was complained of, was the extra amount of countermarching-. 



OUR FIRST BATTLE. 



Our first battle was the battle of Bellmont. "Gen. Grant 

 made a spirited attack on the little steamboat landing known as 

 Bellmont, on the Mississippi, opposite Columbus, Ky. On Nov. 

 6th, 2850 men, mainly Illinoisans, embarked on four steamboats, 

 convoyed by the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, and dropped 

 down the river to Island No. 1, eleven miles above Columbus, 

 where they remained until 7am of the 7th, when they proceed- 

 ed to Hunter's Point, some two or three miles above the ferry, 

 connecting Columbus and Bellmont, where the whole array was 

 detarked on the Missouri shore, formed into line cf battle and 

 pushed forward as rapidly as possible, to overwhelm the some- 

 what inferior force of rebels iucamped at Bellmont. Though 

 stoutly resisted by the rebels the Union force reached the camp, 

 capturing the cam^ and driving the enemy completely over the 

 bank of the river. But by this time Major Gen. Polk command, 

 ing at Columbus, had been thoroughly waked up and perceiving 

 his camp in possession of our forces, sent over three regiments 

 under Gen Pillow, to the immediate relief of his sorely pressed 

 fugitives, while three others, under Gen, Cheatham, had been 

 landed between our soldiers and their boats, with the intent to 

 cut of their retreat: and finally, as his fears of an attack on Col- 

 umbus were dispelled, Polk himself crossed over with two addi- 

 tional regiments, making eight in all, or not less than 5000 men, 

 who were sent as re-inforcements to the three regiments under 

 Col. Tappan, who originally held the place. Of course our ex- 

 hausted and largely outnumbered soldiers could do nothing better 

 than-cut their way through the fresh troops, obstructing their 

 way to the boats, which they did with gallanory.'" 



We have quoted this lengthy account of this battle from ' 

 '•(ireeley's American Conflict,"' so that we may be able to relate 

 something that has never appeared in histoi'y. 



Some twenty-five years ago, comrade, .1. C. Clark, told the 

 writer that while we were surrounded by those re-inforcements, 

 from Columbus, that Grant, McClernand, Logan and others held 

 a conncll of war, and he heai-d (ieii. Grant declare that he "would 



