, 1863-01-26
THE BATTLE OF HARTSViLLE.
Gallant Conduct of the Iowa 21st.
STRANGE CONDUCT OF COL.
MERRILL,
he Retreats Although the Battle
was Won.

He Retreats Although the Battle
was Won.
Correspondence OF the Missouri Democrat1
LEBANON, Jan. Is, 1868.
On Thursday, the 9th inst, the following
were ordered to make a forced
march to Springfield, to reinforce that place:
500 Of The 31st iowa infantry volunteers, under
Lieut.. Col. G. III. Dunlap; ESQ Of the 93lh Iili-
nois, under Lieut.. Col. Porter; 200 Of the Sd
Iowa cavalry, under alaj. Duf6eld; 200 Of the
Sd Missouri cavalry, under Capt. Black: and
two. pieces Of artillery under Lieut.. Wal
schmidt, the whole force under command Of
Col. Merrill The next morning we reached
men, had left that place the night before, and
gone IN the direction Of Springfield. Stop
ping fora time to feed, get what information we
could, &C., We pushed on and camped That
night IN line Of battle, about ten miles be-
yond Hartsyille. We we're to start next
morning at O'Clock, and were all ready to
move when We heard firing from the picEets.
They soon came dnsbing in with information
that heavy force Of thu enemy was In front,
close upon US. Our artillery was Immediately
brought forward, and every arrangement
made TO meet the advancing rebels, After
coming within about half q mile Of Us. the
rebel army halted, and nc waited in vain for
their approach. They evidently preferred
being attacked to attacking. About half an
mined to wait no longer. Our lines were ad-
vanced some distance, and the artillery open
ed on the enemy with shell. After few
shots he commenced replying, when the fight
became quite spirited, and continued until
between and 70 O'Clock. The rebels then
began to fall back in considerable confusion.
They took the left hand road, which leads off
by an indirect route to Hartsyi1le. We took
about fifty prisoners, most Of them from
Marmaduke's command, and hnd been in the
Prairie Grove battle. Two Of them after-
wards proved to be surgeons. I talked with
most Of them. They contended that they
whipped Heron and Blunt ut Prairie Grove.
They found it difficult, however to account
for their falling back so rapidly at night to-
wards Van Burcn. From prisoners and other
sources re learned that the rebel force we
had attacked consisted of the combined com
mands Of MarmaduAe, Porter, Green and
Shelby, amounting In all to about 4,000 In
this fight We lost one Captain aud two non
commissioned officers, Killed, and think six
men wounded. Our scouts soon learned that
the enemy was moving by circuitous route
towards Huntsville, and our farces were soon
put in motion for the same place.
They could travel the fastest and had con-
siderable the start, but had further to march,
and the consequence Was that both armies
about II O'Clock in the forenoon. Our infant
n forces went in the last two miles on the
and formed on the right and
left Of the artillery, close to the town. The
battle was Immediately opened BY us with
few shell. The enemy responded for few
moments with grape, and then charged upon
us along the whole line. He Was repu1sed ut
every point with great slaughter Again be
charged, and again was driven back in disor-
der. The rebels now formed line on the
opposite side Of the town, and opened on us
brisk fire Of musketry, the artillery duel in
the meantime being kept up with life. Our
infantry and cavalry poured an unccasing and
times the rebels broke and fell back, but were
rallied by their officers with much swearing
and e2ertion. So close were the two lines
that we could hear every order and word of
command given by their officers as distinctly
as By, our own. This morning, IRE con
timed about three-quarters Of an hour,
when heavy force Of mounted men. dashed
q horrible yell upon our battery.
They, however, miscalculated the metal Of
their foe. The direction Of their approach
subjected them to croesflre Of the Goth ILL.,
nois and 21st Iowa infantry regiments, both of
which, when they had approached near enough,
Pouicu apou latM euoHcT VI Du!lcLS LllL
eaused their whole line to reel in confusion.
It was decidedly pleasant to see the saddles
empty and the horses either fall or trot off
without riders. Many Il poor fellow never re-
turned from the charge. So completely were
the rebels routed in this bloody charge, that
they did not rally until they got over the hill
far beyond the reach Of our fire. About this
time the firing on the right and left Of the 2lst
Iowa..(we held the centre Of the linc), ceased.
We wondered at this fact, but Lieut.. Col.
Dunlap told us that the other forces were
only changing their position, aud would
shortly come in again with renewed yigor, and
that we must increase our fire In order to en-
were executing this movement The alst re-
new cd the fire with enthusiasm. 4 short time
afterwards, however, VIC learned that the
whole Of onr force, except our detachment,
had withdrawn and were probably retreatins
in the direction Of Lebanon. This left us in .
prccarious- -position-:o,50 Of us iii front Of
4,GCo. We had received no orders to retire
all the rest, It seems, had. We also learned,
afterwards, that three ordrrlies hid been sent
TO Col: Du1llap, ordering him to fall back on
the Lebanon road, and that two Of these or
derlics had been shot, and the other had his
50 lot was the tire where we we're formed.
These orderlies failing to reach us we were
here left ''all alone in onr4;lory," to fight the
thing out tho best We could. WHY back
ward movement was ordered at the time is
very surprising. The enemy had been re-
pulsed in every attack, and with great slalie1i-
tor. We had not lost a single inch Of ground
That they were not f1anking is coneInslvely
proven hy the fact. that the 21st, go strong,
held their position for three hours and half
after tile other detachments, with the artil-
lery, had gone from the field. it Ii well
known, too. that they had suffered terribly.
From every house in town eamc to cur ears
n E1krfn1 nf tu1 s1z@s~>1
ing the 1ulls in the firing, the cries and groans,
and moaning Of their sufferers were heart
rending indeed, and made the place seem a
perfect pandcmoniufn. We were right OIL the
edge Of the place, and could distinctly hear
the words Of their wounded, when the noise
Of oeaS es ot5s fdns, Ss not toe a n.a sang in
Gods sake not to Shoot" &c, DC.
Near the close of the battle, some of onr
boys took water to some who seemed to be
dying, and in two or three instances,
! regret, for tho sake Of humanity,
to say, TINT they were fired upon by scattering
rebels, who still lurked in some ofthe houses,
forces were really gonc, Colonel Dunlap deter
minod to hold his position until dark, and
with view ofpreyentlng the enemy from dis
| covering our weakness, and the absence o1
most Of our army, threw the skirmisheys to
the right and left to keep up constant firing
ulS Alu ANE EueEl u uEEtlf1uE LAE enemy,
Three times after this they charged the center
in strong force, and each time were nicely
rcpu1sed. We occupied a strip Of under.
brush, which ran along the brow of the
hill bordering the town. very secure ind
| imprcgnable position to m attack from the
front-and hence the enemy could not tell pre-.
ciselywherc We we're until thcirllnc approached
| within few rods Of us, when the boys would
| spring up with u yell which could only be
| eqraled By hell itsclf, and charge down the
| hill uEon him, every single time breaking his
| ranks in confusion and with great loss An
| hour before dark, much to our surprise, and
! assure you much more to our satisfaction, for
| it seemed like rainbow in terrible storm,
| the enemy began to fall back rapidly over the
| opposite hill on the Pocahontas road. First
his train Of wagons moved over, and then fol.
lowed long lines Of cavalry moving with haste.
| We were ordered to quicken our fire, the
more perfectly to deceive them regarding our
| strength. This fire was returned By heavy
rear guard until nearly dark, when it ceased
| on their side, and the last Of them left the
place, leaving our little band masters Of the
field Not dce1ning 1t safe, however, to re-
main, a.. any moment might reveal to their
etragglers onr weakness, and they return
With sufficient force to literally eat Us mp,
Lieut.. Col. Dunlap ordered us to quietly gath
cr what few things VIC could, and then march
cd us in good order from the field on the Leba-
non road in the direction which VIC ascer-
tanned our troops had taken. Strategy and in
con4ucrable yalor, as Tou will readily per-
celEe, alone saved our little band from the
very jaws Of death, and gaye us victory
this, too, BY troops who lad been marching
A%H1R RdsI,$ $+xcH4 n L.