St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-08-29
The First Iowa Regiment.

J. NJ. ScorrELp, Acting Adjutam General.
DEAR Sri have the honor TO sub
init the following report of the par
taken by the Iowa troops in the late
holly contested battle Of " Wilson's
Crcck."
At o'clock p. NJ, Of the 9th inst.
the First Regiment of Iowa Volunteers
under command Of Lieut.. Col. VIM. II
Merritt, Col. j. +. Bates being sick
united with the forces at Springfield
under command Of Gen. Lyon, anC
commenced the march to Wilson's
Creek, twelve miles distant. Arriv
ing within three miles of the encmy's
camp and in close proximity of thcil
pickcts, the order was given to halt
The troops lay OH their arms till
o'clock \. M. of the 10th inst, wher
they advanced on the enemy's lines
About 5 O'Clock A. NJ. our advanced
skirmishers engaged the cncmy's pick
cts and drove them in. The First
Missouri and First Kansas Volunteers
and q battalion of regular infantry
under command of Capt. Plumber
with Tottcn's Battery, very soon en-
gagged a very considerable number o.
the rebel forces
| Dubois battery took position q
short distance cast Of where the enc
my were being engaged, and the Iowa
troops were drawn up in line Of battle
on its left A brisk fire was com
menccd and kept up for thirty minutes
The enemy responded promptly with
a battery in the ravinc, but their shot
passed from ten to one hundred feet
over our heads. Detailed Company
d, First Lieutenant Heller command
ing, and Company +, First Lictcnant
Abcrcrombic commanding, to act as
skirmishcrs in advance of my line
Ordered to advance over the hill, ell
gage the enemy and relieve the Firs
Regiment Of Kansas Volunteers. Ii
advancing to engage the enemy, me-
the First Kansas rctrcating in confu
sion. They broke through our line OF
the right, separating Companies \
and + from the balance of the com
mand. While in this confused state
we received murdcrous fire from the
cnemy's infantry. Gave the command
to fall back and reform the line
The din of firearms and the loud talk
ing of the troops drowned my voice
so that the command could not bt
heard on the left. Led the two com
panies, A and F over the hill, halted
them and ordered them to about face
and fire on squad of the enemy.
cavalry, advancing to charge on ;
section of Tottcn's battery. The tirt
was executed with promptncss anC
effect, and after receiving the dis
charge from the battery, the enemy
retired in double quick time, leaving
number Of dead and wounded on the
field. Ordered companies a and
to hold their position until further or
dcrs, and then returned to companies
|, c, II, X, G and I, who had beer
left facing the cncmy's line found
our troops advancing under CALLING
| fire from the encmy's infantry. After
rcpulsing the enemy they fell back il
good order. Ordered Major a. B. Por
ter to proceed to the rear and take
command Of four companies, A, i, /
and f, there stationed. Held our pc
siton in front for five hours, alternat
| ly advancing and retiring as the APP
preach and repulse Of the enemy made
it necessary 10 do So In every charg,
the enemy made, we repulscd then
and drove them into the ravinc below
| About - o'clock NJ, the order was
given to retire from the field, which
was done in good order. AS we re
tired over the hill, we passed sec
ton of Tottcn's battery, occupying ;
commanding point to the right, sup
ported on the right by companies A
F, d and L, of the Iowa troops, undo
command ofMajor Porter, and on tin
left by one company of regular infant
ry under command of Captain Lath
rop. This command sustained on
retreat with great GOODNESS and de
: termination, under most terrific dis
charge from the encmy's infantry
After the wounded were gathered up
our column formed in order Of march
and, the enemy repulsed, the battery
and infantry retired in good order
Thus closed one of the most hotly
contested engagements known to tho
country, commencing twenty minutes
after o'clock A. NJ, and concluding
twenty minutes after. IL o'clock NJ
in which the enemy brought to the
field $4,000 well armed and well
disciplined troops, 10000 irregular
troops, and our own amounted to
about 5000 troops, in the early part
Of the engagement, and considerably
less than four thousand troops for the
concluding four hours of it.
1t is with great pleasure that ]
acknowledge valuable aid and assis
:ance from Major A. b. Porter, Adju
tant Geo. w. Waldron, who was
wounded in the leg, and Sergeant
Major Chas. Campton and to express
my unbounled admiration of the heroic
conduct displayed by both officers
and men. No troops, regular or vol,
unteer, ever sustained their country's
flag with more determined valor and
fortitude; they have crowned them
selves with imperishable honor, and
must occupy a conspicuous place in
the history Of their country. .
a list Of the killed, missing and
wounded will be found attached to
this report, together with such notices
of individual prowcss as were obscrv,
cd on the field.
Before concluding this report, !
must bear testimony to the gallant
and meritorious conduct of Captain
a. l.. Mason, of Company G, who fell
in charge, at the head of his com
pany. Very respectfully, your obedi-
ent servant, w. II. MERRITT,
Lieutenant Colonel Commanding.
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