Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-06-06
BATTLE OF PENNINGTON.
MISTAKES OF A CORRESPONDENT SHARPLY
CORRECTED.
CAMP NEAR FARMINGToN,

J
EDITORS CHICAGO TRIBUNE Your special
correspondent, writing under date Of May
18th, 1862, is guilty of gross mis-
Representations, and exhibits, perhaps, as
much ignorance as the Times correspondent,
when speaking of the intense excitement and
dissatisfaction the abolition of slavery In the
District of Columbia produced amongst the
men and officers of Gen. Halleck's army. No
surprise is manifested at finding liar and
traitor in the employ Of the Times, but to
believe that the useful and popularity reliable
Tribune is represented by one so generous
in the exhibition of his ignorance, as the cor
respondent alluded to, is of doubtful prop"iety
to say the least, and am rather more in
clined to pity his:ignorance than censure his
Misrepresentation, knowing that the former
is too fragile basis for the latter to rest upon.
Let me tell wherein he has failed to give
anything like correct information, or truth
full account f the battle of Pennington, as it
il called. First allow me to remark, that l
am actuated by no envious motives. but sim
ply by desire to deal justly by those actu-
ally engaged, rather than discredit the reports
of correspondents, who are never on the field
till after the battle.
But to ORC coed. No soldiers of Gen Hal
leck's army have been nearer than three and
a half miles of Corinth Gen. Buell's CON-
mand, occupying the center, is directly in
front of Corinth; Gen. Pope's division being
as far from Corinth as Gen. Thomas. Gen.
Halleck's line is little over nine miles long.
Gen. Mitchell has never sent prisoner here,
nor is he in this vicinity. No such regi-
ment as the 4th Michigan cavalry is in Gen
Halleck's army. The enemy did not burn
bridge after our troups withdrew, as there
was no bridge to burn. So much for the in
formation conveyed through your correspon-
dent.
On the day of the battle, the enemy ap-
preached in full force-consequent!y no skir-
mlshing occurred between the Federal and
rebel pickets. At the time of the battle, as
it is called, not single Illinois regiment was
engaged not volley was fired by an ILL
nois reg ment; and the only Illinois troops
engaged, were part of regiment deployed
on the left as skirmi, hers who early retired
from the field. The Wisconsin 9Th were de-
ployed as skirmishers in front Of the enemy
batteries. and who nobly withstood the Sc.
we're tests. When the I'd Iowa cavalry made
the charge, the 9Th Wisconsin withdrew, all
the other troops having Withdrawn in the
mean time.
Not shot was fred from Federal can
non, and in fifty minutes after the action be.
gan, not Federal soldier was on the field
except Col. Hatch, Maj. Coon, of the I'd Iowa
cavalry, and myself.
The I'd Iowa cavalry, in charge occupy
ing seven minutes, on seventeen guns, sup.
ported by at least 900 infantry, sustained
a loss of fifty -one killed and wounded.
do not wish your readers to infer for 9
moment that by this slight modification o.
the great battle of Pennington, l underrate
the bravery and gallantry of the Illinois
troops-they obeyed only too reluctantly thu
command to withdraw.
| Very respectfully, j. W. EYsrBA.
Adj "a battalion, I'd Iowa cavalry.