The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-27
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enemy consisted Of five hundred of Ash
by's cavalry and two guns. They drove
} in our pickets and then skirmished with
the Michigan cavalry and portion of the
Maryland LIST. Gen. Shields brought up
his forces and fred rounds Of shell, drove
them back and took several prisoners.
Gen. Shields was wounded in the arm by
the first fire of the enemy. jackson had
beed informed by the inhabitants that the
: town was deserted by the Union troops,
and hes advanced to retake it. General
Shields forces slept on their arms Sa:ur-
day night.
Sunday morning at sunrise, jackson
being reinforced, attacked Gen. Shields
near Kearnestown. The enemy's force
consisted of 500 of Ashby's cavalry, 5, 900
infantry, 8 pieces of artillery, with n re-
scrye0f Is pieces of artillery. The fight
was kept up TIL noon, when charge
made by the Ohio infantry, LIST Michigan,
aud lst Virginia cavalry on their right
drove them back half a mile, when the
enemy got their guns in position again in
a dense wood, fanked by infantry, and
drove us back A short artillery engage
ment ensued, when Gen. Shields ordered
Col. Tyler to turn their left flank,
which was executed by our troops but
with considerable loss, the enemy being
protected by stone ledge. The s4th
Pennsylvania and the 18th Indiana
charged on their centre and the fight be-
came general. Col. Murray, of the s4th
Pennsylvania was killed. The enemy
retired slowly, bringing their guns to
bear at every opportunity. Our men
rushed forward with yefls, when panic
ensned among the enemy Our troops
followed and drove them till lark, cap
turing three guns, three caissons, mus.
kets, equipments, de-, innumcrable. Our
troops bivouacked on the field
Gen Williams first brigade, Colonel
Donnelly, Of the 2sth New York, com
handing, reinforced Gen. Shields. Gen.
Banks who was on the way to Washing
ton Sunday returned and assumed COM
mand. Meantime Gen. Shields division
pursued the enemy beyond Newton, she'll
ing them the whole way. Jackson's men
were perfectly demoralized and beyond
control. They threw overheard the dead
and wounded to tighten the wagons. 1t
is noticeable that nearly ell the confsder-
ate wounded were shot in the head and
breast, testifying the superiority of our
marksmen. The loss on our side were
chiefly Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana
troops.
Those who conveyed the false intelli-
gence to Gen. Jackson, causing this dis
aster 10 the rebels, have a heavy weight of
guilt to shoulder. 1t was evidently
known to many in the town that Jackson
was approaching from the holiday at
tire and buoyancy Of spirits among men
and women here. Gen. Shields com
mand being screened from observation on
the East side of town led the informants
to believe that all our troops were evacu-
ating, and that jackson could enter uu-
molested. Good judges say the enemy's
loss is over 200 killed, 500 wounded and
800 prisoners, including an aid to Jack
sou. Our loss is about IS killed and l25
wounded.
On Sunday morning the rebels receiv
ed achievements under Gen. Garrett,
amounting TO FIVE hundred men. The
Union forces did not exceed 1000 men,
and with the exception of about FIVE hun
dred, were of Gen. Shields Division ex-
clusively.
|, | At half-past 10 the enemy made a
feint on our left, commanded by Acting
Brgadier General Sullivan, opened q
heavy fire of Artillery, while the real at
tack was directed against our right, with
the object of thanking it. Gen. Kimble
commanded ON the right where the heav-
lest fighting was done. The enemy were
strongly posted in woods and behind a
stone wall, and the rebel artillery was
posted on eminences on both sides of their
, left wing. Our whole artillery force
was engaged. and consisted of four bate
ries of "a Parrots in all. The contest
ragged furiously till 8 p. m, the fighting
being done chiefly by the artillery and
musketry at range of not more than 800
or 400 yards, and often much less.
The rebel infantry opposite eur right
now emerged from the woods and attempt.
ed 10 capture Daxid,s Battery by charge
The first effort was nearly successful, but
the heavy discharge Of grape compelled
them to retire in confusion. A second
and weaker attempt likewise failed, and
the enemy fell back, with heavy loss, be-
hind the stone parapet.
Gen Tyler now ordered his brigade to
charge the enemy's batteries on the left,
and most deadly encounter followed. -
Twice our men rallied under the storm,
but in the third effort they routed the
rebels with tremendous slaughter.
Our loss in these struggles was heavy
Out Of 800 men in the Saith Pennsylvania
&c were killed and 50 wounded, Many
officers were killed. and wounded. The
9th and 9th Ohio shared the glory and the