Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-09-06
A Card.

uuiliS VI youI Valuauc paper " Hiaho uiie
statement, Of my career during the battle near
there being some misapprehensions concern !
ing my whereabouts. it is not for the pur-
pose Of bringing myself conspicuously before |
the public, nor to gain anything in the way of
individual ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but simply for the |
purpose of showing that great injustice has |
been done me, by the circulation of reports |
that are groundless and as malicious as they |
are false. Men who serve their country in |
time of danger, voluntarily sacrificing every
thing near and dear in life and undergoing all l
the hardships that must necessarily lie in the |
path of a soldier, do not admire the idea of |
having designing individuals continually ham |
mering away at their private characters, by
sandering, &c. Consequently, whatever
may say will be in selfdefense the truth, the
W hole truth and nothing but the truth, with
out fear, favor or affection. 1t is perhaps I'M
necessary to state that in nearly all companies
| of hundred men, there is among them class
of persons who always aim to court the
good will of men in high places to gain extra
favors and privileges, such as could perhaps
not be otherwise enjoyed and when it is
found that an officer entertainS an ill-feeling
towards any individual, such persons are al
ways ready to harbor anything and then freely
express themselves in order to more efftctually
carry out their selfish ends. Such regret to
say has been the state of affairs in the COM
pany to which belonged. The fact plainly
presents itself, upon the return home, instead
of finding men linked heart and hand, who
had been fighting side by side in the battle
field, in one cause, and under one banner, you
find them trying to bring each other into pub
lie disgrace and infamy in every conceivable
manner. The first charge having been made
upon me, it will be my ain. to keep nothing in
reserve. Charges are also made against some
others, officers not excepted; that is their
their business and they must speak for them
selves, to satisfy the public as to their where
abouts
On the 10Th of August, 1861, at 6 P. NJ,
the weather cloudy, Appearances of rain, the
LIST Iowa Regiment left camp near Springfield
Green Co., Mo-, under command of Gen. Lyon
to make an attack upon the rebel encamplnent
about II miles distant at Wilson's Creek
Company a reported men absentees. They
marched until midnight, halted, laid down in
in the road without breaking ranks. At day
light next morning (lOth) moved on to make
the attack, reached our position on the point
of mountain about o'clock A. NJ. The LIST
Iowa Regiment was then stationed in two
ranks, on the left of the battery for its sup
port, and so remained for one hour at least,
perhaps longer, amid the constant showers of
grape, ball and bomb fired from the enemy in
order to silence the one we were supporting,
during which time the LIST Kansas Regiment
was below in the ravine engaged with the enc
: my's infantry; after they were ordered to re-
treat, our regiment moved forward to reinforce
them, and while advancing to relieve them,
the stragglers would break through our ranks
The Regiment advanced 80 yards q was
then in the front rank) down the side of the
mountain through the CALLING fire; the mountain
- being covered with little oak trees from to 8
: feet high, and there being considerable smoke,
, we could not see the enemy below in the ra-
vine, while they, apparently, could see us dis
tinctly Orders were then, "about face, re
treat" l was then in the rear rank. Ex-
y pecting the enemy to advance we retreated 100
yards, and were again ordered about face, adj
vance from the oak shrubs and the contin-
e ual annoyance of the Kansas stragglers, the
l. head of the regiment was then considerably
4 out of dress or line and from the sudden
wheel and confusion in the ranks, to say
nothing about excitement, | was crowded
n from the rear rank through the front, and was
d since told by comrades that my absence was
Il not discovered by them on the right or left,
). nor by my file leader, his right left; no va
: cancy being discovered Ghc company being
c crowded; my position being near the middle
e of the company In the twinkling Of an eye
II Lieut.. Col. Merritt came riding along the line,
= directly between myself and the Regiment
Il which was then a distance away, again ad-
a vancing, double quick time. looked around,
e being aware that my safest position would be
in the ranks, and that l was exposed to the
Sc l>okh L., hn,x
cult to distinguish rebels from federals, in
r ately discovered the charge of company of
rebel cavalry (about 70 in number) 100 yards
distant, coming in line down the side of the
mountain to attack our regiment in the rear
and capture our battery then stepped out
among the Kansas stragglers to try the virtue
of my old musket; in 10 or Is minutes time
the enemy, being almost reduced to nothing,
returned back over the hill and was seen no
more. | then had my musket loaded and
started to the Creek to get water, a distance
which proved mnch greater than anticipated
it being nearly of mile remained at the
Creek a few minutes, met Alex. Miller, a Ger
man private of Co. A, then wounded in the
, leg, who had small strap buckled around it
on the outside. We then started together for
the command, differing in opinion as to its
! locality We crossed an open lot adjoining a
corn field, close by the creek, entered the corn
field passed through one corner. | then
heard heavy firing among the corn, and then
moved out of it, Miller receiving ball in his
r bread bag or haversack and one in his canteen,
not doing much damage. There we separa-
, ted a young man came riding by on a cap
tured horse-says |, hello, Iowa, where is
our Regiment?' He answered without stop
ping, "the Lord only knows-T DON'T" and
!, was again soon out of sight. 1 then took
!. road leading to steady fire some distance off:
found myself entering the rebel camp;
J then quickly about faced out Of that and start
r ed towards the corn field again the fire had
then ceased in that direction. When l came
near the fence began to think my chances
were SLIM sat down upon a chunk of wood,
not knowing where to go; having crackers in
haversack, took one out, GIG, commenced eat
ing, having hao no breakfast felt hungry. |
remained in that position until one cracker
was nearly ate up; | heard noise close by,
, Missourians who had been firing in the corn
field. One spoke up, ''helo, who are ?"
Says I, Iowa boy" "Wounded ?" mo"
Says he, ''yoost COON on-we gif 'em HI"
Away we went; began to talk to them but
they would not talk while skirmishing, the
corporal ordered silence. I followed along
about half mile, and finally concluded they
were off the track, not knowing where they
were going; left them and took to the right,
: going some distance, reached road there l
discovered wounded man, Missouri volun-
teer he told me had crawled miles. no.
ticed log cabin by the road side about $50
yards off. The man wanted water; my can
teen being empty l could give him none;
then assisted him to the cabin, entered the
yard, tried the front door; it was fast and the
window curtains down. l then tried the back
door; by using little force got it open, en-
tered, fixed some of the bedding on the floor
for my strange friend, then took a bucket to