Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-04-28
of the Chicago Evening Jour
GRAND EcoRE, Ia, |
On RED RIVER, April 10, 1864. !

ON RED RIVER, Aprl lO, 1904.
| 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
support, Gen. Ransom, i'll command of the
Sd 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 3d division of his command
and the army corps were cncamped the reb-
els made Il stand, and our line, consisting of
only 1000 infantry, was formed in a belt
OF woods, with an open field in the front
and the enemy in the woods ON the other
side. Gen. Stone, of Balls Bluff fame,
! Chief of Gen. Banks Staff. was on the
field, and took direction of the movements.
| Gen. Ransom was in favor of advancing on
| ly in force, but his wish was disregardcd.
! We were five miles from our reinforce
ments, with thick woods behind them,
| through which ran a narrow road, complete
! ly filed with wagon trains, and making an
orderly retreat impossible.
After keeping up skirmish firing across
| this open field for about an hour, the enemy
advanced upon us in overwhelming numbers
! probably not less than ten thousand
strong. Gen. 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 cavalry give
way and the infantry fell back. In few
moments the enemy pressed us so closely,
and the panic Of the cavalry was so dcmor-
alizing, that the retreat became a rout. -
The General did all in his power to rally the
men, but, finding it impossible without re,
mlorccmcnts, he made every effort to save
the artillery. 1t was while endeayoring tc
get the Chicago Mercantile Battery off safe
ly that Gen. Ransom was severely wounded
in the leg, and Capt. Cyrus f. Dickcy, hi,
Adjutant (son Of Judge Dickcy, of Otto
wa, Illinois, was instantly killed by beinl
shot through the head. Our loss was large
probably 1000. The Mercantile Battery
lost all their guns, and Capt. White is a pris
oner. Leutcnants Throop and Mc}rid,
killed, and the loss Of the battery in killcC
and captured is thirty, The battery boy
lost all their clothing. One hundred an,
ten OF them returned to camp after the dis
astcr.
While the lth division was falling back il
disorder, the Sd division, numbering onl,
800 men, came up aud was Immediately
routed. lnlS was after zen. Hanson ha'
been wounded and taken to the rear. Fin
ally the 10Th Army Corps, with 1000 men
came up, formed in line, checked the enc
my, and held them until we got our train
off except that Of the cavalry.
1t has been terrible unfortunate affair
but no one here attaches the least blame t,
Gen. Ransom, who acted under orders, and
until disabled, did all that any officer coulC
do under the circumstances; but with al
overwhelming force to contend against, anC
no rcinlorcements, what could be expected
but just such rout
The whole army is now falling back here
where it must wait to reorganizc before
proceeding toward Shreveport.
1t is at present impossible to obtain list
Of the casualties. These you will receive
as soon as possible.