The Cairo bulletin., 1911-11-15
Great FIGHT
FIFTY YEARS
AGO RECALLED
Battle Oh [elmont, Fought Nov. 7
1861, described few
Days Later
SOUTHERNER; ARE PRAISED
SOUTHERNER; ARE PRAISED
Illinois Regiments Lest Heavily
In The Killed, Wounded
And Missing

Weekly Gazette of November Ia
1861, just a week after the battle
NJ. y. fTarrell was editor and pub
Usher of that paper.
Concerning the desperate battle a,
Belmont, opposite Columbus. las
Tuesday, it is yet, here nearly on the
ground, quite impossible to gathe,
accurate details.
The leading features Of the con.
fsiet are known, but tae minutiae-
the smaller facts about which tn,
public are naturally ANXIOUS it is
difficult indeed, in part TO obtain.
The testimony of soldiers partici
pating in and of citizens who wel~
lcokers-on irdisputably establishe-
that it was one Of the most closely
contested Lattlos ever fought on the
American continent; and the result,
while not exactly as we would have
~ eh~-,o ~- thnt art-,- os
well for the courage, endurance and
ue Amazon 81 u,r solUiels. Inc
= bells were not surprised and rout-
ed. On the contrary. they were al
yised of our coming and met us, pre-
pared for battle. two miles above
their camp. The onslaught was made
ythree thousand men, young volu.
teers indifferently armed, agains,
four thousand the flower of the
Tennessee and Arkansas forces, Step
By step we drove them back to their
camping grounds, and when there by
a brilliant and determined charge,
put them to flight, and for the time
terminated the conflict. Their bat
terry was seized. their tents were
burned and all the property they
had abandoned in their flight, was
destroyed or appropriated, and our
soldiers left in complete and undls-
puted possession Of the field. Had
our little army at this juncture re-
tired, no stronger blow had been
struck at rebellion during the war;
but tarrying, as they did, jubilant
over She brilliancy OF their success,
thousands OF fresh troops from the
camp in Columbus crossed over and
lined their only avenue of escape
compelling them at most appalling
disadvantage. to renew the fight up
on the same ground where they had
just given battle with such eminent
success. This they did as best they
could but nearly exhausted by the
former conflict, confused and out
numbered, they hurried to our
steamers, in waiting, and amidst
tho fire of the enemy, boarded them
and returned to Cairo Had we, as
we have already remarked, retreat
ed in season, when a glorious victory
was ours, the achievement would
have been cminently honorable tc
our arms, ana one that would have
been recorded as without parallel in
the engagements of the great REBEL
ion
We delayed our departure from
the scene of our success. however
and realized to a bitter extent as 9
consequence the truth OF the maxim
that delays are dangerous" Dur
ing six hours the battle ragged al
most incessantly the only interval
being while our troops were destroy
ing or appropriating the enemy y
property left by them in their camp.
To deny that the enemy fought des-
perately is to detract from the fight.
ing reputation, the bravery Of our
own men. The southern army is not
composed OF Mexicans but Of Ameri.
cans. They know how to fight, and
the history of the war, at least SO
far, bears out the remark, that in th,
essential qualities Of soldier they
are by no means destitute. About
one hundred of our boys fell pierced
by their well aimed balls on Tuesday
last, twice that number were wound
ed by them, and as many or more
were seized as prisoners. But at a
fearful cost did they accomplish this
Three hundred CT them were left
stark and stiff on the field, great
en- number were wounded, one hun
bred and thirty-four fell into our
hands as prisoners, and their camp
ing grounds, where but a few hours
before they rested In imagined Sc
curity, was left deserted, blood-stain-
ed and desolate. Watson's New Or
y leans battery consisting Of twelve
suns) managed by the most efficient
artlllerists In Folks army. fell into
Ks our hands, but having no horses tc
convey II 70 our boats, three mile
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