, 1864-08-10

Correspondence Chicago Tribuncl
|, Mkxru1a, August S, 86L::
{lhe writer Of the following letter pre-
ceeds at come length to repeat former at
count Of the battle Of Tupelo, which AZ
Pea1ed IN the TRIBUNE, giving too muc
cfecit OF the victory to the cavalry and NJ
gro iniantry.) He then proceeds,
on the morning Of the 18th, after rest Q
one day. the expedition, consisting ofthe is
Division OF the 10th Army Corps, unie
Brig. Gen. j. Mower; the Sd Diylston, unde
Col Moore; a Division Of cavalry nod.
Gen. Grierson, ard two regiments OF negroe
11oer Col. Benton, started from Pontotoc Il
lupelo. 1t was said.we were tn march tn,
entire distance, twenty miles, that dny so u
to be able to choose our position before For
rest could get there with his force. About
one O'Clock the Sd Brigade OF Gen. Mower'i
Division. consisting of the 35rh lows, SD
Missouri, 1tb Minnesota and 18th Iowa, IN.
Ger Col. Wood, we're attacked at a place
Whtrs the roads torked, some six miles tro u
Tape!o, Al this place the road W. were
t1aye1sfug turned suddenly to the left, form.
inE complete a;gle, while the other road
was lined on either side with timber and IN
derhrosh so dense that we could see into it
but very short distanee, Ju5t "a We
rescbcd the forks OF the road a train OF
teant, which was between the "a und Sd
'Etdes, was turning to the left, a shower
OF bui!ets from body Of rebels concealed
! behind house mud In the brush to tha rlpbt
passed obliquely over tho 35th Iowa regf-
| ment, which was in the advance Of the I'D
! Brigade, but fortunately doing no further
damnFe than Woundlng horse thar wss
stsndlng behind a frame blacksmith, shop
"blch stood on the corAer+ It Nas supposed
that the firing was mined at the tt lin f1r the
purpose OF creating stampede. OF Of KILN,
the 1hufes, thereby obstructing the road.
which was very narro~, and thus delayiqg
our progress A company of the uth No.
was then sent baek and depIoyed
aa ekirmishers. Col. H11 Of the 35th Iowa
| Procee ded With bis regiment dol Wn the road
to The right, formed ii line OF battle. md
sent out company to SEEK skirmish with
the tneny- The SD Missouri was sent tor.
ward 10 escort and protect the train. About
the same time mu.ketry fra was opened on
the IN Mihnesota and 1eth lows, which
constlsuftd the two rear regiments OF
n3 .Ge pr.gade' and sharp encounter took
place which lasted from half to turee-quRr-
teis OF an hour The 7th Minnesota lost
1fcm ten to txelye in killed and wounded.
ahd the 18th Iowa from sixteen TO eirhteen'
DE- Smith, Surgeon Of the eth Min1esota,
w. Slsed the hrst N After repu1s1ng the
thsA9 we marched about half a mile and
halt.d until the two negro regiments who
were il the rcar of the brigade tout soere 7.c< IN
fh' .?SA) cane up when We resumed our
march; We had proceeded but short dis
ta''ce when yoli+,s OF 1uusketry and the
roar OF artillery indicated that a battle was
for ard, but when they reached th. scene Of
Ast'on M conflict Which was waged between
d ovdy OF reocls md the 1st brigade was
over except thatthe rebel batteries eudeayor-
I'd 10 elvu us a: long range
Aitef the battle We were informed that the
"a a'Siel, the cavalry had reached fu-
leio aeout noon, and tint the cavalry had
torn up the railroad i've miles each waF trom
that place.
About 9 o'clock that night NC reached
. little Ilsce called Harrisburg. and went
INTO camp In IN open field. THIS field extend
"a from bhrr0W strip Of wo DDS between it
ana me . 1oad l. aiding to Tupelo about hall
the opposite side.
The field was oo-dered on the right by
bcaSy woods, with narrow muddy creek
running through 1t, within short distanca
o. me Ut IL. The ground generally eloped
Gown from the narrow strip of woods immu-
e1an, u1ast,y n our Tear, until it met the ground
klopihg from the opposite direction, forming
small hollow about orc hundred OF one
hnn6fcd and 1ltty yards from the epot on
which Ne we're encamped. The fell. from
snort distance beyond the hollo =, back to
tne heAsy timber, wEs more or less level.
ff7F nAHF1r
the punt uf The sftfn NJ woods raf.-sas gauo t
6@.l,t agas mile ar mtie ar5 ~ to,r*,
tie left. The NEXT mnrnfnv ~ ,a1,aIa n1n -
Tspced through these md 1rada ,hra. 49, ~
ano most deter1ntDcd chsrges advancing In |
fome places within one hundred yards Of |
our 1ites, but were each time repulsed with |
der.d 10 char,,e viii r..;.t1 "sIs tAeu VI
imretuo=I,y they rustc,j forwn,d s1esY ssYd:n aaa
showers OF the Eipred mcescnra.s' ~ se11 LILLY
Ir1o the 1isEa, ed And broken Tanks of 1ta
enemy, driving them enf;reIv fraa, - ~ ~
At the close f,f fhc hsttia ,h,,h as nGiu:
bout two hours. thrcc hnndraa aead -ah.1.
sid in front Of f.e "a hr;n.3a - Mana .Soi!s
7leioD. The troops Of fnis 1;rn,ion 1rer,
be oulr troons acfnaf1v en.,ornt - ~, "eis
est. Tie le.vfcst parf cf ~ oi,a 1 4na IYu
.reatest loss. as win hrreoiss sH a.1a n a1e
,ear from Genera s,,it,.s esz ap'
yas suetajntd bv the RI hrioeae
roops were ch.rrfnp t},e Teneie "a .e.h Gus
owa aud SD AI9..9which hid mr. y,onsit. MI
'ten supporting a bat:ery-sppposins tne
oincd their brieade in 1hs ciaroa ul',aaon, 1at'n
ien. Mower remarki d. II did not ,ntand
hos. two rceimcnts to cten,e hnt Iat ti.l,
20; The devil cannot STOP them. nor ali heIi
:aanot Whip them" ue knew them nf a11-
hey had fought under him .etore. at P,eaa.
~ Red River, L., aud Ut Old River IaEe in
arka, sas. The rebel loss in The hatt1e 81
rupelo, In Killed uni wo1uSed. ~ We affer.
wards learned, was ovrr fyf wf;1a nrrin.
cid rot re1cL eco: of thfls nn,ha- th Dui 19tS
owa Lost about eeyt-,tv fhe 9th I;rn ohoat
;,xty, and The 351h Lnwa th;,tr savsn a'Ga' ~
let tie informant of yonr corresnnpdent
avs that the fch1iog WIS harne hpoo thrpoohont
II cavalry and Hesrt, trnons' :rhn 80: coro
fantly in the most exposeI n,nitions4 Is,w s
ii the wounded Us tiiey wefs bcongh, intn
be bosni;ais. a,nonT then, .gaea psoasns ~. tneo
hrte nero tolcIens hat m csro1rr,es, r.
be ptrIots and rayalrr .1td III ths dHI,t;,at
nd occupied The mont dan,eroo. = t5;tfi,nG'
shut became Of their dead sr3 wodn5ai -
here were none left on tie ueld. The t;enth m
:, the negroes were not ac1Ixriv enoaped in
lie fight and the caYalrv wrTe nof r. thr
light at alI, actively or func ctively- hnt w+Te
tatiened in the rear and On the banks IN
;ua1d against rebel surprises Some saw the
,ava!ry did Lot lose tx men in killed ard
rounded on the whole exDedit;or- IA fo
= sbeiher this Is true or Elee, am moi nre.
AIRED to say; but am confident thut thss
lid not lore that nnmber in a1l ttc
Of the 18th, 18th, aud 18th. aitho ,@h
hey did good service before and aftar the
atflt6. About 10 O'Clock that nirbt. fhe
I the I'd brigade of the Sd dIyisfnn ttnt
gere repulsed With but little lnss on titf.r
ide. The next morribg as VIC we're preolr.
Dg to leave the field, on our return to Ia. |
range, the rebels eupposing that tue greater
'ortlcn Of our forces had gone, and that they |
ouid overpower, and, perhaps, capture |
bose who remained on the tleld, again at-
acked us On the right and lett, and were
gnin disastrouely rcpu1sed. In this battle
te negro troops were "actively engasej,''
20 r1eht calamity did they meet, and severely