Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-01-09
oURARMN CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMP NEAR CAVE HILL, ARK, !
Dec. 14th 1862

! iOuSnC aC Pralrle GrOVc on the Itn INST, be
tween the main force of the rebels unde
: Hindman, Mcdonald and rMarmaduke, an,
Blunt and Herron's Divisions, resulting in
complete victory for our arms.
have been on the sick list since the 4th
t just resumed duty yesterday, though rarel,
able, consequently was not in the engagement
and can give but a meagre account of it. Eve
since our first arrival here the strictest yigi
lance was maintained. For several days tn,
regiment, all of them in fact, had struck tents
packed wagons and had everything in readi
ness for any emergency. The men wer.
marched out each morning and line of battl,
formed This state of affairs lasted till Sun
day morning, the 7th. Positive information
was that morning received that the enemy
was in force on the hill four miles below
where there had been some fighting when
we first came here. ...--..
Blunt had drawn up his forces in thai
quarter early in the morning, expecting the
attack at that point, but at four o'clock the
enemy had suddenly abandoned their position,
leaving few men to keep UP the appearance
of line, while with his main force he took
the road towards Fayetteville, intending to
fall upon our train at Rays Mills and attack
our forces III the rear.
This maneuvre, but for the appearance of
Gen Heron, would most certainly have sue
cceded AS it was he was kept in check by
Heron until our force, who had all the fore
noon been watching the enemy below Cave
Hill, arrived at the scene ofaction. ~....4
| When Gen. Blunt received the word that
the battle had begun, he was at least fifteen
miles from the spot. Incredible as it may
appear our men made that distance on the
double-quck, with one short interval of rest.
They arrived on the ground at three o'clock
in the afternoon, went right to work and
never ceased for moment till night set IN.
The contest was described by those present
as terrible. Our men throwing themselves
flat on the ground, fired only when they saw
their man, and nearly always brought him.
All the time constant shower of lead passed
over our line. At the last the enemy fired
very low so as to reach our men lying on the
ground The 10th regiment was posted on
our extreme right, and were all the time, as
we have since learned, fighting two entire
regiments.
Late in the evening the enemy threw
strong force out upon their left, completely
hanking our position and began filing off on
either flank of our regiment, the 18th on the
left having left their ground first. They
were thus closing in upon our regiment from
all sides in great numbers, when our boys
had orders to "get out of that"
About fifty rods in the rear Of our lines
was cornfield, the fence running parallel to
the lines, and the boys made tracks for the
fence and formed behind it, and delivered a
few effective vo'eys, and again fell back to
midway of the field, took shelter in deep
ditch and again fired.
The enemy followed in vast crowds to the
fence and into the field. Our men now fell
back behind Tenny's battery, which poured
in grape and canister with most terrible
effect, driving the enemy back and clearing
the field. AT this msment one of the enemy's
batteries began to play from point far to the
right of us. @
Tenny instantly ordered every gun turned
on that battery, and in five minutes it was
completely silenced. This was the last firing
that took place. Our men now fell back half
mile, to the opposite side of the little valley,
where they passed the night without blankets
and without fire or food, fully expecting to
renew the bloody work with the morrow's
sun. -t F'at .-i
During the night, Marmaduke came over
to our lines and had an interview with Gen.
Blunt, in which it is understood he claimed
the victory, and forbid Blunt taking any thing
off the field, saying the field is ours" Gen.
Blunt did not agree with him in this particu-
lar, but intimated his willingness to decide
the matter next day.
There is no doubt but the enemy were in
full retreat at the very time of the interview.
Early in the morning our men were in full
and quiet possession OF the field. Our heav-
lest loss was in Herron's division, the 10th
Iowa and 2Oth Wisconsin suffering terribly.
The Goth Wisconsin charged rebel battery,
behind which was posted three regiments of
infantry, the first lying down, the second
kneeling and the third standing They had
possession of the battery at one time, but the
fire from these regiments was SO hot they
could not hold it. It is said the loss in killed
alone in this regiment is not less than 100.
The loss is heavy on both sides. Ours is
reported at 700, killed, wounded and missing
The loss Of the enemy greatly exceeds this,
being certainly not less than 1000, and is
put down by many at $500. Three days
after the battle $50 Of their dead lay in one
place, unbuIied. s...g sy
Our wounded were removed to Fayetteville,
where they are well cared for. The rebels are
bringing theirs to this place, where they now
have several hundred. - b. ta,, 5s,...1
Blunt's forces actually engaged were part
of the Kansas I'd cavalry, dismounted and act
ing as infantry, the 10th, 18th and 18th in
fantry, and Tenny's and, Rabb's batteries
notexceeding 1,40O men. The 10th had $50
men present-loss, 6 killed and 6S wounded.
A number have since died. Our own COM
pany., has three wounded, but none of the
Iowa boys are injured. Mr.. Keislar, Of
Springdale, our I'd sergeant, an old man up
wards Of go years Of age, kept steadily up