The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-04-24
The Hattie Of PlttSburg.
Lntcr News and Farther Particulars.

Unless very much mistake tho hunor !
of your readers, they Will much prefer to
learn the Impression produced upon the
mind of an actual eye witness of great
battle field, to general sumnrcy of statis
tics, which will come in u march moro
and complete tprIu, through all
o0ilal chauncl. \ bare statement of forces
engaged will convey an arithmotical idea
oG the magnitude oi the action. \ diagram
of tho situation and strategy will represent
a great game with human chess men, but
they tell YOU nothing of the desperate ranr-
or. the hcruisrn, or the closing DISSOLUTION
and gloom, which make up the tragedy of
the baltic field Victory, ua it thrills
through the telegraph in tho dispatch from
liradluartcra, is note of glalucSs, hut
here. mingl;ug with the tidings of triumph,
are the sights of human shamhles. i'll the
hospital. the dead houses, the buried trench
es and the CORY field
The scene last night, As it loomcd mp
across the river, glimmcring with hudrcds of
lights. shrouljng in darkness the hospitals
and sOldiery, almost silent but for the oc-
casional stroke of u bell, was peaceful and
soothing. You might easily imagine IT u
thriving mart of merchandise, busy with
the friendly pursuits of commerce.. The
good old times of peace seem to have come
again. And then rushcs back, like great
shadow, the remembrance of yestcrday.
How many soldiers Of the loa5ion far and
wide, through field, forest and glcn clammy
with the dcwS of the night The silence
there is awful; it is the hush of u vast
graveyard How many poor follows arc
wearing away the hours, through tent and
cabin in painful tossings and dyings! On
the top of the bluff under the starlight,
what a ghustly rank and file are stretched
out - gallant colonel and unknown private
- side hy sdo What thousands OF eyes
are accplcss and hearts bleeding, i'll the
terrible suspense concerning father and
brother!
When last wrote you, ON Monday eve
ming, my accounts were written at random,
and were from the necessities of the case,
partial and somewhat confused Reflect
for moment that the forces engaged could
have fallen hut little below 100000 mon,
comprising the Hover of the Southern army,
under Generals A. :. Johnston, Beauregard,
Bragg, and probably Van Dorm. The old
soldiers of Bowling Green, Decatur and Pen
gacOla, being the entire available force OF
the Southwest on the one side, and the whole
of Gen. Grants command, and nearly all OF
Gen. Buell's, comprising the muscle and sim
our lines extended for at least eight or ten
miles, and were constantly swayinS back
ward or forward through space of fIom
two to four miles, with the exception of
here and there an open field, through forest
and undulating country, rendering anything
like birds eye view out of the question ;
that the battle ragged, with Il brief Iull at
night from three o'clock Sunday morning
until four Monday evening that the for
tunes Of the day were markably various, Vi
b.ating between what seemed to he almost
defeat and victory; above all, consider the
fever of excitement everywhere bursting
ont into endless rumOrs and canards, and
you have some conception of the amount OF
material from which one has 10 eliminate
the facts. | ann willing to confess, too, that
the effect OF the scenes which presented
| themselves on my arrival was sickcnug and
stupcfying, and not such as to tit me Tor .
very clear statement OF the transaction, IL
! such could have bcen obtained.
! The entire particulars of the engagement
/ so far as learned, are br ely these
On Saturday the whole forces at Pitts
burg, Savannah and Crump's Landing were
1000, including sick, about 10000 being
fit for service. .......
The ball opened Sunday morning before
daylight by an attack upon Premises divis
ion which WAS near the center, and thrown
out about five miles from the river. The
cnmmani of Prcntiss, instead Of falling bach
and contracting their lines, attempted t
hold GhGir ground against an opposing fore,
Of 10000. OF course the result wrs extreme
~ disastrous. prcutiss and two or thru'
regiments We're captured. Towards nool
there WAS Il lull in the attack which wa
generally supposed 10 icsagc retreat
Gen. Grant, however, thought the ndica
tions were ominouS, and prepared 10 re
ceve u fresh attack.
Accordingly il was not long before tn
enemy renewed the attack upon the ccntor
the left and the left flank, shifting the mai
strength Of his forces from the right to Tia
left wing.
While matters were in this situation a
Pittsburg, Gen. Wallace's division lay a
Crunp's Landing, about five miles down tn
river. Crittenden's were waiting wit
! great impatience near Savannah. Close bC
hind were those of Thomas, McCook an
Wood. Nelson's command had been order
: ed up Saturday night but not yet particpl
. ted. The forces at Savannah were immed
atclv ordered to hurry up, leaving transpoi
! tatiOn and everything behind. The d.stauc
from Savannah to Pittsbnrg is over to
! miles, and the reinforccmeGts did not n
rive until late in the evening and durin
} the night.
J. In the meantime the left wing was grad
: ally forced back, end the troops under &c
!. Sherman, after making q desperate stan
were compelled to give way before ilar
J, and cross fire. Gen. Sherman had iol
n horses killed under him, and cannon ba
I through his hat. Matters now began to loo
5 gloomy enough. The enemy were drlvr
4 us before them at all points. The 18th al
s nth Ohio had retreated in confusion. b
i dlcrs were seen from the liver coming ba,
D in great numbers, many in their panic eve
II plungins in so as to reach the transport
II and were kept off only at the point OF Il
y bay0nct.
= When evening arrived it was found tn
4 we had been pushed back from one to thr
n miles that upon the left the rebels we
crowding down toward the river; tn
Walace's division, which had been reli,
el upon 10 reinforce the right, had got oil Z
~ road, and taken circuit of fifteen mile
Is At six o'clock however, the gunboats cal
N TO our assistance. and contributed very m
re terially towards changing the fortunes
,d the engagement At six o'clock the Tyl
y under the able command Of Capt. Gwynl
nj took position about the middle of the riN
n. opposite the gorge, and commenced thro
$, ing eight-inch she'll and shrapnel, from