Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-04-18


deserve all that could be said of their bravery
and GOODNESS in the hour of danger.
MISCELLANEOUS.
1t is useless to attempt to chronicle all the
various incidents of the day, as they are told in
every circle. All agree that it was not only the
hottest work they ever experienced, but also
that at several times the danger was most threat
enng in regard to the driving in of our lines
Those who were pr sent at the different on
slaughts made Oh our left wing declare that
they could not but fear, at every instant, that
1t would give way before the pressure. Moth
ing but the strongest determination on the part
of both officers and privates, and the good SER
vice of the -gunboats, prevented the worst fears
on our part from being realized
| do not think it proper at this time to record
the statements made as to the damage done to
our troops. Such and such regiment was said
to be badly cut up, and, to a certain extent,
| those commands which were in the first attack
| surprised by the enemy did suffer considerable
! loss yet not so heavy as was at first supposed.
| Regiments able to muster on the previous eve
ming, at dress parade some six hundred men,
| when an effort was made to collect them to-
| night, did not count ohe-third that number
Later in the evening, however, they came in
singiy or in squads, until their number was
| considerably augmented. Certain officers were
stated to have been killed who were afterw ard
found to be but slightly wounded, the shock
having been sufficient to throw them from their
| horses, and those returning to camp had given
foundation to the stories of their riders death.
| 1t IS known that Gen. Prentiss taken pris-
oner in the early part of the day. Col. Peabody,
Acting Brgader in the Sixth Division was
killed soon after the fight began, Major Powell,
of the 25th Missouri, falling mortally wounded
near to him. l merely refer to these at this
place, because they occur to me as write.
Many of the regiments who have sustained
l fh1h hmm Of f1nn Iax, @.,~l,k
tasted one mouthful of food since last night, nor
can see how they are to be supplied with any
tonight They are beyo nd their camps, and
cannot, in the darkness, be reached by wagons
laden with stores. of (which there is an endless
quantity here. Even if such stores were in their
possession they have no means to cook with,
| their kettles having been left behind, and the
beating rain being sufficient to extingush any
| fire which they might kindle. No order had
been given to keep cooked rations on hand prev
lous to the fight because it was but little ex-
pected that any would be needed in SO short a
period.
THE BATTLE OF MONDAY
| PIrTsBURG April 7, 1862.
During all the horrors of last right the steam
ers lying at this point, which were not too heav-
lily laden with stores or too much filled with the
wounded, were engaged in ferrying the troops
belonging to Nelson's division from the opposite
Shore Every load was greeted with cheers
from those on shore and returned Justify by
those who had SO opportunity arrived to take
part IN the battle of to-day. As the boats reach
ed the shore the troops Immediately left, and
without music, took their way to The advance
on the left wing of our forces. They had re-
ceived marching orders at late hour in the
| afternoon, and had come ''double quick
from Savannah. They gave, however, but little
evidence of exhaustation, and evnced stolid
determination that they had not come for
child's recreation. Among the troops near the
landing they were regarded as veterans in the
| cause, and the greatest confidence began to
grow up as to the successful termination of the
battle, where assault had been doubtful more
than once during the struggle of yesterday
With the first hours of dayl ght it was evident,
| however, that the enemy had also been strong
| ly reinforced, for, notwithstanding they must
have known of the arrival of the new Union
troops, they were the first to open the battle,
which they did about seven o'clock and with
considerable alacrity. The attack then began
from the main Cornth road, point to which
they seemed strongly attached, and which at
no time did they leave at all unprotected. 1t
| matters not where the main force was engaged
nor where the fight ragged the fercest: there
was at all times evidence that the safe security
of that thoroughfare was continually cared for
General Nelson, on taking his position on the
left wing last night, had dispatched messen-
ger to Lieut.. Gwynne, of the gunboat Tyler,
with his compliments, requesting the loan of a
box of cigars and bottle of wine, and extend
ing an invitation to the gunboat officers that
| they should visit him at his headquarters, un-
der an oak tree, near the river bank He also
assured them that .sthey should see some man
of-war fighting to-day"
At the conclusion of yesterdays fight Gen
eral Grant had assured the soldiers that "they
should be in Corinth tonight and those
who had heard of his prediction in regard to
| the taking of Fort Donelson made hree DAYS
previous to that time, looked somewhat cheer.
fnly to such result, although they felt con-
ffdent that it would take more hard fight
ing to get there.
| ~ ALL THE LINE AGAIN ENGAGED.
Within half an hour from the first firing of
| the morning. the contest had again spread in
either direction, and both the main and centre
wings were actively engaged. The rebels were.
however, not so ANXIOUS to fight theirway to the
rivers bank as on the previous day, having
had slight experience of what they might
expect if brought again under the powerful
guns of the Taylor and Lexington, whose black
| bulls steamed slowly along the stream, keep
ing careful watchfulness for any signs they
might be able TO gather as to the exact loca-
| ton of the enemy in the dense forest which
| stretched away to the right.
/ The foe was not, however, lacing in activity,
and they were met by the reinforcements, to-
gether with the still unwearied soldiers of yes
terday. with energy that they certainly
could not have expected. At 9 o'clock the
sound of artillery and musketry fully equaled
that of the day previous though it could not be
said to continue SO long in one quarter. It now
bee anne evident that the rebels were avoiding
the extreme of the left wing, and endeavorn e
| to find some weak point in the lines by which
to turn our force, and thus crease an irrecover-
able confusion, 1t is wonderful with
what perseverance, and determination they ad-
hered to this purpose. They left one point but
to returd to it Immediately, ann then as sud-
denly would, by some mastery stroke of gen
eralship, direct q most vigorous assault upon
| some division where they fancied they would
not be expected. The fire of our lines were as
| steady clock-work and it soon became evil
dent that the enemy almos considered the task
they had undertaken hopeless one.
ELEVEN O'CLOCK AM
| Notwithstanding the rebuff of the rebels,
wherever they had made their assaults. up to
eleven O'Clock they had given evidences of re-
rapid and vigorous at times as during the most
terrible hours of the previous day yet not so
well directed. nor so long continued to one
| point of attack. 's'
Still further reinforeements began to arrive :;
the Steamer Crescent Cityi Hiawatha, Louis
vile, John Warner and others, having left Sa-
vanah loaded to the guards with troops belong
| ing to Gen. BuelFs command These immedi-