Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-07-31
THE IOWA THIRD rEARFULLY
. 90 CUT UP. - - :. :.

From correspondence Of the Dubuuu,
Times, dated Vicksburg, July 14th, we copy
the following account of the engagement a
Jackson, Miss, where the ranks of tn,
Fighting FOURTH" were fsarfully cut up:
pass briefly over the time occupied il
reaching jackson, Miss, and the part taker
| by the 4!h division up to the 18th inst.
On the 18th it appears Gen. Lauman com
rnanding the division, received orders to take
position on Gen. Hovey's left. A,l..
Itsecms that through neutrality-suspicious.
(some say disobedience, but do not think
this reiable,') of orders, Gen. Laumar
moved too far in advance, and also deviated
little in the direction. The result of this
was dreadful slaughter Of the four regi
ments engaged.
The position !" is level field with dense
woods on three sides, in which were the reb
els.
Whether Gen. Lauman was aware of the
presence OF so large force of the enemy,
not only in front but on either flank, is not
known. Advancing he soon met with re-
sistence he could not long withstand But
the greater the danger the harder he pressed
on, at ONE ordering charge which was
made in the most magnificent style by the
First Brigade, Fourth Division, consisting OF
the 4lst, SD, 2sth Illinois, and the Sd Iowa.
The charge, however, proved but sad mis-
fortune. What else could we expect with
4 rec thousand men. They only stood
nj suffered so great because they were as
brave thousand men as ever went into an
engagement. The rebels with more than ten
times their number ambushed and in trench
es--a dozen pieces of artillery masked, all
pouring into the unfaitering ranks of that
heroic" thousand" the most destructive fire
Of shot, shell, grape aud canister, with per.
feet shower of buck and ball, did not have
the satisfaction of checking the advance of
the " Yankees" But what could be done !?
Just what was done-moye right forward re-
CARELESS of all danger or opposition.
After more than ono half Of that veteran
band had fallen, Gen. L., seeing the hope
lessness of remaining longer on the field, or
dered the battalion remaining to fall back
which was done in the best OF order. It be.
ing impossible toebring off all the wounded
when our mon fell back, Gen. Iauman sent
a flag Of truce requesting permission to bring
off his wounded and bury the dead. This
the rebels refused to do, but we only learned
the reason for this refusalwhen We saw them
fire volleys at our wounded as they raised
II heads, hands, or in any way exposed
themselves to view. .
Not content with killing and wounding
more than half our men, they refused us the
privilege of caring for our wounded, for the
purpose evidently of amusing themselves
with numbering wounded and helpless SOL
dlers. Perhaps they had been too brave
acted too nobly--to be allowed to live, or
have decent burial rs a,M.-...s
When our boys saw this, they were fired
with just indignation and revenge 1t was
more than they could bear, and it was for
some time feared nothing would restrain them
from rushing once more to the very lannon's
mouth to rescue their bleeding comrades
from these heartless barbarians and to avenge
the cowardly slaughter of SO many of their
fellows. But this was only madness. only
throwing away their own lives. This would
only be meeting the wishes of the rebels to
have another chance of sweeping down our
men, while they were in perfect safety in
their bitches and brush.
have learned the names of but very few
Of the killed and wounded of the Sd Iowa.
The regiment went into the charge with 2lO
men, and came out with 90! Loosing in
killed, wounded and missing, 100, and think
most of the missing are dead Col. Brown
is wounded in the thigh, and majority Of
the commissioned officers were killed or
The Lieut.. Colonel was in the
hospital. Most Of the other regiments suffer
I'd as severely as ours did.
Gen. Lauman is relieved Of his command,
and has reported to Gen. Grant.