mention them, while they richly
deserve all that could be said of their bravery
and GOODNESS in the hour of danger.
1t might not, perhaps under ordinary cir
cumstances, be proper to mention any case of
apparent cowardice which could occur in such
contest Yeti think that justice demands
that reference be made to new regiment, Ct
spare the name in consideration of the brave
sons of the State,) who had arrived at this
point the day previous to the battle. They
marched to the top of the hill after the battle
had began to wax hot, but soon returned, and
could not be induced to go forward at any time
afterwards. their officers, at a late hour in tho
afternoon, rode among them and entreated that
they fall into line. They told them that their
brothers in arms had bone the brunt of the
Init n all H. H. j