The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-16


bat these blacks have long since learned
not to believe the horrible stories told them
by the whites to prevent them from seek
ing our lines, and we found little difficulty
in finding them with the stock they had IN
charge. All were taken away. The blacks
only too joyful at being allowed to go with
us and lead the extra horses. The boys OF
course, selected the best beasts in charge
for themselves, and soon all who left camp
mounted on old pegs of horses and mules,
had succeeded in getting well mounted.
Having secuted through the swamps in
this way, Col. Hatch would either swim
the river he wished to cross Crossing the
cannon on raft, or by rapid movement
strike it at some bridge or ford, where ting
rebels were not looking for him. In this
way we pursued our homeward course un-
molested, all the while adding to our list
of prisoners, negroes, horses and mules.
About shutdown of the 22d, we charged
into the town of Colona. Six pieces OF ar
tillery and regiment of infantry had left
this place the day before, for fear of being
captured by our Brigade. Our force was
less than 500 men. In Colona we burned a
long row of soldiers barracks, containing
500 bales of Confederate cotton.
About noon OF the Oath, we reached lit
tie place called Birmingham, some 25 miles
from Ripley. Major Coon, with six com
panies, had been sent by another road to
Verona, so that Col. Hatch had but four
companies with him, and they had in their
charge, 81 prisoners and 100 negroes; the
latter leading from one to three extra hOr-
ses and mules each. Coils Barton and
Smith, who had now been reinforced by
the I'd Alabama, thought this was their
chance to Wipe us oatt, hence they attacked
us in the rear, with far greater boldness
and ilnpetuosity than is their wont. So de-
termined were they to possess our little
cannon, that they charged it three times,
but were as often repulsed by the grape
from this little piece, and the balls from
our revolving rifles; nor had they yet
drawn one drop of Yankee blood. Dis
heartened at their oft repeated reverses,
they took for Dixie on the double-quick,
when Col. Hatch resumed his homeWard
march. The rebels still being upon our
flank watching us from high places, APP
parently with something Of the same awe
with which the ancient Mexicans regarded
Cortez and his band.
We reached camp on the 26th, having
been absent ten days, during which time
we had marched 400 miles, subsisting Off of
our rebel friends. When within 20 miles
of camp, ard while feeding at noon, CUR
rilla, more bold and successful than the
rest run out of the brush at the road side,
and shot one of the ColonePs Orderlies,
Charles Elithorpe, of Co. L., while he was
separated from the column, bearing des-
patch. The cowardly dog did not even
dare to take the pistol from his victim, but
fled. We Immediately secuted the timber
over. but the wretch eluded our Search
The Orderly died before we reached camp.
This was all the loss we sustained on the
trip. The rebel papers acknowledge one
man killed and 20 wounded in the last
fight, and claim that they killed Is OF our
regiment, including Col. Hatch. -
While we were thus employed, Colonel
Grierson made his way through the entire
length Of the State of Mississippi, and
joined Banks at Baton Rogue, unmolested,
the rebels having fooled their time away
trying to trap Col. Hatch. ii
We remained in camp two days, when
new Brigade was organized, consisting OF
the ID Iowa Cavalry, 4th Illinois cavalry,
and I'd Tennessee cavalry, with the Sixth
Iowa Infantry mounted on mules, and four
2-ponnd cannon, all commanded by Coz.
Hatch. With this Brigade, Col. Hatch, on
the morning of the 18th, again started in
the direction of Columbus, to engage Col.
Chalmers, who had got in there and thus
kept him from bothering Col. Grierson if
he had not yet got safe through. We were
gone seven days, but could provoke no
fight out of the rebels, reaching camp on
the evening of the 5th inst. We found four
Union men here from the center of Missis-
sippi, who had made their way to our lines
through the swamps on foot, land were desi-
rous of entering the U. S. service. They
are in Go. K. They report many more
there who are anxious to join us as soon
as an opportunity offers; two of them have
brothers now in our army. -ef. ....sr4
Yours as ever, L. 3. PIERCE.