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Federal Victory At Baton Rouge

Federal Victory At Baton Rouge image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
August
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

New Yrk, Aug. 18. Tlie stcamers Nurtli Star and Roanoke frpiu New Orlenns the lOih huve urrivod, {inging the particulnra of the Jefeut of t!u: rebels at Baton ltuuge and the do Bti-uctio;i of the Arkansas. A letter froni liatón Rouge uays Sluir'.s Bkttery tbrioo ropulsed them with great Bluug,hter. lïrcckiDiidgo lost his right arm by v. cannon ball. Tlie fight tonlc place on the edge of the towii, Gen. Williams being unwilling to exposé tlio wonicu and ohildren. We captured a largo nuinber uf prisouers, including Oapt. Bluut, Brookinridgo's Aid. Gtp. Williams, who was külod, bohavcd like a hei-o. The enemy's loss must have beeu severo, as our men charged and reoharged upon them. Wc have taken threc guns. Anothsr account aays the reb:l troops, estimated from 5,0ü0 to 0,000 under Gens. Lovell and Breokiuridge, made the combat obstinate. Our loss was 250 killed, includiug a large proportioa of ofüeSrs. The rebel loss, according to priseneis' st.-itemcnts, i-s iinnieuso. Ainong the killed was Gen. Lovell. The ram Arkansas was just above Haton Röugo, but dared not joiu the conflict. Shc wasaground. Tlie Esséx and ot lier gunboats went to her, and set her on fire. Sh,e blow up. The transport Lewia Whitman ran in to the gunboat Oneida, twenty miles abovo New Orleans ou tho night of tho Öth, and (he transport was suuk. She had tho body of Gen. Williams with an escort of six of his bodyguard ; also forty two of ours and throe Confedérate wounded. Tho body was recovored, and thirty eight wounded and three of the büdy-guard were saved. Our forco engaged was less than '2,500 The enemy had at least 5,000 with twelvc oi" tburtccu lield-pieces and soiuu cavalry. The Rara Arkansas approached with the intention of engaging our glinboats, but grounded at a distnneo of six miles, and to-day the Essex engaged aud destroycd hpf. Juo. J. CWirk and his Aid, Licutenant Y erger, delivered themselves to us as prisoners of war. I have aïso thirty eapfured. The official report of Col. Cahill, comraanding after the death of Gen. Williams, stated that the rebel forco was about ten regimentó, and after a fight of four hours of great severity the enemy were répulsed. General Williams was killed by a riflu ball tlirough his chest. During the battle our torces wero loreod to retire a quartcr of a raile from their original position, and the enemy were able tiimpo rarilv to occupy the camps of the Twenty-first Indiana, Seventh Verniont and Fourteer.th Maino Regtments, and to de8troy much of Üie bagu;.ige and camp equipage. They were, huwcver, driven out, but our nuiubors being much les seoed by sickuess, and the men on the field being much exhautsted by fatigue and heat, it was deemed expodient not to pursue. The enemy has retired scveral miles, and are stiü reliring. It is possible they may receivo reinforcement, and I am disposing of ïny troops in the strongest posuionl Ëreckinridge on the 6th asked permission in writing to bury his dead. - Col. Cahill replied: "Our men are engaged in tho work, whieh will soon be accomplished." A letter from Baton Rouge states that our loss wao killed 70, wauuded 215 General Williams had thrce horses shot under hira. He was killed whilst rallying the Twenty first, who had just lost a li 1 tl piecc. The gun was rctaken, but General Williams feil. The wounded are as follows: Twenty first Indiana, 81; Fourtecnth Maine 70; Fourth Wisconsiu 106; íáixth Michigan 25; Seventh Verniont 25; Thirtieth Mns saohusetts 12; Nineteenth Connecticut 2. Ainong the prisouers is Gen. Allen, of Mississippi, morkdly wounded. Gen. Butler issued a general order announcing ia eloquent language the deatli of General Williams, and also a congratulatory order to the troops on this successful engagement, in whieh he says thu enemy lost three Brigadiers in killed, wounded and taken prisoners, many Colonels a:id field officers. He ha.s more than 1,000 killed and wounded. You have cap'.ured threc pieces of nrtillerv, fix caissons, two stand of colora, and i lurge number of prisoners. A letter from Baton Rouge staten that the fight between tho Essex and A'rkansas w;is a fair stand up fight. Portcr lay 300 yards distant, pouring solid nine inch shot into tho Arkansas till a breach was made, when an incendiary shcll was exploded in the breaeh setting her on fire. The rebel crew left her aud she soon exploded. Tho funeral of Gen. Williams took place at New Orlcans on tho 8th and was very improsivo. It is probable the Gen. Lovell reported killed is Col. Lovell, and not Major General Munsfield Lovell, who is understood to be at Richmond. A letter from a surgeon reports that he saw cighty-three de;id rebels in ono small corn field at Baton Rouge. Lieutenant Norcross, of the Thirtieth Massachusetts, got up from a siek bed, and jnined his companv ín tlie tliickest of the fight aud witli hisown hands saved a field pieco about to be taken. The rebel woundcd state tbat General Rupglcs was killed. A rebel stated their loss at eigbt hundred. Nims' Battory saved tho day, when twothirds of its members were oa tho' sick list. The secessuinists in Baton Rouge fired ou our doad and woutuled as they were j being brought in, consequently their' houses were pulled down. Breckinridge, on the morning of the fight, made a speech, promisiog his men to have a band playing in the Stato House at 9 A. M.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus