The National tribune., 1898-06-30

out, and advanced to Adamsville, on the
road to Purdy: but. meeting no opponent
after passing night in drenching rain, it re-
turned to its camp. On Saturday there wa:
firing a,ong cur front, which ought to have
melted inquiry, if not alarm, but did not
| As day broke on Sunday, April g, oul
pickets in Premises front came rushing into
camp, barely in advance of the pursuing
rebels whose shells were tearing through
our tents a moment afterward. Some OF OUT
men were dressing; Others washing or cook
| ing; few eating their breakfasts; many,
especially officers. had not yet risen.
The next instant. magnificent lines of bat
| tie poured ont of the woods in front of cur
camps, ana at doubie-quiek rushed innfon
our bewildered, half dressed, and not yet
half-formed men, firing deadly volleys at
close range then sprinsing upon the helpless,
coatless. musketless mob with the bayOnet.
Some fell as they ran; others as they
emerged from their tents, or as they strove
to buckle on their accoutermenis; some tried
to surrender; but the rebels could not stop
then to take prisoners. Some OF these were
found though disabled, still alive, when We
recovered thyse tents next evening.
REBEL RUSH SUCCESSFUL.
Thus was Premises Division routed before
it had time to form in line-of-battle; and
Hildebrand's Brigade, on Sherman's right,
was demolished with equal expedition, in
spite of Shermans best exertions. His
efforts and influence, backed by the most
reckless seif-exposure, held his remaining
brieades, under auckland and Mcdowell,
steady for time: but these were soon COM
PEELED TO fall back behind the next ravine,
leaving their camps. with all their tents aud
tent equipage. to the enemy.
McClernand's Division. comprising 10 regi-
ments and four batteries, had been astonished
with the rest, but not yet directly assaled.
Moving up, at a. M, to the support of
Sherman, it f,nnd his division mostly gone
or going; its hest officers killed or wounded,
| its batteries either captured or badly cut up.
| Buckland's Brigade, which had gone after
| Hildebrand's, forming our extreme right on
the front, had fallen back to avoid certain
destruction. To all practical intents, and in
spite of its leaders, desperate and untiring
exertions, Sherman's Division was out of the
| fight by O'Clock that ominous morning. II
seemed a miracle that their commander,
always in the hottest Of the rebel fire, escaped
with single muskei-bail through his hand
Prentiss formed his division As quickly as
pos sibIe, and not far in the rear OF their
camps, where his men faced to the front and
fought stubbornly for time; but they had
been strangely drawn up in an open field
leaving to the enemy are cover OF de..s>
scrub-oak tr.cxet in our front, whence they
could bur volley after volley In compare
tive security.
Soon our men were fanked on either side
and fell lack. pereeiving that they were
sauandering their lives to no purpose. Thu:
the division lost all Conference and efficiency
it's leader became separated from large por
ton of his command; and by 10 O'Clock il
had been virtually demolished. Prentiss
himself, with three regiments, held an un
assailed position until, having long since he.
come completely surrounded, he was finally
Obliged to surrender; t3) when over 2 900 OF
our men in one body were hurried to The
rebel rear as prisoners, and soon started on
the road to Corinth.
McClernand for while stood firm; but
the detection of Sherman's Division on ono
side and Premises on the other left the
rebels free to hurl themselves against him
in tremendous force. Two green regiments
the 18th and 10th Iowa, which he now
brought to the front under heavy fire, gave
way at once i'll disorder.
Changing his front TO meet the rebel ONSET,
he faced along the Corinth road and planted
Ibis batteries to command 1t; so that the
rebels " ere for time toiled in their efforts
to advance; and an effort to come in on hi:
q, IAN Impressed New Yorker who wa
then serving on Beaur ga DIS staff, in hi
, '.Thirteen Months in the Rebel Army, says:
NV hiI, it is no part of my duty, in tn S nara
tive TO criticise military moyen. ents, and espc
cinily those Of the Union forces, may stat
ma the total alb cncc of cavalry pckets iron
Gen Grant army was Il matter or pcrfcc
angzeulent 10 the rcLel officers. There wcr
absolutely none on Grants left, where Gen
| Bre.. kinridge's Division WAS meeting him S
that we were able TO come mp within n airing Q
their drums entirely uuperceiv. q. The South
crn Gener Is always kept cavalry pickets on
for miles even when no enemy was suppose
2 to be within days march OF them. The i;
fantry pickets OF Grants forces were no. ABBY
three-fourih s of IL mile from his advance camps
! and they were too few to ma kc any resistance.
] ca This did not Occur till about p. M; b
{ he had long before I'D 10 form part of on
! line of battle, til ieDe's having hanked an
passe on bcs ond hin.