The Burlington weekly hawk-eye., 1862-11-15

some time kept up lively Ere with our al,
mishers, who we're dismounted and sent \,
ward. As our main body moved forward, "a.
rebels retreated rapidly towards the South.
Reinforcements we're expected from Geue,,
Totten, who was eight miles distant, at Faye,ts.
vile. He had with him artillery, which r,s
necessary to drive the rebels from the brush b,
which they had retreated. Totten, howeve,
did not come up, and companies B, G, G, and
81, of our Regiment, were ordered forward IN
reconnoiter, under Capt. LeHiugwell.
After proceeding about mile, we discover
ed the enemy strongly posted in the brush, on
three sides Of large cornfeld. We ran al
most into their line before discovering them,
but succeeded in gaining position in the corn.
field without drawing their fire. Company
was then diemounted, and sent into the bru,b
as skirmishers, under Sergeant VIM. Clarke
The moment they entered the wood, heavy Gre
was opened on them by the concealed rebels,
but happily, owing to the thick underground.
their aim was generally too high. The bullets
whstled through the corn-feld in close pro..
Unity to the mounted men there, wounding one
of Company G, and causing the men to din.
mount in ludicrous haste Corn stalks and ears
were cut off by this leaden shower, and it was
truly wonderful that more of the men were not
hit In the meantime, our boys in the brush were
pouring their shots upon their halfhid foe, with
good execution. The wood was full of rebels,
who would raise their heads and fire, and then
drop on their faces out of sight As they closed
in upon us, we fell back to the line in the corn
field and remounted. The rebels did not at
tempt to follow, so We threw out fankers and
waited the reinforcement. Of our main body
What was our surprise when we learned that
Gen. Heron had gone back to Fayetteville, and
we were left to get out as best we could in the
face of the enemy. As we could see them CON. =
ing up on us from three sides, our little force
cape.
We found Totten and Brown at Fayetteville
with large force, and no one could tell why
they did not come to our assistance.
IL SeeUl5 eGTdHSc, WucEc VIC uhNc W udTCH
night and day to find on enemy, that our force is
always too small when they are found; that
Generals are never in the right place at the
right time.
1t seems stranger still, that General should
throw small detachment into an enemy's am
buscade, and then move of in the opposite d.
rection, without sending relief. A private SOL
dier is not supposed to know anything, but he
aiu think sometimes. .
Our loss in the whole days skirmishing, was
four men wounded and three horses killed. The
enemy left six men killed behind them, and their
wounded must have been many more, judging
from the bloody spots where they fought.
Our division is now encsmped at Cross Hol.
lows, on Ben. McCullough's old ground. Our
pickets are ired upon almost every night by the
Bushwhsckers. The other day our forage train
was fred upon, and Quartermaster Dickinson
was killed, and two of Company A, wounded
The Ozark and Boston Mountains afford excel
lent retreats for such rascals.
The First Iowa is in good trim and ready for
anything that may turn up. Yours,