The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-10
Correspondence OF the Gate City.
Iowa vniur mt shiloh yindicated by
the Truth of HisIory-- Major stone
of the Iowa Sd, etc.
WASHINGTON, July 9, l86

| we IoWans at the National Capital ielt
a little chagrinned over the FIRST reports
from the field of Shiloh, because they
seemed to throw shadow over the splcn-
did reputation our men had achieved by
their heroic valor at Wilson's Creek, Bel
mont, Blue Mills, Fort Doneson and
Pea Ridge. As the truth has been grad
ually brought forth, here little and there
a little. we have cooked our hats as proud
ly as any of EN-, and have walked the av-
enue with as high rolling heads and stiff
upper lips as any game cocks in Chlisten-
dom. II is still the truth of history that
the young State of Iowa has done the
most brilliant fighting of the war, and on
every battle field her soldiers have exhib-
tied the old Spartan vaIor and the old
Roman fortitude.
Upon this point, recent letter from
this city to the Chicago Tribune, correct
ing from information given by Major
Stone, of the Iowa 3D., certain impressions
which had been quite universally received,
was not without considerable value. But
it did not pretend to give full account of
the fighting done by the captured regi-
ments before they were compelled to sur
render. and | propose now to give that
information, as l have received it from
the lips of Major Stone. in several long
conversations, which were certainly most
gratifying aud entertaining to me. And,
most assuredly, my labor will be labor
of love. The men who fought 80 long and
so well on that disastrous Sunday, and
were at last compelled to succumb to su-
perior numbers, are yet, very many Of
them, prisoners of war no official reports
as to their behavior have been published.
and totally erroneous opinions have till
now obtained touching their conduct on
the bloody field. They will probably re-
main prisoners for some time, because
Our government seems determined not to
agree to cartel for q general exchange.
Major Stone and his coadjutor will leave
for Rebellion day after tomorrow, the
terms of their parole requiring them to
be within the Confederate lines by the
should be agreed to. Sad journey that
must needs be from home and freedom to
niggerdom and prison 1t must be per-
formed in obedience to the diplomatic
idea that the most formidable rebellion
ever known since the war in Heaven, is a
mere 'insurrection !"
| | need not here repeat the details OF
the Shiloh confict-how culpably Grant
was surprsed-how he seemed to be in
tatuated with the notion, TINT, he not be-
ing ready to fight, Beauregard would not
eeme ap!-hewfhabbily Gen. w T. Sher-
man behaved-how, in short. SO far as
generalship was concerned, all went wrong,
leaving the country to wonder at, and
admire the desperate fighting which alone
saved the army from utter destruction
These things are too well known to need
recapitulation.
Omitting, therefore, nearly all the de-
tails with which the country is familiar, il
{ will suffice to say. that about 6 O'Clock on
Sunday morning the rebel Gen. Hardee
attacked the pckets a mile in front of
Prentiss. and drove them rapidly in
Prentiss had his men in line and fought
the enemy for an hour, when, badly cut
up, he was driven back. In the mean
time. Hurlbuts division was formed and
rapidly marched to the front. OF this d.
vision, the Sd Iowa, Major Stone com
handing, formed the extreme right They
| got into the fight between and so clock,
driving the enemy out Of Premises camps
the very first motion. Then Prentiss re-
formed his scattered and broken line, and
took position just to the right Of Hurlbut,
and to the left of Gen. Smiths division,
: Gen. w. II. Wallace commanding. The
firing was now heavy still farther to the
right, where Sherman and McClernand
were valnly attempting to drive back the
: foe. A lull in the firing gave rise 10 the
y opinion that they had succeeded, but pres
emily the mistake was perceived, as the
rebels were seen in large force approach
ing General Hurlbut on the left, and in
n few minutes his whole division was
4 under fire of musketry or artillery
: From this time, until nearly 4 o'clock in
the afternoon, the din of battle was deaf
ening and continuous. Shells were
screaming and bursting over our brave
fellows, heads, grape sang and ratified
: through the trees, whilst the whisting OF
bullets and the. sharp report of rifles
;. were without an instant's cessation
|, Column after column was thrown against
\ Hurlbut, but they all recoled during
n these hot and terrible hours, before the
o death-dealing lead and iron of our Wes-
tern marksmen, and they fell back SO
rapidly that they loii the ground covered
with their dead and dying. But on they