Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-02
The Red River Expedition Two
Great Batties.
, St. Louis Republican.
GRAND EcORK, April 10.


On the 9th of April, the Union army, under
command of Major General Franklin. NOTED
from Nachitoches pronounced Naekitosh,) to-
ward Shreveport. Nachitoches is four miles
from Red river, the nearest point on the river
being Grand Ecore, the place from which this
letter is dated. The road from Nachtoches is
| through dense forest of pine woods. the sur
face of the country being broken and billy.
There are but few plantations opened and moth
| ing upon which to subsist army On Thurs
| day night, the 9Th. the army camped near Pleas
ant Hill, a small town in the pine woods, about
| thirty miles northeast of Nachtoches. the
| road to Shreveport The wagon road leaves the
river TO the right some Is or 20 miles, rendering
the co operation of the gunboats impossible.
Before eDcamping at Pleasant Hill. there was a
sharp cavalry skirmish, about two miles beyond
that place. resulting in no important advantage
| to either side.
The cavalry encamped about seven miles in
advance OF the main army. Next morning
Friday, the 6th,) the army started toward Mans
field, distance Of IL miles from Pleasant Hill
About noon while the enemy was 10 the line OF
| march, arrived at the trout, at sml all bayou,
where bridge was being built. Gen Banks
at once assumed command Of the army In the
field. There almost constant skirmshing
all the way from Pleasant Hill to the place where
the battle afterward occurred. When General
Banks arrived at the Bayou. the 18th army corps
was several miles 10 the rear, the 18th army
| corps was crossing the newly constructed bridge
and Gen. Lees cavalry. about 5000 men. some
three miles in advance, togetber with Minis
celebrated battery, the Chicago Mercantile
| Battery, LIST Indiana, and Battery G OF regular
army ft
The 4th Division of the 9th Army Corps. I'M
der command OF General Ransom. were hurried
forward az support to the cavalry. About Z
O'Clock in the afternoon, when within two miles
H. ~F.In
cavalry, artillery and fourth division, 18th armv
corps above mentioned while marching through
a dense forest. there being thick underground OF
pines on either side of the road were attacked BY
the rebels in great force on both TANKS aud in
the front. The engagement soon bee lme gener
al, the rebels opening with artillery and musketry,
charging our surprised and panic-stricken col
unns with terrific yellA, evncing daring and
| determination worthy OF n better cause General
Banks and General Franklin hurried 10 the front
end for while did excellent service Finding
the front rather too dangerous for major generals
| Banks aud Franklin returned TO the rear of the
wagon train Just in time TO save themselves from
capture, as the rebels pressed upon both sides oil
our army with crushing effect. A ball pissed
through General Banks hat. Everything was
soon in the widest confusion; the wagon train
being in the rear. and in narrow road, attempted
10 turn round To fall back, aud completely
blocked the way. cutting off the advance both
|
| from way of retreat and from reinforce neuts
The rebels had formed in the shape OF an sos
celes triangle, leaving the base open, and At the
apex planting their artillery. Our advance
marched directly into the triangle having the
two wings Of the rebel forces on either side uI
them. These wings were speedily connected
compelling our forces TO retreat surrendes
The batteries above mentioned. consisting o
twenty pieces in all. were now captured. together
with neatly all the officers and men The Chi
cagO Mercantile Battery was captured entire, and
attn informed that all its officers and men tel
into the hands of the enemy The 4th division
of the 18th army corps, 800 men. under Gen
Ransom, aud Gen. Lees cavalry about 3 .OOO
strong, and the batteries above mentioned, were
the forces in advance of the wagon train. These
forces fought desperately for while, but gave
way under superior numbers of the rebels, and
retreateJ Ia great precipitation. The scene Ol
this retreat beggars al description General
Franklin said of u, that Bull Run WAS not a
| circumstance in comparison " Gen. Ransom was
wounded in the knee, but rode off the field before
he was compelled by loss OF blood to dismount
Capt Dickey OF Gen. Ransom's staff. shot
through the head and killed instantly. The body
was lett on the Geld The position OF the wagon
train in the narrow road was the greatest hlunder
Of the affiir The rear was completely blocked
up. rendering the retreat very difficult, aud Ia
fact almost impossible Cavalry horses were
dashing at full speed through the roads. endan-
gering infantry and other pejestrans-more than
rebel musketry did-the retreat having bec"m
so precipitate that all attempts to make stand,
for while seemed impossible
the immense baggage and supply train OF Gen
| Lees cavalry, 2b9 wagons, nearly all fell into
the hands of the enemy, together with the mules
attached thereto
The Sd DIVISION 18th army corps, numbering
about 1900 men, under commtnd of Gen Cam
- l.. /.
| stand But the effort was futile. The rebels
pressed so hard upon Gen. Cameron that he could
Lot resist them. After suffering terribly be fell
in with the retreating column.
The 18th army corps. numbering in all 4,6OO
men when the fight began. sustained loss in
proportion To the number Engaged which is per-
haps without parallel in the history OF this ter
rible The l30th Illinois. comm nded b,
Major Reel. attached TO the 9TH division, could
only find IS men after the battle. So precipitate
| was the retreat OF the 4th division of this corps
that the men only brought off $40 stand of small
arms, hundreds of them throwing away their
guns 10 facilitate their movements. At least one
half of the 18th corps were killed. wounded or
captured. Gen. Lees cavalry lost heavily but
some time must elapse before correct estimates
can be obtained.
The retrealing column fell back some four or
five miles, when The 18th army corps. under Gen
Ewing. came up and succeeded in making a
stand The rebels chars ed upon Gen Ewing s
forces. but repulsed with considerable loss
Night came on. aud thus ended the battle oi
Man-fel
The stand was made by the 18th army corps,
| which remained ON the field until midnight
when it fell back to Pleasant Hill. distance oil
about twelve miles. arriving there about day
light on Saturday morning. General Lees :
airy and the 18th army corps continued their
preciptate retreat from the battlefield to Pleas
ant Hill.
BATTLE or PLEASANT HILL.
Saturday morning Gen B'nks ordered a re-
treat OF the whole army to Grand Ecore The
wagon trains 'tfid the heavy artillery. guarded
by the negro regiments took the advance leay
ing Pleasant Hill early in the morning. IL re-
quired nearly all day get the immense train
ia motion. the advance being at least fifteen
miles distant before the reir got fairly started
About five o'clock p. NJ just the wagon
train of Gen. Banks army had all got ia motion
the rebels attacked our army in great iorve Our
forces were posted Is to effectualy cover our
retreat. the right resting about bali mile
northwest of the town OF Pleasant Hill; the
centre about half mile to the west. and the
left still further west about hall a mile i'm the
woods.
The 10th army corps, commanded by General
A J Smith, occupied the right up to the centre
and the 18th army corps General Franklin, the
left up to the centre. The reserves were posted
about half mile in the The forces sup
porting the 10Th corps were the 49th Illinois
commanded by Major Thomas W. Morgan; the
l7S New York, commanded by Col. Waller; s9th
Indiana. commanded by Col. Murray. and the
SSH Illinois. have no list of the regiments
supporting the 18th corps The rebels under