The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-04-28
THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.
FuTther, Particulars of the, Federal Defeat al
ea tt.s Mone6o1d To Is r.- -v-- ~ ?

~ - -
THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.
Further Particulars of the Federal Defeat a
rsa .l,e Mansfield, La. s t.es7.i
! GRAND EcoKE, La, April IL,
We left Natitoches on the morning oI
April 9th, and marched until nearly dark,
when we encamped in pine forest. On tn e
morning of the 7th, we started again, and
reached the town Of Pleasant Hill about s
O'Clock. This was the e st open piece of
country that we had found since we left
Natchitoches, and tha. was only a mile
square. The cavalry had been in brisk
skirnish during the afternoon. About fifty
wounded men were brought in, and hos
pital was established.
At 2 O'Clock on the morning Of the 9th.
the lst brigade of our division, com posed Of
the 18th Kentucky, 77th Illinois, 23d Wis
consin, and 67th Indiana, numbering about
1.5OO men, was started in advance, and by
daylight commenced skirm ishiug with the
enemy. We (the Chicago Merchantile Bat
tery) started at day break with the I'd brig
sde and the Sd division, mum mbering about
2 500 or 5000 men and marched through
dense timber until O'Clock 10 the afternoon,
when we were ordered to the front. To
get to where the fighting was 10 progress. we
bad to pass the whole train of Lees cavalry
division. mum bering 800 wagons; and as
there was only one road through the timber,
they were pulled up TO our side, and we
went by them on q gallop, with our guns,
caisions, battery wagon, and forge. We
had just passed the train when we came to
an opening about mile square. and on the
opposite side were our men engaged in skir-
mishing.
By this time our whole division was 10
action, and brigade of the 81 division
We crossed the field, took a position near
the edge Of the opposite woods, and had
just got in battery, when we heard ter
rible yell, and saw line of rebels, unbro-
ken ch argipg on our exhausted men. who
had been diminishing all day, and had only
a few rounds of ammunition left. "-
Then camo a withering vohey of mus
kerry, and then our poor boys commenced a
retreat, but not in order, for there were not
men enough left to form line. We weit-
ed few MON ents until our men had pas
sed US, and comm encei firing upon the rebel
lines but could not stop their progress, and
we soon received orders from Col. Land rum
to linn Der up and leave, if we ever expected
to get our guns off. Two of cur horses had
been shot, but we forced them across the
field and took up another position in the
edge of the timber, firing again on the rebel
lines, which we could see with great dis
tinctness, crossing the field on the douhle
puck. -
Here Gen. Ransom was shot in the knee,
and obliged to leave the field. Lieutenant
Throop was felled by the wind of she'll
which grazed his abdomen. Gen. Banks
was here trying to rally the cavalry, which
was in great disorder The buglars SCUM
ded the rally-a sound that snall never
forget,-aud new line was formad; but in
a few nom ents both ourflanks we're turned
aud were obliged to timber up and retire a
short distance. Here another line was form
ed, and few more shots were delivered.
By this time the rebels were on both of
our fanks, and firing across US in every di-
rection. We got our pieces into the read. |
and began to retreat, when a scene Of grea
confusion ensued. In the road was that
whole cavalry train, faced to the rear, and
each man trying to escape on his own hook, |
and the road SO blocked up that it was an
i'm possibility for any thing to move. Our
gun was next to the rear piece and fred one
of the last shots that was fred by the artil-
lery. When the rebels got within two rods
of us, we received orders to cut the traces
and escape If possible. Mr.. Dyer, our gan-
ner, went to his Timber, took out file and
a hammer, and, when the rebels had al
ready reached the gun behind ours, he COM
menced spiking his gun, and was captured |
at his post Whether he was wounded or
not. l cannot tell.
now began to think of my own safety,
and ran down the road a short distance; th en-
| struck into the woods until was exhaus-
ted, when caught mule. I mounted
him, but was imm sdiately dismounted by
the fractions animal. Soon after, found
another mule, mounted him, and was soon
out of danger, behind the 18th Army Corps.
While our division was fl ghting. the 18th
Army Corps went into camp about eight
miles to our rear, and were afterwards, but
too late, brought up to our succor.
or our whole division, numbering 8 900
men hut 600 are left to tell of the fearful
odds against which they contended' Two
regiments of our division were consolidated,
and bad in all 40 men and officers. o.
the regimental officers, the highest IN rank
re remaiuiug is Captain. In our battery %
men are missing, two are with us wounded,
and only one oficer-Lieut. Roe-is left.
Captain White, Lieuts. Gone. Throop and
Barr, are all captured. Not one of our boys
showed auy cowsrdice. but stood by their
guns until the last, and, when I left them,
rebs on both sides of the woods were calling
on us. with frightful oaths. to halt; but
was determined to escape if possible. aud
sncceeded By the favor of a gracious Prov
ideues, for surely only a charmed life could
have withstood the she over Of bullets with
which we were surrounded and at all times
The 10Th Corps checked the rebels. and
held them for twenty FIVE minntes. when
they were obliged to retire. which they did
slowly; and .;as night came on, the bloody
conflict ended.
The next morning. the 9tn, Gen, A. j.
Smith came up with, his command, and we
were ordered to accompany onr wagons,
they were ordered to come here as quick as
possible.