USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Reunion of the Second Iowa Cavalry Veteran Association, 1895 > Part 3
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From my boyhood I had been a sincere admirer of Louis Kossuth, the Hun- garian exile. I remembered very distinctly the kind of hat he wore, with a long plume in it. It was copied to some extent in this country, and the "Kos- suth hat" became very popular. It was a hat similar to that in style that the government furnished its soldier; so when I drew my first hat from the govern- ment, with guilt crossed sabres in front, a guilt spread eagle on the right side, a black plume trailing gracefully backward on the left side, I was very proud of it. But one plume did not satisfy me, so by the time we had entered into active service in the field I had become posessed of six very nice plumes which I had arranged in an artistic manner so that it looked like one innense plume. My memory fails me at this late day, as to how I obtained those plumes, but I probably bought them[?] But that hat was, in my opinion, decidedly a "dandy". As we emerged into the open field, perhaps a dozen of us, riding somewhat in disorder as I have said, Major Love commanding the battallion, and Capt. Bishop commanding "I" Company, reined in their horses and held a consultation as to whether it was prudent to advance any farther with the small number of men then present. From where we were the ground sloped down to a
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small creek about 500 yards away. with a corresponding rise on the other side of the creek, but with no clearing. Two men were seen to emerge from the brush on the far side of the creck, cross the road and disappear in the brush. They were on foot and were dressed in dark blue clothes. . Some one remarked, "Those are our men." Another said, "No, we have no one in advance of us, and if they were our men they would be mounted." At this juncture Major Love said, "For- ward boys, and see what they are " I was one of the third set of " twos" and had just reached the bridge when, bang! bang !! sounded several reports of fire arms, but of what nature or calibre we did not then know; the dirt and gravel from the road filled our faces but we dashed on; when in an instant several heavier re- ports sounded and we began to hesitate, it was getting a little hot, the man next to me had his bridle bit shot away and his horse became unmanageable, another had his rifle knocked from his hand, but we could not see a man of the enemy.
Back in the edge of the clearing at the first report, Capt. Bishop, a Regular Army officer who had seen service, said to Major Love; "That is Cannon." "No it isn't," said Love, 'Forward." At the second discharge Bishop said, "I tell you Major, that is Cannon, you had better have the recall sounded." Love an - swered as before, "Forward." By the time the third discharge sounded we did not need any "Recall."
As we recrossed the bridge; Love sang out, "Scatter," and we scattered. I bore off to the right, leaped the fence that surrounded the orchard and as I rode under an apple tree an unfriendly limb picked my hat from my head, that lovely hat, and I have never seen or heard of it from that day to this. I spurr- ed on, my anburn locks floating ont to the breeze; I thought of what my fath- er said to me when I enlisted. Himself a veteran of the war of 1812, he gave me his blessing and a dollar bill and said, "My son don't get shot in the back," but how could I help it (?) if the enemy saw fit to take advantage of my posi- tion; my horse was bound to go towards camp, (with the aid of my spurs) and I was not proficient enough in the art of horsemanship at that time to ride backwards.
At this time there rode up on my left James Bontrager a member of my Co who said to me "Curly I am hit." Iasked him where and he said "in the leg." [ asked him if he could sit his horse, he replied, "I don't know, I'll try." I told him to keep along with me and I would help him, but the tide of retreat carried him to the left and we became separated. No sooner had he left me than Ben - ton Smith rode up on my left and said: "Curly I've got it." I asked him where he was hit and he replied " in the leg." I asked him if he could sit his horse and he replied, "I don't know, I'll try. I told him to keep along with me and I would assist him, but he bore off to the left and we became separated also. , At this instant Wm. Bremner rode up on my left, his gun thrown away, his bridle reins lying loose across his horses neck, his arms swinging wildly in the air over his head, and he making frantic efforts with spur and shout to urge his horse to greater speed. I said to him, "Bill are you hit," and he said "O Cur- ly my back is broke." Lasked him if he could sit his horse, but before he could reply, a missile from the enemy's guns struck his horse in the fleshy part of the thigh, passed into his body and brought him to the ground. Bill landed on his feet, unbuckled his belt, containing liis saber and revolver, threw it on the dy- ing animal, and ran like an Indian. By this time I had regained the woods. I rode a short distance down the road and seeing a hat lying on the ground, I stopped, dismounted and put it on, thinking all the while that the man who lost it was very foolish to leave his bat there, at that, as I supposed, safe dis- tance from those merciless guns. I was like the Ostrich, who when alarmed, buries her head out of sight, and thinks she is safe. I was in the woods where the "rebs" could not see me and I thought I was safe. My horse by this time was badly blown, for although I had ridden quite fast while going towards the enemy, I was astonished at the burst of speed that horse exhibited in getting
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away from them. (Still aided by my spurs.) The hat fitted ine but it was de- void of "Gilt Sabres," "Spread Eagles" and " Plumes." It was simply an old s'ouch army hat. I subdued my pride as best I could at having to go back to camp shorn of my glory, and minus my tail feathers, so to speak, and I stood on the ground caressing my noble horse who had carried me so well and safely when a shell or solid shot, I did not wait to see which, struck the ground with- in six feet of me, throwing up the earth and filling my faco and eyes with dirt and gravel, buried itself out of sight, I was admonished by the enemy that they knew right where I was, and were trying to save me from the disgrace of wearing that old hat back into camp, by killing me on the spot. Butlife is sweet even with an old hat, and Frode on. ] soon met the advance guard of Infantry and in answer to the Capt tin commanding, explained the situation. Iasked him if he had met any of the Cavalry, and he said I was the first man. How I lov- ed that horse then. The Captain instructed me to go back and order up an ambulance, which I did. The wounded were loaded in and I with three others was detailed as escort back to camp. Bontrager and Smith were sent to the hospital and as soon as able, home. Bremner's back was not broken, but he had been struck in the back by the end cap of the "eage" or "cylinder" which surrounds . Grape-shot."
It was a little singular that these three men, all members of my own com- pany and the only men who were wounded, should one after the other, ride up on iny left, and that almost the same conversation should pass between us. And it was singular also, that from all the firing the enemy did, only one man should be killed and three wounded, which goes to prove that it takes a good many pounds of lead and iron to kill a man in battle.
How the " Johnnies" must have laughed to see me riding from under my hat, as I laughed in the after years of the war, to see often one of them riding from under his hat as we would be chasing them at full speed down some road.
And how my blood has boiled at times to think how some unregenerate rebel who had not the fear of God or man in his heart, deliberately walk out, pick up my lovely hat and thereafter wear it, at once the pride and envy of my com- rades. Or perhaps taking off those beautiful plumes and sending them to his sweetheart in the Sunny Southland, as a Yankee trophy for her, with which to deck her bonnet along with the Stars and Bars.
When we started out in the morning we fully expected to be marching home the next day, the rebellion put down, the stars and stripes floating over every state in the Union. But as it is not given to every man to carry. a life-line to a sinking ship so it was not given to the 2nd Iowa Cavalry to put down the re- bellion alone and unaided.
[ Since the above was put in type the following invitation was received by your secretary which is self-explanatory :|
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence W. Royce announce the marriage of Mrs. Ruth Anna Smith nee Alden, to Mr. Hervey Elliott Jones, November 21st, 1895, at 3614 Tyson street, Tacony, Philadelphia.
Our old comrade will accept the congratulations of every member of the 2d Lowa Cavalry. Mr. and Mrs. Jones will be at Davenport, if living.
The following report of the Memorial Committee was received and ordered placed on minutes.
Report of deaths in 2d lowa Cavalry since its last reunion at Mason City in 1893: Baltzer D. Beasaw, Co. H, at Jefferson, la., Sept. 7, 1895; H1 E. Morris, Co. K, at horne, 1007 North Washington street, Peoria, Ills .; Alexander N. Bird, Co. F, August, 1895; Ebenezer Acheson, Co. M, Wayne Co., lowa, Feb. 2, 1894; Robert G. Harris, Co. K, in Des Moines, by drowning May 28, 1895; Jackson C. Smith, Co. I, at home Washington, Iowa, Oct. 4, 1894; Adel-
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bert Norton, Co. G, Ladora, lowa Co., Nov. 22, 1893; Jacob Lunenberger, Co. HI, Solon, la., Feb. 28, 1895; Robert Andrews, Co. B, Gilmore, la., April 22, 1895; W. H. Pope, Co. C. Pleasant Valley, April, 1895; Erastus Bennett, Co. C, killed with harvester; John M. Tyner, Co. B, Feb. 15, 1894; Horace Schenck, Albona, Ia., Sept. 21, 1894, injuries received in cyclone; John Kite, Co. M, near Andrew April 27, 1894; W. W. Branscomb, Co. M, near Andrew, March 25, 1894; F. A. Daylor, Hudson, Wis., Jan. 3, 1895; Gen. Datus E. Coon; Major Foster, Co. MI, Preston, Ia., Sept , 1894; Capt. Bishop; Frank Berline, Co. H. Iowa City, July. ISop.
There are quite a number in the above list that if space wall permit show! i have special mention at length but this cannot be as the computer grie ves all worthy. Your secretary canna refrain however in stating that at Mcon City almost the last commade with whom be bade farewell was Capt. | C Smith of Co "I" and in putting he clasped my hand so warmly saying "I have so enjoyed this reuniom, God bless you." Capt. Smith was a splmhi repre sentative of the best type of the American citizen soldier Gen. Coom, Major Foster and Capt Bishop were duly mentioned in the list Minutes and they. with their comrades now gone, we can only hope are in the fullest enjoyment of all that heaven is or means. . The above list is proof that our comrades are 'Falling, falling, one by one "
The talks from the Jones brothers are at all times well received by the com- rades of the old regiment. At this point Mrs E S Plumley favored the an- dience with a beautiful solo entitled "Round the Campfire." After which Mi-s Elizabeth Lilly, daughter of Ben E Lilly, of Co. G, was introduced and rec'. ted a poem on the Farmington charge. This poem by Miss Lilly was one of the special features of the campfire and is as follows.
CHARGE OF THE 2ND IOWA CAVALRY AT FARMINGTON Comrades, many a year and day Have fled since that glorious gth of May When we made the charge at Farmington. But until our day's on earth are done Our blood will burn, and our hearts beat fast As we tell of the glorious moments we passed When we rode on the guns with a mighty shout And saved Paine's army from utter rout; And our children in years to come will tell How the 2nd rode through the shot and shell Rode with a cheer on that gth of May And held the whole rebel army at bay. * Behind lay the swamp, a dank morass. A marsh-no horse nor man could pass Save by one road, one narrow way. But beyond that road our safety lay, In front rose the hills which the rebels held With his howling cannon that raked and shelled Our troops.
We lay in the center. Paine, Our general, saw he must cross again The narrow road, or his men were lost. The road was narrow. It must be crossed. And crossed in haste, and the deadly rain Of the rebel guns "Must be stopped!' said Paine Twenty-four cannon thundered and roared! Twenty-four cannon into us poured
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A hail of death, and behind them lay The rebel army in strong array! Twenty-four cannon ! A devil's den Backed by full hfteen thousand men. Must be held at bay till our troops could pass In order over the dank morass.
Up to where the cavalry stand Waiting in order the word of command, Gallops Paine. And his mighty shout Rings the daring order out . Take and hold that battery ! Take it! Whatever the hazards be !"
"Attention !" All is attention there ! . Draw sabers!" They flash in the startled air ! ' Forward ! Gallop ! March !" Away We ride. We must show our steel today ! "Gallop ! Charge !" On the rebel ears Ring the thundering Yankee cheers ! And on, like a wave of a maddened sea, On- Dash the lowa cavalry ! Into the torrents of shot and shell That shrieks and screams like the fiends of hell !
Into the torrent of shot that kills ! Into the torrent of shell that stills The cheer on many a lip, we ride Like the onward rush of a whirling tide
Up to the cannon's month. Our cheers Curdle the blood of the cannoneers. To right and left from his silenced guns In wild retreat the rebel runs, And the charge of the lowa cavalry Rushes on !
Can yon stop the sea
When the storm waves break on the sandy shore Driving the driftwood awrack ? No more Can the rebel resist the terrible charge As we ride right up to their army's marge They waver --- the fifteen thousand men, -
Waver and rally, and waver, and then Our work is done.
Paine's men had crossed The swamp while our little band was lost In the smoke and dust of the eager ride, And are safe at last on the other side. Then weride back ! We had saved the day By holding the whole rebel army at bay. While Paine made a hasty and safe retreat Over the swamp. We had conquered defeat !
1
Comrades, many a year and day Have fed since that glorious gth of May
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When we made the charge at Farmington And our time on earth is almost run, But when we are gone our children will tell How we rode through the rebel shots and shell How we rode on the guns with a mighty shout, And saved Paine's army from utter route.
And carved in the temple of glory shall be The roll of the 2nd cavalry.
The brave old 2d, that never knew A deed too hard or too rash to do The brave old 2d, that would have spurred Into Hell Itself, if Hatch said the word.
Miss Lilly proved to be a great favorite with the old comrades during the reunion. Following her recitation Comrade W A Burnap gave a most unique recitation on this famous charge, which was interspersed by the old, time bugle calls in regular order as the poem progressed from the start of the charge until the recall. The bugler giving these calls was Comrade Mat Errickson, of In- lianola, lowa, and formerly Chief Bugler of the 7th Illinois Cavalry, who was present and enjoyed the reunion almost as though it had been his own.
The Campfire closed by a talk from Comrade Edd Jones, of Kansas, who as usual raised the enthusiasm of the old regiment to its fullest capacity. He had just come from the field of carnage in which he and Hoke Smith had fought a battle to the finish and the old 2d Cavalry was victorious. They had three en- gagements but Edd finally downed Hoke and was at that time still drawing his pension. It is noticeable that this popular comrade is with the rest of the boys growing old, but so long as his white head is warm he will continue to meet in reunion. At the close of his talk which was entirely extempore the session adjourned and the boys going to the hotel bunched off in squads and continued to talk over old times and scenes until the wee hours of the night.
THURSDAY, OCT 3-9 A. M.
The comrades assembled at the Tabernacle were called to order at ga m by President Bell and after prayer by Chaplin Albrook, a session was held at which the following officers were elected and other business transacted: Presi- dent, Col. Henry Egbert, of Davenport; Vice President, Capt J. H Freeman, Leroy, Ohio; Secretary and Treasurer, E. T. Rigby, Davenport, Chaplain, Kev J. B. Albrook, D. D. Mt. Vernon, Ia. On motion Davenport was chosen as the next place to meet in reunion. Committees -- Executive, Col Horton, of Muscatine, Capt Rumple, of Maringo, and' C. F. Cadle, of Muscatine; On Railroad and Transportation, H. B. Sudlow, and Geo. Ady. The Committee on Resolutions reported-see resolutions.
After the business hour the comrades were at liberty to spend the time un- til the banquet, at one o'clock, just as they desired.
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AFTERNOON SESSION.
The banquet was served in the great hall at one p. m. and at that hour ev- ery plate was taken and the old 2d lowa Cavalry was seated around the same table. It was indeed a sight to impress all who looked upon it. This part of the reunion was opened with singing "The Red, White and Blue," led by Dr. Rigby, Bessie Egbert and H. J. Bennett, the comrades joining in the cho- rus. The banquet proper being ended and all voting it a grand success, came toasts and speeches from comrades and others. The first called out was Com- rade Geo. Ady, of Denver, who gave quite a lengthy account of the operations of the regiment from Birds Point to the battle of Corinth, all of which was in- teresting to the comrades as it brought to memory many incidents long forgot- ten. After describing many things which took place about Corinth he comes to. 10 the battle and says:
Soon after this we were ordered by some one to go out the Chewalla road as far as we could and "feel the enemy." This was always considered a very singular order, as the two skirmish lines were quite close, and the enemy was expected to attack in full force at any moment. We " felt" them as plainly as we desired where we were. However, we obeyed. but did not go far. As we sheltered ourselves behind our horses as best we could, several men and horses were wounded, but not seriously. Our first Sergeant (afterwards Captain) had, a few days before, lost his only brother, who was first Sergeant, Company 11, Eleventh lowa Infantry, who had been killed after he was taken prisoner at Medon Station, Tennessee, and was feeling very revengful over the savage deed, which deprived him of his brother. While we were remaining in front of the enemy's skirmish line a few moments, he crept down the road to a stump, laid his gun across it and waited for a Confederate skirmisher with a straw hat. who was firing from behind a tree, and had just shot one of our men through the arin and his horse through the neck with the same ball. When he again leaned around the tree to fire, he was shot dead. I saw him in the afternoon lying in the same spot by the big tree. The Sergeant came back, and saying, "there's one for Bill" took his place quietly and said nothing more on the subject. We returned within our lines, the Captain reported what we had done and we were ordered to the regiment at the Corral. We had scarcely arrived there when the battle opened in earnest and the Confederates made their grand assault. The artillery and musketry firing was the heaviest I ever heard. It was so concentrated that no part of the firing was any great distance from where we were. In the midst of the heaviest fighting an order came for our regiment to make a change on the extreme right, where the enemy were over- laping our line, We'started our horses on the run amiid the contrabands, sutlers, teamsters, stragglers, everything going to the rear. The enemy had apparently been successful, and had broken our line in one place and got into the streets of Corinth, thus creating great consternation among the non-com- batants. As we ran our horses close to the forts, the heavy guns were firing rapidly over our heads, and the dust and smoke were so thick, we could not see and could scarcely breathe. Just in front, and under the guns, my horse fell with me against the stump of a tree. Both the horse and myself were too badly hurt to get up for some time, but an artillery soldier who happened along pulled the horse off me, and I lay there on the ground until the battle was nearly over, too badly hurt to be particularly interested in anything. After 1 had got back to camp I recovered sufficiently along towards evening to be helped on my horse and go in search of the regiment. I went across to the
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held-hospital, just east of the forts and saw there such a sight as I never saw on any other occasion. The wounded had been brought in from the battle- field by the thousands, and there, under awnings and trees, were many operating tables with surgeons, their sleeves rolled up, many of them bloody from their heads to their feet, were plying their instruments on the broken, torn and crushed limbs and bodies of the unfortunate wounded. I saw big army wagons and six-mule teams loading up with the arms and legs that had been cut off. There is a glory about being a soldier and seeing danger and fighting, that never wore off during our days of hunger and thirst and hard marches and ex- posures. but this sort of a thing brought us down to the horrible realities of war quicker than anything else. However, as I have been detailed to tell here what I saw and not what I felt. I pass on.
I next went past Battery Robinet, where I saw dead men lying thicker than I ever saw them on any other field, and out on the Chewalla road. The battle had been over some time and nearly all the wounded had been by this time re- moved; I met an officer coming from the front with his coat off and his neck fed up, and was told it was Colonel Mower, afterwards one of our best fighting corps commanders. He had been shot across the back of the neck in the morning, knocked from his horse and taken prisoner When the enemy were whipped they went away and left hun free in their field-hospital and be started afoot to find his command. Iwent over towards the Purdy road and saw where some of the hardest fighting had been done. On each side of a gentle ravine or hollow the dead lay in two long straight lines, one blue and the other butternut. None of the dead seemed more than a few feet out of line. The lines looked like they were dressed up as for parade and it was a grim and ghastly one-their last. I found the regiment returning to the Corral, and that night we got some rest, but still neither feed nor water for my horse. The next morning we started early after the retreating enemy, went out the Purdy road, then crossed over toward the Chewalla road and about noon watered and fed our horses; this was on the 5th, and you can judge of the endurance of a poor old cavalry horse, by what mine went through, from the morning of the 3rd to this time.
Late in the evening we reached Chewalla and camped for the night. Re- member that camping under such circumstances meant getting some corn and fodder for our horses if we could, and then lying down in line in the woods, with our horses tied to our wrists or ankles. We had only gotten comfortably fix- ed, when we were ordered to march again, and took the road to Corinth. It seems there had been a dash by the rebel cavalry on the camps to the south of Corinth, and we were needed in that direction. Our march by moon light was from Chewalla to Corinth, over the ground that had been fought over two days previously. Soon we came to the dead, most of them still unburied and passed byshundreds of them, the gray and the blue, we could not tell the difference in the moonlight and shadow, they lay there stiff and stark, under the trees and along the fence.rows, in all kinds of places, they had got through their fighting but we, tired, sore and hungry, and knowing nothing of the morrow, had to ride along until our time should come and we should get our "plantation" down south, as we used to call the graves. And the stench-anyone who has been upon a battlefield, especially at night, in that hot country, never forgets that part of it. Before daylight we had passed through Corinth and out to the " southwest of the town where the attack had been made and where another was feared at once. The charge upon our camp had been made by part of a regi- ment of Mississippi home guards, partisan rangers, they called themselves, and the sick and convalescent in camp and regimental hospitals, the "home guards" rallied and repulsed them. Among the killed was the major who commanded the enemy and the next morning we saw his grave by the road side with his hand sticking ont "so his friends could 'shake' when they came to see him" the boys said. I heard of such things at other times during the war, but that was
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