The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-29
THE GREAT. BATTLE OF PEA
RIDGE.

RIDGE.
Although we have already given very full &C
counts Of, this bloody and desperate battle from
several Western papers, VIC find so many inter
esting items not before published, in the Ne,
York World, Tribune and Herald, worth reprint
ing, that We have concluded to give a part o
them, notwithstanding our limited space
IOWA BATTERY CAPTURED AND RRTAKES
Meantime the fight was raging furiously in the
extreme right on both sides Of the Fayetteville
road. The First and Second Iowa Batteries
planted on an eminence overlooking the decivi
ty in the road, we're kept busy plying shrapne
and canister into the ranks of the enemy, who
appeared in immense numbers ON ell sides, as il
to surround the right of our line, and thus com
pletely environ US. In order to defeat this OBJ
ject severe struggle took place for the occu
pancy of rising knoll on the east side of the
road The enemy gained upon us, and it was
not until our men were half stricken down that
they yielded the point. Word had been passed
back to General Curtis that the enemy was
pressing hardly on the right flank, and that our
forces were sent back. A section Of one of our
batteries had been left on the hill, and the ene-
my were now turning it upon US. Colonel Carr,
fearing that no reinforcements would arrive,
force for last desperate charge, resolved to re-
take the position or perish in the attempt A
heavy firing on our centre and cheer from the
advancing division of General Davis favored
the effort, and our troops marched up to the
battery amid storm of shot from their own
guns, and, after desperate hand-to- hand strug-
gle, finally drove the enemy down the ravine,
in hopeless confusion. Col. Carr received a
wound in the arm, but remained on the field.
The great leader of the rcbels-the ubiquitous
Ben McCulloch was among the slain. lie who
had contemptuously spoken of the Southerners
as the "natural masters of Northern men, lay
victim to his presumption his life fast ebbing
by the hands Of those whom he styled nation
Of " craven hearted towards" The loss on both
sides of this conflict was severe. Our loss in
killed and wounded could not have been less
than three hundred that of the enemy must
have been double. Lieut.. David, who com.
manded the battery, was tie last to leave his
pieces and among the first to regain them. He
bears wound in the arm, and several marks of
the hostile bullets. Many of our officers were
wounded, but fortunately none seriously. Lieut..
Col. Heron, of the Ninth Iowa, was wounded in
the foot, and, while in the hands of the Sur
geons, was taken prisoner by the advancing ene-
my. Col. Heron fought with great spirit and
WAS the most conspicuous figure in the repulse.
The command then devolved upon Major Coyle,
who gallantly led the regiment on the advance,
receiving severe wound in the shoulder.
DEVOTION OF AN ARTILLERYMAN.
One OF the most signal instances of superhu.
man bravery is connected with the loss of these
guns One of the cannoneers, who has been
long noted for his wonderful pluck, remained at
his post to the last. Placing himself in front
of the piece he dsdained to save himself, but,
a1,,tv ha
hooting crowds of rebels He emptied every
barrel of his pistol, and then, with his short
sword, defended his piece un.il he was struck
down by the blows of the rebels. His body
was afterwards found near the piece, with seven
teen balls and his head coven open with a
tomahawk.
BewIE-KNIFR CONFLICT.
While the fight was raging about Miser's farm
house on the ridge, on Friday morning, soldier
belonging to the 25th Missouri and member of
q Mississippi company became separated from
their commands, and found each other climbing
the same fence The rebel had one Of those
lcng knives made Of file, which the South has
so extensively paraded, but so rarely used, and
the Missourian had one also, having picked it up
OH the field.
The rebel challenged his enemy to fair, open
combat with the knife, intending to bully him,
no doubt, aud the challenge was promptly ac-
cepted. The two removed their coats, rolled up
their sleeves, and began. The Mississippian had
more skill, but his opponent more strength, and
consequently the latter could not strike his ene-
my, while he received several cuts on the head
and breast. The blood began trickling rapidly
down the Unionist's face, aud running into his
eyes, almost blinded him. The Union man be
came desperate, for he saw the SecessiOEist was
unhurt. He made feint; the rebel leaned for
ward to arrest the blow, but employing too much
energy, he could not recover himself at once. -
The Missouran perceived his advantage and
knew he could not lose it. In five seconds more
it would be too late His enemy glared at him
like wild beast; was on the eve of striking
again. Another feint; another dodge on the
rebels part, and then the heavy blade of the
Missourian hurled through the air, and fell with
tremendous force upon the Mississippian's neck.
The blood spurted from the throat and the head
fell over, almost entirely severed from the body.
Ghastly sight, too ghastly even for the doer Of
the deed de tainted at the spectacle, weaken.
ed by the loss OF his own blood, and was soon
after butchered by Seminole who saw him sink
to the earth.
zoUAvE TACTICS SUCCESSFUL.
One of the Texan soldiers was advancing with
his bayonet upon Lieutenant of the 9th lows,
whose sword had been broken. The officer saw
his intention, avoided the thrust, tell down at
his foeman's feet, caught hold of his legs, threw
him heavily to the ground, and before he could
rise drew long knife from his adverssry's belt
and buried it in his bosom.
TIE Texan, with dying grasp, seized the Lieu.
tenant by the hair, and sank down lfeless, ba-
thing the brown leaves with his blood So firm
was the hold of the nerveless hand that it was
necessary to cut the hair from the head of the
4 l.. 4 L r Al
of his foe.
NATURE OF THE CONTEST.
1t only remains for me to notice the charac
ter of the struggle out of which we have just
come with victory. Probably there never was
such motley assemblage Of warriors collected
together under one head as met under this trai
tor Van Dorm. They represented the scum o
the whole Southwest, from the filIbusters o
New Orleans to the rude savages Of the Indian
Nation. Texan Rangers, whose boast it has
been that they would rather fight than eat, and
whose life has been one long predatory warfare
of pluuder and cruelty. Uncouth and bruta
Arkansans, who have grown up amid murder!
and honicides. Ignorant and infatuated Mis-
sourians, led on by designing and intriguing po
iticians. These were the men which formed
the staple of the Southern army, and these arr
! the men who prate of high toned chivalry, wlit
talk contemptuous|y OF the Northern mudsls
Men who are crying like blind maniacs for thei
| rights" Take the whole rebel army as we saw
| it and it was one vast congregation OF recklcss
| vicious, ignorant and embruted devils.
| Opposed to them were the gallant sons o
Iowa, descended mainly from the Puritan faith
ers immortal Iowa what page in the vol
ume of American history is reserved for thee
Long, long will nation remember how he
champions OF freedom, like their sires Of th
Revolution, ragged and barefootsd, remained al
ter the expiration of their term Of service t.
lay their lives a sacrifice upon the altar of thei
| country at Wilson's Creek how they left thei
! mark upon the fee at Belmont; how they scale'
the nights of Donelson; aud last, but not least
how they crushed, with the might of Spartans
the advancing hordes at Sugar Greek, in tn
wlds Of Arkansas. There, too. stood the pa
tient, courageous sons Of Germany, face to fac
with an nsolent and unprincipied toe, contend
ing for those principles of liberty and justic
| for which they have until now striven in vair
! Honor to these men and their great leader 70
| the part they sustained in this momentous day
Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio we're represente
there, aud nobly will they bear the wreaths 9
triumph For the first time the loyal Mlssour
ans have given an unequivocal and decided tef