Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-10-28

THE JOURN AL.
GREAT BATTLE NEAR KANSAS
CITY.
-O-
Prices Army Routed and in Fall
Retreat South.
Grants Ability to Take Ric!.nana'
Further Particulars of SheriGan'S
Victory.
--O
Guerrilla Depredations 10 Men,
tucky.
Grants Ability to Take Richmond

openly avowed by the highest military
authorities here, that Gen. Grant can NJ
any time he pleases, with few hours
fighting, occupy the city OF klcnhiohd,
and force Lee either to capltuiaIe OF
hastily cvacuate the rebel capital. AAe
only reason assigned for the delay is me
desire ofthe Lieut.. General to attain the
same result, without the serious Sacrl-
flee of life that would attend the capture
of this stronghold by direct assault at
this time.
KANSAS CITY. Oct. 22.-The fight yes
terday between Little Blue River ana
Independence was Il very gallant affair.
We fought Prices entire army for hNe
hours.
McLeans Colorado battery silencei
the rebel guns.
Col. Hoyt made a gallant sabre charge
with battalion of the 18th Kansas ana
ID Colorado. Lost 80 killed and wound
ed, among the former, Major smith,
commanding regiment.
Our total loss is over HOO.
We evacuated independence, iall!nS
back to Big Blue River.
The militia have arrived, and TINS
morning we hold our line on the Big
Blue River.
Gems. Curtis Blunt and Dietzler are
on the ground.
About , O'Clock this morning Col.
Jennison, with the 18th Kansas and
several guns, was attacked at Byron
Ford by heavy column of the enemy,
and about o'clock p. NJ. the rebels
forced Jennison to fall back towards
Westport and the State line. Colonel
Moonlight went to his assistance. Both
commanders got separated from the
main force.
A portion of the Kansas militia
fought near Pickhaw's Mills, but were
compelled to retreat, falling back to
ShawneetOWn.
The main body of the militia marched
to Kansas City. where their headquar-
tiers now are. They occupy entrenfh-
ments, and are in good spirits.
Coils. Jennison and Moonlight and
Major Hunt, with General Curtis bo;.y
guard, fought the enemy until after
dark, driving them four miles over open
prairie. Our loss was considerable. iile
rebel loss was over 400.
We captured so stand of arms and the
rebel Captain Van Nolkenburg, brother
of the New York Congressman.
Jennison and Moonlight are at the
State line.
Price is at Wagon Farm, moving rap
idly in three columns.
At shutdown q message was receiF ca
from Gen. Peasanton, stating thai he
was pressing Price with 10000 meu.-
He had fought them on the field CT yes
terday, drove them from Independence,
and pursued them sharply. Price vas
heading for Kansas and may cross ne
State line in his retreat.
We will move to Olathe soon.
Our rear had 4 sharp skirmish with
the rebels at Big Blue this evening, clp-
turing II and kiilingl.
A general battle has been fought at
Kansas City and we have gaineda great
victory. Prices whole army is repor ed
rapidly retreating South. Our cavalry
are in pursuit, altogether with Pjeasan-
tons force, numbering il, 900 men.
The rebels may strike for Fort Scot
but will be too closely followed to do
much damage.
Pleasanton closed yesterdays battle AZ
Independence by capturing large NUM-
bers of prisoners and three pieces o.
artillery.
This morning our line formed 5 miles
south OF Kansas City, on the INestpoft
road Skrmishing continued several
hours, when the whole force advanced
and q heavy fight ensued. The rebels
fell back and formed "a new line a mile
and half from their first position. IN
artillery engagement then ensued. Our
artillery slowly advanced. Fighting
was kept up for ten miles fro,n ,Ais
point the enemy gradually falling back.
Pleasant0u then came in on cur l@!t,
and a grand charge followed, resulting
in a total rout Of tie rebels.
When our informant left the front our
whole cavalry force was in vigorous
pursuit, with the infantry following.
Gen. Blunt was commanding the vol
unteer force on the left, and General
Deitzler the center, composed Of militia,
who behaved calamity.
The 2d Colorado, Col. Ford, was IN
the thickest OF the fight, and made saT-
eral brilliant charges.
Gen. Deitzler, Gov. Carney and Gen.
Curtiswere constantly with the advance.
Gar loss was not heavy. That Of the
rebels, Judging from the number Of dead
and wounded left on the field. must
have been very great.
NEW York, Oct. z4.--ihe H.:uhi :
Martinsburg correspondent Of the I'D
has information from the front, which
indicates that our losses in the battle OF
the 18th inst, will reach 5000 III killed,
wounded and missing. We also lost
early in the morning n guns. We have
captured, including the wounded who
are in our hands, about 1000 men and
so guns. The loss Of the enemy cannot,
therefore, be much less than $1,000 men.
Gen. Gustav alone has receipts for Il
guns and battle-fags, besides q large
number of ambulances, horses, wagons,
mules, &c. This makes 81 pieces of az
tillery that have been captured during
the last two weeks.
If any reliance can be placed upon the
statements of prisoners and Intercepted
letters, it is now pretty certainly deter
mined that Gen. Longstreet was not in
the valley, but that Gen. Early had de
termined to strike a desperate blow fol
the recovery of the district and his lost
reputation in the absence, as he sup
posed, of the commanding general, anG
the 9Th corps in this effort was seconded
by Kershaw, whose infantry having
been several times defeated by our cav
alry, felt that his reputation needed
some Frightening. Many of the other
officers, however, high in command, de.
nounced the effort as rash, and hes!tated
not to express the opinion, that should
it fail, it would end the rule of the Con
federacy in that section Of Vlrgiula.-
Kershaw executed the first portion OF
the programme Wen, anu 0le "noIe Ieo'
eli army fought with greater obstinacy
than ever before, as their losses attest
Nothing could withstand the impetuosi-
ty of our men.
The Heralds correspondent has the
following, concerning our captures at
Cedar Creek:
Devin, with his little brigade, kept
swooping down upon their rear, gobbling
IN officers and men by scores. He press
ed them so hard that it was impossible
for them to get their artillery out Of his
way. or their wagons and ambulances.
me drivers and cannoniers dismounted
and ran off into the woods on either
side of the road, and the rear guard OF
the demoralized rebel army, if it had
- ral1A.rod omit lnayinr the whole