Jeff Davis Ordered the Battle
IT WAS FOUR DAYS BEHIND TIME
STRENGTH OF THE ARMIES
Incidents of Gallantry and Cowardice
BOGUS GOV. JOHNSON KILLED.
Special Dispatch to Chicago Tribune.
Cairo, April 14—m., 1862
Auditor Dubois and Gen. John Cook, of Springfield, left Pittsburg on Saturday, by mail packet Van Patten, and arrived here this morning. Gen. Cook is unwell and going home to recruit his health. From them and from others we learn additional particulars.
Gen. Hulburt lost, out of 7,000 men, in killed, wounded and missing, 1,983. He had a splendid army, choice troops, who fought like Turks. Lieut. Col. Tupper of Decatur was killed.
Colonel John A. Davis of Freeport is not dead, but is at Paducah, and feels sure he will recover.
Col. Bane, of the 50th Illinois, is dangerously wounded. Lieut. Colonel Phillips is also dangerously, and Col. Morley slightly.
“When the Illinois 11th were mustered on Monday morning they could bring but 45 men into the field. The 9th Illinois (Paine’s old regiment) mustered only 200 effective men. Col. Fry’s regiment were the only Illinois boys that acted badly. They had never been in action before.
The battle was stayed on Sunday by the gunboats and heavy siege guns of Matteson’s and Silversparre’s batteries, and the arrival of part of Buell’s forces.
A council of war was held by Beauregard and 11 principal Generals of the rebel army before the attack on Pittsburg. If successful they would follow us and try to hold the Border States. If beaten, withdraw to the Gulf States with all their forces.
Van Dorn was not in the fight.
Our cavalry was not very effectual in following up the retreating rebels. They were hindered by underbrush.
Rebel prisoners say Gen. Prentiss’s men (prisoners) were marched into Corinth in good order.
Gen. Grant was at Savannah, 8 miles below Pittsburg, when the battle opened, and did not arrive till 10 o’clock.
When our informants left Gen. Halleck was organizing the army as fast as possible, and preparing for every emergency.
SECOND DISPATCH.
9 o’dock p. m.—The following rebel officers participated in Beauregard’s council of war; Breckinridge, Bragg, Floyd, Hardee, Cheatham, the three Johnstons (Sydney, Bushrod, and the Kentucky provisional Governor.)
The cause of the Sunday repulse is not definitely ascertained. The roads are now impassable from heavy rains.
Gen. Hulburt has discovered one of Matteson’s six 64-pound howitzers abandoned, and called on a man near by to work it. He did so, and fired and sighted it sixty-five times, mowing down the enemy terribly every fire. The man was Dr. Corning of St. Louis, surgeon, and inexperienced in artillery practice. Gen. Hurlbert thought him an old artillery officer.
A Federal wounded and captured in our tents, Sunday, and afterwards left when the rebels retreated, reports Beauregard making a strong speech. Sunday night to his officers and men. He assured them that they would make an easy prey of us on Monday; exhorted them to be brave, cool and self possessed ; bid them injure nothing they had taken as booty, for it would all be needed in the rapid marches they were about making in pursuit of the Federals, who might escape. Rebels taken prisoners on Monday confirm this statement.
Brigadier General Johnston, rebel provisional Governor of Kentucky is killed, and his body is at Paducah.
Different accounts agree In making the rebel force at Corinth estimated from 75,000 to 130,000, of whom 65,000 to 70,000 were in action. Our force was 45,000 in action.
The Hiawatha brought down 260 wounded to Mound City, to-day at noon. An adequate supply of transports lying at Pittsburg have been loaded with the wounded ready to come. Some go to Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati Sanitary Commission did nobly In relieving the wounded; so did those of St. Louis.
Orders were found on Gen. A. S. Johnston from Jeff. Davis to press on and attack Grant on Wednesday before Buell would join him by Thursday.
Bogus Governor Johnson, of Kentucky, said he did not want to live, as the Confederacy was ruined. He did not want to see it.
Gen. Ruggles was killed. Bushrod Johnson Is also reported dead.
To the Associated Press.
Cairo, April 14.—1 have the following facts from those who had a part in the late battle, and who have just arrived here from the scene of carnage :
The first fighting at Pittsburg on Sunday morning last was opened by Col. Peabody (25th Missouri regiment,) sending one hundred and thirty men under Major Powell to reconnoiter for the enemy. They met a large force and were driven back. Three hundred more were sent, and they also were driven back. At daybreak the rebels followed close, and attacked our men while breakfasting. They rushed to arms and pitched into the fight on their own hook. Gen. Grant was down on the steamer Tiger.
Col. Peabody was shot in the thigh and neck, and has an arm off, He was formerly an engineer on the Memphis Ohio Railroad also on St. Joseph Railroad, &c.
Gen. Prentiss is reported to have said he
would sooner be taken prisoner than retreat.
Rebel Gen. Bushrod Johnson was taken prisoner and has since died. He violated his parole at Donelson.
Gov. Sam. Houston’s son was wounded and is a prisoner at St. Louis; also Pierre Soule’s son is a prisoner.
The Government has bought the steamers January and City of Louisiana for floating hospitals, and will probably buy two more.
Col. Wood, of the 12th Iowa Is wounded and has gone to St. Louis. Only one hundred and fifteen men of his regiment not taken prisoners. The Iowa 14th reported not taken prisoners.
Of the Illinois I4th thirty-five were killed and one-half of the regiment wounded.
Of the six hundred Missouri 19th that went into the fight on Sunday, only ninety could be found at evening
The 18th Missouri, 61st Illinois, and 16th Wisconsin, were in the centre of General Prentiss’s Division, and held their position nearly four hours In thejmiddle of the day on Sunday. Adjutant General Binmore, of Prentiss’s Division, said he could muster but 1,700 men out of seven regiments on Monday evening.
One of our sick men, left in one of our tents, is reported to have been hauled out thirty yards and his throat cut, on Sunday night, from ear to ear. Another had his boots stolen off his feet.
A man who helped to burr the dead says he counted on a certain area 170 rebels killed and only 38 Federals—never put in less than two rebels to one Federal. The rebels hauled off their dead on Sunday night.
A surgeon who visited 84 regiments of Grant’s army on Tuesday to ascertain the loss, says the average killed is 34 in each regiment, and one hundred wounded. General Grant informed a surgeon just before leaving on Friday, that our loss was fifteen hundred killed, 5,000 wounded and 2,500 prisoners. I have this from the surgeon himself. It seems too small.
Two thousand and five hundred wounded loyal troops still lie on the transports at Pittsburg, receiving medical care. Every facility is given by General Strong to friends to help them in the search of wounded and killed.
BEAUREGARD’S LYING DISPATCH.
Fortress Monroe, April 13,—A Norfolk paper has been received here, containing a dispatch from Beauregard in relation to the second day’s fighting. He claims a complete victory. He says that after capturing thirty-six of our guns and 8,000 prisoners, his forces fell back upon his works at Corinth, which they are fully able to bold.
Baltimore, April 14.-—ln reference to Beauregard’s dispatches alluded to in the Old Point letter inquiries have been made of the War Department, and we are authorized to say that the reports from Pittsburg Landing already given to the public contradict the report in the Norfolk paper. All reports at the War Department confirm the statements that the enemy were routed and pursued as far as the previous order of Gen. Grant would permit, and the enemy are now shut up in Corinth.
Cairo, April 14.—1t is reported on good authority, that Beauregard called a council of war of all the best rebel generals, before the battle of Pittsburg.
There Pillow, Floyd, Breckinridge, Hardee, Bragg, Cheatham, Sid. Johnston, Bushrod Johnston, the rebel Provisional Governor of Kentucky, and a few other gentlemen. The following policy was fixed on: If they beat us, they would follow up and drive us North as far as possible If beaten they would withdraw their forces from the border States, and make a desperate stand in the Gulf States.
A Federal wounded soldier, left in our camp and captured by the rebels, and afterwards retaken, reports that he heard Beauregard make a speech to his men on Sunday night, assuring them they would capture all our army on Monday. He told them not to destroy anything—tents, provisions or any thing that would be wanted. He encouraged them handsomely, as next day’s work showed. This is confirmed by several wounded rebels, taken prisoners.
Van Dorn did not reach Corinth till the fight was over. It is now believed by men, latest returning from Pittsburg, that the rebel force in action was 65,000. This is the testimony of rebel prisoners, also.
Our force was not over 45,000.
Col. John Davis, of Freeport, is not dead. He is at Paducah, and says he will recover.
Gen. Humboldt lost 1,283 men out of 7,000, on Monday.
The 9th Illinois regiment could count but 500 effective men on Monday morning. The 11th Illinois, 44; the 12th Iowa, 17 men. Lieut. Col. Tapper, of Decatur, and Lieut Col. Ross were killed.
Dr. Corning of St Louis found one of Matteson’s 64-pound guns deserted. He sighted and fired sixty-five shots with it, doing terrible execution. He had had no military experience.
The gunboats had gone up the river to burn the bridge at Corinth.
General Grant is reported not to have been on the field till 10 o’clock Sunday morning. It is also reported that Buell’s men heard firing 49 miles off, and made a forced march of thirty miles on Saturday, reaching Pittsburg Sunday, after marching nineteen miles, in time to succor our troops. Nashville was one hundred miles distant.
The aid of the gunboats, Mattesons and Silversparre’s batteries, and theanival of Buell’s men, saved the day, and turned the tide of victory in our favor.
It is believed Halleck’s plan was for Grant to land on the opposite side of the Tennessee and stay mostly on transports till Buell came up; then all cross on pontoon bridges and march rapidly to Corinth.
The rebel loss is not known, but believed to be much larger than ours.
Auditor Dubois and General Cook came down this morning. They report the sick and wounded provided for as well as possible, on the transports and in the barracks at Pittsburg.
Nothing new from above. No battle is expected for several days. Heavy rains make the roads impassable for artillery and army wagons.
St. Louis, April 14.—The steamer January arrived at our wharf last evening, with several hundred of our sick and wounded from Pittsburgh. Capt. Bartlett of the January, reports that the Minnehaha, laden with wounded, has gone np the Ohio. The City of Memphis landed 1,000 wounded at Mound City.
Among the wounded is Capt. Wm. Copp of the 9th Ind., who says there is no doubt of the death of Gen. Bragg in Monday’s fight; also that Johnston, so called Provisional Governor of Kentucky, is dead. He died as he lay, within six feet of Capt. Copp, on board the Hannibal.
The whole rebel army in battle was 133 regiments, or about 75,000 men. These facts are obtained from a Brigadier Quartermaster, named Wintermouth, who was taken prisoner.
Our total in killed and wounded is now estimated at 8,000.
The name of Col. McHenry, of the 17th Kentucky, wounded at Pittsburg, was erroneously printed in the first dispatches as C. McKindry.
The steamer Woodford arrived last night with about 300 prisoners from Pittsburg.
Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, IL