ing of cannon and saw the smoke rising up out their noble sons and brothers, had they been of a valley about two miles ahead of us. A mes- where they could have seen them at the time I senger was immediately despatched to Gen. Blunt, just referred to every man in his place, scarcely and we moved forward. About one mile further moving a muscle as the balls whistled by his on, we came upon about four thousand of the en-head, his pistol drawn and his horse "in hand," emy, moving round under cover of a heavy piece of timber, flanking Gen. Herron upon the right. Colonel Wickersham, then in command of the detachment, put the cavalry into position and brought his howitzers forward and opened fire upon the rebels, determined to hold them in check, if possible, until General Blunt came up with his infantry and artillery. But a few shots had been fired, when the enemy charged upon and took possession of one of our little pieces, in charge of the Ohio Tenth, but it was almost immediately retaken by a small detachment of the Iowa First, and the enemy compelled to fall back. ready to execute every command that might be given; and even after every company, except the one from Burlington, (company C,) had been ordered from the ground, leaving them alone with three thousand rebels advancing upon them, now within eighty yards' distance, firing upon them through every opening of the brush where they could see them, not a man moved from his place until the order came to the Captain to bring off his company. When the command was given, the company moved as steadily and in as good order from the field as they could have done were they marching out for drill or review. Such men can be relied upon everywhere, under any circumstances. The enemy having left their position in front of Gen. Blunt's camp, in the night, as I have before stated, marched some fifteen miles and attacked a regiment of Arkansas troops (the First) camped for the night on the banks of the Illinois River, cut them up very badly, destroyed their train, and took a portion of their men prisoners. They next surprised and attacked Gen. Herron's body-guard, consisting of one battalion of the First Missouri cavalry, who had preceded the column some distance as advance-guard, killing and wounding a number of them, taking the Major and a number of his command prisoners. Companies A, L, and M, of the First Iowa, were thrown out as reconnoitring parties-companies B, C, D, and K put into position immediately in front of the enemy's advancing columns, not with the expectation of repelling them, or even checking their advance, had they advanced rapidly upon us; for we were on thickly timbered ground, where cavalry could do but little against infantry, covered by thick brush and large trees as they advanced upon us. The object was to gain time by making as great a show as possible, and thus compel them at least to move slowly and cautiously forward. This manoeuvre had the desired effect. The artillery and infantry came up just as the enemy's line had got within eighty paces of our right, when we were moved out of the woods into an open field in front, to support Rabb's battery, that was put in position, and three regiments of infantry were sent into the woods to take the place we had left. By this time the enemy had brought up a battery and put in position upon the hill-side, and opened fire upon our infantry. Now commenced the most deadly conflict that it is often the fortune of old warriors to witness. The constant roar of cannon and rattle of musketry was almost deafening for the space of half an hour, when the enemy's battery was silenced and they were compelled to fall back. One of their artillerymen, captured by our men, admitted that the first three shots from our battery killed one hundred of their men. Their dead were piled upon the ground in every direction, while our loss did not exceed twenty men. The First Iowa cavalry escaped wonderfully, considering the position they occupied before the artillery came up. For the space of half an hour the balls flew around us like hail, cutting the limbs from the trees over our heads and all around us, and yet but two men of the regiment were wounded. Captain Chase, of company C, had two ball-all our calculations." holes in his coat; Orderly Sergeant William A. Clark, who was at the right, by the side of Capt. Chase, had his horse's hip cut by a musket-ball, and private Wilson, of the same company, had a ball put through his hat; with these exceptions we came out of the battle unscathed. Many of your readers would have felt proud of Gen. Herron came up about eight o'clock in the morning, when they pitched into him, thinking, as some of their wounded officers, with whom I have since conversed, told me, that his command would just about finish out their "breakfast," when they intended to fall back upon Gen. Blunt, whom they supposed to be still upon "Cane Hill," and dine upon his command. They thought that they would have little or no trouble in annihilating both the commands in twenty-four hours. But, alas for human calculations, they were doomed to be sadly disappointed. When they ran upon Gen. Herron they caught a "tartar." With an Iowa General to direct, and Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana troops to execute, the capture of six thousand men, even though twenty thousand were pitted against them, was no easy task, and they soon found it to be so, to their sorrow. A wounded lieutenant-colonel said to me yesterday: "Our plans were well laid, our men fought bravely, but you out-generaled us in every move. We ought to have whipped Gen. Herron easy before Gen. Blunt came up, but we failed in The Iowa regiments engaged, and more especially the Nineteenth, has added largely to the enviable reputation of our Iowa soldiers. The three companies from Louisa and Henry suffered perhaps more than any others. They fought like tigers and fell like soldiers, making two villains bite the dust for each one of them that fell. In fact, there was no faltering upon the field; all fought nobly and won a glorious victory over a force outnumbering them two to one. I have not fully ascertained our loss in killed and wounded; you will get the official report long before this will reach you. The enemy's loss will never be known by us, their ambulances and every team they could raise were engaged all day and night, drawing them from the field, and parties were engaged burying them in deep, large pits; how many were put into one of these places, no one knows, but we do know that after all their efforts for two days and nights under a flag of truce, to get their dead and wounded out of our sight, piles of them, from ten to thirty in a place, are still unburied, and lying upon the field, while every house and yard within from three to five miles of us, are filled with their wounded and dying. Three thousand I consider a moderate estimate upon their loss. The fight continued unceasingly until darkness put an end to the deadly conflict for the night. We bivouacked that night upon the field, expecting to renew the fight at early dawn in the morning, but when morning came the enemy were not to be found. They had retreated during the night, leaving a party with a flag of truce to bury their dead, and care for the wounded. ed whose groans of agony filled and frighted the night of the seventh of December have been carried to the hospitals to be cared for in the best way possible under the circumstances. The excitement of the day has passed, also, and we can now sit down and write coolly of the incidents of a day which has given this little spot a place in history, and given another step forward in the effort for the maintenance of our Government to the armies which have sprung up as if by magic and rallied to the flag of the Union. An actor in a battle has not perhaps the best opportunity of describing all the moves in the grand but terrible scene going on, but he can at least give accurately a description of that part which he acted. And so though I shall strive to do all justice, you will expect me to refer more particularly to the part of my own regiment and those immediately connected with us in the proper place. The Second and Third divisions of the army of the frontier, under Gen. Herron, on the morning of the fourth of December, were camped, the Third on Flat Creek, twenty-nine miles south-west of Springfield, Mo., and the Second some six miles nearer the same place. On that morning we started at three o'clock, on the march for Gen. Blunt, who lay at Cane Hill, threatened by an overwhelming force of the rebels. On that day the Second division marched twenty miles, and on the fifth they marched twenty-three miles; on the sixth marched twenty-six miles, and starting at midnight of the sixth, marched on the seventh to our present position, a distance of thirty miles, arriving about half-past one o'clock P.M. On the last ten miles of our march we had been cheered by the music of cannon, from which we knew that the Third division in advance of us were engaging the enemy. Already the news of the rout of our cavalry and capture of eighteen or twenty of their wagons had reached us, and from this we knew that a powerful and determined enemy was before us, and that Gen. Blunt needed our assistance, which had arrived Why it is I cannot tell, but the very name of just in time. Arriving on the field, we immedithe "Iowa First" strikes terror to the hearts of ately formed line of battle, and the battle opened their troops, many of whom are from Missouri, as all modern battles do, with the thundering of and were compelled to flee before us to this State artillery, and just here, while our artillery is at -and to that cause more than any other I at-work and doing splendid work too, as we lay in tribute our wonderful success and escape during the day. IOWA. Their army was well supplied with new arms and ammunition, of English manufacture, and of a superior quality. They were completely broken up, and demoralized, and I expect the next we see of them will be at Fort Smith, where they may make another stand behind their intrenchments. The Iowa First cavalry held the post of honor during the fight, being the reserved troops, supporting the artillery, and held in readiness for any desperate emergency that might arise, but the presence of the regiment upon the ground in front of their flanking regiments, caused them to fall back under cover of the woods, and abandon every such attempt. CHICAGO "TRIBUNE" NARRATIVE, PRAIRIE GROVE, Dec. 10, 1862. line supporting it, let me describe the position the enemy had chosen on which to meet us. Instead of Prairie Grove, this should be called Grove Prairie, for it is a beautiful open valley CAMP THIRTY-SEVENTH ILLINOIS VOL, BATTLE-FIELD, running east to west some five miles long and lying between these hills, which forms Arkansas, On this beautiful morning, as I write, the sun one mile wide, bordered on either side by a range shines out clearly and brightly, and the hum and of heavily wooded hills and watered by Illinois bustle in our camp is as plain and cheerful as Creek. On the range of hills on the south side, though battle smoke had not hung like a pall rising abruptly in some places, and in all places over this valley three days ago; and none, to rapidly, till some thirty to fifty feet high, and look around, would suppose that in that time then sloping gradually back for one and a half many of our brave men had been made martyrs miles, the rebels had planted their batteries and by death or heroes by wounds. But the smoke formed their line of battle. Across this valley, has floated away on the winds which now serve then, we witnessed an artillery duel, proving as to purify the air. The bodies of the dead are at Pea Ridge, and all Western battles, the supemostly gathered home, and over their last resting-riority of our guns and practice. This could not place the volleys have been fired, and the wound- last long, however, for the rebel batteries were soon silenced or driven from the field, and as our regiment on the extreme right moved forward to a new position, supporting Murphy's battery, (First Missouri light artillery,) we saw a line of infantry moving from our left on the enemy's right, driving the skirmishers home, moving steadily and gallantly forward to the foot of the hill, and carrying their banners proudly up and over its crest, till they were lost to our view in the woods. But soon we heard the roll of musketry, an instant scattering, and then concentrating deadly, deafening, and we knew that the Twentieth Wisconsin and Nineteenth Iowa were having terrible work. How our boys chafed at being compelled to listen without aiding! But we knew our turn was coming- had already come, for the order was given to move, and with a feeling of positive relief the banner of the Thirty-seventh was borne forward. As we moved on our eyes were on the hill, and soon we saw our men giving way one, and then another, then a handful; then those regiments which had gone so proudly up were hurled down the hill, broken and shattered in pieces. From the right of our line the Thirty-seventh Illinois and Twentysixth Indiana were moved to the extreme left and faced to the same hill where the Nineteenth Iowa and Twentieth Wisconsin had a moment before been driven. Steadily, rapidly, and unbroken those two veteran regiments, the Thirty-seventh on the right and the Twenty-sixth on the left, moved across the open ground to the foot of the hill, lay down under cover of the fence, and threw forward skirmishers to discover and unmask the enemy's position by drawing their fire. The regiments below were not kept long in waiting, and the Twenty-sixth on the enemy's flank and the Thirty seventh in the enemy's front, moved up that hill in the face of a most terrific fire to support their skirmishers. The Thirty-seventh at the bloody battle of Pea Ridge had looked the wolf in the face-had contested the ground inch by inch with McCulloch's division, but never had we been welcomed to the sight of such an overwhelming force of rebels, nor shrouded in so terrible a cloud of bullets as greet ed us on gaining the summit of the hill. Forward we rushed, however, to the cover of a fence in front, and thence we paid our compliments to the rebel line, which rose like a wall before us, and not more than eighty yards distant. Yet cool as we were, thus engaged, our commanding officer, Lieut.-Col. Black, than whom there is no braver man or more skilful officer in this army, discovering that the Twenty-sixth Indiana had been driven back under the fire, leaving our left unsupported, and that the rebels were planting a battery on our right, which would sweep our entire line, gave the order to retreat, an order necessary but reluctantly obeyed. To retreat in the face of such a fire is not an easy or a bloodless task. Down the hill we went, however, across the meadow at its foot, and into the cornfield, where our regiment halted at the first order, and formed rapidly, with our left resting on a battery. We had fallen back some four hundred and fifty yards and there awaited orders. Meantime, the Twenty-sixth Indiana had formed under cover of a fence, and were already at work again. But in a moment their line was broken, and their forces scattered like chaff before the wind, while the rebels followed like a pack of wolves in the open meadow below. They did not think what a welcome they were to receive, or they surely would have been more cautious. The battery on our left limbered up and passed off five hundred yards to the rear. The Twenty-sixth swept by us to form in our rear, and then our fire was unmasked and we resumed our harvest of death. Five hundred yards is an easy range for our rifles. For the first time in our lives the enemy stood in an open field within that distance, and we profited by the occasion. Rising up we poured a volley into their flank. How their ranks went like ripe and heavy grain before the mower's scythe. They had not calculated on such a reception as this, and stopped as if amazed. But they did not hesitate long; another volley, another swing of the great scythe of death, and they broke and fled into the woods, nor did they stop until the brow of the hill was passed and they were so hidden from our view. Just then the Twenty-sixth formed on our left and so the fighting on that part of the field closed. We had not driven them from the hill, but we held the plain, even in reach of their guns, unmolested. Our cannonading was resumed, and one of our batteries engaged a rebel battery, which had been brought on the field, while their shot flew over our heads as we rested on the ground. It was a wild and beautiful music to us, filled with a consciousness that we could overpower them in this line so easily. But while we listened, another voice of battle rose on our extreme right. Musketry was heard again, and we knew that General Blunt had arrived with his reënforcements from Cane Hill. It was good news to us, wearied with marching and fighting, and we listened to the ebb and flow of the tide of battle-and so it continued until night and silence shrouded the battle field; silence as to hostile noises, but not silence, for the voices of the wounded, from every direction, were heard pleading for help or full of despairing agony. The after part of a battle is always the most fearful. But we did not listen long, for sleep, the sleep of the weary, of forgetfulness, came on us like an angel of mercy. That night a flag of truce, with Gen. Marmaduke, entered our camps, and these flags kept passing to and fro until ten o'clock A.M., when Gen. Hindman having secured an armistice until five o'clock P.M., acknowledged himself whipped, and surren dered the field. Then began the work of burying the dead and collecting arms. Of these quite a large number were secured. In this battle the rebels had from twenty to twenty-five thousand men, while we had not more than eight thousand men engaged. In infantry they outnumbered us more than two to one, and fought us when we had marched one hundred and five miles in three and a half days. It was terrible odds, but we whipped them, as their generals acknowledged. When has our Western army ever been beaten ? The loss of our regiment, in killed, wounded and missing, (including five prisoners,) will reach eighty to ninety. Our total loss killed, wounded and prisoners, will not fall much, if any, short of one thousand two hundred. The rebels acknowledge a loss of wounded equal to ours, and of killed of three to two. We estimate their total loss at near two thousand. How near we came to accomplishing our object future reports will show. But for the fog and unexpected and unavoidable delay in building the bridges, which gave the enemy twenty-four hours more to concentrate his forces in his strong positions, we would almost certainly have succeeded. In which case the battle would have been, in my opinion, far more decisive than if we had crossed at the places first selected. As it was, we came very near success. Failing in accomplishing the main object, we remained in order of battle two days - long enough to decide that the enemy would not come out of his strongholds to fight us with infantry-after which we recrossed to this side of the river unmolested, without the loss of men or property. While we were yet on the hill our LieutenantColonel was wounded, and after rallying the regiment in the field, was compelled to leave us. But the Colonel commanding the brigade which we charged sent word to him that his men fought nobly. So much for what the rebels think and say of the Thirty-seventh Illinois. Gen. Herron said we did the best fighting of any regiment on the field. All did most nobly. The rebels lost General Stein and several Colonels, etc., killed. Our regiment captured one standard of rebel colors, and brought off the standard of the Twen-plished the feat of thus recrossing the river in the tieth Wisconsin, left on the field. Thus have we fought and conquered. Doc. 25. W. P. B. BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURGH, VA. GENERAL BURNSIDE'S REPORTS. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, As the day broke, our long lines of troops were seen marching to their different positions as if going on parade-not the least demoralization or disorganization existed. To the brave officers and soldiers who accom face of the enemy, I owe everything. For the failure in the attack I am responsible, as the extreme gallantry, courage, and endurance shown by them was never exceeded, and would have carried the points had it been possible. To the families and friends of the dead I can only offer my heartfelt sympathies, but for the wounded I can offer my earnest prayers for their comfortable and final recovery. The fact that I decided to move from Warrenton on to this line rather against the opinion of the President, Secretary of War, and yourself, and that you left the whole movement in my hands, without giving me orders, makes me the Major-General H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief, I will visit you very soon, and give you more definite information, and finally will send you my detailed report, in which a special acknowledgment will be made of the services of the different grand division corps, and my general and staff department of the army of the Potomac, to whom I am so much indebted for their support and hearty coöperation. During my preparations for crossing at the place I had first selected, I discovered that the enemy had thrown a large portion of his force I will add here that the movement was made down the river and elsewhere, thus weakening earlier than you expected, and after the Presihis defences in front, and also thought I discov- dent, Secretary, and yourself requested me not ered that he did not anticipate the crossing of our to be in haste, for the reason that we were supwhole force at Fredericksburgh, and I hoped by plied much sooner by the different staff departrapidly throwing the whole command over at that ments than was anticipated when I last saw you. place to separate, by a vigorous attack, the forces | Our killed amounts to one thousand one hunof the enemy on the river below from the forces dred and fifty-two, our wounded to about nine behind and on the crest in the rear of the town, thousand, and our prisoners to about seven hunin which case we could fight him with great ad-dred, which last have been paroled and exchanged vantage in our favor. To do this we had to gain a height on the extreme right of the crest, which height commanded a new road lately made by the enemy for purposes of more rapid communication along his lines, which point gained, his position along the crest would have been scarcely tenable, and he could have been driven from them easily by an attack on his front in connection with a movement in the rear of the crest. for about the same number taken by us. The wounded were all removed to this side of the river, and are being well cared for, and the dead were all buried under a flag of truce. The surgeons report a much larger proportion of slight wounds than usual, one thousand six hundred and thirty-two only being treated in hospitals. I am glad to represent the army at the present time in good condition. Thanking the Government for that entire support and confidence which I have always received from them, I remain, General, very respectfully, your obe- HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, FALMOUTH, December 23, 1862. Major-General H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief, In my report to you of the nineteenth instant, the number of our wounded was stated at about nine thousand, and the number receiving hospital treatment at one thousand six hundred and thirty. Both of these amounts are wrong. On the authority of Dr. Letterman, our medical director, the whole number of wounded is between six and seven thousand. About one half of these are receiving treatment in the hospitals. A. E. BURNSIDE, PROCLAMATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. To the Army of the Potomac : } I have just read your Commanding General's preliminary report of the battle of Fredericksburgh. Although you were not successful, the attempt was not an error, nor the failure other than accident. The courage with which you on an open field maintained the contest against an intrenched foe, and the consummate skill and success with which you crossed and re-crossed the river in the face of the enemy, show that you possess all the qualities of a great army, which will yet give victory to the cause of the country and of popular government. Condoling with the mourners of the dead, and sympathizing with the wounded, I congratulate you that the number of both is comparatively small. whether those who were to lead or those who were to follow were the better prepared, or the more eager to discharge their duty. Arriving within a few hundred paces of the headquarters of Major-Gen. Sumner, commanding the right grand division of the army, we were halted by Brig.-Gen. Hancock in a well-sheltered valley, where we stacked arms and bivouacked until half-past four P.M. The whole day the fire of our batteries and those of the enemy, incessant as it was, taught every man to prepare himself equably and sternly for the desperate conflict that was close at hand. A few minutes after four o'clock P.M., word was conveyed to me that a gallant body of volunteers had crossed the river in boats and taken possession of the city of Fredericksburgh. The State of Michigan fairly reserves to herself the largest measure of pride justified by this achievement. Immediately on the receipt of this news, an order reached me from Brig.-Gen. Hancock to move forward the brigade and take up a position closer to the river. In this new position we remained all night. At seven o'clock the following morning we were under arms, and in less than two hours the head of the brigade presented itself on the opposite bank of the river. The order of march observed by the division in crossing was as follows: Col. Zooks, commanding French's old brigade, led the way. The Irish brigade came next. Brig.-Gen. Caldwell brought up the rear. Passing along the edge of the river to the lower bridge, the brigade halted, countermarched, stacked arms, and in this position, ankle-deep in mud, and with little or nothing to contribute to their comfort, in complete subordination and good heart, awaited further orders. An order promul gated by Major-General Couch, commanding the corps, prohibited fires after nightfall. This order was uncomplainingly and manfully obeyed by the brigade. Officers and men laid down and slept that night in the mud and frost, and, without a murmur, with heroic hearts, composed themselves as best they could for the eventualities of the coming day. It is with hesitation I introduce into an official paper, where facts alone should be set forth, any expression of personal feeling; but I should be | doing an injustice to the brigade if, in furnishing this report, I did not confess that the fortitude and noble equanimity with which the hardships of that night were borne were such as to affect I have the honor to report, through you, to the Brigadier-General commanding the division, the part taken by my brigade in the action of Satur-me deeply. day, the thirteenth inst. On the Thursday morning previous, December eleven, at seven o'clock precisely, the brigade left the camp from which this report is dated, and proceeded in the direction of the pontoon bridge over the Rappahannock, which it was arranged the division had to cross. The brigade never was in finer spirits and condition. The arms and accoutrements were in perfect order. The required amount of ammunition was on hand. Both officers and men were comfortably clad, and it would be difficult to say I shall also digress from the strict line of an official statement to affirm, as I am truly proud to do, that during the occupation of Fredericksburgh - previous to as well as after the advance of our forces on the enemy's works- the Irish brigade scrupulously abstained from every act of depredation. A little before eight o'clock A.M., Saturday, the thirteenth inst., we received orders to fall in and prepare instantly to take the field. The bri gade being in line, I addressed, separately, to each regiment a few words, reminding it of its |