Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-04-21
NUMBER 16.


quick. and by the right flank, and
doubling on their centre, they advan.
ced with loud shouts to the onset As
they came on, their leveled bayonets
CLEANED like "a forest of steel amid
the smoke of battle" -.
When they were so near their fca-
lures were plainly distinguishable, the
order was passed along the Union
lines to open fire, and tornado of
shrapnel and musket balls met them
IN their bosoms, and they disappeared
from their ranks as the snow before a
mighty rain. In vain their officers
waved their swords and cheered them
on. At each attempt that same vast
ing fire was poured into them, until
the few survivors of that gallant
charge sought safety in fight, leav-
ing behind them their colors and over
half their men. Gen. GLADDEN. was
mortally wounded and died soon after.
His arm and shoulder were completely
torn away by grape shot.
Again the whole rebel line was
compelled to give ground. Again
they received re-enforcements, and tho
rebel General commanding, himself
headed a charge upon the whole Un-
ion line. Terrible was the struggle ;
bayonets crossed bayonets men were
using clubbed muskets, and fighting
hand to.hand. A deep cloud of smoke
settled down over the combatants.
Through the sable cloud, the artillery
would flash out red and lurid, aud the
storm of iron would go upon its errand
Of destruction and death. %
The rebel General received a COM
mon buck shot just below the knee,
which severed an artery, and faint and
bleeding he fell from his saddle into
the arms of an aid. DR.. Chopin, his
staff surgeon, could not staunch the
flow of blood there upon the field. Be-
fore they could convey him to hos
pital, in fifteen minutes from the time
he received the wound, died Albert
Sidney Johnston, the second General
in the Southern Confederacy a man
who had fought bravely for the same
flag he now led an army against, to
pull down and destroy
The command now devolved upon
Gen. Beauregard. Slowly the sun
went down upon the field of battle,
while the Union army formed upon
the semi-circular bluff, overlooking
the river, for last desperate effort.
All the artillery was concentrated, and
a battery of heavy artillery sent their
shot tearing through tine timber. The
gun-boats also opened fire, and poured
upon the astonishcd rebels their show
er of shells. To counteract this, Beau
regard brought forward thirty-six
pieces of artillery, and sent back eve
ry kind of missile-shell, canister.
percussion shell, round shot, James
she'll and shrapnel, in answer to the
Union batteries.
As the shades of evening gathered
around, the fire gradually slackened,
and finally ceased. The curtain of
night fell upon one of the bloodiest
tragedies ever enacted upon this con-
tinent. * J"
The rebel army fell back a distance
of one mile, and occupied the captured
camps. The Union army lay upon
their arms, in the position they held
when night brought an end to The
conflict.
They were invigorated with tho
news that Buell. had come up. Already
his advan ce was on the opposite bank
of the Tennessee. and a splendid band
was playing the Star Spangled Ban
ner." AS the familiar tune came borne
upon the evening breeze the weary
soldiers gave three cheers for the old
flag. ... ..
All day the heavens had been clear
and cloudless, but now deep, black
clouds hung heavily in the sky, and
the rain fell in torrents. All night
the troops of Buell. were crossing tho
river and taking their position for the
morrow. The rebels were
disturbed by the gun-boats throwing
she'll into their midst, at fifteen min
utes interval, all night. This fire of
shell was very destructive, killing and
wounding many who had passed un-
scathed through the day, and fancied
themselves secure. Early upon Mon
day morning, the 7th, the Union ar
mics, in their columns moved forward
and commenced a furious attack up
on the rebel lines. The rebels were
not expecting this. They thought
their artillery had nearly annihilatcd
the Union army the evening before.
But they fought desperately, and the
fighting was more terrible than on the
day before. Hardee was borne down
and driven back, and Bragg and Polk
Jared no better. At noon the whole
rebel army was being forced back at
every point, and the day to them SEEM
ed lost. 1t was now that Beauregard
determined to make one desperate eff
fort to retrieve his waning fortune.
He spurred to the head of the famous
I" Garde d. Orleans the Old Guard"
of tho rebel army. They had not yet