History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 47

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 47

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E. C. LITTLE.

LETTER NO. LXXII.

CAMP OF THE NINTH IOWA VOLUNTEERS, } HEIENA, August 18, 1862.

FRIEND RICH :- We are still encamped on our old ground, six miles west of town. The weather continues very warm, the thermometer standing 105 and 108 in the shade ; set it in the sun and it quickly runs up to 126. We have about one hundred sick at present, mostly fevers and diarrhea; none that I know of are very dangerous. Lieutenant Wright has been sick for some time, but I understand is now improv- ing. He is staying at a house a half mile from camp. Four deserters from Hindman's camp, at Little Rock, came into camp yesterday. They say an armed body with honnds was sent to hunt them, twenty having started in company. They hid for a while in a cane-break, but their whereabouts were discovered, and an attempt made to take them. The deserters shot the dogs and two men, when the party went back for reinforcements. So they divided up into squads of four, and this is the first arrival. They hid their arms outside our pickets, being afraid of coming up armed, thinking they might be shot. They express a determination to join the First Arkansas regiment, which belongs to our corps. They report a great deal of sickness in Hindman's camp, and scarcity of provisions. Hindman himself is very sick.

On Sunday last General Curtis started down the river with two gun- boats, and several transports loaded with troops. Some troops had gone down before. I do not know their destination; probably to pre- pare to take Vicksburgh; and if that be the case our division will move soon. Colonel Hovey's brigade has been out on an expedition to Clarendon, on White river, for twenty days or more. The expedition returned on Sunday morning, without having met the enemy in force, or so as to make a stand. They lost several men, shot while straggling.

The cotton crop is maturing fast here; corn nearly ripe; all kinds of vegetables very scarce.

WILLIAM SCOTT.

LETTER NO. I.XXIII, *

CAMP OF THE FIFTH IOWA, JACINTO, MISSISSIPPI, } August 20, 1802.

If one half of an old regiment was put into a new one, or the reverse, in one month you would be unable to distinguish the recruit from the old. This is the case in our own company. The recruit at once gets the benefit of all the experience of one year's ser- vice, which, as regards health and efficiency, is of immense value. Vol- unteers do not seem to understand what are the advantages of enlisting in an old instead of a new regiment. Our last recruits cannot be dis- tinguished from our old soldiers, either as regards efficiency of drill or knowledge of military duty. It cost us months of hard drilling to get our knowledge, but the recruit is surrounded by examples, so that he cannot well help himself, even if he would-he is bound to do it right.

I would like to see our old regiments filled up to their maximum with good, able-bodied men, but I would not like to see one enter the service who is not perfectly sound and able to stand the unusual hard- ships of military life, The Government has expended an enormous

- Extract from a private letter.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

amount of money on men who were never able to become efficient soldiers, who never did any good service, who continually filled the hospitals, and were a burden and hindrance often seriously felt by mili- tary commanders. A large proportion of the mortality in the army results from this fact. The health of our company has been, and is, indeed, good-better than I had anticipated. We have more than seventy fit for duty; and there has been no time during the summer when our number was smaller. We have lost by death in the whole regiment, for over thirteen months, something less than fifty; and there have been no deaths since June. If you can send us any good men to enlist in our company please do so. We are now lying near Jacinto, Mississippi, about forty miles south of the north line of the State. The country is poor and uninviting; not much room for the operation of recent war orders, relative to subsisting upon the country, etc.

I see by your paper you have exciting and unpleasant times about recruiting. I am afraid of one thing, and that is, that the Union men will all rush into the ranks, and leave the State in the hands of sympa. thizers with, and indifferent spectators of, this rebellion. I want to see a draft, and I hope the Union men will not be frightened by it. By this arrangement many of these wretches will be taken into the ranks, and they may possibly either be killed or cured of their sympathies. This is a good school for them; their views will soon here undergo a radical change.

A. B. LEWIS.

LETTER NO. LXXIV.

[Buchanan county men in the battle of Iuka .- Extracts from private letters.]

CAMP NEAR JACINTO, MISSISSIPPI, September 22, 1862.

DEAR SISTER :- We left this camp on the eighteenth, marched to Iuka, whipped Price and returned yesterday. The Fifth lowa have done nobly, but suffered terribly. The regiment went into battle with four hundred and eighty-two men, including officers, and had two hundred and nineteen killed and wounded. Lewis is wounded severely in the thigh, but will probably recover. I was in the whole of the engagement, and escaped without a scratch. All of our luggage was sent to Corinth before we left this camp. No regiment ever did better than ours, and the praises of the Fifth are on every hip. I will write again soon.

WILLIAM S. MARSHALL.

SAME PLACE AND DATE.

DEAR FATHER :- We have fought a hard battle, and I am safe and sound. But alas! one-half of those who took the field with us are either sleeping their long sleep or suffering from wounds. We went into action four hundred and forty-six strong, including twenty-five officers of the line; and had two hundred and thirty killed and wounded, thirteen being officers, of whom five are killed and eight wounded, some mortally. Our company lost only one killed and six wounded, as follows: Killed-John H. Towle, a young Irishman from Chicago, whom some will recollect as a printer in the Guardian office for a time, before the company left Independence. The wounded are: Lieutenant A. B. Lewis, in the thigh, seriously; W. W. Baughman, E. Chittester, Adam B. Kinsel, Sergeant William Bunce, and William Brown, very slightly.

Several shots came very near me-my bayonet being hit twice. Once the ball carried-away the point for about half an inch, and the second I was just rising from my knees, when crash came a bullet and hit it straight and square in the middle, and right between my eyes, as I leaned against it. Another spent ball hit me on the leg, but I did not mind that, or even feel it. Had not my bayonet been in the way, I should certainly have been killed; but the steel proved true, and I was saved. We left here on Thursday, the eighteenth, marched seven miles and camped. Next morning we again took the road, and at noon arrived within eight miles of luka, our destination. Here com- panies E and D were deployed as skirmishers, company E on the right and D on the left of the road, with company G in the centre as a re- serve. Firing soon commenced, and we drove the pickets five miler through the swamps and bogs, the awfulest place to navigate I eves saw. During the afternoon five rebels were shot, though none of our men were hurt. The rebels had the advantage, though they did not make much of it. We had often to cross open fields while they, from the shelter of the wood opposite, poured a perfect shower of bullets upon us. But still we kept on until, at the end of five miles, we were relieved and another regiment sent out as skirmishers. Filling our canteens our regiment, which had been in advance, marched along be- hind the new line. Suddenly the skirmishers came flying back upon us,

and following, came a terrific volley of musketry which made the woods ring. The regiment was immediately deployed in the woods, and soon commenced the most deafening roar I ever expect to hear. The can- non balls flew incessantly, and such a continuous whistling of bullets ensued as cannot be described. How any one escapes from theni sur- passes my understanding. The regiment on the left, being most ex- posed, suffered the greatest number of casualties. Company F lost thirty-six, while company E, on the right, lost but seven. Our regi- ment was posted behind a ridge which sheltered us. Three times the three right companies, E, G and D, charged over the hill and poured in their volleys at scarce one rod distance from the rebels, who were drawn up five regiments deep to receive us. Five times they charged upon us with five regiments, but each time we sent them back howling and gnashing their teeth.

But finally, being outflanked on both sides, and after standing an hour and twenty minutes the fire of more than five times their number in front, and a galling fire on either flank, and occasionally a heavy volley from our friends (?) in the rear, the left wing being out of ammu- nition, we were compelled slowly to retire, in order to allow another regiment to relieve us. They went in and we retired a few rods and lay down behind a fence. Strange as it may seem, amid the thousand and one confusions of a battlefield, the roar of thousands of rifles and batteries of artillery, and bursting of shells, I was soon asleep. After a tinie, which was but a moment to me, I was wakened. Darkness had put an end to the contest, and, moving a little further back, we lay down for the night. In the meantime General Grant had come up from Corinth to attack the enemy from the other side; but when daylight of Saturday dawned, the enemy had flown. We stayed on the field Sat- urday, engaged in the sad duty of burying our dead, and the day fol- lowing returned to our old camp. Our officers behaved nobly through- out. Towle was wounded twice. The first time he was ordered to leave the field, but would not; and, soon after, was shot dead.

OSCAR J. M. FULLER,

LETTER NO. LXXV.

CAMP NEAR IUKA, ARMY OF THE MISSOURI, September 21, 1862.

FRIEND RICH :- Another battle, surpassing in fierceness any that have been fought in the Southwest, has just been fought; and the heroes of New Madrid, Island No. 10, and Shiloh, have, as ever, been victorious, Price has been met and utterly routed by a force far inferior to his own, and compelled to beat a precipitate retreat, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. Rumors to the effect that the enemy intended making an attack on us had been in circu- lation for some time, as Price with a heavy force was advancing northward, threatening our line of defences on the Memphis & Charleston railroad, thus forcing General Rosecrans to evacuate Iuka. On the seventeenth instant the Third division, under command of General Hamilton, left Jacinto and moved in an easterly direction on the main Iuka road. The second brigade, consisting of the Fifth lowa, Twenty-sixth Missouri and Fourth Minnesota, had the advance and arrived at what is known as White's farm on the eighteenth in- stant. Continual skirmishing had been going on between the enemy's pickets and our cavalry, which comprised the Second lowa, Third Michigan, and another battalion the name of which I forget. The whole of our effective force, moving upon the enemy at this time, could not have exceeded five thousand, and they successfully engaged and repulsed the rebels with overwhelming loss, as the sequel will show. From White's farm to the field of battle the enemy's pickets became more daring, frequently firing upon us from every spot that could afford concealment, and contesting every inch of ground. The country over which our route lay was uneven and hilly, with numerous thickly settled ravines. Here and there were large clearings, which gave the rebels a good chance to harass our troops; but forward pushed the gallant boys over fences and fields, through woods, swamps and almost impenetrable morasses where they sank to their knees at almost every step. But nothing daunted, pushing the enemy steadily before then, they crowded on. This skirmishing force was under the com- mand of Lieutenant Colonel Sampson, ably seconded by captains Lee and Banbury and lieutenants Lewis, White and Sample. At 3 P. M. they were relieved by two companies of the Twenty-sixth Mis- souri, under Lieutenant Colonel Brown. Toward night the skirmish firing lulled, and many were led to believe that the enemy would make no stand at all, when, just as the head of the column was rounding a neck of woods, a tremendous volley was poured into uts from the front. The skirmishers, who were about two hundred yards in advance, were thrown into confusion for a few moments, but

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

they soon rallied and returned the fire with vigor. It soon became evident that the enemy had at least chosen his battle-ground, and whatever preparations we had to make must be made on the spur of the moment. The enemy had every advantage over us in regard to position, their infantry foree being posted on the right and left of the road, which wound along a high ridge extending east. The battle- ground is situated a mile and a half west of Iuka, and the line of op- posing forces extended at front from north to south. Our right was protected in part by the ridge, and our left was drawn up behind a thick belt of timber. Immediately in our rear was an open field, cut up with guilies and water courses, on which was placed our reserves, consisting of Ohio, Indiana and Missouri troops.

The line of battle thus formed was arranged as follows: The Fifth lowa filed to the right of the road, behind a small comb of the ridge, and were in the extreme advance. To their left was planted the Eleventh Ohio battery, supported by the Forty-eighth Indiana, while to their left were the Fourth Minnesota, Seventeenth lowa and Thirtieth Ohio. The formation of the ground would not permit the engaging of our whole force at the same time, and the enemy's fire was concentrated upon our centre in an attempt to break our line at this point and turn our right flank. All our preparations had to be made while exposed to a raking fire from masked batteries and musketry; but our veterans formed in line as coolly as if they had been going out on dress-p.trade. It was now 6 o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was just sinking behind some heavy clouds, tinging them with a significant line of fiery red. All were confident that the troops would lie on their arms that night and commence the contest on the morrow. Let it be remembered that the men had been marching for hours over rough and dusty roads and that the advance had been skirmisbing with the enemy all the afternoon, while no one had had a chance to make even a cup of coffee; and it will be readily perceived that our troops were not in the best condition for fighting. But their devotion, bravery and discipline overcame all obstacles. The Ohio battery, having got into position, commenced plunging a few shots in among the enemy to as- certain his location, but, for a time failed to elicit any reply. An ominous silence reigned along the lines, broken only by the heavy tramp of infantry and the rumble of artillery. So close were we to the rebels that we could distinetly hear them forming in line, and could distin- guish the commands of their officers, although the ridge hid them from our view. Soon a major came riding up to the centre, where stood the gallant Fifth, exclaiming, "Look out, boys, the rebel sharpshooters are coming just over the hill." The words of warning were hardly spoken when a broad sheet of flame issued from the battery and spread along the whole line. It seemed as if all the fiends of hell were let loose. The roar of artillery, the crash of musketry, the whistling balls and bursting shells, swelled up a volume of sound that was deafening. The battle now raged furiously on the right and centre. The Fifth, though opposed by overwhelming numbers, under Greene and Marton stubbornly held their ground and fought with the fiercest determina- tion. Three times they charged and drove the rebels over the brow of the hill at the point of the bayonet. Failing in their attempt to turn our right, the enemy charged on the battery. For some unaccounta- ble reason the supporting regiment gave way and the enemy took pos- session of the guns, but the fire of the infantry became too hot for them and they had to relinquish the ground. At times the guns of the combatants were muzzle to muzzle. Here our superiority with the bayonet was fairly proved, for, ebarging on them with a yell that could be heard above the roar of artillery, our boys routed them in every in- stance. Again the enemy attempted to turn our right, but the Third Michigan cavalry (Coloner Misner) took position on the extension of the extreme right flank, and repulsed them with great loss.

The rebels resorted to many treacherous devices to get within our lines, and once or twice they appeared with Union flags. Three des- perate attempts were made to capture the lowa F'ifth's stand of colors, but it was no go. The gallant boys who had marched under their folds for sixteen months, had no idea of relinquishing them to rebel hands, and they rallied and struggled with the most valorous heroism. By this time the cartridges were running low, but the brave Colonel Mathias, who never exhibited more sang froid in his life, still held them to their work. He was well aware of their critical position, but knew if they abandoned the field, the day was lost. At this juncture the Fifth was relieved by the Missouri troops, who stood nobly up to the work, and poured in a murderous fire until darkness put an end to the conflict. Generals Rosecrans, Hamilton and Sullivan were con- tinually on the ground, exposed to a heavy fire, urging and animating the troops by their presence. .

. When fighting ceased the bat- tle-ground was occupied by our troops, and all expected a renewal of

hostilities in the morning. The actual time that fighting continued was one hour and fifteen minutes, but to those who were in the hottest of the fire, it did not seem more than ten minutes.

Few prisoners were taken, but they agree that Price's force was much larger than ours; but say that it was impossible for any troops to withstand our fire. The rebel loss cannot fall short of eighteen bun- dred, in killed, wounded and missing. As evidence that the rebels were badly beaten, their wounded and prisoner were left at luka, the prisoners not even paroled. The Fifth suffered the most, as they were in the advance and bore the brunt of the conflict. Had they retreated, or even wavered, the day would have been irretrievably lost.

Of four hundred and forty-six who went into the engagement, two hundred and sixteen were killed, wounded, or missing. One thing is certain, the greatest battle ever fought in the southwest, considering the number engaged and shortness of time, took place on the eighteenth instant, at Iuka, Mississippi, and victory has perched on our banners. VERITAS.

LETTER NO. LXXVI.

C'AMP OF THE NINTH IOWA, NEAR HELENA, ARKANSAS, September 21, 1862.

FRIEND RICH: Until within a day or two, nothing of interest has transpired to relieve the dull monotony of camp life, since our arrival at this place. Those sweltering, scorching, dusty summer days, of which you have heard, have passed away; but they will ever remain bright in the memory of those who performed the march from Jacksonport to this place in the month of July, Anno Domini 1862. What a contrast between those never-to-be-forgotten days of endurance, and the beautiful, balmy September days we are now enjoying. The present season reminds me of one year ago, when we left our noble State to unite with others, many alas! never to return, in crushing out this monstrous rebellion, which is still shaking the whole civilized world with its gigantic death throes.

We have been having a little excitement in camp recently; and, after so long a period of quietude, it is about as refreshing to the average Hawkeye veteran, as a draught of cold water is to the same, on a hot and dusty march. The rebels have been getting bold for some time, and, three or four days since, word came that they had killed two of our provost guards about three miles from here, and the next morning another pieket was killed about daylight, nearer camp. He was shot in seven different places and killed instantly. A party of about seventy rebels were seen crossing the road in that vicinity, near the time of the shooting, and it was not long until the country was being scoured by cavalry sent in pursuit. Twenty-three prisoners have been captured and are now lodged in the guard-house. It is rumored that a large force of rebels is within twenty miles of us; and, in consequence, our pickets have been strengthened to prevent a surprise. At 3 o'clock last night revielle was beat and every man that was able was out and equipped, ready for anything that might turn up; but the day has passed quietly and we have performed our regular Sunday duties.

Colonel Vandever has five or six regiments in this brigade, and if the enemy are within reach, with him at our head, I am confident we shall give a good account of ourselves. There is not as much sickness in camp at present as there was a few weeks since. Captain Wright is on the gain, but is not yet able to resume bis duties; consequently the command of his company has devolved upon Lieutenant Sampson. The boys are in first rate spirits, although it has been hard on the duty men, on account of sickness and the amount of picketing we have had to perform. Our last squad of prisoners was captured by an ingenious ruse; "all is fair in war," you know. Some of our mien went to a secesh house disguised, and told the inmates that they would like to get on the track of the Federals, and so complete was the disguise in their butternut suits and carrying the regulation gun, that the woman of the house directed them to a place where eleven rebels lay concealed, waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon a squad of our men, then mount their horses and skedaddle to another hiding place. But this time they were outwitted, surrounded, and taken prisoners without any ceremony whatever. Adjutant Scott arrived here from home last H. P. WILBUR. Wednesday. He is looking well, and brought several packages for the boys of company ( ".

I.ETTER NO. LXXVII.

CAMP OF THE NINTH IOWA, } NEAR HELENA, October 3, 1862.

FRIEND RICH :- We have now been in active service twelve months. One year ago to-day we were in St. Louis, one thousand strong as a regiment our company containing one hundred and one men. The regiment now numbers seven hundred and fifty-nine men, and the re-

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

ports of company (", show a loss of twenty-six men.

A flag of truce came from Little Rock accompanying Colonel Adams of the confederate army, who was the bearer of dispatches to General Curtis. Their purport we have not learned. Some say they demand the surrender of the army, others that they inform the general that if he does not move his army they intend to drive it into the river-hard- ly think they will drive the army of the southwest very far.

. We have a good deal of guarding to do, as this brigade does picket duty for the whole army. A few days since the rebel Bush- whackers came up to our cavalry pickets and firing into them killed one of the Iowa Fourth, and wounded two others. We captured quite a number of prisoners, some of whom have been paroled, and others sent north, that they may get plenty to eat and some work to do. The confederates have quite a large force at Little Rock, commanded by Major General Holmes. Their men are scattered over this section of the country quite thick, and sometimes they come down and camp near our pickets. These are jayhawkers, and they would rather slip up to a guard and shoot him down, in regular savage style, than to come out boldly and fight in a civilized manner. If we were allowed to adopt their method of warfare in dealing with them, we should prosper better. We have men that can shoot just as straight as they can, but we are not allowed to shoot, but to take prisoners. They are brought into camp, kept in the guard-house a few days, and then they take the oath, get a pass outside the piekets, get their guns and go to soldiering again. They care no more about violating an oath of allegiance to the old Government; than they do about shooting off our pickets.

The cotton houses have all been burned, by whom it is not known -- one only is standing in this vicinity, and that is quite near camp and belongs to Mr. Allen Polk, a nephew of ex-President James K. Polk. It has been guarded very closely. Cotton is ripe and is being picked by the colored people on the plantations where there are any negroes left.

We see by the papers that the new regiments at Dubuque talk of hav- ing hald times. We look back to the time when we were there, with pleasure. Then and there we saw our pleasantest time-there we could see men, and once in a while catch a glimpse of the fairer sex. But for the past six months we have seen only Butternuts and "niggers,' unless some lady of the north came down to visit a friend or relative in the regiment-generally in the hospital. We have, of course, now and then seen a very few of Uncle Sam's men. Soldiers do not see very easy times when they have to march from ten to twenty miles per day in the scorching sun of Arkansas, and then are not able to rest at night for the musquitoes. But even then when the sun bursts through the branches of the mighty oaks, and the order "forward " comes to our ears, all past troubles are forgotten. Corporal James H. Merrill, of company C, died the third of September, and was buried in the burying-ground on Polk's plantation, where several other men of the regiment have found their last resting place. We see by the papers that Senator Foote, of Tennessee, has proposed to the rebel congress to negotiate a treaty of peace -- recognizing the southern confederacy, pay the expenses of the war, and they will probably be satisfied. They begin to think that this rebellion is not so much of a joke as they expected.

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 47

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574