Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-30

took place previous 10 the arrival o. Emorys division
will appear fully in the Official reports bit the result
was the complete route aud utter decentralization Of the
cavalry der General Lee aud the nautry of ire 18Th
army CORPS with considerable loss Of supplies rcud-
ing the cavalry train and several pieces OF artillery
Many brave fell or were taken pisoners and among
| the wounded was the gallant General Ransom. TIE
roul and panic Increased until the narrow rosd filed
with HyiRg cavalrymen, Infantry wagons, horses and
/ negroes presented bumiliatng spectacle which beg
CARS description and which was only relieved by the
ms anceof individual courage and GOODNESS which stood
in the tempest OF pauc trying to turn the tide which
| overwhelmed and bore them on.
In the midst Of this confusion at about half past four
o'clock in The afternoon with bands playing and colors
flying, the First Dii,on Of the Nineteenth Army Corp,
| led BY General Rnory, was heard approaching As
nsared tho scene OF ACTON, sstaggers With their u-
Of disaster IN 'front.' constantly met them and we're
as constantly turHed back but on rsog the hill at
point known Peach Orchard, the full forcs OF the
| panic met and pressed upon them
BhgSdier General Emory leading his divs on, mme-
datey dployed the four companies Of TIE One Hun.
dred and Sixty first New York Volunteers which formed
bis advanced guard skrmisbers, and urging the hy-
ing panic stricken crowd bait ordered his skrmsh
through to meet the enemy, who were coming on
10 the flush of victory aud to check If possible his
further advance Thee brave responded prompt y
10 every demand and the check they gave the enemy
allowed time to deploy the division and to enable it TO
meet the attack. THIS successfully performed
under the direction Of Bhgider General VIM Dwight,
commanding First Brgads Of Rmory's division, and in
the face Of thiS ring mass of lugves who con
stany breaking through a. ping by the troops Of
this command they STEADILY obeyed every order and
struggled TO their places In the Tank until they formed
| the line which changed the fortune of the day.
Toe enemy then reformed and attacked simultaneous
y the right flank and CENTRE and meeting the deadly
voeys OF our unmoved men, was again repulsed The
firing OF the enemy during this att lex most
Toe enemy agan re formed and, with reinforcemenis
attacked left hank and centte with increased i'm
49,.
lie did not move he again ald finally repused.
The Are Of EDOryS division during ibis whole contest
was fearful aud it's effect NEST withering Sas attest
ed wheD in the quiet OF the night from end Of our
iof to the other, the means ard cries Of thee wounded
al DYING told OF the fearful sacrifice they had made.
Toe enemy say they lost fifteen hundred killed and
wounded in this engagement. The conduct o. this d.
vision during this terrible contest worthy of the gh
est Iraise Coming to the field meet an army eoTpa
and several thousand cavalry With their trans foil,
panic stricken retrea tiy preserved thsir coclaese,
re formed their broken ranks ulder o heavy IRE, en-
counIeed an ealed and victorious eGemy checked and
aaally repulsed him, aud the sun went down upon q
defeat suddenly changed TO comparative victory, ald
the army which hour before was threatened With
destruction was saved. With such troops disciplined
70 obey directions ulder all circumstances, vic DRY is
and the humil alton OF the previous rout 10 ae'
visited by the consciousness that We have them After
elaboration IL was determined TO fall back TO the better
position of Pleasant H. The complete disorganza ion
aud demora on OF the cavalry command, and OF tho
Thirteenth army corps and their temporary oss TO the
army as troops except far they q bur.hen,
made this necessary while the certainty Of reinforce
msnt by the Iteentb army corps under General Smith,
made IL eIpedisn as became evident that tho enemy
| vas receiving reiniorcem5nt9
To retire from the face OF the enemy whore pickets
we're in constant converfaiion with our own,
ment OF much icUly and delicicy; but it deter
ned upon and the conduct Of tho Great and TIE de-
face Of the rear entrusted TO Brig4der General
d wight with the First brigade OF Enory's oiVeOu.--
rhe army hayiog silently moved eff at midnight, Gen
ers DWghts brigade closed the rear the pick rs slowly
and silently Withdrawing; and this movement was 80
quietly SAFELY performed that the my
of our retreat aud supposed TO be in position until
| after sunrise the next morning, when he commenced
| sheiny the place VS. bsd sbsn sored. The march 10
Pleasant Hill slow and ia. gang, involving did
the collection of straggsrs and negroes most of WON
were safely brought IL; but nine o'clock the
morning General DEightS rear guard marched up
Peasant Ill., and AZ this moment were threatened with
q force Of the enemys cayety, whic1, was the first
| notice We had received Of his Consciousness of our
| movements. Thus ended the battle Of Sabine Cross
Roads, with ts mingled story of humiliation and Of
glory. The result shows that out humiliation was the
result Of that smanRg emeLt which have 90 often
had occasion to deplOre but that had the means Of
glory and success in hands. Where the blame
will probably be deter mined by that 6nal Commute
the Conduct of the War which is TO Get all things
righ&
Alter giving the preparations for The bitte Of Pleas
| ant H In, the correspondent adds:
Tie enemy commenced by vigorous and some That
successful attack our left and csnIe tbe6ghtDg be-
log mrch in open field where he contestants could
see each other and be distinctly By the locker on
/ Our outer line Wavered broken in places and fell
back aud The day looked gloomy when the enemy struck
its inuer line, received its heavy vleys tel back ard
mAssed his forces the unshs ken right was met aed
hurled back and again retired before the Stubborn re-
sis;ance oil the veterans of the 10Th amy corps sc
kuowledgDg the battle OF Pleasant IL II ours With
us however, the question OF water and raons bad be-
come serious While tbs disasters of the previous day
we're vet unrepaiged and it decided to fall back 10
our original position Nschitoches there 10 reorgan
ize The Low state OF the Red river sl,o made is ur-
wise for US to trust for supplies a. point higher up
than this. Ia view Of this state Of facp the army II
back TO is old camping ground at NAtohitochos pre-
paratory to resumiDg i've operations, IN Which, with
proper use of lite eyes and in tie form OF cavalry
Il has shown By whatit has done tee battles of TIE
| s.h and 9th Of April that success is certain.
Toe New York Commercial advertiser publishes the
following letter received from one OF the officers who
participated In the first battle ia LOuisiaaa:
GRAND EcORE, La, Monday, April IL.
Before this reaches you, you have probably heard
through the newspaper reports, concerning the dis or
which t beta le our army Briefly the facts are thu e.
We had been successfully driving taa enemy until Fri
day. the Sh Upon that day they made a stand near
Mansfield, As miles from Shreveport Our corps, wi
the cavalry, wee in advance. Until about O'Clock
wsrs pushing them. Suddenly they rallied and began
/ To drive us Oar battery tden ordered forward.
We we're pu; in battery in the middle of Lrzs 6el5,
ard ordered to shell the works few hundred val de
from u, from which men had just been driven AID
/ which was swarming with rebels OF course, being
without the leset support, could not hold our posi-
/ ton After firing few rounds, were ordered to
retreat 10 the edge Of the opposite woods Here we
unlmbered ana fred with great rapldty into the APP
preaching rebels
| We we're sill without support. The handful OF men
composing Little corps, not more than three thou-
sand in AL we're captured disabled. TIE le h corps
| wer6 back the rear Toe cavalry acted shame.uly,
with some few eKoepions-lhe 2 Limo among the
lluef Although i'm llOred by all shey held dea-, thy
ran Ike sheen.