The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-06-25
CAMP % Iowa CAVALRY

u MEMPHIS, XcUus, uuo 10lus lCO7.
EDITOR HAwK-EYE:-Since writing my
last to you, containing what rumor said
about Gen. Stnrgis' defeat, Capt. Scott
Belden, Of this regiment, A. A. A. g. On
Gen. Sturgis' staff, has come in, and will
try and give your readers his report, which i
may be considered as Of official authen.
ITCHY. i'll.
Capt. Belden says that all moved finely
until the fatal hour-Friday noon. A
council of the Brigade commanders and
Gen. Sturgis had been had each day Of the
march. All had been done that could be
to ascertain the strength and position Of
the enemy. Forrest and his cavalry were
were able to handle, and hence moved on
confident of success. Gen. Grierson, with
his cavalry encountered Forests cavalry.
Friday morning, and drove them for some
five miles. in a sharp fight. The rebels
now got. reinfOrcements, when Griers0n
sent word 10 Sturgis that he could drive the
rebels NO further, but could. hold them, bus
that ne (Sturgis) had better prepare tora
fight, as the cavalry had used nearly all
their ammunition and should be Obligedto
fall back to replenish. Sturgis then formed
line and Grierson fell back upon it. Fol-
lowing GriersOn's column came rebel
charge, which our infantry handsomely
repulsed. But an occasional shot broke
the silence which 'reigned for thirty min-.l
utes after the repulse of the enemy. Pen
cannot describe the action for the next
hour. The rebel infantry came in sight,
one line after another, as far as the eve
could reach. As they neared our position
from twenty well directed pieces of artil.
lery. Each piece cleared a road in the re-
bells advancing inc, but on they came
The entire front line now charged our men,
and were badly cut to pieces by our well
directed bullets. A second line came over
| their fallen comrades, third over them,
and so on, until tacenty successive charges
had been made n, thirty minutes OF time, all
| from fresh troops, and neither one waiting
for the disorganized line before them t0l
reform. 10 cope with this force StHrGs..
had not over five or six thousand troops
Forrest knowing his advantage gave our
forces no chance to surrender, and all thai
our men could do was 10 sell their lives a
dearly as possible. The majority of Tho /.
| cavalry succeeded in getting away; but
Capt. Belden says that near 1000 brave
men fell in this dreadful carnage, in q few
moments, on our side alone. a.
II The commander Of the Coiored Brigade
lofdered his men to surrender, when s'FoH
Pillow burst from their lips, and with
dubbed ihuskets we'll in hand, they died
nobly fighting. After the fight was over
Sturgis called all the Co!ored Brigade TO b
found together and could find no officer ,
above the rank Of I'd Lieutenant who had
survived the slaughter. lie was put ~
command of the Brigade, and into it
they went again. No quarter appears 70
have been given to black or white.
Capt. Belden thinks our loss win sum-up.
1900 men, 2G0 wagons, and 80 pieces Of
cannon. The rebel loes in killed and
wounded must be heavy. Beldeu thinks
EStprgis did all that could be done, and big J
Judgment is deserving of much weighs
from the fact that he has acted as "A. A. A.
q. for Gen. Grierson, Gen. Hatch, and 9TH
Is, in nearly all Of our fighting in ths /
Department for the past eighteen months
? Forrest appears to- have thrown tne
black flag to the breeze. Very good, We
accept the issue.
Several regiments of To-day men from
iowa are on duty here. Among them are |
The 44th and 45th. The Sth and 18th love
are here; also the "Gray boards" Our
regiment is well mounted but not yes
armed. BY mistake our arms were sem
BY to Vicksburg. Our Colonel has SEM
after them. -
The rebel infantry must have been run !!
up on the cars from Mobile. Grierson sals
he heard two trains come in while they
were fighting. Belden says that afief
twenty different lines bad charged them;
three yet remained who had not been called
into action. PLE1CE"
r. - .-.sg
I "A CopPERHEAD WELL ANswER1D.-n
taN Dalai ~