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43
woods and discover the position of’ the enemy. They had gone
but a little way when they were fired upon, and the ball may be
said to have fairly opened.
“The whole command, with the exception of a small reserve,
was then deployed in like manner and ordered forward. The
order was obeyed with great alacrity, the men all showing great
courage. I can say with great gratification that every colonel,
without a single exception, set an example to their commands
that inspired a confidence that will always insure victory when
there is the slightest possibility of gaining one. I feel truly
proud to command such men.
“From here we fought our way from tree to tree through the
woods to Belmont, about two and a half miles, the enemy con-
testing every foot of ground. Here the enemy had strengthened
their position by felling the trees for two or three hundred yards
aud sharpening their limbs, making a sort of abatis. Our men
charged through, making the victory complete, giving us pos-
session of their camp and garrison equipage, artillery, and
every thing else.
“We got a great many prisoners. The majority, however,
succeeded in getting aboard their steamers and pushing across
the river. We burned every thing possible and started back,
having accomplished all that we went for, and even more. Bel-
mont is entirely covered by the batteries from Columbus, and
is worth nothing as a military position—cannot be held without
Columbus.
“The object of the expedition was to prevent the enemy from
sending a force into Missouri to cut off troops I had sent there
for a special purpose, and to prevent reinforcing Price.
“Besides being well fortified at Columbus, their numbers far
exceeded ours, and it would have been folly to have attacked
them. We found the Confederates well armed and brave. On
our return, stragglers, that had been left in our rear (now front)
fired into us, and more recrossed the river and gave us battle for
a full mile, and afterward at the boats when we were embarking.
“There was no hasty retreating or running away. Taking
into account the object of the expedition, the victory was com-
plete. it has given us confidence in the officers and men of this
command, that will enable us to lead them in any futnre engage-
ment without fear of the result. General McClernand (who, by
the way, acted with great coolness and courage throughout, and
proved that ha is a soldier as well as a statesman) and myself,
each had our horses shot under us. Most of the field officers
met with the same loss, besides nearly one-third of them being
themselves killed or wounded. As near as I can ascertain, our
loss was about two hundred and fifty killed, wounded and missing.”
General MeClernaud, who accompanied the expedition,
and was subsequently complimented for his valuable ser
Object Description
| Title | Illustrated life,campaigns and public services of Lieut. General Grant |
| Creator | T. B. Peterson & Brothers |
| Subject [LCSH] | Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 |
| Description | Contains a full history of the life, campaigns, battles and his orders, reports and correspondance with the War Department and the President. |
| Date Original | circa 1865 |
| Format | Book |
| Digital Format | JPEG |
| Language | eng |
| Contributing Institution | Illinois State Library |
| Rights | Materials in this collection are made available by the Illinois State Library. To request reproductions or inquire about permissions, contact: islimg@ilsos.net. Please cite the item title and collection name. |
| Identifier | 3898087 |
| Type | Text |
| Collection Name | Illinois and the Civil War - Documents |
| OCLC number | 830038423 |
Description
| Title | Page 43 |
| Transcript | 43 woods and discover the position of’ the enemy. They had gone but a little way when they were fired upon, and the ball may be said to have fairly opened. “The whole command, with the exception of a small reserve, was then deployed in like manner and ordered forward. The order was obeyed with great alacrity, the men all showing great courage. I can say with great gratification that every colonel, without a single exception, set an example to their commands that inspired a confidence that will always insure victory when there is the slightest possibility of gaining one. I feel truly proud to command such men. “From here we fought our way from tree to tree through the woods to Belmont, about two and a half miles, the enemy con- testing every foot of ground. Here the enemy had strengthened their position by felling the trees for two or three hundred yards aud sharpening their limbs, making a sort of abatis. Our men charged through, making the victory complete, giving us pos- session of their camp and garrison equipage, artillery, and every thing else. “We got a great many prisoners. The majority, however, succeeded in getting aboard their steamers and pushing across the river. We burned every thing possible and started back, having accomplished all that we went for, and even more. Bel- mont is entirely covered by the batteries from Columbus, and is worth nothing as a military position—cannot be held without Columbus. “The object of the expedition was to prevent the enemy from sending a force into Missouri to cut off troops I had sent there for a special purpose, and to prevent reinforcing Price. “Besides being well fortified at Columbus, their numbers far exceeded ours, and it would have been folly to have attacked them. We found the Confederates well armed and brave. On our return, stragglers, that had been left in our rear (now front) fired into us, and more recrossed the river and gave us battle for a full mile, and afterward at the boats when we were embarking. “There was no hasty retreating or running away. Taking into account the object of the expedition, the victory was com- plete. it has given us confidence in the officers and men of this command, that will enable us to lead them in any futnre engage- ment without fear of the result. General McClernand (who, by the way, acted with great coolness and courage throughout, and proved that ha is a soldier as well as a statesman) and myself, each had our horses shot under us. Most of the field officers met with the same loss, besides nearly one-third of them being themselves killed or wounded. As near as I can ascertain, our loss was about two hundred and fifty killed, wounded and missing.” General MeClernaud, who accompanied the expedition, and was subsequently complimented for his valuable ser |
| Collection Name | Illinois and the Civil War - Documents |
