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SYNOPSIS—The first alarm; approaching the battle field, confusion of wagon trains, panic among the Arkansas cavalry, getting into position, feeling the enemy, battle of Prairie Grove, disasters on our left, charge of my regiment, the 20th Iowa, terrible artillery firing, critical situation, arrival of Gen. Blunt, night and victory; the day after the battle, rebel hospitals, wounded men eaten by hogs, burying our dead.On the 15t?h day of August 1862, five full companies fronf Scott county and five from Linn county, Iowa, reported in camp at Clinton, and were at once organized, forming tne 20th regiment, Iowa volunteer infantry, Wra McE Dye, formerly holding rank as captain in the regular army, having already received the appointment of colonel and assumed command of the regiment immedi'ateiy after its organization. Joseph B. Leake, Esq , of Davenport, then state senator, entered the service as a private in Oompny G, which he had assisted in recruiting, and had been chosen as its first captain, and was at once promoted to lleutenant-colenel; Wm, G. Thompson, Esd?, of Cedar Rapids, a distinguished member of the *legal profession, was chosen major, and on the 2.0th of August, 1862, the 20th regiment, Iowa volunteer infantry, was mustered into the United States service, 1,009 good and true men as ever leftJthQ state of Iowa,I will now tell you of where we find ourselves on the 4t*h day of December, 1862 At 2 o’clock a. m on that day we left Camp Lyon, the battlefield of Wilson’s creek, where Gen Lyon was killed the year before, and took the road leading toward Cassvilie. marching rapidly until daybreak, when we came upon the 3d division. Many of our men who had drawn new shoes and were now wearing them for the first time, were compelled after marching a few miles to take tnem off, as their feet had become badly blistered Having been for some time previously without shoes and marching barefooted. they now felt uncomfortable, and I observed more of them carried acrossrifle barrels and hanging to knap sacks than were worn on feet.On the morning of the 7th of December at 3 o'clock a. m we find ourselves nine miles south of Fayetteville agd within three* miles of Prairie Grove, having marched the unprecedented forced inarch of 118 tpilee in three davs, and while in the* act of searching ou* empty haversacks for a few stray cracker crumbs, we were suddenly started by tiavy discharges i of artillery, apparently but a short distance from us on the Cane Hill road.| For a moment our motions were suspended In amazement-and men looked into their corr^rades* faces with blank astonishment*' This surprise, however,nq ^cno OAAti oO 1 1each man throwing down whatever ra~! tions were in his hands, sprang to his rifle. Orders were then, given to load, at will, rignt face, forward march in quick time on the road leading to Prairie Grove. Occasionally as the sound increased our pace was accelerated to double Quick. After going -some two miles our progress * was somewhat impeded 'by a confusion of wagon trains belonging to the Arkansas loyal cavalry, which escaped capture by the enemy. These trains, owing to the panic of the teamsters, were so jammed together as to eompleHyblock up- the road, and many of thedriv* rn dlspairlng of extricating them bad abandons! the effort and were flying inward Fayetteville for safetyAfter picking our way through kickingmules and frightened drivers, we again hurried forward a short distance when we met a large number of the cavalry themselves minus hats and guns and likewise going toward Fayetteville at the utmost spead of their horses. This exhibition of alarm was ludicrous in the extreme exciting among our men mueu hi tighter as they passed us. and matei tally disparaged the valor of the man on the horse in our estimation They were utterly pan lest rieken You might shout dastard and coward at them. th«j admitted all and dashedonAs * he sound of the battle increased many of our men who had fallen out from slt; re feet were constantly overtaking the regiment and getting into their places, determined to participate In the battle Notwithstanding the excitement occasioned by our near approach to* the battlefield I could not avoid a feeling of pride that my regiment was made up of such material, and admiration of the heroism which enabled these brave boya to disregard the pain occasioned by lacerated and bleeding f*et and put forth such extraordinary efforts to join their comrades and share with them the dange a of the battle Such an exhibition of braverv and determination was well caJculatMl to inspire us with omfldenre and give ample assurance that cuch men wen* possessed of a spirit vvhhh was urn* nquerable and which Victory or Death ’ alone would satisfy We now na-st a number of ambulancesstar Mng mar the side of the road to vvhuh a few wounded men from the f Third di\.ion. which had now engaged the enc my were being brought After passing these vvc halted In a newlv cleared field on the right of the road and about half a mile from a small creek 'I he battery of light artillery commanded ny Capt Murphy now passed us when we resumed our march in the rear of it arriving near the crectr*we filed up the road to the right andhalted lb’ 37th Illinois which was In our rmi now curoe up ami on arriving parallel with our regiment also halted when vvc all lay down to wait further coders The creek was just in front of us the bank on the opposite side being high and completely lt;on-cealing -dejects beyond from our view Capt Murphy now by orders of Gen Herron pushed his battery across thecreek to the summit of the bank beyond. where he unlirabered and immediately commenced feeling the enemy who were posted on the hill beyond a cornfield which here terminated on the creek. After a few shots had been fired from our battery, the enemy’s batteries seemed all at oqce inspirednf| 4 ^ ^ 0-t r ++ ♦ ^tion of affairs In our locality, when they opened furiously, their shots doing great execution among the tree tops on either side of us, while the enemy’s attention was directed to Murphy’s battery. Gen. Herron having ascertained their poslthm-^moved other batteries to positions on the left, when Murphy was removed further to the right After all the batteries had been placed In position we were ordered forward, when we crossed the creek, marching by the flank, filed to the ( right past the battery and found ourselves in a large cornfield which intervened between the creek and theposition held by the rebels on the hill After crossing the creek the remainder of pur brigade turned to the left and formed in line of battle on the right of the Third division We continued our march by the flank through the cornfield. constantly annoyed by the rebel skirmisher* and tdiarp shooters .who were concealed in the woods and behind fences, until we had arrived in the open field beyond where we halted in line behind a rail fence In passing through *he cornfield one fences (hithe summit of the hill at intervale of perhaps half a mile y^ere farm houses and beyond them a heavy forest of timber The rebet army were posted on this high ground, their advance line occupying positions behind fences. On the summit of the hill at buildings along the side of the hill Lieut Marr with three pieces of battery F, First Missouri light artilery. was posted on our left and filled up the gap between ray regiment and the 37th Illinois. There were, no forces of our own army posted on our right and we therefore occupied the extreme right of our army Twenty men of Company A,under Lieut. Drake, were thrown outas skirmishers to protect us from surprise in the rear, and operate on our right flank Opposite the left of my regiment on J.he hill was a large farm house and an orchard on the north with a big stone fence intervening between that and the house The house itself was occupied by rebel sharp shooters who kept up a steady galling fire on us while we remained in our first position their bullets striking tne rails in our front and falling amoug our men as we lay behind the fence Lieut Marr now advanced his battery and we were ordered forward to its support Our men promptly arose at the order, climbed the fence and fired a volley into the Stubblefield which sent the rnbel skirmishers tuis-tih back up tin hill Alter moving forward a short distance the battery was ordered back and at the same time a cavalry force was discovered forming in the field on our right By order of Col McE. Dve the regiment ini me diately faced about and changed front to meet the expected charge on ourright flank, but the cavalry proving tobe the advance of Gen Blunt’s forces we resumed our former position The firing by other portions of lt;ur brigade and the Third division was now heavyand continuous and a charge by the 19th Iowa and the 20th Wisconsin was made, tney advanced gallantly under agalling fire until the rebel battery was reached and captured, when the enemy rallied in overwhelming numbers and drove them back with heavy loss The 26th Indiana and the 37th Illinois of our brigade now moved up and made adesperate attempt to break the rebelline, but after a sharp and almost arfback, followed by the rebels with deafening yells.This was the most critical moment of the day Under these successive disasters the morale of the troops composing our left whag was weakened and had rebel Gen. Hindman now availed himself of his overwhelming numbers to follow up the repulse by advancing his Hoes to the charge, our little army would have been pulverized(Continued Next Week.)Weekly Mail fl 00 a year with Dewey portrait.
Newspaper Details
Moline Weekly Mail
Moline, Illinois, US
Thu, Sep 21, 1899
Page 7
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USA 09 Nov 2020
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