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Sixth Michigan regiment, prevented the enemy from flanking our right, bringing his command at the critical moment to the support of Nim's battery.
Lieut. Howell, company F, Sixth Michigan, and Lieut. A. T. Ralph, Acting Adjutant, for intrepidity.
Capt. Spitzer, Sixth Michigan, in command of the company of pickets, who handsomely held in check the enemy's advance.
The fearless conduct of Lieut. Howell, company F, and Sergt. Thayer, company A, Sixth Michigan regiment, after they were wounded, in supporting Lieut. Brown's battery.
Captain Soule and Lieut. Fassett, company I, Sixth Michigan, as skirmishers, were wounded, deserve especial notice for the steadiness of their command, which lost heavily in killed and wounded.
Major Bickmore and Adjutant J. H. Metcalfe, of the Fourteenth Maine, wounded while nobly discharging their duty.
Capt. French, company K, Fourteenth Maine, who was wounded while leading on his men to one of the finest charges of the battle.
It is sorrowful, indeed, to add, that by the accident to the steamer Whitman he was drowned.
Second Sergeant J. N. Seavy, company C; Corp. Edminster, company D; Private Preble, company F; Second Sergt. Snow, company D; private A. Blackman, company F, all of the Fourteenth Maine, and are commended for rare bravery.
Acting Ordnance-Sergt. Long, Quartermaster-Sergt. Gardner, and Commissary-Sergt. Jackman, all of the Fourteenth Maine, and all of whom borrowed guns and entered the ranks at the commencement of the action.
Capt. Chas. H. Manning, Fourth Massachusetts battery, who fought his battery admirably, and established his reputation as a commander.
John Donaghue, Fourth Massachusetts battery, who brought off from the camp of the Seventh Vermont regiment their colors at the time of their retreat.
Private John R. Duffee, Fourth Massachusetts battery; private Ralph 0. Royley, of Magee's cavalry, who together went into the field, hitched horses into a battery-wagon of the Sixth Massachusetts battery, and brought it off under the fire of the enemy.
Lieut. Allyn, who had two horses shot under him; Lieut. Frank Bruce, Orderly-Sergt. Baker, Sergt. Watchter, Corp. Wood, and private George Andrews, all of the Sixth Massachusetts battery, for especial bravery, gallantry, and good conduct.
Sergeant Cheever and privates Tyler, Shields, and Clogston, of the Ninth Connecticut, for the skill and bravery with which they worked one of the guns of Nim's battery.
Captain S. W. Sawyer, of company H, Ninth Connecticut, for his daring reconnoissance on the morning of the ninth, during which he found and secured three of the enemy's caissons, filled with ammunition.
By order of
New-Orleans Delta narrative.
Baton Rouge, La., August 7, 1862.
my dear Capt. Clark: Though just from the field of battle, I cannot say that the smoke or glory can attach itself to my skirts; for though no matter what my fighting propensities may be, it was not my good fortune either to take part in the repulse of the Camp Moore army or in the destruction of the Arkansas.
The latter I will dispose of à l'outrance, by asserting that it was a fair stand-up, knock-down and scratch-gravel fight between the two iron-clad nondescripts — the Union Essex and the rebel Arkansas.
No matter what the rebels may say, it was a square fight.
The Arkansas took the position of her choice, in a deep bend of the river, where she tied up, but with her starboard and port broadsides sweeping the river up and down, and her bow raking across, at the same time ready to dash across and plunge her bow into any vessel attempting to pass in front of her. Porter, of the Essex, with a seaman's instinct, saw this plan of the enemy, and wisely laid below, but not more than three hundred yards distant, whence she plunged solid nine-inch shot into the Arkansas, till, a favorable breach being made in her bow, just under her ports, an incendiary shell was exploded in the breech, instantly setting the Arkansas on fire.
Her bow, where the shell burst, being the windward end, in a few minutes the Navy who were so fortunate as to be present at this last naval combat of two iron-clads, had the satisfaction of seeing the crew of the rebel scuttling on shore, while the flames were bursting out on every side.
But be it understood and recorded, all this time the Arkansas was fighting her battery, till her fast burning off, she floated into the middle of the river, where in a little while she blew up. Let no credulous or unbelieving rebel flatter his soul that this was not the Arkansas that was sunk and destroyed.
So much for the naval part of the affair — important, as enabling the gunboats to act without impediment with the land forces.
The battle of Baton Rouge may be characterized as one of the most soldier-like, skilfully-planned fights of this war. Gen. Williams, with his well-known abilities as a leader, scorned to rally behind houses and fences, and taking in with one glance the plan of the enemy's attack, made all his preparations to resist and oppose them.
Two highways run out of Baton Rouge--one above and one below on each side of the town.
About a mile and a half, a road cuts these two roads at right angles, while extending from road to road is a large cemetery, facing towards the city, and looking directly into the camps of the Indiana, Massachusetts and Connecticut regiments.
The front of this cemetery is fenced with paling, while the cemetery is thickly strewn with large tombs, and overgrown with high rank weeds.
This was the position of the rebel centre.
Our centre was composed of the Indiana Twenty-first, the Massachusetts and Connecticut, drawn up on the opposite side of the roads, and not more than forty-five rods distant.
The rebel right approached, through corn-fields and over a rolling country, attacked with great impetuosity the Fourteenth Maine's camp, and drove them out, burning and pillaging the camp in a few minutes.
