The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-05-05
The suspense Of this fearful moment, was


defeat. In another moment our artillery
scattered grape and canister in appalling
quantities upon the exasperated enemy, liz
orally moving them down "a with an en-
ormous scythe. With deafening cheers,
and waving Of starry banners, our lines
PRESSED on the rear lines, going into the,lat.
ter conflict at the "Dcuble Quick" It'll
was now 8 o'clock, and the battle was at It's
highest, raging with undated fury, the long
and deadly roll Of musketry Continuing
until night, spre ding her sable mantle over
the.bloody pictme, screened the combatants
from each others view and put an end to
that days hostilities.
There was something more than solemn
grandc,lr,in the scane at Pleasant Hill at
sunset on Saturday. April 9. Standing on
slight eminence which overlooked the left
and center of our lines. could see the ter.
r fife struggle between our well-disciplined
troops and the enemy. The sun shone
directly in the faces of our men, while the
wind blew back the smoke of both the en-
emy's fire and that of our own gallant men
into our ranks. rendering it almost imp os-
sble at times to distinguish the enemy in
the dense clouds of smoke. All of sud.
den our whole fro.t seemed tn gather
renewed strength, and they swept the Repels
before them like chat, following them up
closely. 4. a@ ~ 80. ''# h.1" al
The enemy made another desperate stand,
when Col Shaw, commanding the 81 Brig
adc, 1st Division, 18th CoLps, gave t e
order to charge bayonets. and the crisis
was soon over, the Rebels being unable to
stand the pressure Of yankee" steel. In
the very thickest Of the igh' on our left and
center. rode the pa'riarchal-looking warrior,
Col. Andrew jackson Smith. whose troops
received an increased inspiration o. hcroism
by his presence. Wherever he rode :. -
,h,o, .roo... s-,---,-rur tnere " an
..r~srsIofe attraction around this officer.
who has exhibited the real Jacksonian en-.
erey. Not less conspicuous was Mai Gen.
Banks and staff Gen Joseph A. Mower of
the lst Division, 18th Army Corps, Gen
Franklin and staff and Gen. Emory and
staff. HsarE znE tds a.rf> l.tra 81
As the dusk Of evening became more
ard more intense, and the last ghmmeriog
streaks ofday were rapidly failing away.
the enemy struggles Aercely for the posses
sion Of the battle field, and treme,. dn1s
roar Of musketry burst forth from their
staggering lines, which was responded to
by two or three terrific volleys from our
side. and then came that dead, q',iet calra.
broken only by the m,aning of orr mems
voices and the g-oans Of the dying. The
enemy rstreated randy that night. Cen A.
j. Mower Of the 10th Army Corps having
pushed out some four miles from Pleasant
Hill, without hsing able to overtaks the
enemy. rs 81 .fE g.
Where so much gallantry was displayed.
il would be invilioleS FIR me to particular
ize, but the condaact of Col. w. T. Shaw,
I'd Brigade. Sd Division. 10th Army Corps
Col. Benedict, 10Th Army Corps. who fell
wounded at the head ofhis noble
brigade while cheering them on to the
fight; Lieur-CoI JAS. Newbold of the l4,h
10 wa, 10th Army Corps; Col MIX Of the
N. Y. Cavalry. 19h Army Corps bath
Of whom sacrificed their lives in .lef,nse Of
their country's honor; Col Lynch. 2i Brig
ade, 18th Army Corps; Col Moore. lat
Brigade, LIST Division, 18th Army Corps;
Col. Hill-Brigade, LIST Division, 10Th Army
Corps all deserve the highest praise. In
act, though the RESETS are very unfavora
3le ~ our cause. yet in the battle Of Pleas.
int Hill We can rest assured the stain of
,owardiee cannot blot the record Of that
bloody battle.
All fthe troops seemed inspired with
legree of courage which nnthing but total
Of our men cauld subdue or ex
inguish. 1t is Impossible to state who was
n chief command on Saturday, Gems
Banks and Franklin being both upon the
ield, but had it not been for the mastery
manner in which Gen A, J Smith deployed
md personally lei his troops. aidsl by the
gallant Mower, who has reaped many sub
tantial victories, we should have tn record
he extinction Of the 10th Army Corps and
he Department Of the Gulf.
This battle of Pleasant Hill is prebably
he first time on record whore the Rebels
nave manifested any desire to meet our sol
liers in an open field fight, and particularly
xhere they have been the attacking party.
This Rebel phenomenon is easily explained.
After the easy victory Of Friday, Kirby
Smith supposed it would not be very
difficult matter to completely exterminate
The balance of the little army. against whose
'front.' he hurled his overwhelmingly superb
DR. numbers. Deluded with this belief. he
1t once sent to Shreveport for the balance
Of his forces. principally Missouri and Ar
kansas troops. fresh from their camps.
Upon their arrival at our front. Kirby
Smith and DICK Taylor hOtn harangned tho
new levies. exhorting them to strike steady |
blow, and the Yankees" would surely be
driven from the soil of Louisiana. They
boosted with great bonbast upon the cap
ture cfeighteen pieces Of artillery from Us,
and nearly two hundred army wagons fill d
with Government stores, including consid
cradle whiskey, which also fell into their
hands. Pointing with emulation to the