Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-02
me Nafsle aft Pitsh1rx Landin9. I

ne Dattle att Plssburx Landing. Il
The following interesting detailed account Of tho
tts Of Pttsburg Landing IL given by ssg't b. NJ II
hite, Of Co. II, 1lth regiment in private letter to
Elliott. Esq, Of West Liberty It h the most mi.
ats narrative Of the experience Of Museatine boys
the fight that we have yet published:1 O
P1TTsBuRa LANDING, Tenn, April Is. a
MY DEAR FRIEND: dare say you are at
his moment better posted in regard to the
great battle of Pittsburg Landing" than your
tumble servant, who had the good fortune to
'e here at and during the fight Neverthe-
ess, am certain you will not be content un-
il you receive FULL, true and particular &C.
cunt from your own correspondent-so here
,oes.
In the first place, endeavor to fix in your
mind the location Of few prominent points.
Pittsburg Landing "a simple landing
place, with no houses) stands on the west
bank of the Tennessee river, some ten miles
south of Savannah. From the Landing, a
road leaves the river, and, running at an an
gle OF some 45o from the river for the dis
lance of three miles, reaches the camping
ground of our brigade (the 9Th and 18th ILL., |
IlOlSS hLO SuC xxtu 0Au 4Otn 1VW0Js 4hucS
you see, we are at the southwest of Pitts |
burg, while, ometventy miles to the south |
west of US, lies Corinth, the crossing Of the
Memphis and Charleston, and Mobile and
OHIO railroads. South Of us, and between
here and Cofinth, Is an extensive swamp,
which, starting from the river, extends sew
eral miles to the west. Through this swamp,
with view, of transporting our heavy artil-
lery and baggage, our Generals had construct
ed causewsy, but. unfortunately, We never
had an opportunity of travelling on our nsw
and elegant road.
As Mohomet IN despair of the mountain COM
ing to him, condssee1ded to make the noun
tain visit, so our friend Beauregard- hero
Of Sumter and Manassas-concluded that we
were not at all anxious to enjoy that enter
tainment Of Southern powder and Southern
steel prepared for us, made up his mind to
come and partake of our simple Northern
cheer. And so he came, bringing, as I am
told, part Of his army over our newly con-
structed road, without even going through with
the formality of paying toll. He evidently
intended remaining through tho day, as he
came before breakfast. Before he reached
our camp, however, the morning meal was
over, and we were preparing for inspection.
But the sounding Of the along rolr' through
the camp told US that sterner work was at
hand.
| The regiment was formed, and, after re-
naming standing for a short time in the field
where our camp was located, we marched in
to piece of timbered land to the south of US
Through this we advanced perhaps half I
mile, to sort Of clearing, an occasional can
non ball passing over our heads, indicating
the nature Of the days work before u.s.
Reaching this clearing, we were ordered II
lie down, and presently the firing commenced
and the contending parties were speedily en-
} gagged. The regiment that was advancing
: against us, was evidently an A, No. l. On
look at them was enough to convince a ma.
that courage and discipline are virtues pecu
liar to neither North nor South. Without
waver the long line Of slittering steel moye'
? steadily forward, while, over all, the silke1
folds Of the Confederate flag doated GRACEFUL.
on the morning air. What regiment thi
was, have not been able to ascertain posi-
lively At first was told that it was tn
sth Mississippi, but since then one of tn
prisoners has told me that it was the Crescen
City, Guard, from New Orleans. At a
r events, it was a superb one, and we speedil
o had the most convincing proof that it wa
t good for something else besides to look a
t At their left, and slightly in advance, wa
/. another re giment, Of which did not take s
: much notice. Both Of these regiments di
:, their best against US, while We were assiste
? . by section q pieces) of artillery.
a After about half an hour of good work
we were ordered back. At this point,
Judge that we must have suffered more tina
;. during any other part of the day. It wa
here that Henry Ady received his morts
: wound. VIM. Ady was wounded here, an
! here Thomas Lewis received shot throug
) the shoulder. One of our men killed here
and more were wounded than during tn
e balance ofthe day, al hough it could not hav
4 exceeded half an hour from the time we wer
J ordered in until We we're relieved. The OF
der at length came to fall back, which wa
done in good order. And, by the way,
must say that the regiment Il have not a
I yet learned who they were) that was in tn
fight before us, is not entitled to this praise
They came running back in the widest dis
order. One frightened fugitive in particula
l noticed, who, as he came along and raj
through our ranks, exclaimed: ''Give then
h@l, boys. | gave them h-ll as long as
could" Whether he had really given then
any of the sulphurous or not, can not say
: but assuredly he had given them everything
else he possessed, including his gun, car
tr1dge-box, coat and hat, and was in fail
way to leave his unmentionables and under
garments, to be accounted for perhaps by the
return so commonly made-"lost in action ,
But to return. Our regiment was ordered
to fall back, which we did in good style, and
| AZ tho distance of marianne n o,orkor of a xx,;1<
! our line of battle was reformed in a very
creditable manner. Being so drawn up,
second time we advanced, hating at FIRST on
the brow of slight elevation, firing and by
slow degrees advancing. This time most Of
the boys fred while standing. The line was
also much more extended than at first-there
being regiment on our left and one, be-
lieve, on our right. The enemy occupied
| about the same ground that we did at the
time Of the first attack by us-,hat is, they
were firing from the same spot where We
| were lying about half an hour before. This
time, L should say, we remained some three
quarters of an hour, and aga fell back into
the timber. Our ranks reformed and third
advance was made. This time we remained
perhaps half an hour, when our cartridges
having given out, it was directed that we 20
to the river for more ammunition.
This was for all practical purposes all the
fighting done by our regiment during the
day. How severe it was may be inferred from
the fact that our regiment, numbering think
not more than six hundred men, lost about
one hundred and eighty in killed and wound
ed. The Colonel was shot in the hand, the
Lieut.. Colonel in the ankle and the Major in
the head. Both our regimental and company
officers have shown themselves possessed Of