The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-01-07
TIPTON, IOWA, JAN. Z, 1864.

This rather disconcerted US, for it indi-
Gated that they had our range; but as it
might possibly have been II chance shot
we waited somewhat anxiously for the
next; it soon came aud we all hugged the
ground pretty closely, but even that did
not avail; plump it came in Co. II, and
five brave soldiers were relieved from all
earthly suffering The rebel artillery
now opened from the whole of the ridge,
and began to tell on us In the most strik-
ing manner. The precision of their shot
was truly wonderful; it beat anything we
had ever seen of rebel gunnery. As a
natural consequence We concluded to
change our position for one less exposed.
We had hardly done 40 when we were
ordered TO charge the batteries, and st
once deploycd into line Of battle, the 9th
Stsking the extreme right of the Brigade,
tisa 1UtK Iowa on our left, the 93l I'll.
next, and the Goth Missouri on the ex.
treme left It was nearly a mile to the
rebel guns; we advanced in common
time, with arms at right shoulclcr, atiH,
and the rebels pouring an ince>saut fire
upon us, We kept steadily on until close
enough for them to csc shell with effect.
when sure enough. the shell were poured
into us with deadly effect They would
burst directly in our raj Ks making awful
gaps in them, but our brave boys would
close up and keep steadily moving on. un-
til they reached the foot OF the hill. Here
the rebel muskctry' opened upen US IN
the most terrific manner You may well
believe that the way the balls flew around
Us aud their infcrna. sound as they whiz.
zed through the air was enough to remind
US Of a future state and the uncertainty
Of the present. We now halted directly
in the face Of their fire and threw out
skirmishers, who soon succeeded in triv-
ing the rebel skirmishers into their
brcastworks. We then charged about
two thirds of the way up the steep ascent
and again threw out skirmishcrs, the first
having been pretty well used up. We
thus kept on advancing and throwing out
skirmishcrs until eight companies had
been deployed and were acting as skir-
mishcr>, when We found that by some
fatality our support had been Withdrawn,
and the rebels quickly y discovering our
weakened position, had passed around
both our tlanks, and were making des
perate charge on US in front They out
numbered US at least ten to one, and sue
cceded in taking two companies (B and
* who were in our rear, thus complete
ly surrounding US. We thuu, as
you may naturally conclude, in rather
awkward predicament, and must either
surrender or cut our way through; as we
did not like doing the first we took the
latter alternative, made a desperate dash
and broke through. About onc-balf of
the regiment escaped, leaving most of the
wounded in the hands of the eueuy.
The loss Ct the 5th regiment was very
heavy; out OF the go that went into the
fight. the killed, wounded aud missing
numbered ia. Lieut.. Col. Sampson
was wounded, and Major Marshall and
Aljutant Byers taken prisoners. A
number of our line officers were also ia.
ken prisoners Captains Bascom and
Pickerll, and LieuteDants Austen, Hotf.
man of Co. B, and Hoffman of Co. II,
and Lieut.. Miller of Co. +, was wounded
Fortunately there were none killed in
Co. a, and only five wounded, none of
them dangerously. Capt. w. G.. Nc.
Elrea, in the right cheek and throat; 1st
Sergeant j. w. Henderson, in the stom.
ach; privates H. Matter, in the hip
(bayouet), II. Zcitler, in the foot - bay
onet), and J. l. Ray in the left hand
The missing were corporal Uriah Sellers
and privates j. c. Stout and c. D. Tivis.
Gen. Matthies was badly wounded,
and is not expected to recover; and |
regret to add that it is said here that the
brave old fellow bundcred, and took US
in on his own possibility. 1t is sup
posed that if he survives he will in all
probability be courtmartialed for disobey-
ing orders.
You will see that we had pretty
rough time; but we have the satisfaction
of believing that our desperate conflict
materially aided the good result, as the
enemy supposing that our charge was
intended to be the main attack, maSsed
upon US, and thereby weakened their
other positions to such an extent that it
caused the success of our othrr diyis-
ions in sealing the heights and gaining
the glorious victory.
| will close this long letter by assuring
you that our Cedar county boys are de-
termined to keep up the name and fame
of Iowa, when fighting in the glorious
cause of Liberty.
Yours truly, W. G. McE.
gsg- The Dubuque Herald publishes a
two column abstract of jeff Davis mes
sage, under displayed head lines, one CT
which reads thus: "The atrocity and
barbarity Of the North;" then in an ed