Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-04-29
THIRD DAYS FIGHT.

taken from the telegraph columns of the
Hhig:
THIRD DAYS FIGHT.
At7 o'clock Saturday morning the rob
els advanced, cavalry in front,endeavoring
to discover our position.
Col. Gooding with his cavalry corps was
sent out on the Shreveport road t. meet
the rebels and draw them on. He had
gone about a mile when he came upon the
rebel advance. Skirmishing Immediately
ensued, and according to plan he slowly
fell back.
The fight was very sharp between those
two cavalry bodies, and Col. Gooding lost
nearly 40 men killed and wounded, but in
flicted as much damage as he received.
Col. Cooding had narrow escape, a
ball passing through and tearing the crown
out of his hat. The brigade behaved gal
lantly, covering Gen. Emery's front until
his line was formed.
The battle field Of Pleasant Hill is a
large, open field slightly elevated in the
centre, from which its name is taken. A
semi-circle belt runs around the field on
the Shreveport side.
Gen. Emery formed his line of battle on
the side facing the woods, Gen. Milian's
brigade being posted on the right, General
Dwight in the centre and Col. Benedict on
the left Taylor's battery had four guns
in the rear of the left wing. on the left of
the Shreveport road. and two on the road
in the rear of Gen. Dwight's line. Hib-
bard's Vermont battery was on the right.
In the rear of Gen. Emery, and concealed
by rising ground, were Gen. Smiths tried
troops formed i'll two lines Of battle, 50
wards apart. All his artillery was in the
front line, section of battery being on
the flank of each body of infantry lying
between them. The ID corps was in the
rear. being reserve, under Gen. Gamer
on, Gen. Ransom having been wounded
the day before. Gen. Smith was COM
mander in chief Of two lines, Gen. Mower
being immediate commander of troops.
Crawford's Sd Ind. battery was posted
on the right of the s9th Ind. infantry, and
the 9th Ind. battery on the right of the
line of battle.
Skirinishing was kept up with con.ider-
able vigor until about p. NJ, when the
rebels had completed their arrangements.
About this time. however, Gen. Emery's
line OF skirmishers were driven in on the
right by the rebels who appeared i'll large
numbers coming through the woods. They
soon reached open ground and moved in
three lines of battle to attack. Our bat
terry and infantry opened with terrible eff
feet doing great slaughter with grape and
canister. while the rebel artillery being in
the woods and in bad positions did scarce
" any damage.
Col. Benedict's brigade on the left was
the first engaged, soon followed by Gen.
Dwight's and McMillan's. The fight was
terrific. Old soldiers say it was never sur
passed for desperation.
Notwithstanding the terrible havoc in
their ranks the rebels pressed tercely on,
slowly pushing the men of the 10Th corps
up the hill, but not breaking the line of
battle
A sudden and bold dash gave them pos
session of Taylor's battery. and forced our
lines still further back. Now came the
grand coup denain." The 18th corps
on arriving at the top of the hill suddenly
fled over the hill and passed through the
lines OF Gen. Smith. The rebels We're
now but i'll two lines of battle. the first
having been almost annihilated by General
Emery. what remained being forced back
i'll the second line But the two lines came
on cxnltant and sure of victory. The first
passed over the knoll and all needless of
the long lines OF cannon and crouching
forms OF as brave men as ever trod mother
earth, pressed on. The ID line appeared
on the crest and the death signal was
sounded. Words cannot describe the aw-
ful effects of this discharge. Seven thou
sand rifles and several batteries of artillery
each gun loaded to the muzzle with grape
and canister. were fired simultaneously and
the whole centre of the rebel line was
crushed down as field of ripe wheat thro'
which IA tornado had passed. 1t is estima-
ted that 1000 men We're hurried into eter-
nifty or frish,fully mangled by this one dis
charge. No time was given them to
recover their good order, but Gen. Smith
ordered charge and his men dashed
rapidly forward, the boys of the 10Th corps
joining in.
The rebels fought bravely and despcr-
ately back to timber, on reaching which
large portion broke and fled, fully 1000
throwing aside their arms.
In the charge Taylor's battery was re-
taken-also two guns of Minis battery,
Carrion Grow and one or two others be-
longing to the rebels, besides 700 prison
ers.
A pursuit and desultory fight was kept
up for 3 miles, when our men returned TO
the field of battle. Thus ended this fear
full and bloody struggle for the control of
Western louisiana
New YORK, 9th.
The Sunday Herald has Louisiana cor
respondencc giving an account of the re-
cent battles, and adding the following de-
tails thereto
''Gand Ecore, April 18th.
Gen. Banks has fallen back TO Grand
Eeore, b miles from Pleasant Hill, So
from Mansfield, and 95 from Shreveport
will advance again as soon as he is rein
forced and adequate supplies are received,
The los. of artillery is trivial matter, as
nearl y the whole fighting, owing TO the ma
ture of the heavily wooded country, must
be done by infantry.
Admiral Porters fleet will Cooperate as
far as possible: the extent of its co-opera-
ton depends on the depth of water in Red
river. Other battles must soon follow, and |
glorious victories will be won over the
trans Mississippi rebels.
The enemy appears to have moved his
whole force now here to crush out the
Union army. According to the reports of
prisoners, Kirby Smith, Dick Taylor, G rcene |
Magruder and Price, are all in the field |
against Gen. Banks and his commad.
The rebel loss in the battle of Sabine |
H..