The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-25
.onIerTmNvoa - elsnaig


Further Particulars from Gem
q Smiths Fight on Red River,
g Federal Victory. I'd a., 5, -rI
= New York; April 23-Ths follewaiipg
.from the New Orleans Fra is an accoaUra
the final victory of the Union forces after
some terrible fighting. 80 49, si,,Y 2,
At Z o'clock Saturday morning our forces
were at Pleasant Hill The confedefates
were advancing cavalry in our front endeaS
oring to discover our positions i4rJ s-aas SD
COL o P. Gooding with his brigade q
Lees cavalry corps was sent out tlo
Shreveport road TO meet the enemt aud
draw him on, he had gone about . lu,le
when he came upon the rebel ,aaysnse,'
skirmishiug immediately ensued aud acos.c
ing to the plan, he slowiey fell back Tho
fight was very sharp between, those cavalry
bodies and Col. Gooding lost nearly 40 men
killed and wounded inAict,n however as
much damage as he receivee 10 18th
corps was a reserve in the rear under. Gen.
Cameron. Gen. Ransom having been
wounded the day before Gen, Smith wa,
commander in Chief of the Second lines
back of the crest while Gen. MoGer WAS
the commander of the men, the command
er of the right brigade in Gen.. Smiths
west line was Col. Lynch, the left brigade
was Col Shaws. HR
The second hne also consisted OF brig
AIDES Crawfords Sd, ln1. battery was pos
ted on tho right OF the seth Ind Infantry,
aud the orb Indiana battery on the right OF
the line az battle. The Missouri Iron Sun
battery. and others whose names and num-
5ers We could not ascertain, were also IN
thfs section OF the hattie. The skrmish-
was kept up with considerable vigor, Until
abont oblock in the afternoon, when the
enemy had completed their arrangements
for an attack. AT about this hour Genetai
Emorys skrmish line was driven in en- thc
right by the enemy, who appeered inlargc
force, coming through the timber abos,e
mentioned Thy soon reached the open
ground aed moved on to the attack in three
lines of battle. Our batteries and infantry
opened with terrible effect, doing terrible
slaughter with grape aud canister, while
the enemy's artillery being in the woods
and in bad position, did scarcely any dam
age. Col. 'Besedicts brigade on the Left,
Dwights and McAlillsns' The fighting was
terrific Old soldiers say lt was mover sur
passed for desperation. Notwithstanding
the terrible havoc in their ranks the enemy
pressed tiercely on, slowly pushing the inen
of the 18th corps back up the hill, but not
breaking their line of battle A sudden
and bold dash OF the enemy on the right, ,
gave them possession of Taylors battery,
and forced our line still further back. Nov
came the grand coup de main. the l9tn Oh
arriving at the top Of the hill suddenly filed
over the bill and passed the lines OF gen
Smith We must here mention that tho
enemy were now in bnt two lines of bat
tie, the first having been almost entirely
annihilated by Gen. Emory, what remained
having been forced back into the second
line; but these two lines came on exultant
and sure Of victory, The first passed Owe?
tho knoll and all needless Of the long line
of cannon and crouching forms, pressed on
The second line appeared on the crest aud
the death signal was sounded, Words can
not describe the awful effects VI this dis
charge. Several thousand rifles, and sew
eral batteries loaded to the muzzle, witt
grape and canister were fired simultane
ously, and the whole center If the eneny's
lines was crushed down, and frshifully
mangled b6 this one discharge. 10 time
was given them to recover their good Or
der, but Gen Smith ordered charge, and
his men dashed rapidly forward, the, boys
of the 18th joining in. The enemy fousht
boldly and desperately back to the, lumber,
which upon reaching, a large portion Of
them fed. fully 1000 throwing aside their
arms, In this charge Taylors battery was
taken, as were also 2 Of the:guns Of Mems
battery, tn, parrot gun taken from us nj
Carnow Crow last fall aud one or two 9th
ers belonging to the enemy, ono Of which
was considerably shattered, and 700 prison
ers. A pursuit and desnltory 6ght was
kept up for thee miles, when our men re
turned 10 the field of battle and thus
ed the fearful and bloody struggle for the
Control of Western Louisiana ss4.F