Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-01-23
FROM THE RESERVES.
.,.. .-, On STEAMER, January s, 1868.


..r FROM THE RESERVES.
.r- ..... .-, On STEAMER. January s, 1868.
Mr.. Editor After rejecting upon the
maneuvers of our Northern armies for the
last forty days, wild geese and hard crack
ers have become so indeiibly stamped upon
my mind, that can see nothing else. The
attention of poets has never been much At
tracted towards geese, but the bird certainly
does exist. And as the Cedar Falls Reserves
is quill in the Mississippi gander's ..aii, I
hope it will not be considered out of place if
! should descri.;;e the fight of the fowl once
in awhile. We had completed very comfort
able quarters near Helena, and had i,,sit said
to our souls, take your e.::.se," wher 20 show
us how transitcSry Mates and things are
mere n,cS,ow, GeI... Sherman ordered that we
prerrare ten days rations anu forty rounds
Of ammunition, and be ready to move ct an
hours notice. On tho 21st inst wa broke
up camp, and all the troops that could be
spared from Helena, embarked On transports
and our army, numbering between forty and
fifty thousand troops, began to move down
stream The feet was composed Of one
hundred transports, and large number of
gun boats. On the evening OF the Oath we
arrived at Wilkins bend, on the Louisiana
shore, thirteen miles above the mouth of the
Yazoo river and twenty three miles above
Vicksburg. Next morning scouting party
of several regiments was sent out, which re-
turned on the 26th inst. and the fleet NOV
ed immediately to the plantation Of the reb-
ell Albert Sidney johnson, on the Yazoo riv-
err, and seven or eight miles from Vicksbuyg.
About FIVE miles above our place of land
ing, chain of bluffs rises from the river
and extends TO Vicksburg. Along the entire
line of these bluffs the rebels are strongly
entrenched. On Sunday morning the left
wing of our Regiment, and three other Reg
iments were ordered to remain at the landing
to guard the transports and take care of the
wounded. About half an hour after sun
rise our army attacked the enemy, and be-
fore evening the rebels were driven to their
intrenchnents, and on the following morning
the attack was renewed. Abou. noon our
entire regiment was ordered to the field, but
did not have an opportunity to participate in
the action. During the two days some Of
our batteries threw over one thousand rounds
of cartridges, and to green soldier the mu-
sic was sublime. Before the battle closed a
rain storm set in and continued during the
night; and many were the thoughts of home
as our soldiers lay in the mud, wet to the
skin. On Tuesday the battle was not re-
newed, and on Wednesday we sent out a
flag Of truce and brought in our dead. One
hundred and twenty six bodies were brought
to one point for burial. Every one was strip.
ped by the rebels Of cap, coat, pants and
shoes. And what was more remarkable
four fifths of the number were shot square in
the forehead; besides being wounded in the
legs, arms, and other parts. From the ap-
pearance of the wounds, am so we'll salts
fed of the fact, that ! would be willing to 60
it blindly, and swear that they were murder
ed as they lay wounded upor the battl, field.
do not think that our loss will exceed
two hundred in killed and three hundred in
wounded during the two days fighting. We
could not ascertain the rebel loss, but thank
God it was considerable. On Wednesday
evening, seventeen Regiments, including
ours, were ordered to draw the loads from
their pieces, and under cover of the night we
marched to the river and embarked on six of
the largest steamers wi hout making sound
louder than whisper. When on board we
received our orders; and they were orders
that made the hair stand on many head
We have many very beautiful soldiers, es.
pecially officers, in our army. Men whose
bravery could not be doubted in time of
peace or on dress-parade,
" But now cheeks were all male which but an hopr .~o
Would have bushed at the praise Of their own
But to the orders We were told that
there were six rebel batteries on the bluff
about three miles up the river Four of them
were about three quarters of mile from the
river. Two of the six batteries were to be
silenced by the gun boats before daylight
We were then to move up to a point oppo-
site the batteries, disembark as rapidly as
possible, and march in column, accompanies
directly for the batteries not knowing how
many masked batteries there might be, nor
he force of rebel infantry which might OBJ
truct our way to the heights. In case the
eading regiment should falter, it was to be
lriven forward by the bayonets of the reg't
n its rear; and in case any company sho'd
alter the same remedy was to be applied
III hands were instructed that the danger
'as as great in the rear as from the front,
nd that the heights must DO taken if every
IAN should fall. When day began to dawn,
very man whose bowels did not overcome
lis bravery, supposed that he had said his