Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-07-10
Col. Hatch of the Second Iowa
Cavalry.

| An army correspondent of the Davenport
Gazette pays handsome and deserved com.
pliment to our fellow citizen Col. Hatch
Below we copy his letter entire, believing II
will be read with interest by the public, and
especially by those having friends in this
noble regiment
"Col. Hatch is universally liked by officers
and men, especially by fighting ones. Every
man in the regiment would follow him to
the very heart of rebellion they know him
to have the ability to command, and that he
is undaunted, brave, collected and cool in bat
tie; there is no hesitation in obeying his or
ders, for every one has implicit confidence in
the source from whence they emanate We
feel perfectly safe when out on scout, for
we know his ability and we know that the
rebels never have out generated him. In
camp he is strict disciplinarian; but giving
justice to all. will give an example of his
appearance in time of danger: At Birming-
ham, when we had been followed for five sue.
cessive days and nights by vastly superior
rebel force, we were attacked at IL o'clock.
Major Coon had been sent to town five
miles distant with five companies-two COM
panies were sent to guard the bridge on which
we had to cross the river, one company had
charge of the prisoners, and one company had
charge of led horses and negroes; leaving
but two companies, A and f, dismounted,
armed with Colts revolving rifles and Reals
six-Shooting navy revolvers, numbering forty
two men, Parts of and X, IA men with
sabreS and carbines, acted as flankers and
we had one little steel, four pound cannon.
When the enemy was charging upon us,
five companies abreast and each company
formed into fours, and these supported by
seven other companies, Col. Hatch stood as
cool as though he was in his parlor at Musca-
tine only reading charge. They had charg
ed twice before and been repuled. Our two
componies, A and E, were formed in line
across the road. The cannon in the center. and
E ank X on each flank. The enemy is COM
ing down on the full run with sabres drawn.
and their reserve of seven companies is dis
charging volley after volley which comes in
close proximity to our ears. Col. Hatch stood
among the foremost (this is where you will
find him in time of battle) cheering, and thus
encouraging his men:
II am surprised, boys; you have done well.
have seen you dismount eight men at one
charge; saw five horses fall dead and sever
al disabled You have done well; take it
cool boys, make every shot coun'; bear in
mind that one shot we'll put in is wor h more
Than one hundred thrown away, and that one
horse killed or disabled or one mar knocked
rom his horse, does more good than the re-
port Of hundred shots that do not take eff
ect. Wait until you get a good shot, then
make it tell. Do you not see that they are
wasting their shots? Keep your line good
md when they get close enough, fire with a
will. There ere but few Of US, but we have
,ot eleven shots each, and, mark my words,
;, ,0C0 Of them cannot charge through us; we
an stop them with piles of dead horses and
nen. Here they come, boys. Keep your
inc good and don't let man move an inch;
1old your fire until you can see then wink
heir eyes, and don't fire until l give the
word"
On they came. Two hundred yards now
me hundred; now seventy five. On they
come, making the ground tremble with the
all of their horses hoofs. They are fol-
owed up by the reserve, who keep up fire
md advance with savage yells. Still the lit
lie band stands still Not word is spoken
1ot man moves; not heart quails not an
Eye turns from its work At our front stands |
our Colonel, though the bullets whistle about
lis head. His eye steadily wanders over the
mighty column, watching for favorable op-
to open on them. Fifty yards is
gained by them, and the word fire. given.
the rifles and cannon are dis
charged, and the fire is kept up by the rifles
Is long as the rebels are in reach, for they
Ire falling back, scattered and in confusion,
mid the groans of the wounded, the shrieks
IF their dying and the neighing of their
horses We are ordered to keep
our line good and fall back to the lead horses.
We did not have man or horse hurt We
mad fought the famous 9th Alabama cavalry
with 56 of our regiment and repulsed five
desperate cavalry charges. Yours, &c.
LEE.