Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-05-05
The Battles in Louisiana.

ties IN Louisiana:
The RepuJlica1s'a Red River letter oftbo 18Th
says that Gen. Smiths command BEGAN cross
ing the river opposite Ecore that dav for an
overland trip TO Vicksburg, it being under
stood, Gen. Grant sent orders for Gen. Smith
TO return 10 that place. Rebel prisoners say
they mad $4,000 men in the recent battles
and that they lost 5000 in SATURDAYS fobt
They left their killed and wounded on the
field Our loss on Saturday was about 400
Our wounded were taken to Grand Ecore, and
the killed were left on the field, but were re-
captured afterwards by the cavalry.
Gen. smiths command consisted ofportioDs
| OF the 10th and 18th army corps BELONGING to
| zen. HurIbut and Gen. McPhersons.
| The correspondent says that great disat-
| lsfacuon Is expressed at Banks Genera)shin
fridays battle was fought contrary to Frank
| ms plans ana both Franklin and Ransom pro-
tested against having the cavalry so far in
advance. Gen Smith protested aoainst = 20.
treat from Pleasant Hill after the victory of
Saturday. he wishing to pursue the Aecino
rebels, out Banks ordered the return of the
| entire army to Grand Ecore.
1t Is difficult to determine what the result
OF the expedition will be. 1t will REQUIRE
some time to re-organize the expedition, and
| if the river continues full, Alexandria will
| necessarily continue to be the base of onera-
| tions.
| The following, from the New Orleans Fra
is an account of the final victory of the Union
forces, after some terrible fighting: At seven
o'clock on Saturday morning our forces were
| at Pleasant Hill, and the rebels were advanc-
| ing their cavalry, being in 'front.' and endeav
| orlng to discover Our position. Col. O. p.
Gooding, with his brigade of Lees cavalry
corps, was sent out on the Shreveport road
| to meet the enemy and draw him on. He
had got about mile when he came on the
rebel advance. Skirmishing immediately en-
sued, and, according to the plan, he slowly
fell back. The fight was very sharp between
these bodies of cavalry Col. Gooding lost
nearly forty men in killed and wounded, in
f1icting, however, as much damage as he re-
ceived.
The 18th corps was a reserve in the rear
under Gen Cameron. Gen Ransom had been
wounded the day before. Gen Smith was
commander in chief of the second lines back
of the crest, while Gen. Mower was the COM
mander of the rear The commander of the
right brigade in General Smiths west line
was Col. Lynch the left brigade was Col
Shaw's; the Sd Indiana battery was nosteG
on the right Of the seth Indiana infantry, and
the 9th Indiana battery on the right Of the
line Of battle. The Missouri Iron Sun battery
and others whose names and numbers we
could not ascertain, were also in this section
of the battle.
The skirmishng was keptup with consider
able Vi gor till about O'clock in the ofror
noon, when the rebels had completed their ar
engagements for attack. at about this time
Gen. Emory's skirmish line was driven in on
the right by the rebels, who appeared in
large force coming through the timber. They
soon reached the open ground and moved on
the attack IN three lines of battle Our bat
terles and infantry opened with terrible eff
feet doing great slaughter with Crane and
canister, while the enemy's artillery being
in the woods and in bad position, did scarrelV
any damage. Col. Benedict's brigade on the
left was first engaged, and soon followed Inv
Dwight's and McMillians. The fighting was
terrific. Old soldiers say it never was sur
passed for desperation. Notwithstanding the
terrible havoc in their ranks the enemy press
ed fercely on, slowly pushing the men of the
18th corps back up the hill, but not breaking
their line of battle
A sudden and bold dash Of the rebels on
the right gave u EN- possession OF Taylor's
| battery and forced our line still farther back.
Nov came the grand coup de main. The 10th
corps on arriving at the top of the hill sud
| denly filed over the hill and passed through
| the lines of Gen. Smith.
| We must here mention that the rebels were
| now IN but two lines of battle, the first hay
ing been almost annihilated by Gen. Emory,
| and what remained having been forced back.
| But these two lines came on exultant and
| sure of victory. The first passed over the
| knoll and, all needless of the long line of
| cannons and crouching forms, passed on. The
| second line appeared on the hin and the death
| signal was sounded. Words cannot describe
| the awful effects Of this discharge of seven
| thousand rifles and several batteries of artil
| lery loaded to the muzzle with grape and can
| lister. They were fired stimuli saneousIy and
| the whole centre Of the rebel line was crush
ed down, frightfully 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 joining in. The rebels fought
boldly and desperately back to the timber on
reaching which large portion fed, fully
1000 throwing aside their arms In this
charge Taylor's battery vas re-taken, as was
also two of the guns of Minis battery, the par
rot gun taken from US at Carrion Crow last
fall, and one or two others belonging to the
rebels, one of which was considerably shat
tered, besides TOO prisoners.
pursuit and desperate fight was kept up
for miles when our men returned to the
field OF battle and there ended this fearful
and bloody struggle for the control of Yves
tern Louisiana.
SENTIMENT OF INTERIOR LoU1s1ANA.-The
special correspondent of the New York World
an authority not likely to misrepresent for
the purpose Of encouraging the Union cause
writing from BANKS army at Natchitoches,
on the 9Th instant-two days before the dis
aster-says:
"The most interesting feature of the cam
paign is the wonderful accord and Union SEN
timent among the people of Louisiana They
are nearly all ready to forswear their seces-
sion heresy, and hundreds are already taking
the oath. A general depression and gloom
exists among the confederate soldiers. Ihey
feel that the cause is hopeless, and more than
half of them would gladly lay down their
arms In fact, the prospects are not cheer