Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-04-25

The Rebels Badly Whipped.

Nav YoRK, April %.
Thu sollovirx from the Nora 10 % %
connt ~ The late battle 1t Pleasant Hill:
AT o'clock on Saturday morning our
forces we're 1t Pleasant Hill, and the rob
ella were advancing cav-lry 10 front, en-
deavosipg to discover our position.
Col. u. P. G0oding, with bis brigade Of
Lees cavalry corps, Vas ssnt cut on the
Shreveport road to meet the enemy and
draw him On. H. bad proceeded about .
milo when be came upon the rebel advance.
Skirmshing Immediately cnsued, and, &C
cording to the plan, be slowly fell back.
Tue light vas very sharp between these
cavalry bodies, and Dol 0ooding lost near.
" 40 men killed and wounded, INJECTING,
however, Is much damage - he received.
The 18th Corps WAS . reserve in the
rear. under Gen. Cameron, Gen. Ransom
having been wounded the day before.
Gen. Smith was COMMANDMENT Chief OF
the two lines back Of the crest, while Gen.
Mower vas commander Of the rear.
Tho commander Of the right brigade 10
Gen. Smiths first line wss Col. Lynch, and
tue left brigade was commanded BY Col.
Shaw.
Csawiord's Sd Indiana Battery was post.
I'd to the right VI the 60th Indiana Inian.
try, on tho right Of tho battle ground.
The Missouri Crowson Battery, and 9th.
ers y hose names and numbers We could not
ascertain, were also in this section Of the
battle.
Col. Bsnedict's brigade on the left Was
first engaged, soon followed by Dwights
aud McMillan's. The fighting vas ter, tic
Old soldiers say it never vas surpassed Tor
desperation. notwithstanding the terrible
havoc in their ranks the enemy pressed
ii. rely on, slowly pushing the rstn Of the
10Th Corps back up the bill, but not break.
ing their linc OF battle. A sudden and bold
dash Of the rebels on the right gave them
possession Of Taylor's battery, and forced
our line atil further back. Now camc The
grand coup demain. TIE 18Th, on arriving
ct the top Of the bill, suddenly filed owe,
tho bill aud passed through tho lines d
Gen. Smith.
We must hero mention that the rebclt
y re nov in but two lines Il battle, the
H,t having been Alnost snnihi,ated BY
Gen. Mower, what remained having bceu
freed back into The second line. But these
two lines came on e1uitant AID sure Of vic.
tory. The first passed over the knoll and
all needless Of the long line Of cam ons and
crouching forms, pressed on. Tue second
line apr cared on the instant AMI the death
signal vas sounded. Words cannot describe
the awful effects Of the diacharge. S,vcu
thousand rifles and several batteries Of ar.
tllcry, loaded to the muzzle with grape
and canister, were fired simultaneously
aud tie whole center II the rebel line Wal
crushed dowr, frightiuliy mangled by thi,
one discharge.
No time was given them to recover thei,
good order, but General Smith ordered 4
charge and his men dashed rapidly iorw ard
The boys Of tho l9sb, diving in the rebels
fought boldly aud desperately back to the
timoer. On reaching this large portion
broke and fled. Fully 1000 threw aside
their arms. In this charge Tayior's bat
terry was taken, IS were also two guns d
MINIS battery. Tie parrott guns taker
from Us 1t Carton Grow last tall and ont
Or two others belonging to the rebels, ont
Of which vas considerably shattered, be-
sides TOO prisoners were captured. A pur
suit and dissuitory fight was kept up fol
three miles, when our men returned to The
field If battle aud thus ended tho fearful
md bloody struggle for the control d
Western Louisiana.