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(Icstt'WWAnniverNarf of I’airie Cl rove.On a bright December clay. Herron's Command of the Army ofFrontier, composed of the Secondand Third Divisions, was quietly encamped on the south edge of the battle field of WMson's Creek, 12 miles southwest of Springfield, Mo.,At 12 o’clock, noon, of December Third Herron received a dispatch |t from General Blunt who wa^ in thecommand of the First Division ofthe Army of the Frontier at a place lt;called Cane Hill, some thirty miles ' southwest .of Fayetteville, Ark, ask- ■ ing him to reinforce him at. oncefor the confederates under the commandoT General Hindman we about to attack him, Herron at onlt;o lt;gave orders for the different regi- I meats to be ready to move at once, i and at 3 o’clock that afternoon, we lt;started in a southwest course and marched until Nine o’clock, camping at a place called Crane Creek.Dec. 4th, started at 4 o'clock in the morning and marched to Cass-ville. Dec. 5th, started at 5 o'clock a. m., and marched to Sugar Creek on the south edge of the Pea Itidge battlefield, distance 31 miles. This even ng the boys were awfully tired. 6th, started at 6 o’clock a. m. stopped at Cross Hollow for dinner. Stopped lor supper in the evening and had for supper Flour, only, aftersupper Col. McFarland made us aspeech, and told us that we would be called on to perform that Important duty that he great state of Iowa sent us to the field to do, that was to meet the enemy on the field of battle, as there was a large force of the enemy at Fayetteville, we then started again feeling somewhat in doubt as to what the morrow would bring forth, marched to Favetteville but found no Johnies there, distance 12 miles. The night was cool and frosty.Dec. 7th, started at four o'clock a. m. and marched to lllinosl Creekon the edge of the battle field ofPrairie Grove, total distance 124 miles, unparalelled forced march inthe history of the Civil War, considering the newness of the troops for they had just three months before come from their home. Among the troops In Herron's command was the 19th and 20tih Iowa, 37th and 94th Ills., Twentieth Wisconsin and 26th Indiana Inf. Regiments and the 1st Iowa, 1st, 7th and 8thMo., 1st Ark. Union, and 10th 111., Cavs. and Murphy’s, Backhoff’s, and Faust’s and Doric’s Missouri batteries. There were some other troop that I have not got the names of at this time.Just before the battle, what wjis our thoughts, 1 can’t, describe them, we knew there was a clash of arms before us, but what it was the new troups vv.th no experience could not tell. Thoughts went back to the dear spots in our northern homes,thoughts of sadness and enxlety, where depicted on every hand, what the feelings of those who were to fall soon the Lord only knows But U Is well known that many a soldier expressed himself! just fore an engagement that it would«*«
Newspaper Details
Washington Democrat
Washington, Iowa, US
Wed, Dec 13, 1911
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 27 Jul 2019
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