The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-10-18
Battle Of Iuka.

Extract from private letter from mem
Der of Co. d, 18th Iowa Tnfantry.]
On the 18th of this month our division
rendezvoused at Pennington, and set out
under Macarthur to join Gen. Rosencrans,
who, with his own command and the second
division from the south of Corinth, was
marching on Iuka, where Gen. Price lay
with his army of 80, 900 of the best of south
ern troops. The expedition was managed
so secretly that Price knew nothing of it till
we were within few miles of the place.
On the third day, the army which had
been slowly and silently moving on Iuka,
arrived near it. The right wing was ad-
vancing to within two miles of the town,
where they came suddenly upon the rebel
pickets these they drove in On the double
quick to within a mile of town, where they
met the secesh drawn up in line of battle
Our men drew off and formed into line, with
the troops that were in the advance, consist
ing of the Iowa 18th, 9th and 10th. be-
ieve also, the 10th, and 4th Minnesota,
Missouri regiment, and two batteries of ar
tillery. The batteries had hardly been un.
limbered when the rebels made the attack
they came up in splendid style, being some
of the best drilled southern troops. As they
neared our line the Iowa 9th opened by
firing voliey after volley into them, the fire
running down the lines like lightning, now
ing down the confederates as sythe does
grass then our batteries opened on them,
but it was only one fire they could give,
until the rebels, (who had marched to death
as coolly and steady as they would on dress
PARADE reached them and drove the men
from their guns, bayoneting those who re-
NAMED, killing the horses, and capturing
the battery.
Then commenced the most desperate fight
ever heard Of The Iowa 9Th charged the
rebel lines with great fury, recapturing the
battery, and driving the rebels back in con-
fusion and disorder From this time the
musketry almost ceased the two lines kept
charging each other and fighting hand to
hand with the bayonet, and sometimes we're
so close and pressed each other so hard that
bayonets were useless.
The Iowa 9th were furnished with sword.
bayonets, and when so pressed they took
them off and used them as swords. The
rebels had three batteries of artillery, and
we had but two, neither side being able to
use them to advantage while they were in
such close quarters-this being well for us,
for we had but one battery at liberty, the
other being contested-the battle ragged ar.
ound it terribly. and during the contest it
was taken and retaken nine times. The
rebels would charge on it and take it, only
to be driven off again after tew minutes
hand to hand fighting. The Iowa 18th were
charged on SO suddenly by the Texas Sd,
that thay had no time to fix bayonets, and
actually repulsed them with their bullets
The fight lasted two hours, then it was so
dark that the forces engaged could not see
each other, then they would march up to
each other and enquire what regiment it
was, and then go at it again ; at last they
separated and lay down within one hundred
yards of each other
AS soon as it was light, Rosencrans sent
out skirmishers, but no rebels could be found.
He then had few shells thrown into the
town, but received no reply his forces were
then marched into the town on quick time,
and saw the rear guard of the rebel army
skedaddling out He pursued Price short
distance and captured his baggage train.
Els. SHEFFIELD.