Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-10-09

the roar OF artillery, our boys routed them
in every instance. Again the enemy at.
tempted to turn our right flank, but the 81
Michigan cavalry, Col. Misner, took posi-
ton on the extension Of our extreme right
and repulscd them with great loss. A dense
cloud ofsmokc now enveloped the engaging
forces 80 that it was impossible to distin
gush friend or foe but the balls Kept pouring
in ike hail stones, cnning on the twigs OF
trees, and throwing up the dirt in all dircc
tions. There was no Iuing in the fire. a
thousand Niagaras seemed concentrating
their mighty SOUND, while the earth fairly
trcmtcd beneath the tread Of tho combat
ants. No words can convey proper des.
crip,ion of the magnitude Of the strife. The
rebels resorted to many trcacherous devices
to get within our lines, and once or twice
they appeared with Union flags. Threo
desperate attempts were made to capture
tho jth lowa's stand Of colors, but it was
no 90. The gallant boys who have march
ed under their folds for sixteen months had
no idea freinquishing them to rebel hands,
and they rallied and fought, and struggled
with the most glorious heroism. BY this
time the carriages were running low, but
the brave Col. Matthias, who never exhibit
ed more sang trom and coolness in his life,
still held them TO their work. He was well
aware Of their critical position but knew
that il he abandoned the field the day was
lost Al this junclure the 9Th was relieved
by the llth and 26ih Missouri, who stood
np nobly and poured in a nurdef0us fire,
till darkness put an end to the conflict.
ticnernls noseerans, Hamilton and Sulli-
van, were continually on the ground expos
cd to heavy fire, urging and animating the
troops by their presence. Gen. Hamilton \
horse was killed under him, anil he also had
narrow escape, MIME ball shattcring his
sword belt, They are entitled to the highest
praise and confidence Of the soldiers and
people. Gen Grant was TO effect inIc
tion with his division from Corinh, but
4 Failed to arrive III tine, the rebels having
ohsiructed The road by foling trees, so that
| his progress was slow.
The rebel force consisted of two divisions
under Gei. Price, aud it was their intention
to crash us before Grant could render any
o .istauco. In this they were most wof,tlly
| disappointed, as they were compeled to
abandon the field. leaving thor dead and
wounded. and falling back, as is supposed,
to Tupello The actual time that our forces
were engaged was one hour and quarter.
though to those who were in the hottest oi
the fire il Id not seem over ten minutes. -
! The lth Oh0 battery suffered severely. Oh
one hundred and thirty men who went into
the engagement, but twenty are unhurt
while nearly every horse was killed. Tho
enemy succeeded in capturing some of the
guns but they were re-capturod the next
morning with three other pieces.
| When darkness put an end to the con.
| fct the battle-ground was occupied by our
troops, and all expected renewal Of hos.
| til 10. All ofthe troops stood to arms,
but when the sun rose at last clear and glo
lious, and the mist and battle smoke that
hung languishly over field and forest was
cleared away, M enemy was to be found. -
The echoes Of the cha longing cannon that
had been planted in the night, spoke on
loud and defiant, but failed to provoke a re
ply. The battle was over and the victcr,
complete. But few prisoners were takei
on the field. They all agreed that the rob
cl force was much larger than ours bu
said that it was impossible for any troons tc
withstand our fire. The 9th Missouri rebe
regiment was almost annihiated, while
whole brigades were so cut to pieces that
they could not be rallied again. Brieadicr
| General Little was killed, while all OF theiI
! field officers of lesser note were disabled. -
| The rebel los, cannot fall short of 800 in
Of their dead were buried by our men on
the the field. have no means Of ascer
tanning the total loss on our side, but do no,
think it will exceed five hundred As cv
idence that the rebels were badly bpaton
they left all Of their wounded and prisoner,
that they had captured at Iuka, not ever
taking the trouble to parole the latter The
whole Of their retrea. was complete rout
and il is doubtful whether Price nan eve,
collect his scattered forces SO as to make
another stand in the State. If he is prop.
erly followed up and not allowed to fortif
himself in any position, the war will, in
deed, be virtually closed in tho Southwes.
in less than four weeks
The officers in many of our regiment:
have suffered sorely. Col. Boomer, of the
26Lh Missouri, Ind his arm shattered by .
ball. Col Eddy, of tho S0th Ohio, was
slightly wounted; Aaiutant Patterson, o
tho 5th Iowa, received an honorable scar
aud many others whose names do not re-
collect, but who will be held in lasting re-
membrane bya grateful posterity. And
then the long, long sad list OF privates whose
forms now lilo low on the battle field, who
died the death of the glorious, with their
breasts to the foe, who never hinchcd or
murmured in the leaden storm, arc thew not
immortalized2 The 9th Iowa suffered the
most, as thoy wero in the advance, and bore
the brunt Of the conflict Had they retreat
ed or even wavered, the day would have
been irretrievably lost. OF four hundred
and torty's who went into the action, two
hundred and sixteen are killed and wounded.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
Now came the melancholy task of attend
ing to the wounded and burying the dead,
and now for the first time the horrors of war
were fully apparent. Many of tho former
had lain on tho field all night, and their
sulferings were inconceivable. | directed
my footsteps to where the battery was
planted, for there tho strife had been most
hot aud bloody. Never shall forget the
sight which met my gaze. On every side
were ghastly corpses stfIened, with their
rigid features turned upwards, and the
warm, bright sunlight playing over them. -
Some were laying down as if they sank
peacefully TO rest, with arms folded on their
breast, or placed naturally by their side. -
Others had been struck while loading their
guns and died with them firmly grasped in
their hands. Here was a man, once strong,
healthy, vigorous, in the prime Of life, with
the. hands clcnched till the nails entered the
flesh, and teeth set hard, who bad died In