, 1863-01-14

citation Of blllow Of smoke, as It :rushcs to
le surface. The tWo gigantic forms are torn
it'll commissions. Vesu1ius and Ktna snort.
g fire ena sulphur against each other.
THUNpEn!>Mus1o.
Ihe heavy atmosphere is torn aud shattered
'nn tne 4cussions. The sTaying boom Of
!; amor 1ntermingled with the shrtli rnSR Of I
nells, the roll and reverberation Of echoes as |
hey Whirl and eddy and swing and beat |
gninst the hills, is strangely fearful Like
ome vast cathedral organ swells intensified,
he amphitheatre Of hills Is shaken, the rnsL. |
md crash and whistle and storm Of sounds
mp and tTine and fold upon each other In ter
:ible diapasons.' The elements seem to be
Earring. About IL o'clock a slight breeze
'pringe up, Lifts the yell Of fog, and discloses
Lhe red flash Of cannon, the breaking Of shell,
md the combattants gradually cease their
onr urtlllerists did well, Many Of them
Rere struck with shells and splinters. Some
Of them were blinded and deafened and others
paralyzed By the bursting Of the missiles close \
BY their heads. One battery Of heavy guns
on the right Of the creek, did splendidly,
emptying three caisons Of ammunition that
morning. Our shells must haye been damag~
ing to- the enemy, as they could be seen burst
Of theirs were picked up une1ploded. Soon
after, the mosquito guuboats on the old river
added their quota to the grand chorus Of pan
demonium. From 9 O'Clock till was IN in
cessant roar Of heavy guns.
TEE ASSAULT.
About this time 1t began to be evident that
the charge was to bemade. One column after
another was pushed to the front. De Courcy
Blair With bis On the left, Thaycr on the right
Of DeCourcy, and Burbridge on the extreme
right. The plan Of attack was that the hills
In the latter direction should be first seized,
and then powerful charge made by the creek
road, and q united effort made by Thayer, De
Courcey, Blair and Stuart to get up the ravine
fired 80 all the morning. Gen, Hovcy's brig
ade and Col. Landrum's occupied the reserve.
There was n slight pause, then the artillery
broke forth with redoubled fury; then there
WAS q cheer loud and long from our men. We
could descry two vast outstrctched lines on
both sides Of the raTine near tho base. They
moved rapidly up, a Line ot earthworks
them was crested with fire and smoke. They
slackcn, a1u scatter. We cannot sec the
nbattis, bnt it is there. Half Of them Chamber
through, the cheer travels back almost to the
river. They are dropping back-blue coats
swarm down the hill in regular lines. Bat
terles to the right and LEFT open where none
had yet spoken.
THE ENEMY's DEFE6sEs.
It may DO discerned that, imagining the
sides a aud to represent the opposite wings
Of an opening rift in the chnin of hills on the
ridges aud spurs Of which the enemy had
planted battery after battery, the rebela had
amply prepared for a visit from this direction.
Not only this, but from the base Of the bluff
the distractions commenced. First came the
formidable abattis Of willows, then the line Of
earthworks, ont Of which passes this winding
road, which turns and passes along the next
line Of intrenchments in the opposite direc-
tion, and thence on up the creyicc In the top
of the bluff Beyond the first line was 4 mass
Of fellea timber, evidently cut last summer.
Behind this, again, was third line Of trenches
on either side Of the niche.
j., Beyond all these,.rfg up the -cornfeld, was
the advance Of our troops up to the third and
lust line Of intrenchments. The flag Of the
29th Missouri is planted beneath the works as
they take their leave because unsupported by
the rest. A cluster Of willows is On fire with
rebel infantry. The ranks are thinncd. Bat.
teriesare opening from every new nook aud cor.
ner. Shell, canister and shrapnel are raining
into the trenches and covered way by which
our men seek to advance. What wonder il
they stagger and reel and fall! 1t is pitf1ll
death trap, horrible slaughter-pen! Few
ah! few gain the Qualifications, mud then dis
appear Brave souls past all help of surgery
promoted from the ranks!
,r,.o o. :; ... 80 n-,.. .,.o,
ahe les! ~ sootl 5 1olu. 1nI ny lupel nlasse!
fbnS ~, - upu1 soenl nhs. i n -. 1ss ~, nsn ~;
v;sih1a are nov sn1ntferine thar lad at vii 1
Our men, raked By canister. .furrored By shrap
mel, pierced By mu5kctry, have naught to dt
but fall back. 4 few Of them in line, a par
In disorder, they rush into the slough and
wade through it. The dead and wounded are
left. It was brave but desperate attempt
The wonder is that one OF them has lived to
tell the story. No men could stand such
mnrderous fire. Three hundred Of them arc
taken prisoners and marched mp the hill In
our sight. The enemy marched q mass o1
dark-c1ad men down the noso Of Il hill on the
left, and unsuspectingly onr men took them
for friends. Further over, one Of Morgan's
green regiments favored the error aud fired
into one OF their own On the retreat. shock
ing, bloody, disastrous, mortlfylng and humil
tat'ng i'll the extreme! Not rs much as pins
worth gaincd, and all this blood spilled! Who
has so Numbered
yell ut our retiring regiments: and their oat,
tcries opened q wicked fire Of shrapnel and
shell upon them. Our own did their best
however, but nothing could alter the f.te. II
tailed first, because the place was naturally
too strong; because 1T WAS too well defended
not engaged until two hours afterwards. II
aword, 1t failed because It was an impossible
fty. Bad generalship,~ bad planning and {
want Of concert would SLATER the hopes O.
any army in the world.
TIE MoRTARs AT WORN.
During the day tho Queen Of the West wa
rta,s sI ~ Hn,nos, H',,tF ~ ~ o,,n ~"
T;i,c accnmnan;cd thn cTnad;tinn sevcrs
shnfa Tsrn I;tnhed r;nht M 1ha ,,atter., -, -
G;ng +ho rahais rnn r;5ht a-,S inff NJ at{amn
] Tas mode fn seizc }he h.tter;ea aIthon11
hn4 fa,,r s.a,oI. ~ 1S ss ~ .as
put r." Icoeis couia " seen. 1eW Ients at.
~ f.s ris " IN ,,n;nt -rt,;eh shntd NV,
bea, sei.od ~ iii + - tha So,1 - ~
e',<,n;T " rr.nt,s =" ~ hos " W.
SS"np!y ~ n'an. . ~ anu - sahsn AZ ~ Mo".s
W;.,-sIa 3u eoin'41'e 'A'sa"s ~ 'le 1e'''
'teAsDu's. Err. ,,,.o,.,
~ hhhoIa - VI 4n1 nooN
men penaEeo aoihiiaply, lney ola tnelF Holk
sAeA % ~ VIZ, hke nefoes. Nohspieuoaa
among me 1ofemost were taese regiments
every o1ncer ana pf1s2le OIL "hich #as engage
9 So h tb
regulars, 18Th Illinois; They are the head
Eohs OF honor n TINS heard fought Struggle
/ onc OF these oMo regiments, containing
large propoIlloh Of uefmans, ANXIOUS 10 Wip
| OUT Tue staln Hhlch nas peen caat upon them
| ashea 70 oe n1aeea IN sae trons: foor men
| ~ - -, ~ A"'tss
| among me ofnccrs, Blair stands consp1cu
as Tue non OF tne Day. me soldiers engage
| SWno ln4ge vel! speah OF INN rs one enaowe'
MN hnssaeg!9us n II FAY. We ass ansAineh ~, y
/ }pe } seen them both como of d the he tleId-th @
latter with his Garibaldian decoration an
whistle on lin, holes in his coat, bis order
ringing clear above the din, Of volcea.. III
former with countenancc luminous with de-
pair aud rnge but perfectly master Of the stu
| alton.