, 1863-05-13
FROM GRANTS DEPARTMENT
TIE VICTORY At DiLDWIN'S
HILLS port GlBSON.)
Bravery Of our Troops.


bravery VI 0uE 1EOOpo,
LETTER FROM GOV. YATES.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribunc]
PoRT G1nsoS, Miss, May ., 1868.
THE FIGHT At BA1pwIs's HILLS {poRr
G1BsoT.}
After series Of spirited engagements, and
after contesting every foot Of ground between
the Mississippi and this pleasant village, the
Federal army has At last undisturbed posses-
sicn Of Port Gibson.
When my last vas written ne we're at
B1imsburg on the Mississippi. We arrived
and went INFO biTouack there at two o'clock
on the morning Of Friday, the 1st instant. It
had been our intention to make 1elsurly
march to Port Gibson little after sunrise,
but we were still buried in slumber In the
early grey Of the morning, when tho quick
and eharp report Of artillery heard in the dis
tance showed that Gen. McClcrnand was meet
ing with spirited opposition.
TIE ADVANCE,
Shortly after, the Generals aid came gal1op.
iug down the 1eVee, and ne were ordered to
adyance. There we're three brigades Of u.s.
We marched out from general headquarters
to the music OF National anthems, and wound
up the steep accliTities ovor which the road to
Port Gibson is laid. Tho eccne was most pic
tureEqae and e1hilarating. In the distance
we could hear the booming Of cannon and the
rattle OF musketry. Our boys we're eager to
join In the fray, and pushed On gallantly.
Under these circumstances, you may be sure
that notwithstanding the billy country and
steep pathways oyer;which we were compelled
to pass, We were not many hours In reachIng
the vicinity Of tho battle ground.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The place where the battle was being fought
was at " "Baldwin's Hills" q range Of cleya-
lions fifty to 100 feet above the river, with
deep ravines between them, and bottom lands
filled with dense canebrakes and impossible
Tickets Of yines and briars. The entrance to
tie plantation was from deep rayine through
which ran deep stream Of water As ne ap-
preached this stream, orderlies and aids we're
galloping up and down the road, and driving
in the stragglers. just beyond the river tile
route lay over o steep til1 hundred feet
high, and was crowded with soldiers march.
ing in battle order.
BATTLE SIGHTS.
By the roadside WAS q corral Of prisoners, 4
hundred or more, which McClcrnand had car.
licr captured, and a battery Of field pieces,
which the Sth md 18th Indiana had charged
at the point Of the bayouet and captured be-
2rfp ~ IN 41n
hither side Of this rastnc alluded to, that the
enemy had stationed this battery, with which
they 20 persistently shelled the advance Of
Gen. Carr. A little farther up were rough ar
bors Of bushes and capacious tents, already
filed with the dead and dying. Here lay a
man In bis lust agony, his brain protrudipg
from ] frightful fracture in his skull. All
other had an arm shot away; the leg Of an
other was hanging by small tendon. Sad rs
these sights we're, they were nothing to those
seen on the top Of the hill, where tic general
/ hospitals Of the 18th and l7th army corps
were located.
TEE FIGHT.
OF the incidents whicl. tr:lnspired before
reached the battle field, and the connection
Herewith Of the different regiments, cannot
speak from observation and lest I do Iu;us-
| tlcc, prefer to speak generally or SAY nothing
| When the advance reached the r.Yine at Il
| o'clock Thursday night, they were greeted by
heavy fire Of artillery. from q battery on the
| opposite hill At TINT hour, and in the dark
rtss, they could do nothing to capture it Ia and
so waited patiently until daylight. The fire
vas kclt up all night long without cliciting
reply. When the first tiDee of sunshine becua
TO tip the eastern hills, they first verified The
strength of that position Of which they could
only guess at midnight. There was skirmish-
]rg between the advance guard Of both armies
lasting from daylight until 8 o'clock, when
the Sth and 18th 1ndiana charged calamity up
the hill, cleared the guns at the point Of the
eayonet, took possession and TURNED them
nEcn the fleeing cnc.ny. 1t was most gal
! ant affair and those two regiments are dcsery-
| irg OF great praise for their conduct. On the
top OF the hill is . plantation building belong
! ing to Judge Baldwin, Of Port Gibson, sur
rounded by three or four out-houscs and
negro quarters. The surgeons took possess
! ion Of these and soon the horrid implements
Of their trade we're displayed and the poor
| fellows whom their comrades and the atnbu.
lance corps brought in were turned oyer to
| lhtm.
Just beyond the hospitals, the road turns
to the right mud left, one leading to Port Glib.
Pierre. 1t vas along tho right. hand road that
the enemy retreated, and made stand upon
the elevation commanding the approach, nca,
small church, standing In an open field. The
fight around this church was very severe, and
the position was most Gallantly contested. In
the open green, counted, two hours aftcr
the dead bodies Of not lees than twenty men
NIL but two CT whom were rebels. In one
spot, not four feet square, were live dead bod
its, and close behind them eight grey horses
belonging toa rebel battery, Ill Of whom hae
betn killed by the explosion Of single shell
Driven from this point, the enemy fetreatea
to the next lill, which was near the junction
OF the Port Gibson and Rodney roads. Her
was another stand, with another fight ant
aEothcr retreat, until the enemy were driver
mile distant from Baldwin's mansion. Her
thy Lad stationed their reserves and here the.
d.ntiy expected to make their great fight.
TIE REBEL POSITION.
The position was an excellent one. I'll
country is series Of hills and rayincs, IN,
upon the tops Of the former tho enemy ha
placed lie line of battle. This line was cres
, cent shaped, lhe right resting near and nortl
Of the Port Gibson Road, and the left upo
the Rodney Road. OF course their centre n
between these.
THE BATTLE AGAIN.
/ Our first attac ok was upon LIS centre, an
| Vas composed Of regiments from Gen. Carr
and Gen. uovc3's Divisions. The point c
attack, the centre, gave way under the impet
uuue SAitautIS oi OUT boys ana Inc fE0f
tiencral lnassed his forces on his left, fro1
: Which, after n furious struggle, in which
f large number of regiments we're engaged, Il
. was forced to retire with great loss. Late
! lie massed his troops on bis right, and By thej
: sbilIfnl disposition, aided BY his intlmat
\ knowledge Of the Topography OF this regio1
= he compelled our buys to retire. Subs,
i quehtly reiuferccnents were sent, and nf:er
= brilliant engagement, lasting for two hour
In which brigades from nearly every diri.io
G Of The army were more or less engaged, "
T succeeded in dislcdging them md conlpele
/. Ii. N TO beat IN unconditional retreat to e..rt
j. Port Gibson.
BlyOEAC.
e Night coming on, in our imperfect know
p edge of the country we we're unablc.to folloy
but birouacked on the field, with arms in ol
+ bands and the dead and dying around us y
had become go stec1ed to human sutfe.in
that even these gloomy surroundings did nj
prevent us sleeping sound1y upon the gree
}. t sward.
l. AT PORT GIBSON.