Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-10

The mose desperate firing took plaes
- = Ahauouuuuus - nUsgoolDDU
that if they did not succeed in whipping |
them that their chances for SUCCESS would
be- extremely dsabtfal, = : portion Of
Gen. Baell's forces had By this time r.
rived On the opposite sids Of de rivar,
and the other portion Vas coming up
the river from Savannah. They became
swsrs thst ~ we're bsiug reinforced,
a. they could see General Buelfs
troops from the river bank, =
short distance above rs o. the left,
to which point they had forced their
way. A.5o'clock the rebels had forced
our left wing back 50 ~ to occupy fully
two.thirds Of onr camp, and were fight
ing their way forward with desperate
degreee Of confidence IN their efforts to
drive rs into the river, and at the same
time heavily engaged our right. Upto
this time, We had received no rein.
forcenents, Gen. Lewis Wallace falling
to come to our support until the day va
over, having taken the wrong road from
Cruupo Landing. and being without
other transports than those used for
quarter masters and commissary stores,
which were too heavily laden to bring
any considerable number of Gen. Buell's
force &C, oss tho river, these hat we're
here having been sent to bring the troops
from Savannah.
We were, therefore, contestiDg
against fc arfnI odds-our force not ex-
ceeding 5000 men, while that Of the
enemy was upwards Of 10000. Our
condition, at this moment, was extreme.
" critical. Large numbers Of men were
panic stricken, others worn ont by hard
lighting, with an average per cent OF
skolkers, had struggled towards the
/ r;;;'ars and could not be rallied. Gen.
Grant and staff, who had been reckless.
ly riding along the lies during the en-
tire day amid the unceasing storm Of
bullets, grape and shell, now rode from
right to left melting the men to stand
firm until our reinforcements could cross
the river. Col. Webster, chief of staff
Immediately got into position the hea'
West pieces of artillery, pointing on the
enemy's right, iwhile large number o
the batteries were planted along the en-
tire line from the river bank to the ex
IRENE right, some l-2 miles distant.
| About an hour before dusk . gen
eral cannonade was opened up
on the enemy from along our whole line
with perpetual crash Of musketry
Such q roar was never heard on this
continent. For short time the rebel
replied with vigor and effect, but theil
return shots grew less frequent and de
structive, while ours grew more rapit
and more terrible. The gun-boats Lex
iugton and Tyler, which laid short dis
lance off, kept raining shell on the rebe
hor!.es.
This last effort wss too much for tb'
enemy, and ere darss the firing had near
y ceased, when night coming on oil tn
compattants rested from their s"'"
work Of blood and carnage.
Our men rested on their arms in the
position they had at the close Of the
night, until the forces under Major Gen.
eral Wallace arrived and took position
on the right, and met General Buell's
forces from the opposite side, and Sa'
vannah being now converted to the bat.
tie ground.
The entire right of Gen. Nelson's
division was ordered to form on the right
and the forces under Gen. Crittenden
we're ordered to his support early in the
morning Of the second days battle, Gen.
Buell. having arrived in the following
evening.
In the morning the ball was opened
at daylight, simultaneously BY General
Nelson's dioision on the left, and MsjoI
General Wallace's division on the right
Gen. Nelson's force opened = most gall
ing fire and advanced rapidly as they
fell back.
The Gre soon become general along
the whole line, and begun to tell with
terrible effect on the enemy.
Gen'ls. McClernand, Sherman an
Hurlbut, though terribly iabed from The
previous days's fighting, st'll maintained
their honors won at Fort Donelson, but
the resistance of the rebels ut all points
was terrible, and worthy better cause
but they were not enough for our IN
; daunted bravery, and the dreadful desc
latinn produced by our artilley. which
was sweeping them away like chat be-
lore the wind, but knowing that defeat
here would be Geath blow to theil
hopes, and that their all depended OF
this great struggle, their Generals stil
urged them in the face Of destruction
hoping, by fanking rs on the right
to turn the tide of the battle, Their
success was again for time cheeing, q
they began to gain ground, on appear
ing to have been reinforced, but oul
left, under Gen. Nelson, was driving
them with wonderful rsPidity, and BY
eleven o'clock Gen. Buell's forces had
succeeded in aanking them, and captur'
ing their batteries Of artillery. Tbe!s
; however again rallied on the left, and
re.cfossed, and the right forced
themselves forward in another
deannrata effort Int Ieinfnfcemantl