The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-10-23

| JlUn Was CRITICAL.
1t was just then that the 2d Missou-
ri. Capt. Walter Hoppe Commanding,
regiment which distinguished itself
at Pea Ridge came gallantly UP to the
rescue, and with deafening cheers ad
vanced upon the enemy. The Second
Mich. Cavalrymen, terminated by this
assistance, advanced AS skirmishers he
fore the 2d Missouri, aud the Is Mis-
sonrl, came as support. In vain the
enemy opened upon the advancing line
a mnrierous fire. A continual storm
of lraden hail ragged round their ears
the 2i Missouri steadily moved for
ward, until the disrpayed and conquer
ed rebels broke aud ran like sheep.
| Thus ended, at about ten A. NJ, the
preliminary battle of this eventful day,
aud even at that early hour many
brave and noble spirit had taken its de-
partnre to another world. The 37.h
Br gade had more than hundred
killed and wounded, while the 2d Mis-
souri, had lost nearly hundred more.
The I'd Michigan cavalry had also suf
tered considerably, and the batteries
engaged had met with some slight loss.
But at least three hundred r.. bells had
bit the dust, and we remained masters
of the field. -
AT about l. o'clock, a. m., artillery
hiring commenced. rat
ARTILLERY FIGHT ON THE LEFT.
Capt. Loomis' Michigan battery
posted on hill which overlooked the
whole space been our advance bnlits
aud the wooded hills where the en--
ny's legiuus lay massed, also threw
few shells towards those heights, and
Capt. Simonson 18th Indiana battery,)
did the same. But the enemy gave no
sign. 80
was talking with Capt. Loomis,
who stood beside his gums, Just previ-
ous to the commencement of the terri
bic struggle which was to drench the
ground on which | stand with blood.
Personally acquainted with every offi
Ger and almost every man in both these
batteries, having gone with them
through Gen. D. M. Milchell's long
campaign in Tennessee ami Alabama,
| conld not avoid a feeling of sadness
as looked around upon them, and re
fiected that, perhaps, ere the setting of
the sun, the mangled corpse of some
"f them would be stretched beside
npon their conulenances. No! They
had long ardenlly wished the time To
come when they might measure
strength with the rebel horde> and
now, as there seemed an immediate
prospect that their wishes might be
grattied their hearts leaped joyfully
IN their bosnms, and their couutenances
bramed with animation.
| These were at ouce ordered up, the
shot and shell of the enemy's guns
meantime continuing to pillow up the
ground IN our vicinity and To crash
through the branches of some halt
dozen trees which were grouped to
gether on the hill Immediately to the
right of Loomis' position.
Capt. Loomis," said |, as he was
riding back toward the main portion of
his battery on the hill behind, ''don't
y"u intend To reply to that fire p
Yes" sad he, "Ill fetch emp 81
m"nson's battery had opened in the
meantime, aud another away off to the
right of the road.
All LoomiS' pieces were now in posi-
ti"n and laundering away with the
sharp, quick, deadly report which rited
Parrutls always make.
To the extreme lctl, another battery
Immediately opened, and the enemy
replied from at least half dozen dit
ferent positions, aud shot shell of every
description flew in all directions. The
enemy's artillery seemed very badly
managed. Their missiles struck every
where except where they intended
them to strike, and it actually seemed
that the safest points which could be
selected for a circuit of two or three
miles were in the very midst of our
batteries.
Not a man fiinched, however, until
the enemy's batteries opposite LomiS'
and Sin"nson's ceased firing entirely.
1t was nearly two O'clock when the
cannonading commenced with terrific
Jury dfbHS the pDllrP liIt. III iiali d''
hour atteraa ard the discharges of mus
kerry were sharp. quick and terrific
from our right tn our lett, where Jack
sons division, now fully in position,
was gallanily sustaining the Battle.
1t was three O'Clock when the rebels,
hitherto unable to cause even waver-
ing in any portion of our line nf battle,
collected his chosen bands and, nnder
the leadership of Bragg himself, adj
vancrd determinedly toward our cen
ter, III order to break, if possible, the
line which our gallant soldiers every
where SD stubbornly maintained. In
vain the artillery Numbered within a
hundred yards of MS; in vain their III
faniry poured volley after vollry into
our ranks; in vain their cavalry came
forward with loud shonts and i'm mag
nificent order. Their artillery was 81.
fenced by the murder"us fire of our
own batteries, and their cavalry AL
vanced only to strew the ground with
t,eir corpses, and then retire in con-
fusion. %
THE ATTACK UPON JACKsoN-s DIVISION.
! But the attack which began upon
Jackson's division about twenty min
ptes after that upon Rousseau's, was
l..l