Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-27
The Fighting in Louisiana.

The reports published in the New Yorl
papers are to the same effect as those al
ready published in the Leader from th'
Chicago papers. The following ara tb'
leading feafuros or the three days fight.
ing
The first day (the 7th inst there was
only heavy cavalry skirmishing, such IS
generally occurs when two hostile armies
are approaching each other; and our horse
men whipped the enemy handsomely after
8 stiff fight, snd chased them far from the
field. The next day, other portions of our
troops having Joined the advance, they at
tackled the enemy again, and fought till
two o'clock, about which time another por-
tiOu of Gen. Banks army came up and
took part in the struggle. Gen. Banks
himself now arrived on the field, and die
patched an order to Gen Franklin to bring
forward his command. Fighting had been
going on with great fury for three hours,
when Franklin, in person, came up, and
| took part in the battle. But things were
containing to 60 against Us, when Emory's
| division Of FTsnklin's corps, also in Its
turn Joined the previously mentioned
! bodies, and the battle ragged until night
closed in upon them all. But We had lost
very heavily in officers and men, very
heavily in artillery, and had lost the field.
The morning of the third day Gen. Banks
had fallen back 10 Pleasant Hill, where
Gen. Andrew Jackson Smith, the hero of
Fort De Rnssey, had arrived with his
troops. An excellent disposition Of our
forces Was now effected. and when the
- hall l.. I'll
upon our lines, they were met with cour-
sge and intelligence, but continued to push
our advance until they reached nearly the
summit Of hill behind which Smith was
posted, when suddenly and Unexpectedly
he sprsng up with his whole force, poured
q tremendous volley with artillery and
musketry into their lines, and this was
quickly followed by a charge which drove
the whole rebel force in Tout. Having ef-
fected this ssIguinary success, our army
fell back to the line Of the Red river, and
took up position at Grand Ecore, near
Natchitoohes.
The causes of the disaster as stated by
the Tribune were that Gen. Banks suffered
the csvslry to advance beyond easy sup
porting distance; thst the cavalry train
wss suffered to get in front Of the whole
infantry force and SO prevented the use
Of the only road for troops and artillery
to arrive or retreat; and that when Gen.
Banks decided to deliver battle, instead Of
Withdrawing his cavalry, he committed to
that engagement against the whole body
ofthe enemy but small part Of his whole
force, and sent that, as he had previously
done the cavalry, out Of reach Of the re-
naming infantry, by whose aid the battl
could have been won. 1t is remarkable
that he here committed exsetly the error
BY which, in August, 1862, he lost the bat
tie Of Cedar Mountain in Virgins.
1t is impossible 10 understand why there
was necessity for any battle at all in that
region. The force moving against the
rebels was amply sufficient to have routed
them completely. The only trouble was
they were not united as they should have
been. Some anxiety is now felt for Gen.
Steele, who, when last heard from, was
" at Camden, Arkansas, and whose force
was meant to have efeOted junction with
the force Of Gen. Banks at Shreveport,
Louisiana, was within sixty miles Of the
latter place. The mifortune Of Gen.
Bsnks's retreat is that it leaves the enemy
stlioerty to turn all his forces against the
advance Of Gen. Steele. The safety of the
latter is perhaps compromised, and II he |
is attacked and beaten, his defeat will add |
one more to the many examples Of the i'm
policy Of seeking to unite in the face Of
the enemy two columns marching from diff
fersnt lines BY oonverging Iines.n