Litchfield enquirer., 1862-03-06

 hours-ii now gaining little, but upon the whol' obliged to retire. Officers and men dropped ol all sides. Field officers were borne killed ant wounded from the field, and their next in com mand coolly took their place and continued tn, fight Lieut.. Col. White, of the Thirty-first Lieut.. Col. Smith of the Forty.eighth, Lieut. Col. Irwin, of the Twentieth, and Major Post o the Eighth Illinois, and scores of company off cers were all killed, gallantly leading on theil men.
 Colonels Logan, Lawler and Ransom were wounded, but yet firm in their determination never to yield. .s.
 And still with unyielding courage the gallant Illinoisans and Indianians would not acknowl edge themselves vanquished. When the last cartridge had been expended, and orders were given to retire for other regiments to take theil place, soldiers, grim with smoke and powder would angrily inquire .for ashat, and beg to be allowed to use the bayonet. But it was not ir the power of mortal men, occupying the posi- tion ours did, and exposed to such raking ar tillery fire as the enemy bjected them to, te maintain their ground against the overwhelming force which the rebels continued to push agains them.
 Ogleby's, W. H. L. ~wallace's, and McAr thurs brigades were successively obliged to re tire; portion of Swartz's and McAllister's batteries had been lost and gained, and lost again, and it was not until the advancing enemy had reached Crafts Brigade, and Taylor's and Willard's batteries could be brought into action that we were able to stem the tide. These two batteries outdid themselves. Grape, canister and shrapnell, and an uninterrupted musketry fire from the First Nebraska, Forty-eighth ant Fifty-eighth Ohio, proved too much for the SC far victorious foe, and they at last were obliged to retire.
 By this time it was noon. General Grant hat just returned from the landing, where he had conference with General Foote. That office had informed the General that it was impossibl, for him to put his gunboats in condition t. make an attack for several days at least. Not withstanding this, upon being. informed of tho severe repulse our troops had met: with in the morning, he saw that some immediate action or our part was necessary to retrieve the day.
 He immediately gave orders to his Generals o1 Divisions to prepare for an immediate and gen eral attack along the entire lines. The regi ments which had suffered most severely in the morning were withdrawn. General Lew Wal. lace was given division composed of two regi. ments of his own brigade (the Eighth Missouri and Eleventh Indiana) and several other regi ments, whose loss in the morning had been but slight, and was given the job of clearing the ground we had lost ill the morning, while Gen Smith, commanding the left, received orders tc storm the works under which his division was lying.
 GEN. SMITHS ASSAULT.
 Gen. Smith is emphatically fighting man and as may be imagined, the events of the morn ing had tended to decrease in no measure his pugnacity. When he received his long desired orders for an assault on the enemy's works, his eyes glistened with a fire which, could 1t have been seen by his maligners, would have left them in no doubt as to his private feelings in regard to the present contest. All the arrangements were complete by 3 o'clock, and his column was put in motion soon after. The force under hi. command was as follows:
 Col. Cook's B,igade-Seventh Illinois, Fifti eth Illinois, Twelfth Iowa, Thirteenth Missouri Fifty-second Indiana.
 Col. Ldunsan's Brtgade-Second Iowa, Sev ana, Fifty-sixth Indiana.
 Under cover of Capt. Stones Missouri Bate ry, this force began the assault. It was formi. dable undertaking, which, under less brave and skillful commander than Gen. Smith, might have proved disastrous failure.
 The hills at this point are among the most precipitous of all those upon which the enemy were posted. Selecting the Second and Seventh Iowa, and the Fifty-Second Indiana for the storming party, Gen. Smith defected the main portion of his division to the right, and having succeeded in gaining the attention of the enemy at this point, himself headed the storming par ty, and advanced upon the works from his ex treme left. It was a most magnificent sight Unappalled by the perfectstorm of bullets which rained about him, the General on horseback, and with his hat on the point of his sword, pre- ceded his troops, and inspired them with furo- re there was no standing with.
 Steadily, with unbroken line, the gallant Hawkeyes and Indianians advanced. The enc my's grape and canister came blowing through their ranks, but not shot was fired in return Closing up their ranks as one after another oi the brave fellows dropped to the earth, and ami mated by the fearless example of their undaunt gained, one tremendous volley was poured into the astonished enemy, and, with fixed bayonets 8 charge was made into their ranks which there was no withstanding. They fed in confusion over the hills, and at last we had penetrated the rebel Sebastopol, and the misfortunes of the morn ing were retrieved. Capt. Stone's battery, which in the meantime, had been doing tremendous execution in the rebel ranks, vas promptly ad yaHcing to the position gained, and instantly supported by the remainder of his division, tn, point was secured against any force the enem, could bring to bear against it.
 GEN. LEW. wALLACE's ATTACK ON THE RIGHT.
 In the meantime, Gen. Lew. Wallace hai completed his preparations for an attack on the enemy occupying the position he had wresteo from us ill the morning, some two miles and 6 half to the right. Just as his column was being put in motion, a messenger arrived with the joyful tidings that Smith was inside of the en trenchments. With cheer that resounded> fal and near, the irrepressible Eighth Missouri and Eleventh Indiana, which occupied the front, ad vanced on double-quick into the encounter they had been so long seeking. These two regi ments, from their superiority in drill and fight ing capacities, have been considered a " crack corps," and most nobly did they uphold to the letter their enviable reputation.
 They did not tarry long to bother with pow der and ball, but with 9 shout of itself terrific enough to appal their foes, gave them the colo steel with will which will long be remembered She'll and round shot, grape and canister, wert hurled at them in vain. Valiantly supported by the First Nebraska, Thirteenth Missouri and other regiments of Co.'s. Thayer's and Craft Brigades, steady advance was made, until b, dusk the ground, which had been so hotly con tested in the morning, was ours again, and ono more the rebels were forced to seek the protect ing shadow of their earthworks.
 The effect of these successes upon the army IL n