New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-03

stomach in ditch, listening TO the thunder of the can
non and trying to calculate by The Bang whirr whrr
wbiz che-bnng' OF the shells how the pieces are
likely TO come | believe would have thought
ogt metaphysical romance under the circumstances
will confess that the subject which came most naturally
to my thoughts was whether the war might have been
avoided" Laugh II you WILL bat desire to be candid.
The splendid firing Of the batteries on our right and
left rather disconnected the Rebels who commenced
edging away toward our right while their fire slack
ened.
general advance Of the le and center was ordered
and batteries and troops rushed forward took posi-
ton, and again opened fire. The right wing would
have advanced also had not Gen. Emory feared that
the enemy trying To got upon our flank This over.
caution the Rebels the opportunity Of retreat they
wanted and protecting their rear with the batteries
that had first opened upon u.s. they marched right past
tho whole right wing and got into the road to Cheney
vile toward the east
II Banks had not been afraid OF dividing his forces
and had sent one corps down through Cheneyyille a
large part Of the Rebel force would probably have been
gobbed The impression that the whole Of Tay.
ors force was in our front whereas there seems to
have been but 600 5000 men, with several batteries
They being mainly composed Of cavalry (or mounted
infantry, and being much better acquainted with tho
topography Of the country, 1t was very dihcut 70
catch them. We continued advancing In line OF battle
for four five miles across heavy plowed country.
but there being trace Of the enemy broke again
into marching columns, and continued our course Tor
Semmesport can't give you the exact figures o. our
loss but 1t did not exceed 100. The cavalry suffered
most. The Rebel loss is supposed to have exceeded
ours. q
This force that we drove through Marksye was the
same that had blockadcd the Red River and destroyed
the City Belle Emma Warner Signal and Covington;
captured and destroyed the l20h and Goth Ohio and
almost gobbled the 10th \. Y V. So we owed them
grudge. From Marksyille we marched through the
little town OF Mansura and rested for the night on
plantation a few miles beyond. good many OF our
men had dropped Of the line Of march from fatigue
diarrhea or sunstroke, and we wanted to give them
chance 70 come up.
Some Of the poor fellows however, are still missing,
and am afraid have been g0bbled.
Another hot days march brought us TO SemInesport,
the Atchafalaya where we waited until the balance
Of the army arrived just one year before, Baakss
army had arrived ut the place by nearly the same
route. on its way to Port Hudson During that year
with the exception Of Port HUDSON not one foot OF ter
ritory has been gained in the Department while thou
sands of lives have been lott and millions OF dollars ex-
pended ia preserving the power Of Uncle sam over
New Orleans and few miles surrounding
At SeDmespOrt We met our ncet OF gunDoals ana
Transports which had all passed through in safety al
though some had been severely peppered. They had
passed from the Red INTO tho Old riyer he ola cbahne!
Of the Mississippi, and from the old river into the
Atchaialaya
great deal Of study is necessary TO properly under
stand the vatarcOurse VI Louisiana. have peeh q
year pulling them. and am by no means clear on
the subject yet The old river forms bend from the
Mississippi into which the Red River emptes but nom
which the Atehaialaya flows. The latter runs south
west 10 Grand Lake forming IN reality one outlet OF te
Mississippi. bridge formed across the river by
placing transports side By side across the stfeG
IlsAng them firmly together and placing panking over
possible; but while the wagons were being brought
over Smith with his rearguard attacked by the
advance guard Of Taylor. lie succeeded IN REFUSING
them. but lost 200 800 killed and wounded. 81 one
time division ordered back across the rver 10
support Smith, but his success rendered our presence
unn, cessary. and were again cOuntenarched The
next night Smith himself, the bridge was
broken up and commenced our march down the |
river accompanied by the boats.
We marched the greater part OF the night, and, after
four i've hours sleep started OF again tie next day
A mother day march brought to Morganza, on the
Mississippi, where we are now encanpod, waiting tor
something 20 turn up.
TIE retreat has been the whole, very successfully
conducted. ,
We have Zoe, 900 or 900 men killed, wounded and
missing and two or three wagons But the greater
part OF the stores aud the sick and wounded, were AL
brought through safety. The general opinion among
officers is that If the Rebel army had been wen
managed, great deal of injury might have been inlet
ed upyn during the retreat
Tie Rebels are always much more successful in de-
ense than In attack Taylor able to repulse Banks
with slau, from Mansfield but allowed him 70 make
OK loo miles through country with but few
roads, and pretty well devastated. and bring of in
safety all his transports and trains