Year: 1864

" y nave AAsiAA q AOA4A IOLn nCAottb4Oll
with an officer of Gen. Banks staff,
who arrived late last night, on board
the steamer Laurel Hill, direct from
headquarters, with dispatches, and have
learned from him some interesting par
ticulars with regard to the present pO-
sitiOn and condition of our army The
headquarters of the commanding Gen
eral are at Grand Ecore, to which point
it became necessary to fall back after
the signal victory achieved on the 9Th
inst, at Pleasant Hill. This position
has been strongly fortified, with en-
trenchments and abattis, and could de-
fy an assault from an army of three
times our own strength The troops
have entirely recovered from the IA
tigues and other demoralizing effects of
hard marching, severe exposure, and
heavy fighting, and were never in bet
ter spirits They are jubilant, and on
ly desire that the rebels should attack
them in their present position; but of
this there is no hope, for the position is
too strong, even were the enemy not
too much demoralized by defeat, to
make the attempt The nearest point
of the enemy's lines is beyond the
battlefield of Pleasant Hill-at least our
videttes have not been able to meet
with their pickets this side of that place
A flag Of truce was sent out with a
number OF rebel surgeons, who had
been left behind at Pleasant Hill with
their wounded, when the rebels were
driven back, which met similar party
from the other side bringing in our own
surgeons, who had fallen into their
hands on the first days fight in the
same manner. The Confederate major
in charge Of the truce party informed
captain Crosby, who accompanied the
truce from the Union side, that Gen
Green had been killed in the fight with
the gunboats near Coushatta Chute, the
top Of his head having been blown off
by a shell from one of the gunboats,
and that his body had been brought
into camp. This statement was fully
corroborated by prisoners taken during
the gunboat fight. 1t has also been as
certained that Gen Mouton was actual
ly slain, as at first reported.


The account furnished us by this off
Ger, of the two battles, does not differ
from those already published. The first
day we met with disaster. were over
powered by numbers, lost our cavalry
train, some seventeen pieces Of artil-
lery, and were signally defeated; but
the next day at Pleasant Hill, after a
most terrible battle, we routed the enc
my, who made a stubborn and gallant
resistance, and finally drove them from
the field, and continued the pursuit for
eight miles towards Mansfield The
first days fight near Mansfield was be-
tween the Thirteenth army corps, with
Lees cavalry in advance, and tho entire
rebel army, estimated at $4,000 men,
and which almost completely enclosed
our small force, and il IS wonder they
did not annihilate il.


The noble Thirteenth fought long
and well, but were finally forced to
give way and fall back rapidly to avoid
being cut off Unfortunately, battle
had not been anticipated at this point,
and the cavalry train of Lees brigade
had closed up, and was but short'dis-
tanee in the rear. The nature of the
country, thiekly wooded with heavy
pine timber and dense underground,
and the roads being a succession of
high hills and deep gullies, prevents
rapid movements of heavy baggage
wagons, and when the train was headed
to the rear, one Of the wagons got stall
ed and completely blocked up the road
Others, in attempting to get around
through the woods, soon found them
selves in a similar predicament, and
the rush from behind of frightened
mules and excited teamsters soon lock-
ed the whole train in one grand mass,
and mules, wagons, ambulances with
the wounded, and gun carriages, were
promiscuously piled together


The rebels soon discovered the con-
dition of affairs, and the confusion eau
sed in our ranks by this accident, and
came forward on the double-quick,
making their victory for that day com
plete, by capturing the cavalry train,
the guns, and ambulances with the
wounded; but the remnant Of the Thir-
teenth corps succeeded in reaching
Pleasant Hill-with the assistance of a
portion of the Nineteenth corps-with-
out further loss, and took part in the
next days battle We lost no prisoners
except the wounded, most Of whom fell
into the enemy's hands Our losses in
this fight were heavy in killed and
wounded, but did not equal those Of
the enemy, who. being in greater mum
bers, and having his sforces massed,
must have suffered severely.


The splendid generslship and heroic
valor on the second day, which achieY-
ed the victory at Pleasant Hill, has
heretofore been fully described, and we
have nothing more to add Our infor-
mant says the report published by our
contemporary, tho Era, Is substantially
correct, and gives a good description Of
the second days battle. The enemy
losses are acknowledged by their own
officers to have been very severe, and
they acknowledge a defeat The Con-
fsderate General Walker IS reported 20
be mortally wounded. Our officers
speak in terms Of the highest praise Of
the bravery aud desperate daring Of the
rebel troops Their columns advanced
on the charge across the open field at
Pleasant Hill, and rushed boldly up TO
the very muzzles Of our guns, regard
less of the terrible hail Of lead and
iron that moved great swaths through
their ranks; but they we're met with