Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-31

20 the front; the End and 3rd Divisions
forming the advance line, there being
two lines of reserve infantry, wiih srtil-
iery in the rear Of alt; our skirmishers
driving the rebel pickeis and skirmishers
before them, who, ct iims$ fell back so
sTubbornly that our skirmish line had to
be reinforced II may also be- remarked
that in the advance column the 2nd Di-
vision (which is our Division), under
command Of Brig Gen II. n Judah,
formed the right, the 50 Division. Gen.
Cox, resting on our lef.
fter an advance Of two miles, our
columns formed their respective lines Of
battle, and halted an hour TO afford our
skirmishers time 10 clear the ground 10
our front for still further advance. -
Again the bugle sounded, hayonets we're
fitted, and onward we moved toward the
enemys works, then only one mile dis
tant Over fences, which were leysied
as by a whirlwind, through dense thick
cts OF underbrush, vines and hriers, over
hills aud holl0ws, across running streams
and deep ravines, onward We continued
10 move with elastic step aud hxeduess
Of purpose, until, gaining q ridge about
GOO yards from the rebel breastworhs,
which we're situated on the brow OF an
other ridge running parallel with the one
we then occupied we made a temporary
halt, merely to adjust the alignment oil
I our column, which had become slightly
Z deranged in consequence Of obstruction
10 our course and the malformatiou Of
"A - 4. 4 j
marched
shall no longer attempt 10 relate
what transpired on other sections Of our
/ line, for there was soon enough 10 en-.
| gage my whole attention in nv immedi.
ate vicinity, and in our front. without
/ attempting 10 retain the operations oi
remote portions Of the Federal lines
within the scope Of my observation
| Judging from distances without meas
urement, ] would say that, to reach tbs
rebel Notifications from this point, w
had TO descend hill ia the woods, at an
angle Of some 30 degrees, for the dis
lance OF 200 yards Then comes a leve
open field about 300 yards across II 10 4
creek, the bank Of which is from two Il
four feet in height on the side toWarr
the enemy. A few yards from the creal
another ridge is abruptly formed on ID,
brow Of which, and about one hundred
yards from the creek was the first line o
rebel Notifications Those forti6eation,
consisted OF q continuous line of en-
trenehments for infantry, connected
with basiions for artillery and diyerg
ing from the rear Of the principal lae o
entrenehmenta were rifle pits, each o
sufficient capacity for company of in
iantry, and constructed with suAicien
angle to enable them to deliver an ef
feetive cross fire into the ranks of Gu
approaching column The prinei
pal entertainments we're Of suiieien
width for a column fonr men deep
How they must have laughed, unde
ali these advantages, at the idea Of hein,
charged upon by line OF infantry oRh
tseo ntea deep. There bad been no pre-
vious Reconnaissance OF Theses fortiEca
tons, not even a shell had been throw
from one Of our guns to ascertain thi
location OF these batteries, in order 4
silence them before attempting the con
templated charge. The alignment O
Our column having been speedily adjust
ed, the bugle sounded and we again I'd
vanced just then the enemy openet
fire upon as from behind their fortifcs
tons; but our casualties must have bee
small while descending tie hill. for I oh
served that their shells mostly passe,
over us, while their musket balls seemei
10 iaii short OF Us, stirring np clouds q
Dust before US. Reaching the ops
held at the foot Of the hill, the enemy
IRE became terrific beyond descriptions
As Far as sight could reach TO the rirh
aud left their batteries became as it wer
cloud Of smoke and 8 line OF fir,
The inharmoneous sounds caused bv III
whistling of bullets. the popping of ex
plosive Minnie balls, the whizzina c
grape and canister, the fiendish shrek
of hying shells, the incessant roar {
muskets and the deafening thunders q
artillery, produced such a confusion i
the elements as cannot Be descrihet
Still onward our column moved till
reached the creek, exposed to the 6iret
. ere of one battery and destruetiv
cross-fire from two others, besides IA
terrible storm of lead that bore again,
US from myriads OF small arms, our ne
falling right aud left ike corn-stalks b.
fore harrow ! received nv weun
, iust as | reached the creek. We wer
on further. The creek bank offorded 0
a safe harbor against rebel bullets, man
of us lying in the water while the missile
/ of death passed harmiessly over n
. Our batteries were soon placed on til
, hill, and under cover Of their fire "a
men who were not disabled, one bv on
made their escape to the woods and yer
+ safe. Those Of us who were too mac
I disabled TO run, laid N the water unit
dark and then erawied 70 the wood
where We got assistance to the aghl
lance train and we're conveyed to th
0 Corps hospital; while those more ser
: ously wounded remained on the fiel
r till after dark and were carried of.
: Only nine companies Of the s0ih vel
into the charge, Company G. being q
picket duty st the time. The numb,
engaged would guess al about thru
: hundred; and as far as could be asce
tanned the next morning, We had su
I tanned loss of one hundred and thirt
eight ID killed and wounded | reer
that AN unable to furnish reliable Ii
e of casualties, bat presume You IA,
: received 1t before this time The follo'
q ing, however, may be relied on, respar
log the casualties amongst the officers
e the regiment:
! Company A-Captain W. n Dunca
seriously wounded in the side, bat n
: MORALLY; Lieutenant Archer, killed.
I, Company B-Captain VIM. Mosie
t, said TO be slightly wounded, but not di
ablsd. | saw him after the battle. Lie