Year: 1862




Wednesday Eve, April 3.


OPERATIONS on TUESDAY.


The days after the battle have been spent in
burying the dead and collecting the wounded
Meantime no operations of any Importance have
been attempted against the enemy. Last night
their rear guard was still within eight miles of us.
If cavalry is ever be of any to us, then was
the time TO let it out. But no pursuit has been
made Several regiments were ordered out yes
terday. on what suppose intended as a re-
connoissance. They came up to the rebel rear
guard. made push at It, and-came back
something the worse for wear. There we're GER
taiDly no signs in the movements there that the
retreat a rout.


FUTURE MOVEMENTS.


There are no present indications that we are to
follow up our victory with the vigor many will
doubtless expect The army has passed through
a very severe battle, in which some of its brig
AIDES and regiments, and nearly all its divisions
were more or less dsorganized. Weeks will be
required to put the army in as good shape as it
was before the battle. The roads, too, Just now,
are mpassable And it is understood that Gen.
Grant is not permitted by his orders to pursue or
to move from his present positions. 1t is said
he couldn't have moved out to attack Johnston If
the latter had even come and lesurely pitched his
tents within three miles of our lines.


We are expecting Gen. Halleck by Friday
night, or Saturday morning, to take the command
in person. He may go into things with a dash,
but should doubt il yet. He is taking COM
mand of somewhat disorganized army. He
will hardly risk his first movement with it, till it
is again in good condition to meet the enemy. 1t
will take some time too for him to familarize
himself with the minuter details of bis position,
to learn his officers, and. in general, get his bear
ings. At any rate there is no possibility now of
our moving till he comes.


THE GUNBoArs.


1t is barely possible there may be some COM
plants about the gunboats killing our own men
in the cannonade on Sunday night. 1t is true.
believe, that they did. An officer of one of them
informs me that he estimates the number thus
killed at twenty; but it was better to lose those
twenty than to lose the cannonade. Firing in
the dark, and in the general confusion of our
lines, and the advance and change eff positions
during the night, it is only wonderful that they
did not do more of this unavoidable damage than
they did.


WHAT 1T ALL AMOUNTS To.r


Johnston and Beauregard attempted to drive
us into the river aud the matter ended in our
driving them off the field. Certainly il was not
defeat. But was it decisive victory2 Weare
yet without facts sufficient to form satisfactory
opinion. If they we're defeated so badly on Mon
day as to turn their retreat into rout; or if the





my on which their last spasmodic efforts have
been concentrated and the defeat of the pet
Beauregard whom they looked upon as invincible,
should produce Encouragement and demoriliza-
ton enough in their ranks to prevent their making
firm stand at Corinth; then the victory was-oy
MIGHT be mGde-the most decisive of the war.
But if {as is insisted by those who ought to know
best, and as seemed 20 me, judging from all /
could see and learn, to be the case) their retreat
was conducted in good order and without confu-
sion and if they able to perfect their defenses
at Corinth, and prepare for vigorous resistance
before we attack them. the greatest battle Of the
war, instead of deciding anything, will become
mainly a success in regaining camps from which
we had been driven by surprise.


As to the fighting, the case is greatly in our
favor The rebels selected their time and place
of attack, pounced upon far inferior force, and
performed feat that military writers declare is
impossible in well disciplined army-effected a
complete surprise. A stronger combination OF
circumstances against us could hardly be imag-
ined. Yet we finally repulsed them.


COMPARATIVE LOSSES.


The balance Of prisoners Is against us. They
took at one swoop the chief portions of three
regiments. Al various other times they picked
isolated fragments of companies and squads
Altogether they must have from three 10 four OF
five thousand of our men, And to head the list
they have one of our division Generals. We
OH the other hand took comparatively few We
have no definite figures vet, but five hundred, ]
should think would cover the whole number
We have, however large number of then
wounded, who are doubtless regarded as prisoners
of war, though not included in this estimate
They carried off what wounded they could on
Sunday, but on Monday they were forced tc
leave many to fall into our hands.