The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-16
The Victory 1T Bnldwin's Hills
"a Fort GibSOn.)G @
PoRT GIBSON, Miss

After a series of spirited engagements,
and after contesting every foot OF ground
between the Mississippi and this pleasant
village, the Federal army has at last undis-
turbed possession of Port Gibson.
When my last was written we were at
on the Mississippi. We arrived
and went into bivouack there at 2 O'Clock
on the morning of Friday, the 1st inst. II
had been our intention to make o lelsur9iy
march to Port Gibson little after sunrise,
but we were still buried in slumDer IN the
early grey of the morning, when the quick
and sharp report of artillery heard in the
distance showed that Gen. McClernand was
meeting with spirited opposition.
Shortly after, the Generals aid came
galloping down the levee, and we were or
dered to advance. There were three brl-
gades of us. We marched out from gener-
al headquarters to the music OF National
anthems, and wound up the steep acciivi-
ties over which the road to Port Gibson is
laid. The scene was most picturesque and
exhilarating. In the distance we could
hear the booming of cannon and the rattle
of musketry. Our boys were eager to join
in the fray, and pushed on CALAMITY. Un-
der these circumstances, you may be sure
that Notwithstanding the billy country and
steep pathways over which we were COM
PEELED to pass we were not many hours in
reaching the vicinity of the battle-ground.
The place, where the battle was being
fought was at "Baldwin's Hills, range of
elevations from so to 100 feet above the riv-
err. with deep ravines between them, and
bottom lands filed with dense canebrakes
and impassable thickets of vines and bri-
ars. The entrance to the plantation was
from a deep ravine through which ran
deep stream of water. AS we approached
this stream. orderlies and aids were gallop-
ing up and down the road, and driving IN
the stragglers. Just beyond the river the
l. l~,, l,ol foot
high, and was crowded With soldiers
marching in battle order.
By the roadside was corral of prisoners,
hundred or more. which McClernand had
earlier captured, and battery OF held
pieces. which the 9Th and 18th Indiana had
charged at the point OF the bayonet and
captured before o'clock in the morning.
! It was on the hither side of this ravine al
| ludeG to, that the enemy had stationed this
battery, with which they so persistently
| shelled the advance of Gen. Carr. A little
! farther M were rough arbors of bushes and
capacious tents. already filled with the dead
and diving. Here lay a man III his last ass-
ony, his brain protruding from Irlgntfui
fracture in his skull. Another had an arm
! shot away: the leg of another was hanging
by a small tendon. Sad as these sights
were, they were nothing to those seen on
the top ofthe hill, where the general hospi-
tails of the 18th and 18th army corps We're
located.
/ Of the incidents which TRANSFERRED before
I reached the battle field, and the connec-
ton Herewith of the different regiments,
: cannot speak from observation, and lest
do Injustice, / prefer to speak generally
or say nothing.
When the advance reached the ravine, at
q II O'Clock Thursday night, they were greet
! ed by heavy fire of artillery from bat
, terry on the opposite Hill. At that hour, and
in the darkness; they could do nothing tc
capture it, and so waited patiently unu
daylight The fire was kept up all nigh
long without elicting reply. When the
first tint of sunshine began to tip the east
ern hills, they first verified the strength o
! that position of which they could only guess
. at midnight. There was skirmishing be
; tween the advance guard of both armies
lasting from daylight until clock, whe1
the 9Th and 18th Indiana charged gallantl,
, up the hill. cleared the guns at the point 0
the bayonet, took possession and turned
: them upon the fleeing enemy. 1t was |
= most gallant offair and those two regiment
:. are deserving of great praise for their con
f duct. On the top Of hill is plantation
. building belonging to Judge Baldwin Q
:. Port Gibson. surrounded by three or fou
= out houses and negro quarters. The sur
;, geons took possession of these and soon tn
=, - horrid implements of their trade were dis
: PLAYED and the poor fellows whom thei
comrades and the ambulance corps brough
:, in were turned over to them.
! Just beyond the hospitals, the road turn
=. to the right and left, one leading to Poi
&c Gibson and Rodney, and the other I
70 Bayou Pierre. 1t was along the right-han
- road that the enemy retreated, and made
20 stand upon the elevation commanding tn
~ approach, near a small church, standing i
10 an open field. The fight around the churc
- was very severe, and the position we
, most CALAMITY contested. In the ope
4 green, ] counted, two hours after, til
:, dead bodies of not less than twenty me,
20 all but two of whom were rebels. In or
- spot, not four feet square, were five dea
:, bodies. and close behind them eight gre
W horses, belonging to rebel battery, a
:" w Of whom had been killed by the expl'
:. sion of shell. Driven from this poin
"a the enemy retreated to the next hill, whit
q was near the junction of the Port Gibso
- and Rodney roads. Here was anoth
Sc stand. with another fight and anoth
- retreat, until the enemy were driven to Il
"a range of hills extending around, and mi
!" distant from Baldwins mansion. He
.. they had stationed their reserves, and he
! they evidently expected to make their gre
% fight. =.
y, The position was an excellent one. III
!" country is a series of hills and ravines, al
q upon the tops of the former the enemy hi
- placed his line of battle. This line w
#. crescent shaped, the right resting near al
nj north of the Port Gibson road, and the IL
re upon the Rodney road. Of course the
,;s centre lay between these.
oil Our first attack was upon this centre, al
yet was composed of regiments from Genel
''' Carr's and General Hovey's Divisions. I
a. point of attack, the centre, gave way u
70 der the impetuous gallantry of our boy
~ and the rebel General massed his fore
A. on his left, from which, after furio
he struggle, in which a large number OF rel
in ments were engaged, he was forced to
re- tire with great loss. Later, he mass
not his troops on his right, and by their ski
~ full disposition, aided by his intims
he knowledge of the topography of this
ed gion, he compelled our boys to retire
in subsequently reinforcements were Sc
10 and after a brilliant engagement, lasti
90 for two hours, in which brigades from me-
~ ly every division of the army were mt
of or less engaged, we succeeded in d
,ht lodging them and compelled them to b
nd an unconditional retreat towards p
on Gibson.
est Night coming on, in our imperfect kno,
Of edge of the country we were unable to