you) leading the infantry force. A severe skir- this fatal day was bringing the train so close to mish occurred at an old saw-mill, ten miles be- the field of battle, by which the road was blockyond Pleasant Hill, in which Lieutenant-Colonel aded, and the artillery prevented from escaping. Webb, of the Seventy-seventh Illinois, was killed; The Nim's battery, of six pieces, Chicago Merbut the enemy kept falling back, and were pur-cantile battery, of the same number, two pieces sued by the cavalry and our division, about eight of the First Indiana battery, and two mountain miles further, to Sabine Cross-Roads, three miles howitzers belonging to the cavalry division, were this side of Mansfield. Here the enemy was met lost, also the cavalry division's wagon-train and in force, and a check made to our progress. twenty-two loads of ammunition.

It was now nearly dark, and the fighting continued with some slight intermissions, until night brought it to a close. Estimates of losses are so various and contradicting, that a reliable report cannot be given until the official report is made. The Second brigade, Fourth division, lost, in killed, wounded, and missing, about five hundred and fifty men, as near as can be ascertained. General Ransom, commanding the Thirteenth corps, was wounded above the knee, but is doing well. Colonel J. W. Vance, of the Ninety-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, commanding Second brigade, Fourth division, was severely wounded and taken prisoner, as was also Colonel Emerson, of the Sixty-seventh Indiana, commanding First brigade of the same division.

The Eighty-third was six miles in the rear, as guard for the ammunition-train, and the remainder of the force had gone into camp near the sawmill before mentioned. Orders were immediately sent back for the Eighty-third and the Third division of the Thirteenth corps, to come up double-quick." The fatal error of that day consisted in having the forces divided, and the advance so far from support. A general engagement was not apprehended, but the mistake was, nevertheless, an inexcusable one, and the parties who are censurable, should meet with a severe punishment. Who they are, I am unable to say, but there is a very general want of confidence felt in the head of the department, who, although he proved himself on that day not devoid of courage, is not generally looked upon as possessing great military ability. Certainly, there never was a more forcible illustration of the old Indian chief's theory of the bundle of sticks, which, taken together, it was impossible to break, but when taken singly, the feat was easily accomplished. But I anticipate. The Eighty-third reached the division, before the engagement became general, and took up a position on the extreme right. Soon after its arrival, the enemy who were posted upon a small, crescent-shaped elevation, which commanded the road, opened fire, and the conflict soon became terrific. The rebels were in very heavy force, and closed in upon both our flanks, charging with desperate fury upon them, and it becoming evident that the position could not be maintained, a retreat was ordered, which was accomplished with heavy loss, until the broken ranks met the Third division coming to their assistance. Orders were now sent for the Nineteenth corps to come up, but they were eight miles in the rear, and it was feared they would not reach us in time to be of any avail. The Third division formed in line and checked the progress of the enemy, and the battle raged furiously once more, but their overwhelming num-tually placed in his hands, and about eleven bers soon crushed the gallant little division, and drove them in all directions.

The Nineteenth corps was now most anxiously looked for, and they soon came up in gallant style, and formed in line three miles to the rear of the first line of battle, and in the face of the flying squadrons of the cavalry division and Thirteenth corps.

On came the rebels, charging furiously upon the new line, which, when they were within one hundred and fifty yards of it, opened fire upon them along its whole length, slaughtering them dreadfully, and bringing them to a stand, thus saving the remainder of the Thirteenth corps and the wagon-train from capture. Another error of

The loss of the Eighty-third was three officers and twenty-eight enlisted men killed, wounded, and missing. I append a list of names: Captain Cornelius A. Burns, company F, was instantly killed by a musket-ball through the head. Captain J. P. Cummins, company I, was severely wounded in the left arm and side, but is doing well; and Captain Lawrence Waldo, company B, is missing. The officers and men all behaved nobly, but Captain Waldo particularly distinguished himself by his coolness and bravery, and it is deeply regretted that he is among the missing; but hopes are entertained that he is still living.

As soon as the scattered fragments could be collected together, an order was issued to return to Pleasant Hill, which was reached at sunrise of the ninth, the Nineteenth corps covering the retreat, and forming in line a mile beyond it. The enemy followed us closely, and picket-skirmishing continued all the forenoon.

Here we met General A. J. Smith, with his force, coming to our rescue, and he was exceeding wroth at the manner in which his old command (Fourth division) had been handled and entrapped. The management of affairs was vir

o'clock A.M., the train was moved to the rear, the lines formed, and the artillery placed in position on the southern and eastern sides of an open field of perhaps three hundred acres in extent. General Smith divided his command and the cavalry force, placing a portion of each on the wings in the woods some distance to the rear, but within supporting distance of the batteries.

The shattered fragment of the Thirteenth corps was ordered to follow the train as a guard, and the Nineteenth was placed in front, with directions to fall back in good order before the enemy's advance.

Battery L, of the First United States artillery, was placed somewhat in the advance as a bait

for the rebels, and the horses, caissons, and limbers were removed.

The Nineteenth commenced falling back, and on came the rebels. Upon reaching the woods, the Nineteenth halted and formed a junction with Smith's troops and the cavalry on each wing, and the new line thus made formed two sides of a square, with battery L in the angle, and was invisible to the enemy.

instant. On the evening of the seventh, we reached a small village called Pleasant Hill, the road winding through heavy pine timber. While at Pleasant Hill, General Lee, who commands the cavalry of the expedition, sent word back that he had had quite a skirmish with the enemy, losing thirty-five in killed and wounded, and that he had driven them eight miles, where they made a stand, from which he was unable to dislodge them with his cavalry, and asking for infantry. General Ransom objected, saying: "Remain in camp here until General Smith comes up, and then move on them in force." It was evident to

The bait took, and the enemy, seeing the apparently unprotected battery, rushed forward en masse to capture it, which they were permitted to do, when the Federal forces opened upon them, subjecting them to a terrible cross-him that the enemy would make a successful fire which mowed them down in immense numbers, literally covering the ground with the slain,

and threw them into the utmost confusion.

The lines now closed in and drove them flying across the open field and through the woods beyond, killing and capturing a large number, and also retaking most of the artillery captured from us on the previous day. It was a most brilliant victory, and could it have been followed up, would doubtless have resulted in the dispersion of the enemy and capture of Shreveport, but the check we had received necessitated a retrograde movement to this place as a base of supplies, it being evident that we could not effect a junction with our fleet at or near that place before they gave out. The movement was accordingly made, and we returned in good order, arriving at noon yesterday. The fleet is expected to join us here, and in the mean time, we are receiving reënforcements and making preparations for another onward movement.

The snake which was spoken of in my last has shown a considerable degree of vitality, and doubtless, like the tail of the reptile to which this portion of the Southern Confederacy may be likened, will continue to do so until the sun of secession has set in clouds; but I still adhere to the opinion that it would have died of itself, provided the vital point of the rebellion east of the Mississippi was effectually crushed, and it would have been much better to have let it had its own way, than to endeavor to kill it in such a bungling manner. But since the attempt has been made, it is now better to carry it out, and all are anxious and willing to see it done.

stand, but Generals Banks and Franklin thought differently, and ordered Colonel Landrum, who commanded the Fourth division of the Thirteenth army corps, to take the First brigade of his division and start at three in the morning, and assist General Lee in dislodging the enemy.

At three o'clock, General Lee started, meeting the enemy some eight miles from Pleasant Hill, routing him and following him in line of battle for about eight miles further, skirmishing with him the entire distance. Here we lost the gallant and brave Lieutenant-Colonel Webb, of the Seventy-seventh Illinois, who was shot dead while leading his men on the enemy's rear-guard. Eight miles from Pleasant Hill, and four from Mansfield, we came to a large plantation which was undulating and surrounded by heavy timber, but on the further side the belt was narrow and opened into another plantation of smaller size. Before we entered the first plantation, the Second brigade came up to the assistance of the First, and the Nineteenth regiment was thrown forward as skirmishers, and Nim's Massachusetts battery posted on an eminence, from which they shelled the opposite woods something like a mile distant.

The enemy soon left his position, although it was a very good one. We advanced the Fourth division to the timber on the opposite side of the field, and sent back for the Third division, General Cameron commanding, and for the Chicago Mercantile battery and First Indiana battery, both under charge of Captain White, Chief of Artillery detachment Thirteenth army corps. After gaining the opposite side of the The loss of confidence in the military capacity field, we halted, and the fatigued men of the of some of the generals, is counteracted by that Fourth division lay down to take some rest, as felt in the abilities of General A. J. Smith, both they had marched sixteen miles, one half the time as a counsellor and practical military man. He in line of battle and through the woods. Nim's proved himself the man for the occasion, and his battery was then put in position on the Shrevesuccess on the ninth is the general theme of con- port road. Near the left of the road all was versation. May our next attempt be more for- quiet, skirmishing having ceased, excepting once

tunate!

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

G. W. C.

in a while a shot either from rebel or Federal. Here Generals Franklin and Banks came on the field. General Stone, of Ball's Bluff notoriety, (who, by the way, is on General Banks's staff,) had been in the front all the morning. General Lee was also present with his cavalry. General Ransom came up and was ordered to advance his line. Before doing so, he told General Banks it would bring on an engagement, which he thought We marched from Natchitoches on the sixth it prudent to avoid at that time, but advised

A correspondent of the Lacon Illinois Gazette, belonging to the Seventy-seventh Illinois regiment, furnished the facts relative to the following battles on Red River, in which his regiment was reduced from four hundred to one hundred and fifty-three men :

miles distant, by order of General Franklin. They were sent for, as were the Ninety-sixth and Eighty-third Ohio, of the Fourth division, who were guarding a train. These two regiments soon came up and went at it desperately. They held the enemy in our front, but their flanks ad

Now comes the most painful part of this sad affair. General Ransom is wounded in the knee whilst trying to rally his men, and his assistant Adjutant-General killed, shot through the head. Our artillery retreated to the woods, and to the one road leading to the rear, and that was blocked full of wagons containing ammunition and supplies belonging to the cavalry, (all there by order of Generals Banks and Franklin,) so the batteries had to be abandoned. We lost here seventeen pieces of artillery, but the fight did not end yet, for the two regiments at the wood soon gave way, and on they came. Oh! may I never see the like again. Horses, men, wagons, all going to the rear-all saying: "Lost! lost!" At about half an hour before sundown, and after the day was lost, and a large train captured, up came the Nineteenth army corps on the doublequick, having run the entire distance of some five miles. They soon formed in the woods and went at it. The roar of musketry was awful, but they soon checked the enemy, who had, by this time, been severely punished. Here the hard-fought battle of Mansfield ceased.

withdrawing the troops, going into camp, and sending for Smith, getting all our troops together, and then advance on the enemy and whip him soundly. But Franklin and Banks overruled him. Ransom formed his line. While this was taking place, a lieutenant of the Second Illinois cavalry came to Generals Stone and Lee and re-vanced and they were compelled to give way. ported the enemy massing his force on our right and preparing to attack us, which they soon did with a vengeance; but just before the attack, General Banks ordered General Ransom to move his forces to the right. General Ransom then exclaimed: "That beats us." Too true! for the move on the right was only a feint; but with the practised eye of an old soldier, he detected the movement, but obeyed the order of his superior officer. Nim's Second Massachusetts battery was at the extreme front, (and here let me say there was no better battery in the United States service,) supported by the Twenty-second Wisconsin regiment. On the left of that regiment was a portion of Lee's cavalry; on the right of Nim's battery was the Sixty-seventh Indiana; next, the Seventy-seventh and the One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois; next, the Nineteenth Kentucky, Forty-eighth Ohio, and the Third division, which came in just as the enemy and our skirmishers met. We drove their skirmishers back on their main body, which was advancing four deep in three lines, one after the other, at a "right shoulder shift arms" in the form of a half-circle massed in the centre. Our main lines soon met. The Nineteenth Kentucky and the One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois were first engaged, then Nim's battery, the Sixty-seventh Indiana, and the Seventy-seventh Illinois, and then the whole line, including the Chicago Mercantile and the First Indiana batteries. The enemy soon pressed back our cavalry, which was on the flanks, and came at double-quick on the infantry. The cavalry giving way exposed the flank of the infantry, both right and left, but they held their front manfully until they were compelled to fall back or be captured. They then fell back, slowly at first, dropping by hundreds on the wayside, bleeding and exhausted. But what at first was an orderly retreat soon became almost a rout. Nim's battery worked manfully-the veteran battery, the hero of seventeen engagements, always successful, but this time doomed to defeat-they double-charged their guns with canister, and adding a bag of bullets, mowed the enemy down, only to have their places filled again by the advancing hordes. But the battery support were Now let me estimate our losses. First, in the forced back, and the enemy made a dash and Thirteenth army corps alone, I put it at one took the guns. The cavalry by this time were thousand, killed and wounded, and one thousand in a panic, our infantry were driven out of the two hundred taken prisoners; and this out of woods to the Chicago Mercantile battery, where four thousand men. We lost seventeen pieces they made a desperate effort to check the enemy. of artillery, and about seventy-five wagons, loadThe battery, in connection with the First Indi-ed with ammunition, supplies, and forage; also ana, did good work, but all to no purpose, as far as checking the enemy was concerned. The troops fell back to the woods on this side of the field, the enemy in close pursuit. Now all will ask: "Where was the Nineteenth army corps?" Let me tell you; back in the woods, some six

Now let me sum up our position: In a dense wood, in front of a victorious enemy, at least twenty-five thousand strong, we only six thousand troops to oppose them; many wounded, and over four hundred wagons to be moved, a distance of more than nineteen miles, to Pleasant Hill, by only one road, and that bad, and lined with heavy pine forests on each side. Do you wonder at our feeling dispirited, knowing that the enemy would attack us in the morning? But we fell back, building huge fires all along the road to dispel the darkness, and arrived at Pleasant Hill at about four o'clock A.M., on the ninth instant, where we found General A. J. Smith, with his column, ready to dispute with the enemy for the final mastery of the field. On the ninth, at twelve o'clock M., our wagon-train filed into the road for this place. I came at the same time. General Smith had formed his line of battle, and was skirmishing when I left. The Thirteenth army corps also came here, they being worn out and cut to pieces.

sixteen ambulances, and nearly all our wounded. Poor boys! to be wounded and also prisoners— my heart bleeds for them.

On the afternoon of the ninth, General Smith had one of the severest engagements of the war; but he, being something of a general, succeeded

in giving the enemy what they had given us-rebels before they had marched two miles. Fightthat is, a whipping. He recaptured sixteen ing began at once, and the enemy were rapidly pieces of artillery, but was not able to take them driven before our troops. This running style of off the field, but destroyed them. He also cap- fight was kept up for fourteen miles, until they tured some five hundred prisoners and some of had got two miles beyond Pleasant Hill. our wagous back, and as I write, fell back to this Here a force of two thousand five hundred point, where we will prepare again to meet the rebel cavalry, commanded by General Green, enemy, if he should think of following, which I were found strongly posted on Wilson's plantadon't think he will; but while writing this, I tion. The rebels were deployed along the edge hear cannonading, and who knows what may of a dense strip of woods with an open field in come? I will not predict, however. Now let front, over which we had to charge in order to me say I think-and we all think we might reach them. The only Union soldiers that had just as well had a victory as a defeat, and, if I advanced far enough to take part in the fight, mistake not, some high official will get beheaded. which was inevitable, was the cavalry brigade of I most sincerely hope so. I am opposed to in- Lee's corps, commanded by Colonel Harai Robincompetency in any place, more particularly here son. As he had either to attack or be attacked, in the army. General Smith fought his own men he decided to take the initiative, and he led his and won a victory, and had General Ransom had men in with such a dash and vigor, that at last the same privilege, we would not have been the enemy was completely whipped and driven whipped. Of one thing I am certain, our few from the field. This engagement lasted two remaining boys will fight no more under such hours and a half, and our losses amounted to commanders. I, for one, do not blame them. I about forty killed and wounded, the enemy's may be severe, but can you blame me when I being at least as many. Colonel Robinson pursee it is sacrifice after sacrifice? We were al- sued the retreating rebels as far as Bayou du ways victorious until we came here, and would Paul, where he found they had received heavy be so here if we had a Grant to lead us, yes, or reenforcements, including four pieces of artillery, a McClernand, who is buried at Pass Cavallo be- and were again in line of battle, waiting attack. cause he ranks Franklin, and the noble, brave, As it was nearly dark, and the risk was too great and generous Ransom is sacrificed. May he in attacking again with his small force, he placed ventilate this as he well knows how. I think he his men in the most advantageous position availawill, I hope he will report. I send you the in-ble, and awaited the progress of events. Nothing closed list of killed, wounded, and missing of four companies of the Seventy-seventh Illinois, companies D, C, H, and B. I could fill sheets with incidents of this battle; some would cause mirth, some tears, all would nerve the hearts of the brave to do battle for their brothers and their country. Many of those reported among the missing will certainly be numbered with the dead and wounded. May I never see the like again!

NEW-ORLEANS "ERA" ACCOUNT.

NEW-ORLEANS, April 15. We are enabled to lay before our readers this morning a full and connected history of the recent great battles and Union victory in Western Louisiana, and one which can be relied upon as truthful. The fighting was terrific, and the casualties very great, but there can be little doubt that the blow has terribly impaired, if not destroyed, the rebel power in this State. It is possible, and even probable, that another engagement will be fought, as we learn, on good authority, that General Banks expressed the intention of giving battle once more as soon as opportunity offered. We gain the subjoined account from eye-witnesses and participants.

Our army broke camp at Natchitoches on the morning of the sixth instant, and marched out on the Shreveport road, the cavalry advancing twenty-one miles and resting for the night at Crump's Hill, the infantry halting three or four miles to the rear, on the banks of a bayou. On the following morning, at daybreak, the cavalry again started, and came upon a body of mounted

further was accomplished on the first day.

During the night, a brigade of infantry, commanded by Colonel Landrum, came up, and early in the morning of the following day, (Friday, the eighth,) the march was resumed. The rebels were found to be on the alert, and ready for the fray, and fighting opened almost at once.

The disposition of our forces at the beginning of this day's battle was: Colonel Landrum's infantry brigade on the right of the Shreveport road, and Colonel Lucas's cavalry brigade on the left. The skirmishing was fierce, and every foot of ground won from the enemy had to be taken by hard knocks, but at two o'clock in the afternoon, our forces had compelled the rebels to retreat seven miles. Our losses, as well as the enemy's, were very severe during this time. Lieutenant Colonel Webb, of the Seventy-seventh Illinois, shot through the head and instantly killed; and Captain Breese, commanding Sixth Missouri cavalry, severely wounded in the arm, being among the casualties on our side.

The enemy were now met in strong force, under command of General Kirby Smith. That Generals Dick Taylor, Mouton, Green, and Price were also there, was afterward ascertained from prisoners, who also stated that they had under them from eighteen thousand to twenty thousand men, while our force, comparatively, were a mere handful. The rebels occupied a strong position in the vicinity of Sabine Cross-Roads, concealed in the edge of a dense wood, with an open field in front, the Shreveport road passing through their lines. General Ransom arriving on the field with his command, formed his line as well