Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-04-28

soldiers on foot and horseback and cheered and
couraged them to continue the unequal fight But human
beings could not longer Withstand such fierce and
Powerng oDsaughts as our bearing up against
and our line finally gave way at all points, and the men
fell back fercey contestiug the ground they yielded
Unfortunately sad mshap befell them at this time.
The large and cumbersome wagon train blocked up the
way the frightened horses dashed through the infantry
lines entanged themselves with the artillery aud created
momentary but unfortunate confusion This gave the
rebels who rapidly pressing possession of several
pieces of artillery Gen. Franklin conspicuous during
this part of the day. rayng the men, and two horses
were killed under him. Capt Chapman, Of his staff, had
both feet taken off him round shot and the horse of
| Capt Franklin was killed at the time.
The enemy followed step by step for three and
half miles, but he advancing meet fearful retri-
button The Nineteenth Army Corps had been ordered
To stop and form its line of battle the refreshing Union
troops passed through this line and formed in the rear
The rebels thinking they had repulsed whole army,
dashed mpetuousy and thought the ne but half vs
bic in the woods before them another feeble but des
| perate stand of few men,
Gen Emory commanded this force, consisting of two
full brgade and he ordered the fire to be reserved until
the rebels within short range when from both in-
fantry and the artillery posted hicky along this ne
storm of iron and lead hurled upon the foe that liter
but still they fought brayey. Volley after volley dis
charged from each side full into the ranks of their oppo
nents but neither gave signs of yielding, and night char
tablJ threw her mantle the ghastly scene and en-
| forced a cessation of hostties
The two divisions under command of Gen. A. j. Smith,
belonging to the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps
had reached Pleasant Hill and there halted General
Banks determined to withdraw his army to that point for
sake OF the advantageous position which he could there
occupy knowing that the enemy would follow what they
| supposed to be demoralized army.
ln accordance with this plan of operations, all
were quietly withdrawn from the enemys 'front.' and the
line of march taken up for Pleasant HILL This conjunc-
ton of his forces satisfactorily effected and the result
| confidently awaited SO we'll the movement conduct
ed that although the first body started at ten O'clock and
the remainder not all under way until nearly day,
the rebels had not the slightest suspicion Of what 60
ing on.
THIRD DAYS FIGHT.
AT seven o'clock on Saturday morning, the 9th, our
forces were all at Pleasant Hill and the rebels ad
vancing cavalry in 'front.' endeavoring to discover po
ston. Colonel o. p Goodng, with his brigade OF Lees
cavalry corps sent out the Shreveport road to
meet the enemy and draw him He had gone about
mile when he upon the rebel advance Skmis hing
immediately ensued and, according to the pan he slowly
| fell back
l. /,
and Col GoodiDg lost nearly forty killed and wound
ed, in1lcug however much damage as ne received.
Among his casustes Capt Becker and Lieut.. Hall,
| of the Second New York veteran cavalry Lieut. Hall
has since died Of his wounds. Col GoodDg made a
escape, ball passing through and tearing the
out Of his bat aud grazing the skin The brigade hsved
very gaaIty covering Gen. Emorys front until his line
formed
The ttle.feld of Pleasant Hill is large open field
which had been cultivated, but is overgrown
with weeds and bushes The slightly elevated centre Of
the field, from which the Of Pleasant Hill is taken
is nothing than long mound hardly worth the
of hill semi circular belt Of timber round the field
on the Shreveport side.
Gen Emory formed bis line OF battle the side facing
these woods Gen McMlsns brigade being posted the
right Gen. Dwghts the CENTRE and Col Benedict on
the left Tayors battery, L, First Regulars, had four
in of the left wing the left Of the Shreveport
rosd and two the road in Of Gen Dwghts line.
| Hilberd's Vermont Battery on the right.
In the Of Emory and concealed by the rising ground
Gen Smiths tried troops formed two lines Of bat
tie, fifty yards apart All his artillery in the front
ne-s piece section battery being the flank Of each
regment-the infantry lying between them. The Thr-
eenth corps a in the rear under Gen Came
ron-Gen Ransom having been wounded the day before
Gen Smith commander in chief Of the lines back
| OF the crest while Gen. Mower the Immediate com
msnder Of the The commander Of the right brigade
in Gen. Smiths fret line Col Lynch; the left brigade
was Col Shaws. The second line also consisted Of two
brigades-the right under control Of Col - and the left
commanded by Col Hill Crswford's Third Indiana bat.
terry posted the right Of the Eightynn Indiana
infantry and the Ninth Indiana battery on the right Of the
line Of battle The Missouri Sun battery others whose
names and numbers could not ascertain were aso in
| this section Of the battle.
The skrmlshing kept up with considerable vgor
until about FIVE O'Clock in the afternoon, when The rebels
had completed their arrangements for the attack At
about this hour General Emorys skmish line driven
n the right by the rebels, who appeared in large
force, coming through the timber above mentioned The
rebels reached the open ground and moved on to the
attack three lines Of battle Our batteries and infantry
opened with terrible effect doing great slaughter with
grape and canister, while the enemys artillery being in
the woods and in bad position did scarcely any damage
| Colonel Benedcrs brigade on the left fret en-
gagged soon followed by Dwights and McMillsn's. The
fighting was terrfc old soldiers say it never sur
passed for desperation Notwithstanding the terrible
havoc in their ranks the enemy pressed ercely on slowly
pushing the men Of the Nineteenth Corps back up the h
but not breaking their line Of battle. sudden and bold
dash of the rebels the right gave them possession Of Tsy
or's battery and forced line still further back
Now came the grand coup de The Nineteenth,
on arriving al the top Of the h suddenly fled of the
hill and passed through the lines OF Gen Smith. We must