The Portland daily press., 1864-04-25

from the enemy's front, and a junction formed
at Pleasant Hill, where the result was con-
fdently awaited.
THIRD DAYS FIGHT.
At 7 o'clock Saturday morning the rebels
advanced cavalry in front, endeavoring to dis
cover our position. Col. Gooding with his
brigade of Lees cavalry corps, was sent out
on the Shreveport road to meet the rebels and
draw them on. He had gone about a mile,
when he came upon the rebel advance. Skin
mishing Immediately ensued, and, according
to the plan, he slowly fell back The fight
was very sharp between these cavalry bodies,
and Col. Gooding lost nearly forty men killed
and wounded, but inflicted as much damage
as he received. Col. Gooding had narrow
escape, a ball passing through and tearing the
crown out of his hat. The brigade behaved
CALAMITY, covering Gen. Emory's front. until
his line was formed The battlefield of Pleas
ant Hill is large open field, slightly elevated
in the center, from which its name is taken.
A semi-circular belt Of timber runs around
the field on the Shreveport side. Gen. Emory
formed his line OF battle on the side facing the
woods. Taylor's battery of LIST regulars had
four guns in the rear OF the left wing, on the
left OF the Shreveport road, and two on the
road in the rear of Gen. Dwight's line. Hb-
bards Vermont battery was on the right In
the rear of Gen. Emory, and concealed by
rising ground, were Gen. Smiths tried troops
formed in two lines of battle, fifty yards apart.
All his artillery was in front line, section
OF battery being on the flank of each, with
infantry lying between them. Crawford's Sd
Indiana battery was posted on the right of
the seth Infantry, and the 9th Indiana battery
on the right of the line of battle. Skirmish-
ing was kept up with considerable Wig until
late in the afternoon, when the rebels had
completed their arrangements for an attack.
About this time, however, Gen. Emory's line
of skirmishers were driven in on the right by
the rebels, who appeared in large numbers
coming through the woods. They soon
reached the open ground and moved in three
lines of battle to the attack Our battery and
infantry opened with terrific effect, doing
great slaughter with grape and canister, while
the rebel artillery, being in the woods and in
bad position, did scarcely any damage. Col.
Benedict's brigade on the left was first en-
gagged, and was soon followed by Gems. Dwight
and McMillans. Notwithstanding the terri
Bile havoc in their ranks, the rebels pressed
flercely on, slowly pushing the 10Th corps
back up the hill, but not breaking their line
of battle.
A sudden and bold dash of the rebels on the
right gave them possession Of Taylors bat
terry, and forced our line still further back.
Now came the grand coup de main. The
10th corps on arriving at the top of the hill,
the lines of Gen. Smith. The rebels were now
but in two lines of battle, the first having
been almost annbilated by Gen. Emory, what
remained being forced back into the second
line, but the two lines came on exultant and
sure of victory. The first passed over the
knoll, and all needless of the long lines of
cannon and crouching forms of as brave men
as ever trod mother earth, pressed on. The
second line appeared on the crest, and the
ci.,pal Cd
describe the awful effect of this discharge OF
seven thousand rifles and several batteries OF
artillery. Every gun loaded to the muzzle
with grape and canister, were fired simultane-
ously, and the whole centre OF the rebel line
was crushed down as a field of ripe wheat
through which a tornado had passed. 1t is
estimated that thousand men were hurried
into eternity, or frightfully mangled, by this
one discharge. No time was given them to
recover their good order, but Gen. Smith or
dered a charge, and his Ren dashed rapidly
forward, the boys Of the 10th corps joining in.
The rebels fought bravely and desperately
back to the timber, on reaching which large
portion broke and fed, fully two thousand
throwing aside their arms.
In the charge Tsylor's battery was retaken,
and also two guns of Minis battery, the Par
rott guns taken from us last fall at Carbon
Grow, and two others belonging to the rebels,
besides 700 prisoners. Apursuit and desuto-
ry fire WAS kept up for three miles, when our
men returned TO the field of battle.
Thus ended the fearful and bloody Struggle
for the control of Western Louisiana.
The New Orleans Picayune of the 10th inst.
says our forces on Sunday last were encamped
in aud around Grand Ecore. The rebels were
quiet and showed no signs of battle.
The Both Maine regiment suffered severely,
having about EtllaH lad
and missing. The color staff was struck twice
and shattered. The color sergeant was shot
in the leg, but he bravely stood by the flag
and held it up until relieved by another ser
geant. Maj. Royal L. Witham received flesh
wound in the hip; Lieut.. Strout, Co. L, was
killed; Capt. Randall, Co. f., wounded in the
shoulder slightly, but kept the field; Col. En-
erson was wounded and left in the hands of
the rebels.
New YORK, April "a.
The Sunday Herald has Louisiana cores
pondence, giving an account OF the recent
battles, and adding the following details
thereto:
Grand Ecore, April 1lM.-Gen Banks
having fallen back TO Grand Ecore, thirty. five
miles from Pleasant Hill, fifty-flve miles from
Mansfield and ninety-hve miles from Shreye-
port, will advance again as soon as he is rein
forced and adequate supplies are received.
nearly the whole of the fighting, owing TO the
nature of the heavy wooded country, must be
done by infantry.
Admiral Porter's fleet will cooperate as
far as possible. The extent OF its co-opera-
ton depends on the depth of water in Red
river.
The latest advices from Gen. Steele were
that he was either within sixty miles or one
days march of Shreveport with IL, 900 men.
Admiral Porter, with two monitors and his
flagship, went up the river from Grand Ecore
week since. 1t is presumed to operate
against the rebel seat OF government in Louis
lana.
Grand Ecore, april 15M,-About twenty
five miles above here, on the left bank of Red
river, the rebels opened on the transports
Clara Bell and Rob Roy, and fired twelve shots
into them. A force Of 1000 mounted infantry,
command, came down in front of the trans
ports and poured volleys Of musketry into the
steamers, which were getting the worst of it.
when small gunboat came up and shelled
and silenced the battery, and compelled the
rebels to fall back. Gen. A. j. Smiths 10th
corps subsequently arrived near the scene of
action, having crossed over from Grand Ecore,
marched up the right bank OF the river, and
again crossed over and punished the enemy.
They captured two guns and seventeen
wounded prisoners, who assert positively that
the rebel Gen. Greene was killed by shell
from the Rob Roy. This is another signal
victory. The rebels left 164 OF their dead on
the field, slaughtered by the terrific fire OF
our gunboat and transports. By the death