Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-10-23
Narrow Escape of Gen. Grant.
AFTER ONE OF HIS FIRST VICTORIES I,
BELMONT, KY.

was anxious to get back to his transports
before they arrived. He attempted to
form his lines again, but the men were
too much disorganized to heed orders.
The General then directed his staff Off
GERS to set fire to the camp in order to
check the plunder. The smoke attracted
the attention of the rebels at Columbus.
who opened fire upon the Unionists.
Shot and shell brought them to sense
of their duty; the line was formed, and
they marched towards the steamers, three
miles distant.
The defeated rebels, under the bank
of the river, having been reinforced by
the arrival of three regiments from Co
lumbus, marched to point which ena-
bled them to intercept the victorious ar
my, An officer, on discovering the fact,
dashed furiously up to the cool comman-
der, and in highly excited tone cried,
We are surrounded! |"
Well, if that is SO, we must cut our
way out, as we cut our way in," replied
Grant, apparently unmoved, even by this
tremendous circumstance.
His troops were brave men. but such
disaster as being surrounded suggested
to their inexperience only the alterna-
tives of surrender, and, under many
commanders such result must have
been inevitable. What paralyzes the
soldier often produces the same effect
upon the leader but Grant was not
"demoralized." No apparent reverses
could exhaust his unconquerable pluck !;
he never despaired, and worked up a
situation out of which another could
make nothingbut defeat, until he brought
| forth victory.
We have whipped them once, and
think we can do it again." added Grant,
in the midst of the confusion which the
unpleasant prospect caused.
The troops discovered that Grant had
no idea of surrendering, and they gath
cred themselves up for fresh onslaught.
The confusion was overcome, and the
little army charged the enemy, who
fought less vigorously than earlier in the
day and we're again forced behind the
hank of tho rivar Ru. as fresh troops
were continually arriving from Colum-
bus, there was no time to be wasted, and
Grant pressed on for his transports
There was no unseemly haste, certainly
nothing like rout, or even defeat
Everything was done in an orderly man.
ner as possible with undisciplined troops.
Grant superintended the execution of
his own orders in the embarkation of his
force; and, when most of them were on
board of the steamers, he sent out par
ty to pick up the wounded. In the morn
ing he had posted reserve in suitable
place for the protection of the fleet, and
as soon as the main body were secure on
the decks of the transports, Grant, at
tended by a single member of his staff,
rode out to withdraw this force. This
guard, ignorant of the requirements of
good discipline, had Withdrawn them
selves, and the General found himself
uncovered in the presence of the advanc-
ing foe. Riding up on a hillock, he
found himself confronting the whole
rebel force, now increased by fresh addi-
tions from the other side of the river.
1t was q time for an ordinary man to put
spurs to his steed but Grant had an
utter contempt for danger. He stood
still for moment to examine the situa-
ton, during which he was shining mark
for rebel sharpshooters. He wore pri-
Yates overcoat, the day being damp and
chilly, and to this circumstance alone
can his miraculous escape be attributed.
He was looking for the party he had
sent out in search of the wounded, and
realized that they had been cut off by
the foe. Turning his horse, he rode
slowly back to the landing, so as not to
excite the attention of his uncomforta-
BILE neighbors, who were pouring a gal
ling fire into the transports The steam
ers suffered so much from this destructive
hail of bullets, that they had cast off
their fasts and pushed away from the
bank, leaving the General behind in the
midst of the foe. Seeing how the thing
was going, Grant put spurs to his horse
forcing the steed on his launches down
the bank, just as one of the steamers was
swinging off from the shore. A plank
was thrown out for him, up which trotted
his horse, in the midst Of storm of reb-
ell bullets.
The field being clear of National
tooops, the gun-boats opened a fierce fire
upon the rebel ranks, now within fifty or
sixty yards of the shore, moving them
down with grape and canister in the most
fearful slaughter. The fire of the rebels
was fortunately too nigh to infict any
serious injury on the troops in the trans
4 L a