Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-04-28
The News.
COMPILED DAILY FOR THE REPORTER.
BIZ TH,srsday's Had.

| Dy lft"Snuy -hua.
Senator Wade and Representative Gooch
of the Committee on the Conduct Of tht
War, have started for Cairo to examine int,
the Fort Pillow massacre. Their investiga
ton will be thorough.
The Government is taking hold of the Fort
Pillow affair with earne5tness. The Presi
deat, in his speech at the Inauguration of the
MARYLAND Fair, says, in effect, that when he
made up his mind to use negroes as soldiers
he also determined that they should be pro
tected by the uniform they wore and by the
flag thev fought under, and that when the Of
fetal record of the Fort Pillow massacre
comes before him substantiating the newspa,
per reports, 'rehbution wiN be surely giVe'," in
which he will be sustained by the unanimous
| loyal sentiment of the country
Chicago. April ia letter to the Eve.
ming Journal. dated Grand Ecore, says:
Our cavalry had driven the enemy for two
davs hut in the forenoon of the Sth word was
sent back for infantry support, and Gen. Ran
som. in command of the Sd ana 4th Divisions
Of the 18th Corps, was ordered to send for
ward a brigade and did so at noon, himself
following with the 18th Division.
After advancing about five miles from
where the Sd Division Of his command and
the 10Th Corps were, he encountered the reb-
els and made stand and our line consisting
of only 2,4O0 infantry, formed in a belt of
woods with an open field in front, and the
enemy in the woods on the other side
Gen. Stone, of Balls Bluff fame Chief of
Gen. Banks staff, was the field and took
the direction of movements.
Gen. Ransom was in favor Of advancing
only in force, but his wish was dsregarded
After keeping up skirmish across the
open field for about an hour, the enemy ad-
vanced upon us in overwhelming numbers, es-
timated at 10000.
Gen. Ransom got all the available troops to
the front and opened on them
The enemy lost heavily, but advanced stead
lily, and soon made our cavalry give way, and
our infantry fell back. In few moments tEse
enemy pressed US SO closely. and the panic
among our cavalry was SO demoralizing that
the retreat became a rout.
Gen. Ransom did all in his power to rally
the men, but finding it impossible without re-
Inducements, he made every effort to save
the artillery. While endeavoring to get the
Chicago Mercantile Battery off safely, he was
severely wounded in the leg. Capt. Cyrus F.
Bic.-ey, his Adjutant, was instantly killed.
Our loss is large, probably 1000.
The Mercantile Battery lost all its guns
While the 4th Division falling back in
disorder, the Sd Division, numbering l, 500
men, came up and was Immediately routed -
Finally the 10th Corps, with 1000 men, came
up, formed line, checked the enemy, and
held them until we got all the trains of ex-
cept that of the cavalry.
Chicago, april 2O.-The Evening Journal
publishes extracts from member of the Chi
cago Mercantile Battery, dated the 10Th, say
ing that on the day after the recent disaster
to the 18th Corps, Gen. A. j. Smith, with the
18th Corps, engaged and defeated the enemy,
capturing 1000 prisoners and 20 cannon.
By Saturdays -HaA
Cairo, April 2l-Adviees from Grand
Ecore, Red River to the morning of the 18th,
are. received.
The battle on the Sth was fought at Sabine
Cross Roads, from eight to fifteen miles from
Pleasant Hill, and is known as the battle of
Sabine Cress Roads. The enemy was COM
manded by Gems. Masruder, Holmes and Tay-
lor, all under Kirby Smith. The enemy;s loss
the first day is placed at 800
The second fight was at Pleasant He'll, where
as previously stated, the enemy was most glo-
es under Gen. A. j. Smith, Gen. Banks COM
mander-in- chief The eue,Gps loss is heavy,
two to our one. Among their killed were
Gems. Morton and Parsons.
After the first days fight, Banks, being
short of rations, sent to Admiral Porter to
return with the feet, which had advanced to
within eighty miles of Shreveport. and was
preparing TO blow up the steamer New Falls
City, which the rebels had sunk in the chan
nel On the receipt of Banks dispatch, the
fleet turned back, and ca the way down was
attacked by large numbers of the enemy on
both sides of the river, who attempted to
capture the transports. A fight ensued be-
tween the gunboats and rebels, in wiaich the
latter were splendidly repulsed, with less of
500 or 600 killed and large number wound
ed, while mons of the gunboats were injured.
Gen. Green, commanding the rebels in this
action, had his head blown off by q she'll