, 1865-07-04

4 SOIL Of 8batH9. OuF men- cnktTe0
through this, driving the enemy n1der cover
transports in quick time, 1ea7lng Us IN pos
session Of everything not exceedingly port:
..-Belncut BE is situated On low ground, .ad
every +. OF Is commanded BY the guns On the
opposite shore, and Of c3u!se c7uld not DC
held for stngle hour ae'cf the enemy PC
came aware Of the withdrawal Of hts ttoops.
but little of the captured property. con
fequent}y .gsvc orders for the de-
st,uctton Of everything that could not be
moved, and an immediate return to our tran
Sports. Tents. blankets, &C., were Set On
fire aud destroyed. and our return march
commenced, taking his artillery, and In9e
pieces ef artillery being drawn og hand, and
ine by an inefficient team, wcie spiked Aad
left on the road TWO were brought to this
p1pcc.
We had but fairly got under way. when the
enemy, having received re-enforccuents. ral-
lied under coTer Of the river bank, and the
woods on the point ofiand in The bend Of ths
river above us, and made his appearance pc.
tween us and our transports, evidently with
a design of cutting OF our return to them.
Our troops we're not In the least discourag~
ed, but charged the enemy and again defeat
cd him. We then, With the exception
Of the eth Illinois, Colonel N. b.
Buford commanding. stacned our
tznnsports and embarked without further
moles alton. While waiting for the arrir11
wourded from ! fieid hospitai nsar by, the
enemy, having crossed fes6 troops from CO.
lumbus, again made his appearance on ths
river bank and commenced firing upon our
transports. The fire WIS returned by our
men from the decks Of the steamers, and
also from the gunboats, with terrible effect,
compelling hin to retire In the direction Of
Belmont. In the meantime Col. Buford, al
though he had received orders to return With
The main force, took the Charleston road
from Belmont and came in on the road lead-
irg 10 Birds Point, where TIC had formed q
line Of battle in the morning. At this point,
to avoid The effect Of the shells from the gun
boats that were beginning to fail among his
men, be took blind path direct to the river,
thereby avoided meeting the enemy, who
we're retiring by the msln road. On his ap-
pearance On the river bank steamer was
dropped down and took his command on
board, without his having participated or
lost marsin the enemy's attempt 10 cut Us
ct frtm cur transports.
Notwithstanding the crowded state Of our
transports, the only loss We sustained from
the eneny's fire upon them was three Mea
wounded, cne OF whom belonged to oae Of
the boats.
Our less in kl1lsd on The dcld was eighty
tiyc, sol wounded, fmany Of them, however,
slightlJ,) and ninety-ninc missing. OF tho
woupdtd rs fell into the hands OF the ensmy.
Nearly all the missing were from thu TIN
Town regiment, which suffered more severely
than any other. All the troops behaved with
great gnliantry, which was Ia great degree
attributable to the coo.ness and presence of
mind of their officers, particularly the Colo-
nj Ia commanding.
General McClernaad was In the midst Of
danger throughout. the engagement mad dis
played both cootness and judgment. His
loIee wss three times shot under him.
Col. Doueherty, a,d Illinois volunteers,
cemmandiDE the second brigade. by his c3oi-
nsssapd bravery, entities htmsellto be named
among the most competent Of officers for om-
mand OF troops in battle. In Cur second en-
EaEement he was three times wounded and
tell prisoner into the hands Of the enemy,
Among the Killed was Lieut.. Colonel 4.
Wtntz, 7th Iowa volunteers, and amoD* the
wourdi d were Col. ]. G. Lauman and Mai,
E. ". Rice. Of the 7ih Iowa.
The reports Of sub-commanlers will detail
more fully gar tlculsfs ofthe enlargement, and
the conduct Of bo:h officers and lncn.
To NY stsd, Captain John 4. Rawlins. A.
B.. Lacow. and Wlllism 8. H'llycr,
Hatch. Assistant Ouartcrmastcr / am
murh indebted for the prumptitt1d, with,
which they discharged tnelr several duties.
E,,rcon ]. H. Bfipton. United States vol-
unteers chief rncdIcal officer. was on the tieid
during he entire engagement. and dtsplaved
r1ccr ability and cfllcIcnrv in n-cyfi,nv f,T
thr wnnrTci3 ard II, or"niiz:nr IN. ,,,:,,,c,1
rorns,
Wnior r. n. Webster. act,no cl,tef E,,1-
reer. also nccomrauied me IN the fIrIt ma
ftisn1syed soldIcfiy oua1It}ts of y hi N nr.s-r
III avn horse tas slot nr,er mr. tl,,e,,.,
thr Snsa,ement, ~>'~' 'N'S >'"%'1''
III C,s,,hcafs Tr1cr cantoin w,1ts and
Terinrfnn, CsTta,n Stcrnhnit conrn1sd ths
a~.,a5itic,,' an; r.naar.d ,nn,t ot1s.,.rt -.
ecs fnadi,.1x ,;, ,r 1 isnt,... sIa,ss ~
,.H.a thu o,.rnr's h,,1e-;aa ~, H.. 1919.
easta G;,,5 ~ enem5 oi1sessss oa tae nslshts
aoohe 4srmnnhoss' ~ p1.ttu S.eMaa uus .as
.,,a. ,atas ~. oeut s1'.a "
tes sanen y; ,n 1a,,at. =, u pleaam1
Wu ~ tne u; ~ 1ePo's " ~aptAia H. .
"Athe. oen'ol onecsI. r,c,..
~ pulfsEsnee ps; ~ III lsIses., v1esa. .;. sE1,tn.
Gomtnanos satana ,.a " Wan;a ecEa ~ .ae ~
nntH 4ess ~ ,,Se-aicS ~ I,,..,;sn5' I'M
anousl - tus ~ ~ -. Sgiaaous, , mata
eIugts noa ~, ~ alp,osn,Eu H., nG" uu"selt tIan
t " 49, 1ue. ~ " tams paaS a.s' u.
eent saa. s.0a. aptuo W eoe rn1e1 sI1c "
iinn{s rnsesrs nscl liz 1St n1ers yuna no tnos 70
a ~ lanS T,,stt;a N3s'I siett otasss ~ " co
ntyona EnioIts Mtls, G1stant some t"elFe
maes li"n Solntous. tAsss u1eeo n1slnR
mafCQEu u lQe POINTS ass EuALEA III tQelf or.