, 1861-11-15

the Colonel and Msjor, while the destruction |
suo1g the Eou-cou1missioned officers, If not |
equally. great, ws very considerable. It is |
stated Ct Col lL2umau thet, having been wound
cd in the carly part Of the engagement, dur
irg a temporary lull il the conflict, be was BE- |
ing carried of the field. The enemy, however,
having received 1einforcements and renewed |
the attack, he Left the ambulance in which he
xas being borne away, and having aounted
his horse, led hfs regiment In one Of the most
Brilliant chhrges Of the day. |
In view Of facta like these, Thi1e crfmination
and recrimination shifts the blame Of failure |
from one pair Of starred shoulders 10 smother,
be the fault Of Gen. Grant whztit may, let him
not be shielded, nor let his diagraces dim their
glory. With this view we present from au.
thent1c sources the following:
STATEMENT OF SERGEANT WILCOX.
On the evening of Nov. 9th, the 7th Io1a,
22d, eth, 30th and 31st Illinois regiments,
together With Tayloz's battery and Dollen's
and De1ano's cavalry, were under marching
orders, with two days rations, aud EN-
barked en board the steamboats, Alex Scott,
Montgomery, Keystone, Chancellor and Mem.
phie, preceded BY the gun-boats Tyler and
Lexington, and dropped down under coYtr Of
1be night to within : few miles Of Columbus,
and hauled up On the Kentucky eide until the
dawn Of the 7th inst, then at given signal
Lucas Bend on the Missouri side, ,disembarked,
formed in battalion aud marched out
about half mile in the direction Of Bel
mont and balted, when five companies
we're detailed ard sent back as boat
sid engaged the eneny's pickets. After the
firing commenced, the command Was, Battal-
nos, forward-march- When within some
tHo milts Of the enemg's camp, halt Was
called, four Of Ta3lor's guns planted, hospital
preparations made, and number Of compsn-
Of the 7h Iowa, and the residue, believe,
from the 22d Illinois, in order to look out the
enemy's whereabouts, engage and If possible
draw them cut, All was silent for some time,
as are the heavens just before . terrible storm,
except an occasional shot from our gun boats
plete the analogy, % the thunder preceding
the awful and fast approaching hurricane.
Many Of our boys began to despoHd Of having
fight, las they had frequently been called
out and their expectations disappointed but
sudden there burat upon our ears
the most deafening volley. We had
ever heard. Our boys had stsrted them, sure
enough. Said Col. Lanman, t'There's fighting,
boys.' The destlnies Of the 7th Iowa and2
4!uutA AppEA1EG 10 uC JGkEIlOu4l4 Ult0uEQs
as they were designated to operate IN concert,
and lad previously been formed for flank
movement upon the enemy, the 7sh forming
the right and the 221 the left wing Of this d.
vision. The command was giTen by our Col
entls, 1aumen 39 md Doag6eEty;, Battalion,
! lorg in reaching cur place Of action, Hhera
Two Of Teylor's guns had preceded US, aad
| we're engaged With the ezemY's b.tteries A.
| foon Is We came in sight OF, and In range of
the eneny's muskets, they prepared to pour
upon us most furious fire. The Colonel told
going o7er us. Wehad thea dyantage ofground,
| and Said the Colonel, crawl, boys" When
near eaoDgh to shoot with certainty the com.
mand Was, "up, boys, and fire" Our first
men loaded ard fred at will, and fought more
Ike tigers or iucarnate devils than anything I
eonld compare them to. We fought them
back, step b step, they fighting desperately
aId CONT sting every Inch OF ground, until
stter continual yolley Of perhaps more than
took their battery, and the blue.jacke}ed lows
1th were the first to sAtraddle their Cannon.
Then on We went towards their camp, Col
Lauman cheering hia "braye boys" {as he
calls them and had TO stu fight ss furious
were driven into their camp, aud ap
Pea1ed to fight NTH desperation
rot equa1led any time before, the Colone
I ordered Us to fall and let the battery play ovel
Us, which soon started them skedunktng'
charge the Iowa 7th planted the ''Stars snd
1 Stripes" In the secesh camp, and captured
r their traitor flag, which they now hold as
trophy. Here our Colonel WAS wounded ani
carried off the field, and never did man NOR
dessrvedly earn laufe1s than did he for coo
~ and men had all scted nobly. After bnrnInl
the enemy'e tenta 4nd stores, q retreat va
z, ordered, sEd the column started in high gle
r and good orde7. Bnt the enemy being hea7il
= recruited with fresh troops, had rallied an
v surrounded us, and the only remaining a
e Tentative Was to surrender ourselves prison
l. e1B Of War, or cut cur Way out, which We di
# With desperation never surpassed by men
- Here fell our Lieut.: Colonel dead. and Co
It just before fhling, thst the batt1e Of sprin.
field, In which he had acted conepicuou
IL part, was nothing tolt. Our advance suffere
II awfully IN forcing gap, and as our colau,
t. moved the enemy h4nked both sides ar
nile in our retreat. Hefe iii msny b1a,
Lieutenant Gardiner Of Co. F. Mel fe
= in every direction like leaves in q
st tumr. The eth, 30th and S1st Tor mo
-. OF them) by timely strategy had maneuyert
e to eaftly pass round the eneny's left, AZ
n came of comparatively safe. Alter the c<
ct UNI had passed the sece.b, they made q secor
n rally, ard pursued ue to our boats We h
=, scarcely ali got Oh board, and our boats b.
~ ret showed Of, when the bank was lined wi
TO Eecesh. Our boys took advantage of the fs
1t fire, By which time Ta51or's battery {whf'
Il was safely On board, with two of the enemy
~ carnon which they had brought Off and q
ae gun beats began to send shell aud grape amo1
es- thin, and human fragments wers seen Hyi
.. In every direction. BIZ this time a lane, il
above, and through which We had just retire
ID, was seen full Of aeceeh. Our gun boz
moved up and swept them In mas, perha
n By hundreds. This fully paid than for ms
N ing us run the gauntlet. We had brought
e. or spiked all their cannon but one, viii
>. cur gun boats knocked thigh" the first fl
&c We aptrIed 1S4 prisoners and some 60 nors
it and mules. Our entire force engaged was es
A Mated at from 5000 to $500, whit theirs n
- supposed to be from 10 to 12000. The loss
-. the 7th Iowa Is estimated at 2226 killed, Wour
10 ed aud missing. The loss Of the 22d mi
no have been sewers, as they fought Ike Sparts
H. On our left until the retreat, then cut throu
and run the guantlet with ue- Not having be
10 nearly engaged By the other regiments
can form no taea Of tAt1r 1oss- In all our Il
ed is crest, aud Wo are badly cut up, but onr8
ha said to be nothing when compared to the l.
~ Of the enemy. They claim victory, but +
III sore and ehafed over It, and 1t ssis not no
~ thanking God for"
he
nd TAYLOR's BATTERY OF CHICAGO.
t. kknIk -