Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1864-04-23
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8a9crt Of the First Days Fighting the Red
aiYs:.
The CI,i<;ago Times Of Wednesday, has the
f,]jov;ug .e;ter from It's correspondent Vith
the Army, giving detailed account Of the
first days fighting On the Red Kiyer. The
letter is dated Grand EooEe, April l]ta.
Briefly the tacts are these On Ets Sth the
enemy made stand near Mansfield, is miles
from Shreveport. Our corps. with the cavalry
were in advance Unfii about 4 o'clock We
were gushing 1oe;o. s3ndleujy they rallied and
began to drive ns Our battery WAS then Or
dered forward We were put IN battery III the
middle Of large feI1, ana ordered to she'll the
works few hundred yards from US, from which
our men had just been irlven and Whloi1 WAS
swarmj0g with rebels, Aud this unmllltory
position was assigned 10 rs under the very
eyes OF Gems. Bau&s and FrauSu, IT ouuroe
being without the least support we could bot
hold oar posltl0u. Alter nI1ng lew shots VIC
were ordered TO retreat to the edge OF The op-
posi1e woods Here We unllm bered and hreG
with great rapIdity uto the al preaching reI'-
els. We were still without support. The
handful Of men composing CUR little corps,
not mole than 5000 in all, were captured or
disabled The 10Th Corps were back III the
rear. The cavalry acted shamefuIiy, with
some feW exceptions, the "a Illinois among
the latter. Although implored by all they
held dear. they ran like sheep.
W. held our second position until We saw
the Rebels nlassing 10 outtank cur lett. AT
1'lls time they were pouring npOu rs perfect
storm Of shells and bullets Ihroop was Ill
rectlng our fire on the left with the greatest
spirit Suddenly heard hin say 1 IL shot.
Nash and Chase Dickson ral TO his aid, and
carried him of the field.
By this time the Rebels had come into she
woods where we were, and were coming upon
as pel neil. Gen Banks and staff were a'ong
trying with curses and imprecatlons to stop Our
cavalry. But all in vain. The rout had !uov
become general. The train Of the cavalry o.
VISION had been brought up, and now entirely
blocked up the harrow road through The plne
forrest we got oar battery about 4 ule from
Tue heli; through the woods, over trees and
stnmps, when the blockade IN front being per
1acty lmpassabe, the order was given by Gap
Tain y hlte to unhitch and make our escape
as best we could. The rebels were less than
afty Yards from us. Every man tor himself,
ana Tue devil take the hindmosc. was the mot
TO- Bull Run was outdone. 4 few nlles'fur~
ther back we came upon the 19th corps, drava
up IN line Of hattie They stayed the rebel at
van Vance with a tremendous fire Of musketry.- -
we OF the 18th corps were ordered to coI,tluue
our retreat to Pleasant Hill twelve miles back,
Where we arrived about 3 clock on Saturday
lnonlng Here>we found a. J. Smith, with
els 10000 Of the 10th aud l7:h Corps, to rein
torce US.
.,.Va Saturday We continued our retreat, tray
s!lng nearly all the time, day aud night, and ar
u tFed here yesterday afternoon We find that
4 w W nave twenty men missing (and two wound
-: .u 10 the hospitals and every one OF our COM
11nsS'oned officers except Lieut.. Roe.
nash Wilson remained with Throop III the
@a1oalanoe until the last moment. The doctor