, 1864-04-21

Battle at Mansfield, La. :.
on the Sth inst. ,
A0ttaI4cna1 Particulars of Khe
4'ssaster to the 18th Army
Corps.
Federal Loss 1900 Men
and 22 Pieces OF
Artillery,

Federal Loss 1900 Men
and G2 Pieces OF
Artillery.
FROM MEMBER or THE BATTERY.
Aepee1a' Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.
CAMP or CHICAGO MERCANTILE BATTERY
aRAHD EcoRE, April :. 1854
~ INC evening ofthe 7th, Leo's cavalry had sharr
nehs at Pleasant Hill, thirty miles from Gtand
Nofc. From Natchitochcs 10 Shreveport the road
rsseea through forest Of pine trees with only &C.
eaaonauy. herc and there. pieces of cultivated
ground. Our division, which waa inI the advance
nextto the cavalry, arrived at Pleasant Hill on thu
nl'efnoon ol The 7th. General Lee had then driven
the enemy some six Or eight miles. His loss tbs,
day "ts about 80 killed and wounded.
We camped there for the night, The 10th Army
Gofps arrived there during the evening, also Ma]oi
Generals -; nania and franklin during the niCht.
= Ihs ~ 16s brigade q our division numbering about
l5Ogl men, moved forward to the support Of tic
easalfy. Our lattery and tho rest Of the division
etarted about dye In the morning. We heard the
SSsvalry II and OPT brigade eklrmishlug all the morn
ofthc nth Illinois coming back and Saving It that
.aels Lieutenant Colonel was killed, After We had
ma a6o5 Ten me Capt White back
on The double quick. which soon fetched Us to the
enemJ'e position. We were Immediately nut IN
calsaons. We h.d not been in position bGt a a vers
few minutes before tho enemy were hank,
ing ETEs,e F.; wa . ,.o,n.,. -, ....,.- ,
up in. line just ahead Of Us, and they broke
ard ran, which scared some OF the driTers on thc
caissona, aEd they started. Iwas with the guns al
1started TO stop them, but before could Get them
ssopred, everything from the front cane rushing
@ down, a. As sson a. got them stopped, rode ia
Wiz So,s ,ae9 and yns sntom e ry t9ss ss
%en 1 ss :PRRpsa atns 81 s.ss .s5 a. hss 4
and dangerously wounded. The eaptsn seeins
that we could not stay there ordered tho bsttcrJ
iall back to the next woods and then open on them
regiments and Gen. Banks and staii. tried to
rtiIy the meu nnd form q new line. but It
was impossible. All Of the wagons belonging
front, and drivers rot scared and cut their muIss
loose, blocking up tho road and fixing things so it
wGuid to impossible to more anything.
The enemy Anthed With their success. came rush
Ing forward, and finding nothing but cur battery
10 prevent them. tried to fank u, but we unlim-
bezc the battery aud started to the rear, but the
wood woods we're 80 blocked mp that the
ssee S.S f. sy tSs ale s aa'' e.asms ss
men and started On vits than. After ia!iiuS back,
r. 's:a n,b eps .1 IN line
Ing II .top him, cams rushing upon them. Thor
loes must have been immense, ,as our men did pou,c
an s1,; aTia .9lley into them and kept it up: The
thsn Y; teA back for short distance near Pleasant
Gen: A. J, Smith with his force came up on the
tie. OF the resnlt Of that days fighting we have
rot received any valuable Information, The whole
OF the train being ordered back TO this place. and
We not having anything to 1shs With, started back
The battery loss is a. follows: Capt. White was
taken prisoner, as also were Lieuta. Carr and Barr
hS9na hispt aihFGop " dSnss:ously wounded and len
was put into an ambulance, but the ambulance
horses Hcre shot, and be was left behind. The
doctor that was With hin sstd that he would not
missing, and expect are prIRoners, Two of tho
boys wesc wounded that arc here. do no. know
ri what is goine io be done With u.s., Lieut. Rue is
Tie company. Hugh Wilson WAS also with Throop
when be Was wounded, but succeeded IN uountinr
u horse and making his escape. II.
LETTER FROM An OFFICER TO A FRIEND IN
CHICAGO.
GnASD EcoRE, La, April II.
We left Natchitoches on the morning OF
April 9Th, and marched until nearly dark,
when We camped In pine forest, On the
morning Of the eth we started aeafn. and
reached the town Of Pleasant Hill about i've
O'Clock. This wns the first open ptece NJ
country that we had found since we left
Natchitoches, and that was only mile
square. The cavalry had been in brisk
ekirmish during the afternoon. About f1fty
wounded men were brought In nnI hospital
Wns established.
at two o'clock On the morning OF the Sth,
the 1st brig gade Of our Div1sion-eomposc6
Of the 10Th Ky., nth ILL.,, 23d Wis, aud the
9th Ind, numbering about 1850 men-was
started tn advance. and by daylight com
the Chicago Mercantile batte1J-sta1tcd ut
day break with the I'd brigade and the Sd d.
vision numbering about 2,500 or 5000 men,
marched through dense timber until three
O'Clock In the afternoon, when we were or
dered to the front. To get to where
the lighting was IN progress, we had to pass
numbering 500 wagons; and as there Wa
only one road through the timber they were
pulled up to one side and we went by them
OH gall0P, With our guns, .caissons. battery
wagon and forge. We had, just passed the
trim, when we came to IN opening about
mile square, aud on thu opposite side were
cur men engaged In skirmishing.
BY this time our whole division was in ac-
tlon, and brigade OF the Sd division. We
crossed The field. took position near the
edge OF the opposite woods, and had lust got
In battery when We heard a terrible veil and
saw line of rebels, unbroken, charging on
our exhausted men, who had been skir,nish-
ing az day, and had only few rounds OF an
left.
Then came withering volley Of musketry,
and then our poor boys commenced q retreat,
but not in oricr, for there were not enouufi
men to forms line. We waited few mo-
mcnts, until our men had passed us, aud COM
menced firing on the rebel lines; but could
not stop their progress; and We soon received
orders from Col. Iandrnm to Timber up and
leave, if We ever expected to get pnr guns
OIL TWO of our horses had been shot, but
VIC forced them across the field, and took IN
another position in the edge Of the timber,
firing again on the rebel lines, which We could
see, with great distinctness, crossing the field
3n the double.quick.
Ind was obliged to leave the field. Lieut. I
Throop was telled by the windagc Of d shell,
which grazcd his abdomen Gen. Banks was
here, trying to rally the cavalry, which was i
In great disorder. The buglers sounded the i
7ally,-a sound that shall never torget-and 4
! new line was formed; but In d fow mo-
ments both our t1anks were turned, aud we 4
we're obliged 10 timber up aud retire short
distance. Here another line was formed,
md few more shots delivered.
by this time the rebels were on both Of our
larks and hring across us in every direction. 4
We got our pieces into the road, and began
70 retreat, when scene Of great eonfusion !.
ensued. In the road was TINT whole cavalry |
rain faced to the rear, and each man tryingI
blocked up tbnt 1t was an impossibility for |
my thing to move. Onr gun vas next to the
Tar piece, and fred one of the last shots that
vas he'd by the nrtillery. When the rebels |
yot within two rods of s,we received or,
iers to cut the traces md escape If possible, |
hr. Dyer, our gunner, went to his Timber,
ook out 4 file and hammer, aud when the |
fba
'urs, he commenced spiking his gun, and |
Sas captured at his post. Whether he was
7 ounded or not, I cannot tell.
now began to think OF my own safety, |
md ran down the road short. distance: |
hen struck into the woods until was ex.
lin, but was Immediately dismounted bythe |
ractious animal Soon after, found anoth-
+ mule, mounted him, end wos soon out of |
anger, behind the 10Th army corps.
While our division was lighting, the 10Th /
1my corEB went Into camp nbout eight miles
Q our rear, and were afterwards, but too
ute, brought up to our succor.
OF onr whole division, numbering 8 100
len, but LOCO are Lett to tell the fearful odds
eainst which they contended. Two regi-
1ents Of our division were consolidated, and |
ad In all lao mc1 and seven officers, the |
lghest In rank remaining is q Captain. In |
ur battery twenty two men are missing, two
IL Will us, Wouuueu1 anu Only one 0luccf-
lieutenant Roe-is left. Captain White,
'ieutenants Cone, Throop, and Barr, are MI
aptured.
Not one Of our boys showed any coward.
&c, but stood BY their guns until the last
nd when left them, rebels on both sides OF
be woods were calling on us, with ftightfnl
aths, to halt but was determined to es-
ape If possible, and succeeded by the favor
I gracious Providence, for surely only q
harmed life could have wlthstood the