The National tribune., 1884-09-25

join Johnston at Clinton. Inevitably, Pemher-
toms advance ran directly into Hovey. Hear
ing Smiths guns away TO his left, Osterhaus
pushed forward the 42d Ohio, depioyed rs skir-
mishers, and encountered strong rebel skir-
mish line in the margin of the woods which
cover Champions Hill The skirmishers were
| driven in. uncovering the enemy in heavy force.
McClernand's orders were to feel the enemy
sharply, but not to bring on general engage
ment unless he was sure of success. Mean
while he was TO establish communication with
Hovey on the right, and Blair and Smith on
! the left. The responsibility which he felt in
this situation was too much for McClernand; I;
| it made him oyer-cautious aud prevented him
from pushing 0sterhaus and Carr as they
should have been pushed on that day In
stead of pushing Osterhaus, who had the adj
vance on the center road, McClernand held
1 him back, and endeavored TO establish commu-
nications with Hoyey, who, away to the right,
was by IL O'Clock furiously engaged. Logan
came mp on Hoyey's right, went in impetu-
ously, moving far enough around to the right
to leave space for Crocker, who attacked with
1 splendid spirit Nothing in the war surpassed
the fighting Of those three divisions from IL
o'clock in the morning TO three in the after
noon. Hovey charged up the hill with fearful
loss, capturing battery of FIVE guns. Nc
Clernand's failure to attack vigorously left the
enemy IN his front free to mass toward the
left and
TREAK HIS WHOLE FURY
upon Hovey and Crocker Hovey's captured
battery was lost. then retaken-eaptured and
retaken not less than four times, the rebel and
4 Union dead being piled around in heaps while
4 the war of artillery was dcafening and the
sharp ring of musketry was simply terrific.
Champions Hill is a rough, irregular mound,
200 feet hight. bald at the top, but densely
wooded on It's slopes. and cut and scared into
! ruvoad rayinpg fsllpd with dpuSa 1pd aroroxptl1
and almost impossible. The hill is two miles
! IN length, from north to south, by mile in
/ width; and the roads upon which Mcpherson
/ and McClernand, respectively, were advancing
met at its summit. Upon this hill was Penn
1 berton, with 50 regiments of infantry and 10
] battalions of artillery-about 80 900 men. He
had in fact, more than he could use TO advan-
! tage, and the density with which his troops
were massed only aggravated their slaughter.
BY o'clock Logan had pushed his Division
/ clear round the northern point of the hill,
reaching to and occupying the road to Ed
/ wardss Statlon-Pembertons only avenue of
retreat. He soon captured a battery in reserve.
! standing in the road, when Grant. not know
ing the splendid advantage Logan had gained,
and fearing he had gone too far, recalled him
| TO form junction with Crocker's right
Before he had done so, however, Grant threw
Smiths and Holiness Brigades of Crocker's
Division into the gap on Hoyey's right. The
two fresh brigades attacked with superb yalor.
] Hoyeys exhausted men were inspired with
new courage. Logan charged calamity up the
hill, and, after desperate struggle of 10 min
utes. the whole left wing of Pemberton's army
was broken and thrown pell-mell over against
OsteFhaus and Carr, who, by that time, two
hours too late, had advanced determinedly and
become hotly engaged
McClernand, unaware of what had taken
place on the right, mistook the horde of fugi-
a af fha
and instead of charging and completing the
wreck of Pemberton, simply held his ground,
firing rapidly, but permitting
THE BROKEN REBEL ARMY TO ESCAPE
down the southwestern slope OF the hill to-
ward Edwardss Station. Our own regiment 1.-THE
AID Ohio narrowly escaped capture here
As previously related during the advance in
the morning we had been deployed as skir-
mishers in advance of our fOsterhaus'sg Diyis-
ion, aad had encountered the enemy sharply
az the margin of the wood. After hating
there some timewe were sent off 10 the right of
the road and ordered to report TO Gen. Garrett
commanding enc of Carr's Brigades Mai. w.
ii. Williams. who was that day in command of
the Zegiment,-C0l. Sheldoa suffering from a
wound received at Thompson's Hill, and Lieut.
Col. Pardu being on duty at Corps Headouar-
ters-was ordered TO put us into q line which
was then forming to charge through dense
thicket that fringcd the wood The 42d
promptly took position. The line pushed rap
idly forward through the thicl1et, which was
SO dense that the companies soon lost sight of
each other The s2d kept well in line how
ever, and was charging through the brush in
handsome style, when the regiment suddenly
came upon a strong line Of the enemys in
fantry, which rose and fred through the inter-
Eenlng foliage. The distance between the two
lines was only few PAGES, but the 42d was so
well covered that its losses from this yoliey
were slight. The fire was Immediately returned.
and sharp sklrmlsh was continued for several
minutes Soon we discovered that the enenv's
FIRE. which had been wholly In front began TO
wrap round the tanks Of our line. The regi-
Tnents On either side Of US had stopt some dis
taDce back, and our line was 20 rods TO the
front of everything, with both our fanks ex-
posed There was bat one way to avoid being
surrounded and captured, an this was 10 re-
treat and re-establish the line.
The 42d was therefore ordered back TO a
ridge some zoo yards 70 the rear, where the
line was re-established. The rebels followed
closely, but at the command the regiment faced
about and
SHARPLY CHECKED THE PURsUERs,
capturing battle-fag Of Georgia regiment
IN the melee. CARROTS line being established.
moved forward rapidly, sweeping through the
thicket and driving everything before it into
the woods. just as Pemberton's left, broken and
ooND4S9 o4ths Cdiiie pouring along IN retreat.
Osterhaus, who was up with bis front line. saw
the situation and finally ordered brisk ad-
vance over the bill, capturing number OF
prisoners and cutting of Loring's Division
from the line Of retreat. Loring abandoned
his two batteries in swamp, made wide de-
tour to the south and east, and escaped TO
JOhnston's array with the wreck Of his divis-
ion.
Over all the northern half of Champions
Hill
THE GARBAGE HAD BEEN TERRIBLE.
Hoyey lost in killed and wounded A Der
cent. of his division. Thirty pieces of cannon,
part of them dismounied and cut to pieces by
the Federal artillery, were captured with
many battle-1ags and thousands Of srnall-arrns.
The dead and dying, Union and rebel inter-
mingled, strewed the ground Grant lost 426
killed and l.S42 wounded; the Confederate loss
was nearly 1000 killed and wounded. and 1000
prisoners, OF whom Logan's Division captured
1850.
McCiernands S two Divisions came I'D over the
hill. Carrs Division, Ola the right being stretch
Cd across the road, coming up from the south
east Grant met Carr at the fork of the roads
told him that the enemy was in full retreat,
and TO march by the flank with all speed in
pursuit. The order was promptly executed
osterhaus, on Carrs left also got into the road
as quickly as possible. and the two divisions
set OF at double-quick after PeInberton Five
miles away, on the road to Edwards's Station,
they struck the rear-gnard and attacked it
sharply. a horse battery was rnshed up 10 the
front, aud, advancing by sections, shelied and
qF4Dnd the fxiuu coltsp,v