Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-22

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| A Union Disaster In LouisIama---The
\ Thfrd nnd Fourth Divisions Of the
| Thirteenth Army Corps Badly Cut
| up--Our Lcss about eO0O---Tbe Nine-
teenth Array Corps Come UP and
Check the Enemy. 4
| Correspondence Of the Chicago Evening Journal
GRAND EcHoRE, La,
On RED RIVER, April 10, 1854.
| have very bad news to write you. We
have met with severe disaster.
Our cavalry had been driving the enemy
for two days, but In the forenoon of the Sth
inst. they sent back word for infantry sup
port. General Ransoin, IN command of the
3D. and 4th divisions of the 18th army corps,
was ordered to send forward brigade, and
did so. At noon he was ordered TO send up
all OF the 4th division, and he went with
them. After advancing about five miles
from where the 81 division of his command
and the army corps were encainped, the
rebels made stand, and our line. consist
Ing Of only 1000 infantry, was formed IN II
belt of woods, with an open field In the front.
and the enemy in the woods on the other
side. General Stone, Of Balls Bluff fame,
Chief of General Banks staff was on the
field, and took direction of the movements.
General Ransom was In favor OF advancing
only In force, but his wish was disregarded.
We were five miles from our reinforce
ments, with think woods behind them,
through which ran narrow road, conf
pletely filed with wagon trains, and max
ing an orderly retreat impossible.
After keeping up a skirmish firing across
this open field for about an hour, the enc
my advanced upon us In overwhelming
numbers-probably not less than ten thou
sand strong. General Ransom got all his
available troops to the front and opened on
them. The enemy lost heavily, but they
advanced steadily, and soon made our cav
airy give way, and the infantry fell back
In a few moments the enemy pressed us SO
closely, and the panic of the cavalry was SO
demoralizing, that the retreat became a
rout. The General did all In his power TO
rally the men, but, finding it impossible
without reinforcements, he made every ef-
fort to save the artillery. 1t was while en-
deavoring to get the Chicago Mercantile
Battery off safely that General Ransom was
severely wounded in the leg, and Captain
Cyrus E. Dickey, his Adjutant (son of Judge
Dickey, of Ottawa. Illinois,, was instantly
killed by being shot through the head
Our loss was large-probably about 1000.
The Mercantile Battery lost all their guns,
and Captain White Is prisoner. Lieuten-
ants Throop and Mcbride killed, and the
loss of the battery in killed and captured Is
thirty. The battery boys lost all their
clothing. One hundred and ten of them
returned to camp after the disaster.
While the 4th Division was falling back
In disorder, the Sd Division, numbering on
ly l,8OO men, came up and was Immediately
routed. This was after General Ransom
had been wounded and taken to the rear.
Finally the 10th Army Corps, with 1000
men, came up, formed in line, checked the
enemy, and held them until we got all our
trains off except that Of the cavalry.
IL has been a terribly unfortunate affair,
but no one here attaches the least blame to
General Ransom, who acted under orders,
and, until disabled did all that any officer
could do under the circumstances; but with
an overwhelming force to contend against,
and no reinforcements, what could be ex-
pected but just such routp
The whole army is now falling back here,
where it must wait to oreorganize before pro-
ceeding further toward Shreveport.
1t is at present impossible to obtain list
of the casualties. These you will receive
~ HAwKEYE.
LETTER FROM MEMBER OF THE CHICAGO
MERCANTILE BATTERY.
GRAND EcHoRE, La April IL.
The rebels made stand eight miles from
Pleasant Hill, and commenced driving the
Sd and 7th Divisions of the 18th Army
Corps. on the 9Th inst. Our Battery (Chi-
cago Mercantile) and the 1st Indiana Bate
nv, commenced giving the rebels shell and
canister. We fired our guns at the rate OF
five shots minute, for half an hour. when
the rebels charged on us. We fell back to
a new position, where we poured into the
enemy about an hour, when they again
came upon us, and we again fell back to
another position, which we held few min
utes, when the order came to get into the
road, which, unfortunately, was filled with
ammunition wagons and our army trains.
We got along as best we could, on the re-
treat, about a mile, when the whole rebel
force came upon uswith gallop a shout.
Capt. White was captured. we cut traces
and left, leaving our guns in the enemy's
hands. further efforts to resist being utterly
useless, escaped into the woods, and have
made my way back to camp, after being. a
whole day and night without food. The
loss of the Mercantile Battery is very heavy
-four officers and twenty-five men, as fol-
lows: Captain White and Lieutenant Crane,
captured; Lieutenants Throop and BAR
killed. Among the missing are Joseph Day
and Sam Hammet, of squad i; Sergeant
George Bryant and William Mum, of squad
q; Sergeant Billy Gardner, Sam Parker,
John Arnold, and four drivers Of squad 3;
Corporal Dyer of squad a; and gunner
Bracket, of squad 5. The rest of the miss
ing are either detailed men or new recruits.
Hank Poe now has command of the Bat
terry. t8.1.,
We have lost our guns, horses, clothing
everything. The Battery now has ITO in
camp. " Il. a.
washington News.