Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-05-20

y
the fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sis
ters and children of the noble boys who
compose this gallant regiment, be proud
of them. When they We're ordered to
charge they sprang forward and fought
with an energy and heroism which could
have sprung only from hearts inspired
with the purest patriotism, and nerved
with an unfaltering trust in the right
eOusness Of their cause. Each one ap-
peared anxious to be foremost in the
front, and seemed to vie in courage with
the bravest Of the brave. The regiment
was in that part of the field where the
shot, and shell, and bullets fell the thick
est, and the battle ragged the fiercest.--
The 47th Illinois regiment of the I'd brig
ade, seven companies of the 35th Iowa,
and the same number from the 33d Mis-
souri, regiment, were all the troops of our
division that were in the field. The loss
in killed and wounded of the division
was 50, of which the 35th lost ga. Out
of the color guard of six men four were
wounded. The color sergeant, James
Dunn, when shot through the thigh,
placed the end of the coIor-staff in the
ground, and held the staff Hperpendicular-
ly so that the colors hoated over him.
Calling Lieut.. Lucas to him he said !:
Lieutenant, / am badly wounded take
the flag" One of the only two guards
who remained unwounded assisted him
to return back OF the line, leaving Thom-
as Purcell, his cOmrade, to carry both
the cOlOrs and the banner until his re-
turn. While carrying the flag he said to
Lieut.. Lucas, Lieutenant, wherever
you go L will follow with the colors. -
The death of Capt. Blanck left company
A withouta commissioned officer. While
pressing victoriously on in the charge
they called for a leader, and Lieut.. Col.
Keeler, who was in command OF the reg
iment, sent them his Acting Adjutant,
Lieut.. Lucas, of company +, who led
them gallantly through the fight a..
Col. Hill who the brigade,
won the admiration of all, both in his
own and other brigades, by his GOODNESS
and courage in the very thickest and
fiercest of the fight; andlittle Fred. Hill
was not whit in this respect, behind
scabbard of his sword broken, it is sup
posed by yashell. Hereceivesgr great praise
from all quarters for his manly daring
in leading his regiment where danger
seemed to thicken most. An officer in
one of the other brigades, remarked to
me " was struck with the appearance
of Col. Keeler when saw him, he was
in front of his regiment, Keeler is a no.
bic brave man." Maj. John exhibited
all the cool courage, presence of mind
and resOlute attention to duty that any
man could exhibit. But why should I
make these selections of exhibition of
daring and courage, when every officer,
and as far as could see and hear, every
man in the regiment, who was engaged
in the fight, was hero. givcthese in
stances merely as specimensOf thespirit
and conductor the eentireregiment. But
| cannot refrain from remarking in this
connection, that for cool courage and
presence of mind on the battle field, Dr.
Cobb cannot be surpassed by any man
living. When the Surgeons of other
regiments hastened from the scene of
danger, he alone of all the Surgeons in
the army, remained upon the field to re-
ceive and dress the wounds of the brave
but suffering boys that were brought off
wounded from the battle. Though the
shells flew over him and exploded, and
the bullets whistled around him, not a
muscle of his face changed, nor was there
any other indications of uneasiness
about him. Well may the boys admire
and love him, for he is noble man.
Near the close of the battle, Gen.
Mower, while passing the regiment, in
quired what regiment, boys?:' They
replied, "the 35th Iowa" You are
brave boys" said he "nobly have you
done your duty" They responded with
three deafening cheers for cold fighting
Joe Mower" which seemed to please
the Generalvery much. Calamity have
the officers and men of the 35th Iowa
sustained the reputation of their noble
State. The battle lasted two hours and
a quarter, commencing at fifteen min
utes past five, and closing at half past
seven. The next morning, notwith-
standing our glorious victory, Gen.
Banks ordered an inglorious retreat, lcav-
ing our dead unburied, and some of the
wounded on the field. Gen. Smith and
Gen. Mower demonstrated, but Banks
was infleXible. The boys were very
much exasperated, yet they had the sat
isfaction that they had done their duty
nobly. Companies f, & and H were on
picket at the time of the battle, and did
not therefore get to participate in it.
Yours, respectfully, ..