Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-23
BY LAST NIGHTS MAIL.
THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.
Additional Particulars % the Dts.s-
Ter 20 the I3fh Array Composition
A. , snsith's sassess Next Day
May PRISONERS anal & anaeE Takems


We len Niiehitocbes en- The morning
Of April 9th, aud Married until nesriy
dark, when we campeG ia a pine forest
0a the morning OF the 7lh We started
again, and reached the town Of Pleasant
Hill about eve clock This was the
frst open piece Of country that We had
found since We left Nilchitoches, ard
that was only mile square The cav
airy had been IN brisk skirmish during
the afternoon. About 6lly wounded
sere brought in and a byspital was Is
sablished.
Attwo o'clock on the morning Of the
sth. the frst brigade Of our division
composed Of the 10th Kentucky. 7gsh
Illinois, ed Wisconsin, and the G7 n In
diana, numbering about 500 men--wss
started in advance, and By daylight com
menesd skirmishing With The enemy We
(the Chicago MereRatiie Battery started
n day5reak with the "a brigade and the
Sd division, numbering about $500 %
5000 men, and searched through dense
timber until thfee o'clock in the after.
noon, when We w-re ordered TO the front.
To get to where the fighting was in pro-
gress. We bad TO pass the whole train Of
Lees cavalry division, Numbering 800
wagons; and as there was only one road
through the timber they were pulled up
to our side, and We went By them on a
gallog, with our guns, caiSsons, battery
wagon and forge We had just passed
the train, when we came TO an opening
about mile square, and on the opposite
side were our Haen engaged ia skirmish-
ing. IL
BY this time our whole division was
ia action, and brigade of the 81 divis
ion. We crossed the field, took a position
near the edge OF the opposite woods, and
had just got 10 battery when we heard
terrible yell and saw line Of releis, an-
broken, charging on our exhausted men.
who bad been skirmishing all day, and
and had only q few rounds OF ammuni-
| ton.
Then came a whitening volley Of mus
kerry, and then our poor boys com
meuced . retreat, but not in order, for
there was not enough men 10 form =
/ line We waited sew moments, until
our men bed passed US, and commenced
firing on the rebel lines, but could not
stop their progress, and We soon received
orders from Colonel Landram to timber
up aud leave if we ever expected 20 get
our guns OF. Two of our horses had
been shot, bus we forced them across the
field aud took up another position in the
edge Of the timber, firing again on the
rebel lines, which we could see with
great dissinetness, crossing the Geld on
the doable-quick.
Here General Ransom Was shot in the
knee and was oblig to leave the Geld.
Lieut. Throop was feiied by the windage
of shell which grazed his abdomen.
Gen. Banks was here, trying to rally the
cavalry, which was in great disorder.
The bugiers surrounded the raliy-a
sound that ! shall never forget-and a
new line was formed; but in a few mo
ments both our TANKS were turned, and
We were obliged to timber sp and retire
! short distance. Here another line was
formed and few more shots delivered.
By this time the rebels were on boil
of our hsnks and firing across US Ia
every direction. We got oar pieces in
the road and began 10 retreat, when 9
scene Of great confusion ensued In
the road was that whole cavalry train
faced to the rear, and each man trying
80 escape on his own hook, and the road
so blocked up that it was an impossible
ty for anything TO move Our gun va.
next TO the rear piece, and fired one Of
the last shots that we're fired By the ar
tillery When the rebels got within
two rods of rs, we got orders to cut tn,
traces and escape if possible. Ar. Dyer
our gunner, went to his timber, too GU
6 hle and hammer, and when tbs
rebels had already reached the gun be
hind, he commenced spiking his gun
and was captured at bis post Whethel
he was wounded or not, / cannot tell
now began to think of my own safe
, ty, and rau down the road short dis
lance, then struck into the woods until
was exhausted, when / caught 3 mule
l mounted him, but was immediAteI'
dismounted BY the fractions animal
Soon after, l found another mule, mount
ed him, and was soon out of danger, be
hind the 18Th Army Corps
While our division was fighting, tn
18th Army Corps went into camp aboa
eight miles to our rear, and we're aftsI