The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-03
THE FOURTH MINNESOTA IN ACTION.
CAMP Cross ROADS, MIssIssIPPI,l
Sept. q, 1862.

CAMP GROSS ROADS MISSISSIPPI,
Sept. q, 1862.
To the Editor Of the Pioneer.
In haste / pen off few lines. It is
enough to say that the Fourth Minnesota
met the enemy on the afternoon of the
10Th on the heights overlooking the town
of 1uka, Mississippi, in sight of the beau
tiful valley Of the Tennessee, and done its
duty.
Our division Gen. Hanilton's) skir-
mished with the evenly for six miles be-
fore we came up with the main body. Our
brigade was commanded by Col. Sanborn,
and the Fourth by Capt E. Legro, second
in command Captain Edison. Major
Baxter left the regiment the day before we
marched from our camp near Jacinto, and
on the day of the battle was in Corinth on
duty. We all regret the loss of Lieut..
Col. Thomas, just at this time, as we very
much desired that our regiment, in its first
fight, should be under his command A.
this was my first trial under good blaze,
my feelings like all others in like circum-
stances, may be better felt than judged.
All | thought Of was the best method of
killing as many of the Butternuts as pos
sble-and this presume was the feeling
of most of the regiment. Never in the
history of the war, was fight more hotly
contested than. this one, for the number
of troops engaged. The fire was terrific
The balls fell around us like hail in a
storm. To me it seemed that if | could
have held out my hat in the air, it would
have been filed with bullets in less than a
minute. The experiment was not tried,
presume, at any rate not by me, for |
was minus of my hat, were | ever so will
ling
Gen. Hamilton and other old Mexican
officers say that, for the length Of time,
it was the most terrific fire they ever saw
or heard. Gen. Sanborn was the very
beaux ideal Of dOn't-care a-dam-for-
bullets-sort," cool and collected, passing
in front of each regiment, calling upon
the men to do their duty, as | saw him
pass in front, red in the face, looking as if
for the last forty light hours, he had been
a stranger to water and soap. He is my
favorite in a fight. He is none of your
milk and water sort. He is one of the
sort that loves to tight-he is.
A little incident occurred during the
fight about the colonel, related to me by
one of his aids, may not be out of place
here The 4Sth Indiana was posted to
support our battery, the 18th Ohio, in the
heat of the battle, when nearl y every man
of the battery was shot down. The 4Sth
Indiana, instead of supporting the battery,
and repelling the enemy, who were seen
charging upon it, fell back Col. Sanborn,
seeing them wavering and retreating be-
fore the Third Louisiana, rode in their
midst and begged of them to follow him
in support Of the battery. But no induce
ment or cheering words could make them
come up to the point. SanbOrn was SO
enraged at their base and cOwardly con-
duct, that he drew his pistol on one of the
men and fired. The shot grazed the
mans shoulder and skilled mule belong
ing to the battery.
This determination on the part OF the
colonel, had some effect on them, for a
part Of the regiment got into position
again.
The colonel is spoken of highly by all
for his cool and determined courage. His
conduct in the fight proves it.
Leutenants Martin and Hunt of our
regiment acted as his aids. Lieutenant
Martin is brick, every inch of him. No
run in that chap. Our Quartermaster,
Lieutenant Hunt, was in Corinth in the
morning of the fight, and hearing that
battle would probably come off in the af-
ternoon, travelled forty miles that day, and
arrived in the afternoon just in time to take
a hand in; he rendered good service; they
are brave and clever fellows, both of them.
Captain LeGrO was cool and collected,
giving his orders in clear manner, pass
ing up and down our lines, repeatedly en-
the regiment was subjected to a cross-fire.
Seeing this, LIE Gro ordered the right wing
to fall back short distance, commanding
better position. All speak in high terms
of the effective firing Of our regiment. The
Fifth Iowa is noble regiment. On ac-
count of their exposed position they suf-
fered more than any other. They never
for one moment flinched during the whole
fight Their motto was ''Give and take"
1t is one of the very best regiments in the
service.
Our regiment lost five killed and fifty
wounded-a great many MORALLY three
missing probably dead in the underbrush.
We took into the fight four hundred and
eight (408) Our position protected us a
great deal, while our fire told heavily on
the rebels. At the first dawn of the morn
ing following that of the battle went on
the battlefield. The sight was sickening
/ counted over four hundred dead bodies
"Butternuts" and Union lying in all shapes.
One poor fellow, ''Butternut," had half
Of his upper body shot off by cannon
ball several with parts of their skulls shot
off others, again, shot in the region of
the heart. l noticed that great many
of the bodies of the ''Butternuts"
were discolored. Their faces looked
almost black. The report is that they
were given whiskey and gunpowder mixed,
to drink before going into the fight: We