Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-05-01

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EDs. DsnocnAs: hsve hsafd thst this =
The Wy Il III happened: Ssns tine during
last Saturday. Gen. Canby became satisiied
thst the S6rsss under Thosas had occupied
Selma, and II occurred to him that > salute
IF 100 guns, shotaed and pointed At Span
ish Fort, would BE- proper thing, and ne
ordered il to be done along towards night
not at I'll axpseting. 70 far - il known, the
resalts which followed. While the salute
was being fred, the regiments we're in line.
and kept up . continual flre with small
arms, which the Johnnies returned in kind,
killing IN Orderly Ssseeantof The e'h Iowa.
This % sxasperated bis company, that,
without any command 70 charge being Civ
sn, they gave yell, snd started for the re-
bel works, closely followed BY another
company, and whom Col. Geddes saw his
men were bound to 10 on hs ordered the
whole regiment forward and went him.
sslE r8.e54 Ax
By this unsuthosissd attack The 9Th se-
cured, and held, position which obliged
the Font to surrender during Tho night,
which iact being made to the comman ing
general 1t BIakely gave him such arealizing
sense Of the insecurity Of his own position,
that he at once began to evacuate.
As soon a. Gen. Steele Der anne aware OF
this movement he took measures TO prevent
It, and shortly aft rhoon We began to hear
arumOr that the works were TO be stor,ned
in the evening. This rumor became GER
tainty At about half past 8. when an Order
y came into camp ordering the ambulance
corps to the front. few necessary ar
rangements occu lied but few minutes. =
Still was too tate to BE- very near the regi.
ment. and may as well confess that all my
observations were made at . tolerably safe
distance from shot and shell.
Our advance rifle pit 10 about hslf mile
from the main works Of the rebels, the
ground betwesa being considerably broken
and obstructed ~ fallen trees, laying in all
directions. Around the rebel rife pits 4
great many torpedoes were planted. Be-
hind the pits are two rows Of pine boughs
nicely sharpened at the ends, and piled
about four feet high, forming formidable
obstruction; then wire stretched on stakes
aboat f.ot high; then two more rows Of
pine boughs; then more torpedoss; then .
deep ditch and breastwOrks containing ar
tillery.
We had 10 rely on the bayonct almost
solely to take the works, as We had but few
pieces Of artillery in position.
At the proper pouent our troops along
the xh0le line leave their cover, paus Z
moment to form in line; the skirm. shers
are trown forward, = yell, and the charge
begins. Meanwhile, from rifle pit and fort,
the JOhnnies keep up continuous fire, but
the boys in blue heed not the howl
Of the shells, nor the hiss of the bul-
lets. Pulling their hats down over their
eyesSAs when one faces . furious bail
storm-they rush forward, stumbling over
the fallen trees, always yelling, they drive
the rebels from their rifle pits, unhnrt by
shell or bullet or torpedo, they leap over the
pine bOugh abbattis--Onward still-they
are in the ditch; they Chamber up the steep
breast works, and receive the last rebel vol
ley right in their faces! simultaneously
with the fash they fall to the ground! How
many Of those brave forms are killed how
many woundedP Not one! U speak oI
the 2Oth.) A moment later they are up!
They crown the breast words; a rebel ar
tItlicriSt Is kHOckeu uOWU Wncu MS IHSt
charge is half iammcd home, the flag is
planted on the F0rt-the seige.of Blakely
is endedl
But they stop not there; . large part oi
the rebels surrender at once, but some Of
them break and run for the river; the men
Of several regiments-all mixed together
with or without officers, orders or no or
ders-foliow on down to the river; on to the
wharf, Two rebel gun-boats are living a,
anchor in the s!ream-and oh, the obsurdi
ty Of it!-at the command Of few strag
Cling infantry men. an i.on-,lad ram and .
gun boat haul down the rebel flag an1 hoist
a white! That they afterwards escaped ia
believe, the truth. But tha; they first sur
rendered is also true, and is it not enough
The conduct Of the negroes excited tn.
admiration Of oil who saw them. Not I
man in the goth was hurt, but the flag va.
badly torn by two or three bullets and I
piece OF she'll
For the last two or three weeks we hav,
been fully employed and with glorious re
suits. What We are to do next is the ques
tion- soon to be answered, however, as ",
are already under marching orders.
TunrAs