The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-11-12

but parched corn in their haversacks.-
We heard an old man-a citizen of Prince
ton-say that General Steele told him
that he was in close place, but he inten-
ded to carry his army out of that country.
; Some thought differently. They believed
that he and his command would be cap
tured. The plan was feasible but never
executed, or Gen. Smiths army would
have won laurels, bright and bloodless, of
which more hereafter.
We lay upon the damp ground, one
mile cast OF Princeton, which was twenty
one miles east of Saline river, the point
which Gen. Steele seemed so anxious to
reach.
About two o'clock the following morn
ing the Confederate army was thrown in
to line, and, from pile of twenty bush
els OF corn, (all that was left by General
Steele to private citizen of Princeton for
the use of his family, and which had been
kindly relinquished to Gen Smiths sol
diers,) was issued by our commissary, an
ear of corn to each soldier. We then re-
sumed our march in pursuit Of Steele
ltwas very dark. Angry clouds gave
promises of stormy morning. Soon the
lightning-hash dazzled the eye, and the
heavy roll of thunder shook the ground
beneath the feet Of wearied soldiers. Very
soon the storm burst forth, and such
rain, such thunder and sheets of light
ming We have seldom seen in lifA. 1t grew
more terrific every moment The ele-
ments were terribly convulsed. They
seemed to groan with the heavy burden
of storms which had been gathered from
the hemispheres to pour upon the heads
of Gods erring children the vial of wrath
as an admonition to both armies, to stay
their bloody hands. But we moved on
through the food.
About eleven o'clock on the 3Oth of
April, We Walkers division) reached the
edge Of Saline swamp. Gen. Price was
in advance, with the Missouri troops, and
had engaged Steele when we came up. 1t
had rained all day and was still raining.
The Saline river had risen in few hours
to overfowing. The swamp was covered
with water, and Steele's only alternative
was to offer battle while preparing to cross
the river. 1t was generally supposed,
as we have before intimated, (the supposi-
ton was not at all unreasonable that
Steele would be prevented from crossing
the river, by crossing it with our cavalry,
under command of Gen. Marmaduke,
with battery Or two of light artillery, and
holding the landing on the opposite side
! The result to the Federal army would
have been starvation or surrender. This
was not effected however No opposition
was offered to the Federals. They were
provided with pontoon bridges and would
have crossed in few minutes had they
not attacked so vigorously in the rear.
| Their position was strong, almost inaccess-
ible to the Confederate troops under
heavy fire On the hill, just before des-
cending to the swamp, the road forked-
the right leading in the direction of the
river, below the ferry; thes left, or
straight forward road, leading to the ferry
and directly to the Federal lines, which
were then engaged by Price General
Walker was ordered to take the right
hand road, with two of his brigades, the
other brigades of his division to move
down the straight forward road in the di-
rection Of the heavy firing. The object
OF this move was to reinforce Price in
| front, and at thr same time to flank the
eneny's left with Gen. Walkers two bri-
| gades, which had been sent down the
river, and, if possible, to fall in on the
rear and cut them off from the ferry, if
they had not yet taken possession Of it.
This strategic move, would in some de-
gree, answer the same purpose as taking
possession of the opposite bank of the
! river at the ferry, so as to prevent the
enemy from crossing, which plan had now
ad not 'm beenY tYG n e to frSt
of the ferry and cross before Steele reach
ed it. Second, the river had risen so con-
| siderably that the cavalry could not cross
| at the ford they had in view above the
ferry Gen. Walkers flank movement
failed also. His road gave out in the
bottom, which had overhowed, and was in
some places waist deep. His guide, who
lived in the neighborhood, became be-
wildered and lost, the day being very dark
and in the heavy timber, and under clouds
as dark as Erebus. Walker made three
attempts to accomplish his object. All
proved failures He became entangled in
an impenetrable swamp, briars, brambles
and water, without the least knowledge of
the locality, which proved insurmountable
barriers to his success. There was no time
to be lost He heard the battle roar and
he knew that his presence was needed.
The orders which he had received from
Gen. Smith were impracticable. He di-
rected his columns to move as rapidly as
possible to the heavy firing, which he
soon reached, and, apparently under the
guiding influence of Providence, as he
threw his two brigades Immediately un-
der his command into line and engaged
them with the enemy, the left wing of
these two brigades rested upon the right
of the other wing of his division, which
moved directly to the front from the top
of the HILL This remarkable occurrence
gave Gen. Walker immediate command of
his entire division, TO which his presence
was always of the greatest importance,
and especially on the battle field
The battle was now
raging with fury, and yielding, from a
fertile field of gore, its red harvest of
blood! The rain was still falling in ir-
regular gusts, the sky was dark with an
CRY clouds, which darkness, was increased
by the heavy swamp timber, obscuring
the faint light shed abroad from the
stormy elements Mud and water, on the
battlefield, stood from shoe-mouth to
waist-deep. The heavy roar of artillery
and the rattle of musketry, intermingled
with peals of thunder, which shook the
earth beneath our feet, told the citizens
of Princeton twenty-five miles away
that the dirge of death was there.
The Federal commander had anticipat
ed an attack, believing that he could not
much longer escape the sanguine and de-
termined pursuit of the Confederate
army. Entertaining this belief, he chose
the ground described on which to receive
the attack, evidently with great expedi-
ton, and formed his lines, taking posi-
ton which gave him every possible ad-
vantage he could have wished. The Fed
eral lines occupied the bank of the bayou
to which we have just alluded, upon
which our left wing rested, and parallel
| tb u,b,ob tba rool no,, g., A..