The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-08-23
The Attack OF the Rebels on Baton
Rouge.
TIE ENEMY DEFEATED AND DRIVEN
OFF WITH GREAT SLAUGHTER.

Two highways iaa out Of Baton Rouge
one above ANA one bclnw ON each side of the
town. About IN lie and a half a road cuts
these two roads at right angles, while extend
ing from road to road is large Cemetery,
facing towards the city and looking directly
into the camp Of the Indiana, Massachusetts,
and Connecticut regiments. The front of
tins cemetery is fenced with paling. willie the
cemetery is thiCk!y strcwn with large t"mbs
and "ycr-grown with high rank weeds. This
was the position OF the rebel centre. Our
| centre WAS composed Of the Indiana Twenty
first, the Massachusetts and Connecticut.
drawn mp on the opposite side Of tie roads,
and not more than toriF-iive rods distant
The rebel right approached through corn
fields and over a rolling country. attackcd
With great impctuosity the Fourteenth
Names camp and drove them out, burning
and pilItging the camp in a few minutes
The FunYtccHth Maine rallied, and supported
by the Massachusetts and Minis battery,
returned to the attack and drove the enemy
back with great slaughter. The irrccst part
Of the conflict at this tide Of the battle oc-
Cured before and within a house which the
rebels obstinately determined to get posscg.
sion of. The most conspicuous OF the rebels
AT this place was huge negro, armed and
equipped with knapSaCk, muskct and uniform:
he Led the rebels. and met his death at the
hands Of one of our men. Pressed back hy
our left and our ground regaincd. the battle
ragged in front with desperate tierccness. So
| silently did the rebels approach, and so well
were they concealed, that they were in the
| cemetery and drawn up in battle array with
out our knowing it. With yell they rushed
upto the fence, dashed through it and across
the road. bca ing everything before them
| At one time the opposing forces were hand
| to hand, and orr handful of men were driven
ont OF their camps and back into the town ::
but. rallied on every hand by their officers,
and the cool daring of General " lliams
assisted by the guuhoatS, that began to fire
she'll on each flank vi h perfect accuracy and
deadly effect, our troops bravcly rushed to
the front and drove the entire rebel centre
back across the road into and beyond the
cemetery, from which they were not able
again TO emerge. Four times they made
| desperate efforts to come ont from behind the
tombs and cross the road but each time they
were driven back, until. finally. they were in
! inli panic retreat. Our own men were too
much exhausted to pursue On onr right. in
the meantime, the rebels under General
| Clarke, made a desperate effort to flank MS
and get in our rear 1t here that the
admirable gcncralShjp of Williams displayed
| ltSHlf Anticipating this very movement. he
had placed Mauniug's battery of six pieces.
supported by the Wisconsin and Vermont
regiments, while the Michigan regiment was
strongly pos cd at the crossing Of the roads.
and commanding the entire approach Of the
cnemy's left. Here the battle ragged nercrly.
and after the rebels flank movement was
rcpnlsed and driven back not to return !;
| here il was that the gallant general fell at the
| head Of the Indiana and VI Chgln re- gimentn ;
hnt not before victory had lighted up that
| tine. manly face with its glow of triumph.
am convinced that had Williams not fallen he
| have trS rn V,I th,, lb1 ,t Ia hal
| forces. BY 10 \. NJ. the fire had C aSed. and
| the enemy had retired with haste. and left
| over three hundred of his dead on the field of
battle. Every one of his dead was buried
by orr men except many who died in the
retreat. or were killed by the long reaching
shells Of our gnnhoats. The field presented
| evidences OF the desperation Of the comhats
| at the crossing Of the roads where the rebels
| had cndravorcd to flank us, and where they
| were met by the Indiana and Michigan regi-
| n"mts. The men fought hard. Those who
had lost their arms ore Oft the rails from the
| fences. More than one rebel was found dead
who had been killed in this way. In one
| spot behind "A beautiful tomb, with cilgics of
! infant children kncclng. twelve dead rebels
were found in one heap. Everywhere they
Strcwrd the earth. and made CHASTITY the
quiet graveyard under which they soon lay
victims to II madness which, if much longer
persisted in, will make the entire land red
with blood for the rebellion must be crushed.
| if We have 10 us, the last. most certain. Int
| most fatal weapon LETT US.
| ,,,,,, ,,,,,..,. -, ,,,. ...-.-
''' W linz "h"'." NAH N"NNN'A''
" me inc hrihg was going on smoke was
seen up 'he river behind a bend. 1t was
aScertaihed that 1t proceeded from the rebel
ran, ran, Arkansas, I'D pursuance OF me programme
'"'i uo"n 10! h''f 10 attack Inc mon vessels
"n''c 'h'II '"hu forces were aca'ing win "nr
| .'""Ps' ~ See,'S' however. 'ha' the com
n'"h"e' VI me- ARKANSAS ih"hght better OF the
"a' 'c,' anu ''" NOT venture Gown; i"r 'hrrc
was '"' G"'"' ram ESSEN rs wen as the
"'"c' e""ooa'S' reao! 10 give her warm
| 49, P''""' anu III "'s,' 'h' oii'ceIs "i the
| u"lo" rtSH''S "ohuerc" "hcfc we ARKANSAS
""o. i"'" curiosity p'llS stimulated ny me
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