Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-05-07
The Battles in Louisiana.


ing additional particulars of the recent bat.
ties in Louisiana:
The Republicans Red River letter oftbe Iatb
| says that Gen. Smiths command began cross
| ing the river opposite Eeore that day for an
| overland trip to Vicksburg, it being under
stood, Gen. Grant sent orders for GEN Smith
to return to that place. Rebel prisoners saw
| they had $4,000 men in the recent battles.
| and that they lost 5000 in Saturdays fight,
They left their killed and wounded on the
| field. Our loss on Saturday was about 500.
| 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 of portions
of the 10th and 18th army corps belonging to
Gen. Hurlbut and Gen. McPhersons
The correspondent says that great disat-
| isfaction is expressed at Banks Generalship.
Fridays battle was fought contrary to Frank
| Inns plans and both Franklin and Ransom pro-
tested against having the cavalry so far in
advance. Gen Smith protested against re-
treat from Pleasant Hill after the victory of
Saturday, he wishing to pursue the fleeing
rebels, but 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 opera
tiOns.
The following, from the New Orleans Era.
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-
oring to discover our position. Col. O. 2.
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
1icting, however, as much damage as he re-
ceived.
The 18th corps was 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 posted
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 skirmishirg was keptup with consider
able vigor till about 5 o'clock in the after-
noon, when the rebels had completed their ar
rangements 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
4 81. \ 4
| the attack in three lines of battle. Our bat
teries and infantry opened with terrible eff
feet doing great slaughter with grape and
canister, while the enemy's artillery, being
in the woods and in bad position did scarcely
any damage. Col. Benedict's brigade on the
left was first engaged, and soon followed by
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
10th corps back up the hill, but not breaking
their line of battle.
A sudden and bold dash OF the rebels on
the right gave them possession of Taylor's
battery and forced our line still farther back
Now 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.
| Wemust here mention that the rebels were
| now in but two lines of battle, the first hav-
| 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 hill 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 fred simultaneously 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 a large portion Aed, fully
1000 throwing aside their arms. In this
charge Taylor's battery was re.taken. as was
also two of the guns of Minis battery. the mar.
rot gun taken from US at Carrion Crow last
fall, and one or two others belonging to the
rebels, one of which ENTHUSIASTICALLY shat.
tered, besides 700 prisoners
pursuit and desperate fight was kent I'M
for miles when our men returned to the
field of battle and there ended this fearful
and bloody struggle for the control of Wes-
tern Louisiana. g.ta# gEfB
a - 49,