Friday, July 3, 2009

THE WAR NEWS

The Armies near Pittsburg only Two Miles Apart.

The Battle of Pittsburg.

Official Estimate, 5,000 Federal Killed and Wounded.

2,200 Rebels Buried, and 2,200 taken.

TWELVE CANNON CAPTURED.

BEAUREGARD ASKED PERMISSION TO BURY THE DEAD.

Fort Pulaski Surrendered.

CHICAGO TAKEN BY THE [ENEMY].

More About the Battle.

ST. LOUIS, April 15.

Capt. Ligon, of Grant’s staff, bearer of Grant’s official report of the battle at Pittsburg, arrived here yesterday. He left the army on Friday night. Halleck arrived at Pittsburg on Friday, and immediately assumed command.

Grant, in his official report estimates our loss at 1,500 killed and 3500 wounded. The loss of the enemy in killed and left on the field is greater than ours; in wounded an estimate cannot be made, as many must have been sent to Corinth and other places. The loss of artillery was great, many pieces being disabled by the enemy’s shot, some losing all their horses and many men. Not less than two hundred horses were killed.

The rebel army has its outposts at the foot of Pea Ridge, extending eight miles from Corinth. The advance of the Federal troops is eight miles from Pittsburg, leaving a space of only two miles between the opposing armies. A battle may be brought on at any moment. We have the strongest assurance that our army is ready for the encounter.


CINCINNATI, April 15.

The Commercial has information from a reliable gentleman who left the battle ground on Thursday evening. He estimates our loss in killed from twelve to fifteen hundred, in wounded three thousand five hundred to four thousand, and missing two thousand five hundred. The rebels lost more killed than we did, and not so many wounded. About one thousand unwounded rebel prisoners were taken about twelve hundred wounded. Up to the time he left two thousand two hundred rebels had been buried.

Our troops retook on Monday all the batteries lost on Sunday, and captured twelve pieces from the enemy. The rebels were so confident of their ability to hold our camps, which they took on Sunday, that, with a single exception, they did not destroy them.

On Tuesday, Beauregard sent a flag of truce, requesting permission to bury his dead and saying, “owing to the heavy reinforcements you received on Sunday night and Monday, and the fatigue of my men, I deemed it prudent to retire and not renew the battle.” Permission was not granted. The bearer of the flag admitted that Beauregard received a slight wound in the left arm.

– Published in the Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 16, 1862, p. 1

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