The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1864-03-12
TIE BATTLE OF o1usrRR.

we couueuse tue iouo"Iog account OF the
battle in Florida from our exchanges:
The entire column, Numbering less thaa
Eve thousand, left BARRIERS on the. 2O.h of
February, and made sudden march to-
wards Lake City. When not far ont, Gen.
Seymour received Information Of the enc.
fmy's plans and whereabouts. Relying up
on that, he came to the conclusion that BY
pushing rapidly on, be would be able to
gain strong military position, and SO de-
feat him. But instead of accomplishing
bis object--the information being correct
the result was, that the fight took place
three miles this side Of Olustee, and that,
too, when FIVE thousand of our men came
suddenly upon fifteen thousand Of the
enemy!
| q, OPENING OF THE FIGHT. e-
Our skirmishers had not advanced hun.
dred yards when they discovered those of
the enemy directly in their front. The
resul: was brisk FIRE on both sides, which
ended by the enemy's fal!iag back on a
second line of skirmishers. Our men con-
tinued to drive the rebels back, sometimes
on the right and sometimes on the left of
the railroad, but principally on the left.
At this time our force on the field con.
sisted of the 7th New Hampshire, the 7th
Connecticut, the Independent Battalion of
Massachusetts cavalry, the 4OtL Massachu
setts Mounted Infantry, the Sth United
States Colored, Elders Battery of four and
and IIamilton's OF six pieces. The remain
der of the column was halted on the road
The fact that the enemy bad force far
superior in point Of numbers to our own
was now beyond all dispute. The firing
became heavier and more destructive as
each moment advanced. The railroad as it
ncars Olustee takes bend, and behind this
bend the rebels had their position. In the
woods at the rear were their supporters and
reserves. We had not moment to lose
Our men were within one hundred yards of
the enemy, and the only thing that could
be done was to fight. To retreat at that
time was impossible, for the road was filled
with troops coming up, and the woods on
either side would not admit of passage on
the flank. By dint of effort, Capt. Lang
don succeeded in getting his four guns in
position on the extreme left, but until be
had lost FIVE or six men and about the same
number of horses.
SLAUGHTER.
1t must be borne in mind our batteries
were within one hundred yards of the ene-
my's front. This short distance rendered
it a very easy task for the rebels to pick off
a man or horse at every discharge of their
rifles. Atthe commencement of the fight.
the slh U. S. Colored Troops were support
ing Hamilton's Battery, but when their as
sistance was really indispensable, by some
strange order they fled to the right in rear
Of the battery, for the purpose of joining
their right on the left of the Seventh Con:
necticu;. AT that particular time the
movement was decidedly an error, for by
carrying it out it left Hamilton's Battery
unsupported. In an attempt to en6lade the
enemy on his right, Hamilton moved for
ward four pieces but before he got into
position, the rebels on that portion of their
line had concentrated all their fire upon
him, and the Eighth U. S., who had again
come up to his support. In twenty min |
utes' time, Hamilton lost A men, killed |
and wounded, and 40 horses. the Eighth |
also suffered severe. On the right of Ham
ilton the Seventh Connecticut and the Sew
enth New Hampshire were doing fearful |
execution. The Seventh Connecticut es.
pecially were standing their ground with
marked bravery. Every volley from their
guns told splendidly on the rebel line. But
between the two forces wide difference
existed-the rebels outnumbered us five to
one. This crushing superiority gave the
two regiments but little chance for victory.
After losing one fourth of their number
they were compelled to retire to the rear.
uELP-Too LATE.
At the same moment Col Barton's Bri-
gade, the Forty y-seventb. Forty. eighth and
One Hundred and Fifteenth New York
regiments, took the field, coming up in line
en- cschelon. On the right was ELDERS Bat
terry, and on the left Langdon's and one
section of the Third Rhode Island. The
enemy had four pieces of artillery. On
railroad car he had mounted heavy gun,
supposed to be a 80 -pounder, and with this
be kept up regular fire, but not destruc-
tive, as the shells, passed over the heads of
our men. There can be doubt concerning
the fighting qualities of Barton's Brigade.
On this occasion they fought like tigers, but
the same difficulty which opposed Hawley's
Brigade presented itself to them, viz: the
mass of the enemy
The las. regiments to enter the field we're
the First North Carolina and the Fifty
fourth Massachusetts, (colored) of Kansas ,
Montgomery's Brigade. They took bold
position at the front, and maintained their