Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-03
The Disaster to Washburne's Forces
From the New York Herald Nov On I


The Army Of the Gulf consisting Of two
divisions of the 18th Army Corps, the first
division commanded By Brigadier General
Weirzel, the third division BY Brigadier Gen
eral Grover; two divisions of the 18th Army
Corps, under command of Generals Wash.
burne and Burbridge, the entire force under
Major General Franklin, marched to Opelou-
sas and Sarre's Landing, encamped, and sub
sequently sent forward a large cavalry force
under Brigadier General Lee, which drove
| the enemy from these points, and then secuted
| the country in that vicinity They overlook
| only partizan bands of rebel troops, and tbsy
captured, killed and wounded some of them
The army remained in camp eight or ten
days, and orders were issued to march, not
forward, but back to Carbon Crow BAYOU and
Vermlliion Bayou the 10th Corps to take I'D
quarters at the former place, the 10Th at the
latter. Burnbridges' division, consisting of
the first brigade, under Col Owen, {the other
two brigades having been ordered, one, Gen
Cameron's, to Washburne's div sion, the other
to New Iberia) was ordered to camp at the
edge of the woods, the right resting on the
Opelousas road, with the prairie in front. 1t
was dangerous position. Gen. Washburne's
division being encamped at Carbon Grow
Bayou, three and a half miles away, with ex-
cellent cover of woods on the right for the
enemy to advance, and prairie front and rear
and around; but the General posted his pick
cts strongly, and placed his artillery in good
positions, and disposed Of his cavalry so that
they could act promptly and effectively. The
day following TUESDAY, Nov. 3 the snemy's
cavalry began skirmishing with ours. but
after short time fell back. Pickets upon
the right were doubled, and an hour before
daylight the brigade was under arms
Col. Owen, with his staff rode to the front
to examine the position of the enemy, and
remained an hour, during which time Capt.
Friendly rode with some men two miles on
| the front of the pickets, and shelled the
woods with section of the Seventeenth
Ohio battery, supported by the Eighty-third
Ohio regiment, while the Sixtieth Indiana
watched the right flank. The firing ceased
A forage train, originally ordered by General
Burbridge to 60 with an escort at nine A. NJ,
was now started by order of the General, and
the Eighty-third Ohio was designated at elev-
en- A. NJ. to go with it. Scarcely had the
train emerged from the woods on our rear
when the plckets on our right began firing,
when Col. Owen ordered the regiment to hold
themselves in readiness, at the same time in
forming Gen. Burbridge. A section of artil-
lery was now ordered to that point, supported
by the Goth Ohio, and the Goth Indiana was
sent to hold the bridge and small bayou in
the skirt of the woods, and to throw out Skin
mishers in advance to feel for the enemy, his
| force and position. Horse artillery was sent
| out; but our forces in the field were in dan
ger of the fire, and it was called in, and
| shelled the woods whenever man showed
| himself Our cavalry and pickets now fell
| into the woods. Gen. Burbridge now ordered
| the Sixtieth Indiana to advance. Lieutenant
oh Actin Acli A I;p}
| raj of Col. Owens staff, remained with him
until his horse was shot under him, rallying
| the men, when Gen. Burbridge ordered him
| to bring up the 96th Ohio to their support,
| the General bravely cheering on the men
| The enemy and our own men were now So
| close together that it was impossible to use
the artillery. Capt. Slick, Brigade Inspector,
| was to place a section of the 18th Ohio bat
| terry in position on slight eminence of the
prairie in our front, supported by the 67th
| Ohio.
The Ninety-Si1th Ohio were now holding
| the road on the left and in front of the Twen-
| ty-third Wisconsin, which was on the left of
the Sixteenth Indiana.
Capt. Leonard, Of Company A, Ninety
| sixth Ohio, called attention to heavy caval-
| ry force coming on the left flank to surround
us; but section of the Seventeenth Ohio
| DdtteiJ Deeu pldCeu lueFe 10 QOlQ GQem
| in check. The Sixteenth, being now hard
pressed, had to fall baek the enemy advanc-
ing four ranks deep, the men firing ten or
! fifteen rounds each. Gen. B. now directed
| Col. Owen to rally them. The latter found
1t impossible to do so at once, they being cut
| up so badly. Before succeeding, the Ninety
sixth Ohio and Twenty-third Wisconsin fell
back the latter losing it's colonel, after which
1t held its ground under disastrous fire, but
making havoc in the enemy's ranks. The
| gallant Col. Guppey, of the Twenty third
| Wisconsin, is serious loss. He was es-
| teemed by his men, and was a brave officer.
| The enemy's cavalry was now seen converg-
| ing from all points of the woods and from the
prairie in our front on our small force. The
remnant of the brigade fell back into the
| woods, and through them six hundred yards
| into open ground. While rallying the men
around the battery Gen. Washburne rode up
and informed them achievements were com
| ing
The capture of the Sixty seventh Indiana
was effected in front of section of the Sew
| enteenth Ohio battery. The enemys cavalry
were surrounding them, when General Bur-
| bridge sent three consecutive orders to the
Colonel to fall back. He disobeyed orders,
and thus nearly the whole force was captur-
ed. Meanwhile, the General had dismounted
| and personally handled one of the pieces,
| and with such dexterity did he use canister
| that the enemy were alarmed, apparently
but they closed round the Si1ty-seventh and
| it was impossible to fire without killing our
own men. Captain Rice, commanding, the
| battery, was conspicuous for his bravery. By
this time the rebel cavalry had nearly sur
| rounded the battery, and the order to timber
up was given, and they escaped into the
| woods but subsequently lost one of their
pieces Gen. Burbridge now rode forward
and ordered the remnant to join Gen. Cam
eron's brigade in a forward movement, the
Twenty-third Wisconsin forming on the right,
under Lieutenant Colonel Hill Col Moore,
Eighty third Ohio, commanding the centre,
and the Ninety sixth Ohio, Col Brown, on the
left. The remainder fell in under Captain
Walker, acting Major, Captain Rodge- being
exhausted.
A remnant of the Sixty Indiana
fell in under Major Sears, Lieutenant Colonel
Bushler having, with two hundred men sur
| rendered to the enemy's cavalry. A fresh
supply Of ammunition and cannon arriving,
the brigade moved forward to the old posi-
ton, threw out skirmishers, with a section of
the Seventeenth Ohio battery, our left being
| fanked by cavalry. They swept the whole
woods until halted by Gen. Burbridge facing
lane in which on the previous day we met
and skirmished with the enemy's cavalry.
Our battery took position, supported by
remnant of the brigade, amounting to four
hundred men. The men now went into the
old camp to bury and care for the dead and
wounded.
The enemy were five to one they were
5000 strong-3, 900 infantry dismounted, and