The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-04-26
The Ptsesnurx S.rpr,.e.

The PisssburE Surprise.
The New York Tri5sse says that Rev.
Robert Collycr. who went up TO Pittsbarg
! Landing with one Of the first boats sent with
comforts for the wounded in the late battle
there. contributes to the Chicago Tribxss
some interesting details Of what he saw and
learned there. With regard to the bring
ing on Of the first days battle he says:
| Among those 2S5 Wounded men. many
of them officers III intelligence. gathered
the only clear idess and conslusions was
able TO come to. concerning the battle.
will give them as got them. They were
So evidently the true CONVICTIONS OF the men
tia, listen to them with the deepest inter-
est. not so much because they must be true
| Though think tina, is o; great value. bus
above al, because ,hst is the way the fight
ers think. no, individually. but in masses
First. all who said anything about it. said
thu, the fa'sl surprise of Sunday morning
was the result of objectionable negligsncs
en- the part Of the commanders. The men
themselves knew that the woods all about
him were swarning with the enemy { I qlote
the exact phrases;) but there was no effort
made to ge, a clear knowledge Of the real
condition Of things, and not even . picket
guard sent ont until perhaps Saturday, and
this knowledge of a certain danger was near
them. for which their officers made no pro-
vision, the men felt unsteady aud unstsuug.
Ii they could have known exactly what vas
hidden among the trees and raviues. they
would have had better courage to graPple
with it wheu il sprung upon them. So
when the enc ny came stormin with teroo
determined onslsuyh t. almost without par
allel in battles. they were taken at . double
advantage. They were outnumbered and
dispiri,ed at the same time. Second. the
battle on Sunday was bslly managed
The men said TO me: 1--WE would have
fought we mean to light: We want to Eight
we will fight. but we were outi.nkcd every
time. Just as sure rs we made stand We
had to fight superior numbers: but where
they could do as they liked, and We could
only do as we could. We did run away.
we won't deny IL we got under the bank aud
stayed there; we could no, come out. Why?
Because it was no use. Ii man gives his
life he wants to get the worth OF it. Third
the Tennessee. river. the gun boats and Col.
Webster saved Grants division on Sunday
from second Bulls Run annihilation.-
The river held the troops in, and the bat
teries. skilinlly placed by COL Webster pro-
tected them till Buell. come up. Nota man
or steamboat, probably would have been
left but for these cannon. Fourth. The
same men who had run on Sunday. went in
with Bue'rs men on Monday. Fragments
of regiments patched together in the haste
Of the morning gathered new spirit when they
knew what they had to do; and the Uni.
verse testimony is that they fought we'll
never men fought better than those that
went back to fight again. Fifth. The bat
tie on Monday ,pas a battle on the part OF
the enemy in which he apparently did his
utmost before he began to retreat He did
not mean to retreat. but he had to do SO
because we beat him back. Still, while on
the Sunday we were routed. on the Monday
he retreated and was not routed. His re-
treat was we'll done. Such is the universal
testimony. The cavalry made very little
impression on him in the retreat, for three
reasons: First, his forces were well order.
ed; second, the roads were bad for cavalry;
and, third. they could not tell what sort OF
trap might be set for them in the woods.
inquired diligently after the idea Of the men
as to the final result. and it was that We are
about where We were a week before the bat
tie with a loss of {. 1000 men: killed. wound
ed and missing. Yet that with every de.
sire to see fair. the prestige Of the battle re.
mains fin rally with our forces. As soon -
We fought at all on ecua! terms. our men
beat them without the shadow OF doubt
The men every where. 4 wounded and
we'll are in good heart. l saw no sligo Of
depression any where beyond what comes
out of pain and loss OF blood. The men
look serious. as If they had gr ,wn older;
but did not speak to . man who did NOS
say We can beat the enemy every time five
get fair play