Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-08-20

v0eW win touOo o00t ana ouOsSs INC
effect &assabeolutele awful - eserE'
round shot marked = course By long
lanes Of hIlen men end hoesss that
opened thrOugh thsir line, while sech
shell 10 its explosion Was marked ~
large area Of writhing steeds and their
riders. Three Of our voiieys WIS enough
for them = they wheeled and sought
shelter from it, deadly effects 10 the
woods from which they came.
On the east side OF the north rsyine,
vas large corn6eId, asd 10 The the Sc
cessionists threw two regiments With
view to .tnru the d2nka OF the Federals.
Scarcely had the last flies entered the
field when both batteries opened upon
them with she'll and cannister. The
distance was not more than 200 yards,
and the effect was frightfni-it was not
simply killing men, It was Wholesale
massacre. They vent down not BY
dozens. but by ffties-one single shell
burst exactly in the center Of what
seemed large crowd Of human beings,
and the next instant not soul could be
seen in the vicinity. In few minutes
not q man Of the enemy who could
get away remained in tho corn6eld. Al
another time q Louisiaoa Regiment
having a magnificent large flag came sud
denly out Of the woods, and began form
ing with great rsp,dity. Dubois art'l-
lery paid its respects to them, scattering
them like chsf-the flag and bearer
went down together. Another man
seized it, and attempted to climb over
the fence with it, but a. he was ast'ide
the top rail, q -pounder ball struck
him square in the back, and seemed to
scatter him, flag and all, IS if keg OF
gunpowder had suddenly exploded with
IN his body.
Soon after the fight commenced, Gen.
Lyon saw how feartully the enemy out
numbered him and gave up the day as
lost. From that time he seemed utterly
regardless Of life, and in fact seemed
scarcely conscious of-anything. A ball
struck him in the leg, to which he paid
no attention, and soon after another
struck HIM in the head, inf1icting Q
severe flesh wound. He bled fIecly,but
refused to move out of the line of Gre.
Tue Iowa Regiment we're occupying the
brow OF the hill to the right Of the bat
terry, and we're exposed to CALLING fire
from the woods in front. Gen. Lyon
stood calmly few steps in rear Of the
color company, bareheaded, with balls
hai!ing around him in frightfal qnanti-
ties. sit some one will lead, we will
clear that woods with the bayonet."
II will lead you!' he said, and at that
instant bali entered bis breast, passing
through his body just above the heart.
He fell instantly, and moment after
reach ng the ground said: zoua
Regiment you are noble boys" A little
later he grew weaker and bis last words
were: "FoKwARD MY BRAVE MEN, ]
LEAD your He did not 1--we a dozen
seconds after being struck BY the last
ball.
1t is believed by many that he did
not desire to live after finding that he
could make no head way against the i'm
mense odds opposed to hlm-he saw at
a glance the result of defeat both to
him and to the eau which he revered
he saw that all his efforts from the
hour in which he took Camp Jackson
to that of his splendid defeat at Boone
vile, and from that down to the present
-:he tremendous tatlgues Of the march
~ 6Pr'ngn,tu, 49, 49, - T.--1.L
Dug Springs, Greenfield, Carthage and
Mt. Vernon-all were vain, and like
brave but Respondent soldier, be dared
to die rather than live. All honor to
bis memory, and as for the Government
which pres'stently refused to sustain
him, let it be-anathema mdranatha.
Two horses we're shot under him short
time before his death, and one OF his
white-plumed body guard almost at th e
very same moment Of his fall, dropped
mortaily wounded by bis side, and his
spirit took its fight to join his masters
in the regions Of the unknown.
They fought like brave men long and true,"
but what availed gallant fighting and
desperate charges when as fast AZ each
Regiment was driven from the ground
or cut TO pieces, the enemy was able to
supply its place with fresh one, and
80, alter driving the enemy for more
than mile from his original position,
the Union troops were compelled from
sheer exhaustion to suspend the labor OF
slaug hter, and soon after to retire from
the field as best they could. Here again
the shattered forces of the Iowa First
we're gathered in line to resist the onset
OF the enemy while the wea,ied, broken
fragments of the army were collected in
order preparatory to retreat. The enemy
saw the name iver and again AID again
hurled themselves against the First
Regiment in order to break through it
aud precipitate themselves upon our
fragmentary columns. Had Iowa yield
ed then, woful would have been the re.
subtitle retreat would have become q
savage massacre, 40 indiscriminate and
terrible roat But they breasted like
rocks the iron hail and treme odous
charges Of the encmy-pouring in a
deadly fire and holding the enemy in
complete check till the Uuion fragments
we're formed and moving, and then and
not till then did they leave their posi-
ton. They came away in splendid Or
der-not man quickened his step, and
when soldier fell from the ranks, lhey
closed mp shoulder to shoulder AMI
moved slowly from the field.
The lowaIgment suffered severely.