Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-06-07
IOWA FOREVRR,


in Hallsck's Army near Corinth, gives the
following vivid description of the part
performed by the Second Iowa Cavalry in
the action between the rebels and Gen.
Paine's Division at Pennington on the 9Th
lust. lie says:
On Thursday General Palmer, with
his brigade of the division of General
Paine, was ordered to move over without
tents and occupy the space until wires
and a telegraph could be erected. Con-
siderable skirmishing took place in press.
ing in the pickets Of the enemy, until fin.
ally our cavalry reached mile and half
beyond, or to within three miles Of Corinth,
and in sight Of the abatis of felIed timber
erected by the enemy. The Second Iowa
Cavalry were the first to occupy the posi-
ton, driving in the enemy's advance lines,
losing two men killed and a dozen wound.
ed. On Thursday night the men BIZ
vouacked in and around the village, while
the telegraph men were busy erecting the
wires.
The next morning, he says, the enemy
appeared iu great force.
At ten they opened with artillery. Hear
ing the report Of the cannon we started for
the trent, passing long files of men drawn
up on either side, orderlies flying in hot
haste up and down the roads, indicative of
something important. The firing became
more rapid, close and sustained. From
the number Of shots fred we estimated at
least three batteries on each side. At Il
the Second Iowa Cavalry we're ordered to
the front, to be ready for emergencies
They reached the ground about IL, and
were instantly formed in the rear Of our
line Of infantry, where they remained,
subject to a screaming ball at short inter
walls. The brigade Of General Palmer,
with q supporting brigade of Ohio regi-
ments, was formed upon the brow Of bill,
stretching across a cleared space half o
mile across. The artillery on both sides
phur. The Confederaes seemed to have
in the clearing at Pennington dense coll
umn of infantry, and on the left battery
of four pieces in the centre section,
and on the right our ten pieces were
mounted, near y opposite the road, as it
emerges from the swamp at about two
thousand yards distance The exchange
of shots was rapid and well sustained from
| till -.
1t soon became evident from the move
ments of the enemy that they Intended to
get between our position and the only road
ont by a faux movement on our right and
left. After lapse Of an hour and half
their batteries opened again at an angle so
as to deliver u cross fire. Their cavalry
had disappeared. Ours was ranged in
along the edge of the woods Gen Paine,
who WAS in command Of the whole, wisely
deemed it best to withdraw from the
ground. TO do this without leaving any
thing on the field was a nice task. 1t was
: clock and the enemy WAS spreading his
lines out through the inclosing woods -
The artillery Of the enemy was raking our
collected force with shot aud she'll Our
wounded we're being carried off in teams
and ambulances as they fell. Further re-
sistance without support was useless
In this extremity Gen. Paine, excited at
the time, gave the order Tor the batteries
to fall back to the road, and the infantry
to follow. To cover his retreat, and stop
this hail Of hurting shot and shell. the
cavalry WAS called upon. The regiment
Of Second Iowa Cavalry, under command
of Col. Hatch, and Majors Love Knhen,
and three small companies Of regulars,
under Lieut.. Gordon, were ordered to
charge upon the batteries ! The order was
rash one, but it was an order. Five
hundred, in all, to charge battery in the
face Of ten thousand Blu, they did it,
nd boz Ia IN ho h,l - 81
rebels, they nearly all returned TO tell the
tale; many of them, alas, speaking by
gaping wounds and riddIed, ta,,ered gar
ments.
Lieut. Gordon, who ia himself conspic
uous character in more than one charge Of
cavalry. The brave Iowan,, who had but
recently left their plows field, now called
upon to face death, and ride up TO the can
mons mouth, with the true spirit of heroes
filed up the ravine, and on reaching The
top Of the hill spread ont, galloped up to
the batteries, demolished like lightning a
line Of skirmishers in their way
" Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to lett of them,
Noiieyed and Numbered"
Truly enough, for the whole Of the guns
were sweeping the plain with shrapnell
and canister Luckily the depression was
too great. The balls whis,Ied and flew
into the ground all round and beneath
them. The mortality among the horses
was fearful-ninety three of the number
being wounded and killed. Col uatch's
anxiety for his men to follow him now
changed into an anxiety to recall them
Onward they charged, right up to the bat,
teries, slashng and hewing down the gun.
ners with their sabe!s, dead to the call Of
their gallan, leaders. who saw that the oh
ject was accomplished, the guns limbered
and slsnced and the enemy on the right
in disorder, while on the left be was clos.
ing in.
Orderlies sent to the different companies
finally rallied the men. Slowly and dslib,
erately they rode back over the field. Tbs
enemy was silent on the left. Our ar;l.
lery and infantry had passed into the
woods, and were falling back to the main
body. The route was s.rewn pith dead