The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-07-23
Army Correspondence, /
LETTER EROMHELENA--DESCRLF
= TON OFTHE BATTLE.

LETTER FROMHELENA--DESCRLI
!, .7YON OF THE BATTLE.
ssls HELENA, Ark, July 7th, 1868.
Dear Uncle and Aunt The glorious 4tf
is past, and I am the best pleased with the
way | helped to celebrate it than with any
other fourth srer heleped to celebrate.
was one of q little band of 1000, all told,
who contested the nights Of Helena against
force Of at least 10000. We held them a,
bay driving them little by little for abou.
seven hours; when they fed in dismay, ths
worst WHIPPED army that has been WHIPPED
since the breaking out of the rebellion, leav
ing their dead and wounded strewn all over
the hills and piled up in the hollows. The
defence of the place being conducted a great
measure by Iowa troops to-wit: The 2nd
brigade composed of the Goth, SD, and 36tf
Iowa Regiments, under command of Col
Rice of the 33d, Act Brig. General. We
feel that we have added another to the laur.
els Of the gallant little State Of Iowa under
which she is already grooming. We were
attacked all along the entire lines at once
which is about four miles long, at just fou,
o'clock in.the morning on the right by about
two brigades under command of Gen. Mar.
maduke, and on the left by one brigade un
der command of Col. Carter acting Brig
General, and in the centre by the remain.
der of ther forces, that being where they
bad determined on coming in under com.
mand Of Maj. Gen. Price. the whole affair
being commanded by Maj. Gen. Holiness
Six companies Of our regiment and the Goth
with the assistance Of two pieces of the Du'
buque Battery and portion of the 9th Kan
sas Cavalry held in check for six hours and
finally set to retreating in dismay, the en-.
tire brigade on the left with two pieces ol
Artillery, one piece of which they left be-
hind. Eight or ten killed IA wounded will
cover our entire loss on the left. While
their loss on the left to our knowledge was
not less than 80 killed and large number
of wounded.
The SD Iowa, 35th Missouri, two Bat
teries, the Gunboat "Tyler" and Fort Cur
tis which mounts seven heavy siege guns
and also small Fort of two siege guns stu
ated on the hill supported by portion Of
the SO Iowa, formed the defenses of the
centre. The attack was made on "dou5le
quick" it being their intention to take the
place by storm.
As they come over the hills in solid col.
umns, Fort Curtis and the gunboat opened
on them, moving their ranks and making
winrows of their dead. Notwithstanding
the great loss they were suffering. so deter.
mined were they to come IN, that they
charged on and captured the little Fort on
the hill it having nearly run ont of amuni.
ton, compelling our boys to evacu8te il
and fall back. The rebels flocked the Fort
as full as it would hold, turned the guns SO
as to range on us, but not being Artillery
men were at loss to load them readily,
and while working andtrying to load, old
Fort Curtis dropped in large shell, which
fell directly under the gun carriage which
they were trying TO load and bursted upset
ing the gun, and those that were looking on
say they seen dead rebels flying in the air
thick ten or twelve feet high, completely
cleaning out the fort. what were not blown
out run out in confusion. While this was
going on the rest oftheir force charged on
down the hill and occupied an old Church
and Brig. Gen. Solomon's Headquarters,
when the artillery let in on them playing
the shot through that old chuch so fast that
it soon set them to retreating, at which
time the 35th Missouri charged on them.
routing, leaving Ger. Solomon's door yard
full Of their dead and wounded, and captur
ing about 800 prisoners, among which was
Col. Dabins, 1.-THE guerrilla chief Of Arkan-
sas, two or three Lieut.. Col's. and four
Majors besides . large number Of line off,
GERS. & S S -
Our men following up their advantage
kept them retreating until they recaptured
thehil! battery and sent them bowling
back. A
) The defences of the right consisted Of the
4srd Indiana, part Of the 3srd Missouri,
the 1st Indiana Cavalry and some artillery.