Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-28

when il fell back TO Pleas,nt Hill. distance Of
about twelve me.. arriving there about day
light on Saturday morning General Lees cav
airy aud the i3ih army corps continued their
preciDitate retreat from the battlefield 10 Pleas
ant HILL.
BATTLE 90 PLEASANT HILL.
Saturday morning Gen Banks ordered a re-
treat OF the whole army 10 Grand Ecore The
wagon trains and the heavy artillery. guarded
by the negro regiments. took the advance. leav
ing Pleasant Hill early IN the morning Il re-
CURED nearly all day to get the immense train
in motion. the advance being at least fifteen
miles distant before the resi- got fairly started
About FIVE O'Clock p. VI just the wagon
train Of Gen. Banks army had AL got ia motion.
the rebels attacked our army in great force Our
forces were posted 90 as to effectually cover our
retreat. the right resting about half a mile
northwest of the town Of Pleasant HILL the
centre about half mile 70 the west. and the
left still further west. about halt mile in the
woods
The 10th army corps. commanded by General
A j Smith, occupied the right up to the centre.
and the 18th srmy corps. General Franklin, the
left up to the centre. The reserves were posted
about 4 half mile in the rear The forces sup
porting the 10th corps were the 49th Illinois.
commanded by Major Thomas W Morgan; the
l7o New York, commanded by Col. Waller: s9th
5Sth Illinois. / have no list of the regiments
supporting the 18th corps The rebels under
Kirby Smith attacked our whole front in great
force, and after a half hour of hard fighting,
with musketry and field artillery. our force fell
back on the reserve line a distance of about half
mile. The enemy pursued with great rapidly.
fighting all the way, and doing considerable
damage. For time all seemed lost. but the
presence Of the Western troops inspired conf
dence in the whole army.
When the advancing rebels approached the
line of the reserve forces, our army brought
into excellent position. and the fighting again be
came terrific. The Western BOYS threw their
hats in the air. and raised a yell which was heard
above the roar OF artillery aud the rattle Of mus
kerry. That tremendous yell was more terrible
to the rebels than the laundering peals Of can
non. One of the prisoners afterwards remarked
that when they heard that shout the word was
passed round: There are the Western boys, we
will catch HI now" 10 a short time their
columns began TO WAIVER. Gen. A. j. Smith or
dered charge along the whole line. The order
was quickly Obeyed Another shout was raised
by our boys. Gen Mower advanced TO the front
and led the charge in person, riding throughout
the thickest of the fight. cheering his on.
The rebels could stand no longer. They broke
and run in great confusion, throwing away their
guns. and giving up the day They hotly
pursued ny our forces. who pressed them CLOSELY.
and inflicted terrible blows upon them The re-
pulse OF the rebels crushing and attended
with immense loss Whole columns were NOW ed
down before the CALLING freof the Western army.
They driven about two miles into the woods.
losing about 600 men who were captured. be
sides large number OF killed and wounded
During the battle the 49th Illinois (Col W X
Morrison's old regiment.) under command Of
Major Morgan. charged on rebel battery with
determined bravery and captured two pieces of
artillery and large number of prisoners. Ad-
jutant Deneen of the ll7th Illinois reported this
TACT To- Gen Banks The General replied: Pre-
sent my compliments to Major Morgan and his
regiment. and tell him will ever remember them
for their galldutry
The reoel prisoners claim to have had % 900
men engaged on Saturday. but doubt whether
half that number were present The rebel Gen.
erals Parsons and Mouton reported killed
Our armv remained on the field until daylight,
Sunday morning, when the retreat to Grand
Ecore commenced.
The rebel killed and wounded were left on the
field. Our wounded were taken to houses in
Pleasant Hill. and there placed in smbulances
and wagons and brought on TO Grand Ecore; ex-
cept about twenty five. who were badly wounded
and lett at Pleasant Hill, in of two sur.
geons Our dead we're LETT en- the field but il
is reported that they were aiterward buried by
the cavalry
Our killed and wounded during the second !
days battle. will perhaps amount 10 500; that
of the rebels is at least double that amount The |
10th and 18Th grmy corps were the only forces
engaged in this fight. on our side
In our retreat 10 Grand Ecore distance Of IS |
miles from Pie ,sant HILL We were not molested
in the least. BY Monday evening the llth, the |
whole army was At Grand Ecore on Red River
There is great dissatisfaction expressed on all
sides. ut the generalship displayed by General
Banks He has lost the confidence OF the entire
army. The privates are rdiculing him. Off
not loudly. but deeply cursing him. and
civilians are unanimous IN condemnation of the |
commanding General. The Fridays battle was
brought on contrary TO General Franklin's plans:
both Gen. franklin and Gen Ransom protesting
against having the cavalry So far in advance of
the IN ain army Gen b inks hurried on. sup
posing that there was no danger but the sad &c
ieat 1T Mansfield is the result After General
Banks left Grand Ecore he wrote back to Gen /
Grover, at Alexandra. saving:
I'VE hope TO meet the enemy this side Of
Shreveport"
His hope has been more thaa realized The
troops are calling for General sherman They
say 4 Sherman had been in command, he would
nov be in Shreveport instead OF NJ Grand 4
Ecore General Banks has been engineering his /
department more TO further his Presidential as
plratons than anything else. But II the Balti.
more convention were composer OF the Army OF f
the Gulf. his chance would be hopeless He
would not get enough votes TO save him from
that uuimportant list put down a. scattering
Person 'y General Banks is perfect gentle
man have no prejudice against him. for he
has Invariably treated me with kindness and con. I
sderation. But the truth must be told As
m litary man he is, as the vernacular has it, /
played out "
General A. j. Smith protested against the re-
treat from Pleasant Hill. He wanted to pursue
the rebels on Sunday on his own hook. instead Of
falling back but General Banks was firm and
ordered all the forces To return. General Smith
j. very popular with the army; every time he
makes his appearance. he Is cheered with great
enthusiasm. ard he Is considered one of the
ablest generals of the army
IL Is difficult TO determine at this time what
will be the result OF this expedition. Ii will take
some time TO reorganize. before an advance eau
be resumed Ii the river continues To fall. nav I
CATION above Alexandra will be difficult, II not
impossible. In that event. Alexandria will ne
cessarilv become the base of operations instead of
Grand Ecore. or some point above The trans
ports and gunboats are all above Grand Ecore
but expected down here 10 morrow The
rebels are very troublesome on the river above
Grand EcOre They succeeded in planting a
battery between fleet ana this place The
gunboats sheiled the woods. all day Yesterday.
and ,erhaps disOdged the rebels The transports
almost con>tantly hrei on from both sides OF
the river. Seventeen miles below here. the