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A Turner Bugler, 2004

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A Union Disaster in Louisiana.

NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO

March and April 1864

From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, April 21, 1864.

THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.

A UNION DISASTER IN LOUISIANA.

THE 3D AND 4TH DIVISIONS OF THE 13TH ARMY CORPS BADLY CUT UP.

LOSS ABOUT 2,000.

GEN. RANSOM WOUNDED – CAPT. CYRUS E. DICKEY, OF OTTAWA, ILL., KILLED.

The Chicago Mercantile Battery Lose their Guns, Four Officers and Twenty-Two Men.

[Special Cor. of the Chicago Evening Journal.]

GRAND ECORE, LA.,
ON RED RIVER, April 10, 1864.

I have very bad news to write you. We have met with a severe disaster.

Our cavalry had been driving the enemy for two days, but in the forenoon of the 8th instant they sent back word for infantry support. General Ransom, in command of the 3d and 4th divisions of the 13th Army Corps, was ordered to send forward a brigade, and did so. At noon he was ordered to send up all of the 4th division, and he went with them. After advancing about five miles from where the 3d division of his command in the 19th Army Corps were encamped, the rebels made a stand and our line, consisting of only 2,400 infantry, was formed in a belt of woods, with an open field in the front, and the enemy in the woods on the other side. General Stone (of Ball’s Bluff fame,) Chief of General Bank’s staff, was on the field, and took direction of the movements. General Ransom was in favor of advancing only in force, but his wish was disregarded.

We were five miles from our reinforcements, with thick woods behind them, through which ran a narrow road, completely filled with wagon trains, and making an orderly retreat impossible.

After keeping up a skirmish firing across this open field for about an hour, the enemy advanced upon us in overwhelming numbers – probably not less than ten thousand strong. General Ransom got all his available troops to the front and opened on them. The enemy lost heavily, but they advanced steadily, and soon made our cavalry give way, and the infantry fell back. In a few moments the enemy pressed us so closely, and the panic of the cavalry was so demoralizing, that the retreat became a rout. The General did all in his power to rally the men, but finding it impossible without reinforcements, he made every effort to save the artillery. It was while endeavoring to get the Chicago Mercantile Battery off safely that General Ransom was severely wounded in the leg, and Captain Cyrus E. Dickey, his adjutant, (son of Judge Dickey, of Ottawa Illinois,) was instantly killed by being shot through the head. Our loss was large – probably about 2,000. The Mercantile Battery lost all their guns, and Captain White is a prisoner, Lieutenants Throop and Barr killed, and the loss of the battery in killed and captured is thirty. The battery boys lost all their clothing. One hundred and ten of them returned to camp after the disaster.

While the 4th Division was falling back in disorder, the 3d division, numbering only 1,800 men, came up and was immediately routed. This was after Gen. Ransom had been wounded and taken to the rear. Finally the 19th Army Corps, with 7,000 men, came up, formed a line, checked the enemy, and held them until we got all our trains off except that of the cavalry.

It has been a terribly unfortunate affair, but no one here attaches the least blame to General Ransom, who acted under orders, and, until disabled, did all that any officer could do under the circumstances; but with an overwhelming force to contend against, and no reinforcements, what could be expected but just such a rout?

The whole army is now falling back here, where it must wait to reorganize before proceeding further towards Shreveport.
It is at present impossible to obtain a list of the casualties. These you will receive as soon as possible.

HAWKEYE.

LETTER FROM A MEMBER OF THE CHICAGO MERCANTILE BATTERY.

GRAND ECORE, LA., April 11.

The rebels made a stand eight miles from Pleasant Hill, and commenced driving the 3d and 4th divisions of the 13th army corps, when the 8th inst. Our battery (Chicago Mercantile) in the 1st Indiana battery commenced giving the rebels shell and canister. We fired our guns at the rate of five shots a minute for half an hour, when the rebels charged on us. We fell back to a new position, where we poured into the enemy about an hour, when they again came upon us, and we again fell back to another position, which we held a few minutes, when the order came to get into the road, which, unfortunately, was filled with ammunition wagons and our army trains. We got along as best we could, on the retreat about a mile, when the whole rebel force came upon us with a gallop and the shout. Captain White was captured,. We cut traces and left, leaving our guns in the enemy’s hands, further efforts to resist being utterly useless. I escaped into the woods, and have made my way back to camp, after being a whole day and night without food. The loss of the Mercantile Battery is very heavy – four officers and twenty-two men, as follows: Captain White and Lieutenant Crane, captured; Lieutenant Throop and Barr, killed. Among the missing are Joseph Day and Sam Hammet, of squad one; Sergeant George Bryant and William Munn, of squad two; Sergeant Billy Gardner, Sam Parker, John Arnold, and four drivers, of squad three; Corporal Dyer, of squad four, and gunner Bracket, of squad five,. The rest of the missing are either detailed men or new recruits. Hank Poe now has command of the battery.

We have lost our guns, horses, clothing – everything. The battery now has 110 men in camp.

C. E. A.

ANOTHER LETTER.

A letter from another member of the Mercantile Battery states that Lieutenant Barr is a prisoner, and gives the following list of members of the battery who are missing:

Sergeants Joseph L. Day, Geo. E. Bryant and William Gardner; Corporals Samuel Hammett, L. W. Dyer and Henry C. Brackett; privates John W. Arnold, Amos S. Burdick, John D. Bell, Isaac S. Carpenter, Wm. H. Fuller, Peleg Green, Hiland W. Hall, Wm. Munn, Lewis Mann, Sanford S. Parker and Arthur W. Rumsey.

John Page and John F. Graber are slightly wounded.