The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-25
How the Hoes.ers Fight.

d.
1t will be seen that the Indiana troops
led the way and drove the rebels like
chaff before them The defeated rebels
were veterans of the Southern army, and
fought with determined bravery, but were
no match for the gallant and hardy sons
of the Northwest
Every transport and every gun-boat
that had run the blockade and could be
made available, brought the troops from
the landing below Grand Gulf and landed
them at Bruinsburg, Miss, fifteen miles
below the former place, at noon on the
30th ult.
Without waiting to prepare dinner
General Bentons brigade pushed for
ward on the Port Gibson road to secure
position on the highlands. Four miles
from the landing they halted, and here
the army. consisting of Carr s, Hovey's,
Osterhaus' S and Smith divisions, rested
and prepared supper. Soon after dark,
refreshed by rest and rations, General
Cars division moved in advance. 70 The
night was beautiful and the road excel
lent
The bright moonlight trembled among
the thick foliage of the laurel trees. and
fell dreamiIy on the green hill side, as
veterans Of many battles strobe quickly
along the firm sandy road.
At half past one in the morning the
sound of rifles ahead told US our adj
vance guard had come upon the pickets
of the enemy, and when our skirmishers
| had driven in their guard, their Missis-
sippi battery was replied to by our Iowa
battery The first brigade Of Cars d.
vision hurried forward and relieved the
second, and the 1st Indiana battery re-
lieved the Iowa battery. After half an
hours cannonnadng, during which the
infantry took position with a shower of
shells and canister flying over their
heads, the fighting ceased for the night,
and the men lay down on their arms and
| slept soundly two hours AT four O clock
they ate hearty breakfast and prepared
for battle. 1t was the first of May, and
as beautiful morning as ever witnessed
the browning of village beauty; and
the bllthely singing birds and the red
wild roses, and large white flowers of the
magnolia laden with dew, and the little
white church near by, seemed rather
made for such an occasion than for the
roar of cannon, the clamor OF musketry
and the smoke and groans and blood
and death of battle. 1t would be Diff
cult to describe the ground. 1t was a
succession of hills and hollows. The
road to Port Gibson running in a south
eastward direction, lay along hill which
| sloped in fields planted in corn to the
left, but broke away in lateral ridges,
with deep hollows between, on the right.
The history of battle is a compila-
ton of events which belong to the histo-
ries of regiments, brigades and divi-
sions, and even in a comparatively
small battle, one who is actively engaged
with regiment cannot see much else
while so engaged. General Benton S
brigade lay on the right of the road near
ordered forward -'--"ifAr sunrise it was
Alter passing an almost impossible
hollow they came out and formed line
on the lateral ridge, at the junction of
which with the road stands the church
The enemy were on the opposite side of
the next lateral ridge with battery
across the road from their right The
| 18th Indiana, commanded by Col Wash
burn, directly in front of them was or
dered forward, and under the fire of in
fantry and artillery it passed the church,
crossed the hollow and moved up tie side
! of the ridge, on the other side of which
were the enemy with an open field be-
! tween. And here, across that open
| ground, those heroes of Pea Ridge fought
| them three mortal hours, and many an
Indiana home was filed with mourning.
and many traitor bit the dust, among
them General Tracy of Alabama At
the end Of this time, when the 18th had
expended most of its ammunition, it was
reinforced by the gallant 34th Indiana of
Hoveys division. The two regiments
mingled together as one, and after an
almost constant volley for about five or
ten minutes, commenced advancing.
With baYonets fixed and sending before
them shower of lead, rising on the
knee to shoot and lying down to load,
they went forward, slowly and steadily at
first, then, as the rebels turned to flee,
they rushed forward with a yell of vic
tory that almost drowned the noise of
battle. The rout was complete. Many
prisoners were taken, but fear lent light
ming to the legs of most and they stopped
not till they reached their reinforce
ments which were still mile distant
when the charge was made We learned
from prisoners that the 18th had been
fighting three old and tried rebel regi-
| ments
On the flag which the 18th captured
from one ofthem (thel5th Ark, were the
names of Oak Hill, Wilson Creek, Elk
| HornI COrinth and Hatchie Bridge.
This regiment, with this flag at its head,
attempted once to charge our battery,
but received such CALLING fire from the
HoOsiers that they were glad to retire to
cover. While the 18th and 34th were
charging across the field, the old 18th
Indiana came down the road, and cross
ing the fence on the left, charged at the
same time and in the same manner on
the other side of the road
Besides the large number of prisoners,
we captured three wagon loads of ammu-
milton and two splendid l2-pound brass
howitzers, which were put in the lst In
diana Battery and used against the reb-
els the remainder of the day. This bat
terry, during the action, had two of its
pieces slightly disabled which will soon
be repaired. The loss of the 18th Indi-
ana was ninety eight killed and wounded,
OF whom fourteen were killed and five or
Ill