The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-19

little over half mile of the Landing Behind
US was deep, rapid river. Before us wac vic.
torious enemy. And still there was an hour for
fighting. ..0h, that night or Butcher would
come !" oh. that night or Lev Wallace would
come! Nelson's division of Buell's army evi-
IDENTITY couldn't cross in Time TO do " much
good. We didn't yet know whether Lew. Wal
lace wasn't on the ground. In the justice Of
righteous cause, and in that semi circle Of TWEEN
ty,two gums In position lay all the hope we
could sec.
Suddenly broad, .sulphurous fash of light
Ieapcd out from TIE darkening woods; and tnro
the glare and smoke came whistling the leaden
hail. The rebels were making their GROWING
effort for the day, and, as was expected when
our guns were hastily placed, they came from
our left and center. They had wasted their hre
at 900 Yards Instantaneously our deep-mouth-
ed bulldogs flung out their sonorous response
The rebel artillery opened, and shell and round
shot came tearing across the open space back OF
the bluff May be forgiven for the malicious
thought, but certainly did wish one or two
might drop behind the bluff among the skulkers
lowering under the bill at the rivers edge.
Very handsome was the response our broken
infantry battalions poured in. The enemy soon
had reason to remember that, if not
"Still in their ashes live the wonted fires,
at least still in the fragments lived the ancient
yalor that had made the short-lived rebel sue
cesses already cost so dear.
THE WORK OF SUNDAY NIGHT.
With the exception of the gunboat lombard
ment, the night seemed to have passed in entire
quiet. A heavy thunderstorm had come up about
midnight, and though we were all shivering over
the ducking, the surgeons assured US that bet
ter thing could not have happened. The ground,
they said, was covered with wounded not yet
Conn3 vhop upra uuabia hrinp from
the field. The moisture would to some extent
cool the burning, psrching thirst which is one
of the chief terrors of lying wounded, and help
less on the battle field, and the falling water was
the best dressing for the wounds
Tie regiments of BuelIs division we're still
disembarking at the Landing. Many had taken
their places; the rest hurried on out as fast as
they landed and fell in to the of their brig
ade lines, for reserves. | stood for few mo-
mcnts at the Landing, curious to see how these
fine fellows would march out to the field where
they knew reverses had crowded SO thickly upon
US the day BEFORE and where many Of them must
lie down to sleep their last sleep the sum- then
rising, should sink again. There was little of
that vulgar vanity of yaor which was 80 conspic-
uous in all the movements of our rawer troops
eight or nine months ago. There was no noisy
and senseless yelling, no shouting Of boasts no
calling on onlookers to "show US where the cow
ardly secesh is, and we'll clean 'em out double
quick" These men understood the work before
them; they went to it as brave men should do.
| terminediy, hopefully, calmly.
1t soon became evident that the gunboat bonn.
bardment through the night had not been with
out most important effect in changing the very
conditions under which We renewed the struggle.
The sun had gone down with the enemy's lines
clasping US tight on the centre and left, pushing
US to the river and leaving US little over half a
| mile out into all the broad space we had held in
| the morning. The gunboats had cut the coils
and loosened the construction. As we soon
| learned, their shells had made the old position
| of our extreme left, which the rebels had been
| pleasantly occupying, utterly untenable. Instead
Of being able to slip up US through the night,
as they had probably intended they were com.
PEELED to fall back from point to point; each
| time, as they had iotn places they thought out
| of range, shell would come dropping in; no.
where within range could they lie, but the troub.
lesome visitors would fiud them out and, to end
the matter, they fell back beyond our inner camps
and thus lost more than half the ground they
had gained by our four o'clock retreat the after
noon before.
! Less easily accounted for was a movement OF
theirs on our right They had held here a steep
bluff, covered with underbrush, as their advanc.
ed line. Through the night they abandoned this,
which gave them the best possible position for
opposing Lew. Wallace. and had fallen back
across some open fields to the scrub.oak woods
beyond. The advantage of compelling our ad-
vance over unprotected openings, while they
maintained sheltered position, was obvious,
but certainly not SO great as that of holding a
height which artillery and infantry would make
as difficult to take as many fort Nevertheless
they fell back.
THE GuNBoATs OPEN FIRE.
The rebel infantry gained no ground, but the
furious cannonaliDg and musketry continued
Suddenly new actors entered on the stage. Our
Cincinnati wooden gunboats, the A. o. Taylor
and the Lexington, who had been all day impa-
tiently chatting for their time to come. The op-
portunity was theirs. The rebels were attack.
ing on our left, lying where Stuarts Brigade had
lain on Licking creek, in the morning, and
stretching thence in on the Hamburg road, and
across toward our old centre as far as Hurlbut's
camps. Steaming up to the mouth OF the lit.
| tie creek the boats rounded to. There was the
ravine, cut through the bluff as if on purpose
for their shells.
Eager to avenge the death of their command.
ing General (now known to have been killed
couple of hours before), and to complete the
victory they believed to be within their grasp,
the rebels had incautously ventured within
reach of their most dreaded antagonists, as
|
and sixty -four pound shot soon taught them
This was a foe they had hardly counted on, and
| the unexpected fire in flank and rear sadly dis
concerted their well laid plans The boats fired
admirably, and with rapidity that was aston
ishing. Our twenty-five land guns kept up their
stormy thunder; and thus, amidst a crash and
roar, and scream of shells, and demon-like hiss
of Minnie balls, that Sabbath evening wore
away We held the enemy at bay; it was enough.
| The prospect for the morrow was forboding, but
sufficient unto the day is tho evil thereof. We
had had plenty of evil that day---of course,
| therefore, the text was applicable. Before dark
the 30th Indiana, from Nelson's advance brigade
| had crossed, advanced into line with Grants
| forces at the double quick, and had put in four.
| teen rounds as an earnest of what should be
| forthcoming on the morrow
The enemy suddenly sackened his fire. His
| grand object had been defeated; he had not fin.
| shed his task in day; but there is evidence
that officers and men alike shared the confidence
that their morning assault would be final.
As the sounds of battle died away, and Divi-
| sion Generals drew of their men, Buell. had ar
| rived and Lew Wallace lad been heard FROM
| Both would be ready by morning, a council of
| war was held, and it was decided that as soon
| as possible after daybreak we should attack the
enemy. now snugiy quartered in our camps
Lew. Wallace who was coming in on the new
road from Cramps Landing, and crossing Snake
| creek just above the Illinois Wallace's wv. H.
L camps, was to take the right and sweep back
toward the position from which Sherman had
been driven on Sunday morning. Nelson was
to take the extreme left. Buell. promised to put
| in Tom Crittendep, next to Nelson, and McCook
| next to him, by a seasonablc hour in the morn
ing. The gap between McCook and Lew Wal
lace was to be filled with the reorganized divi-
sions OF Grants old army; Hurlbut coming
next to McCook then McGlernand and Sher-
man closing the gap between McClernand and
Lew Wallace.
WANT OF SYSTEM ON OUR SIDE
The reader who is patient enough to wade
though this narration will scarcely fail to OBJ.
serve that thus far / have said little or nothing
of any plan of attack or defense among our
commanders. 1t has been simply because I
have failed to see any evidences of such plan
To me it seemed on Sunday as if every Division
General at least--not to say, in many cases, ev.
cry individual soldier-imitated the good old
Israelitish plan of action. by which every man
did what seemed good in his own eyes, There
mag have been an infinite amount of general.