The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-05
when the fortunes of the day seemed to
turn against them.


turn against them.
THE REBELS GIVING WAY.
The rebels, defeated in their attempt to
capture our battery, found themselves
compelled to fall back to position imme-
diately in the rear of Farnden's creek.
There was but few inches depth of water
in the creek, and its very abrupt, deep
banks rendered it more favorable to them
than the best rifle-pits they could have
dug. General Mcpherson had no sooner
ascertained their new position than he Or
dered an advance upon it. General Dem
MIS- brigade had the lead, and his brave
men went forward with a will. General
Smiths brigade supported them. A large
open field lay between them and the enc
my, and to march across it, exposed to the
fire of an ambushed foe, was their dread
full task assigned. Not man flinched,
not a soldier evinced a spirit of fear or re-
luctance. Forward they went, unmindful
of the calling fire in their front. When
within good range, they opened on the
rebels, and more terrible conflict than
that which followed, for more than five
minutes, has seldom occurred between two
opposing forces of equal size. The Goth
Ohio, Goth Illinois, and 23d Indiana lost
heavily, but the rebels were forced from
their ground.
OUR MEN FLANKED.
During the desperate struggle above al
luded to, the rebels attempted to turn our
left flank, and very nearly succeeded in
doing so. The Goth Ohio, and Esd Indi-
ana, had advanced too far from their sup
port, and were in great danger of being
cut off, A regiment of rebels suddenly
emerged from thick underground, and
marched daringly forward to the left of
the Goth. Col. Force saw the danger he
was in, and gave the order to fall back
upon the main body. In the execution of
this order, the regiment suffered greatly,
as the mortality list will show Among
the commissioned officers wounded at this
time, was Major Rags, from Sidney, Ohio.
Two balls struck him near the shoulder,
breaking the collar-bone, and inficting
such injuries as, it is feared, will prove ia
tai. The Esd Indiana, when ordered to
fall back to the main column, found itself
on an elevation between two rayines.
Their commander, Colonel Davis, extrica-
ted them from this position in an admira-
BILE manner. Any but veterans would
have scattered in confusion, on finding
themselves so totally at the mercy of an
enemy, three times their numerical
strength, but tho Esd were undsmayed,
and retreated without showing their backs
to the enemy. The casualty list of the In
diana boys in this battle is very great.
CHARGE BY THE EIGHTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
The fight on the left was growing des-
perate. The Goth Illinois had fired forty
o nds OF cartridges, and still the enemy
held them at bay. Colonel Richards, of
the Goth, had been MORALLY wounded while
urging his willing forces forward. At this
critical period Gen. Stevenson's brigade
came to the rescue. The Sth Illinois,
Lieutenant Colonel Sturgis commanding,
came up with fixed bayonets, and with a
wild yell, which the rebels wisely inter-
preted as a premonition of death to the
foe, drove them from the creek in
wild disorder. This was one of the most
brilliant teats Of tie day. 1t made the
assurance of our victory doubly sure.
POUT OF THE ENEMY.
The rebels were by this time thoroughly
defeated, though they still kept up an out
ward show of willingness to continue the
battle. Nothing occurred after the charge
by the Sh Illinois that deserves especial
mention. The rebels retreated gradually
toward Raymond. Gen. Logan advanced
cautiously, until, receiving no reply to his
fire, he became convinced that the enemy
H. IL.
of Raymond about an hour after the de-
parture Of the routed rebels.
THE FORCES ENGAGED.
The most reliable estimate we can make
places the rebel strength at 5000 men.
Citizens tell us they had but 5000; but
there were prisoners captured from ten
different egiments-Tennessee, Alabama,
Texas and Mississippi. They were under
command of Gen. Gregg, of Texas We
fought them with Gen. Logans division of
McPherSons army corps, between five and
six thousand strong. Gen. Crocker's di-
vision came up in the afternoon, but not
in time to participate in the fight. 1t is
fair to say the forces were very nearly
equal-the rebels having the great advan-
tage of position and Typographical knowl-
edge, however.
LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES.
The official list of killed and wounded
on our side has not yet been made up. Of
ficers disagree in their estimate of casual
ties. Our loss in killed and wounded
will not exceed 25O, think. The burial
party report having buried forty of our
men on the tiel to these may be added
ten who died on the evening of the en-
gagement. There were one hundred
and sixty wounded Union soldiers carried
to hospitals. A number were slightly
wounded, and either did not enter the hos
pitfalls at all, or were cared for in their OWL
regiments. The rebel loss was much heav.
Ter than ours. We buried sixty-one con
federates on the field, and twelve died al