Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-08-06

All the other regiments got, WnolIy OF III
part, on Or over the parapets, but all were
inallv forced TO fee. The contest on
heir part was short but bloody one
Had these regiments held on together but |
a moment longer, they would have had |
whole brigade to help them; but the dill
fculties were greater than had been an
and they could not be longer
held where victory seemed so impossible.
With one or two regiments it was rout
they went off helterskelter, running Wild
", anxious only for some shelter from the
rebel fire. Others marched off as orderly
as il executing a simple maneuvre, carry
ing their arms and taking away such OF
their wounded as were outside the ditch.
ADVANCE OF PUTNAM's BRIGADE.
The brigade of Col. q. S. Putnam, with
his Seventh New Hampshire regiment on
the right. when the advance was ordered,
moved to the rear of the old house behind
our batteries, and deployed into line. In
this form they advanced to our intrench-
ments, and then deployed into line, and in
this manner advanced to the works. Col.
Putnam was one of the first to reach
the parapet, surrounded by his brave New
Hampshire Seventh boys, and inspiring
his whole brigade by his fearless, gallant
conduct. In approaching the ditch the
retreating men Of the. first charge were
met, and some portions Of the brigade
were detained for moment, but not per
mently demoralized. Col. Putnam sent
Lieut.. Col. Abbott, of the Seventh, and
Major Henderson, his Adjutant General,
to intercept stragglers, rally those who
halted and hurry forward all troops
They did this under very hot fire, which
| was as terrible short distance from the
fort as in it. The rear division of the
| Seventh and portion of the One Humid
redth New York were massed together,
crossed tue ditch ard essayed to get a
| foothold inside from one point, while the
Sixty-second and Sixty-seventh Ohio
went to another. Every regiment be.
haved nobly, and all have fearful roll Of
casualties to attest the persistency and en-
ergy of their effort to obtain and hold the
| the fort. One corner of the fort only was
ours, and that was swept by grape and
canister and exposed to musketry. The
troops looked back, saw they were alone,
and began to talter. Gen. Strong had been
up and cheered and rallied his quosdam
ciassmate and ever friend, Col. Putnam,
and returned to try and bring up rein
forcements.
Col Putnam implored, entreated, CON-
manded his troops to hold on but for
moment longer, and then another minute,
and then moment again, but no help
came. He had sent messenger to ask
for reinforcements. He did not know
ba1
both been carried from the field wounded.
The messenger learned the fact, and went
to General Gilmore. The latter, anxious,
but still cool and clear-headed, told him
the reserve, fresh brigade, had been Or.
dered TO ward as soon as it was known
foothold had been gained IN the rebel
work. Before this messenger had left,
another arrived to say that Col. Putnam
was killed, and that our troops had re-
tired from the fort entirely. That was
the result, briefly told. General Steven
sons brigade was being conducted by Col.
Turner, of Gen. Gillmore's staff, to rein
force Col. Putnam, when the news of his
death and the retirement of his troops
reached them in season to prevent the
whole rebel fire taking effect on them.-
Sadly and disappointed they turned back,
and the battle field was left to the enemy,
and our dead and wounded. The rebel
fire ceased, the ambulances met the
stretchers at the edge of danger, and the
groans of the wounded, the chirps of the
crickets and the beating of the surf were
soon all the sounds we could hear, for the
fire on both sides had ceased.
Il Our fresh troops fell back TO the en-
trenchments in good order, occupying all
our old positions; and the shattered regi
ments rallied around their torn, burned
and smoked standards. to go into camp
and call the names of the absent forever.
The total of killed, wounded and mis-
sing on our side is stated 1900. Many
however reported missing at first, rejoined
their commands, and large number were
so slightly wounded as not to be unfit for
duty. The Herald's correspondent says
our serious casualties since Gen. Gilmore's
operations commenced, including killed,
prisoners and badly wounded, will not
exceed 900, our dead outside the fort
were buried under a flag of truce. The
correspondent says:
Several rebel officers came cut of the
fort during the burying and conVersed with
They compIimented our troops in the high
est manner. They said their charges were
SO determined and vigorous that 1t was
almost impossible to stand before them
At one time they anticipated being driven
from the fort. When the fight commenc-
ed on the 10th they scarcely expected to
hold the fort all day but now they said
they intended to keep possession of it,
They were very bitter on the negro troops,
urging that it was unchivalrous to send
negroes to fight gentlemen, and said such
as they had captured would be sold at
auction.
Rosecrans Preparing for Another For
ward Movement.
A special from Cincinnati to the New
York Tribune, dated on Friday last says:
Gen. Rosecrans' headquarters were re-
moved on the day before yesterday from
Tullahoma to Winchester. The General
himself is still at Nashville. AS soon as
the new secondary basis, necessitated by
the recent advance, will be fully estab-
lished, and other preparations required by
the peculiar character of the proposed
future operations completed, Gen. Rose
Grams will recommenCe active work. The
indications are that the whole army will
be again in motion in the course of next
week. The country may rest assured that
the summer will not be allowed to pass
without the redemption of Eastern Ten
nessee.
The only troops as yet south of the
mountains are small bodies of infantry.
holding points on the Nashville and Chat.
tanooga Railroad, as far as Stevenson and
Bridgeport, on the Tennessee river.
Trains from Nashville have been running