The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-06-16
Letter from the actin Iowa.

Letter from the seth Iowa.
LrrTLE Rocx, ARK, May "a, 1861.
Dear Wife with pleasure 1 seat myself this NOR
ning to write to you. You have no doubt long be-
fore this time heard of the unfortunate ndiion Of
our Ill fated Regiment will briefly give you his
tory of our ira wells, but 1t will be very i'm perfect
sketch at best We left this place on the 2Sd day
OF last March, for Southern Arkansas with buoyant'
spirits, and every thing went on smoothly sntil We
arrived at Saline River the evening Of the I'd day.
We had scarcely got our pickets posted when the
sentinel shot dead at his post, this evening we
took few guerilas. Saline Is a small stream not
navigabe for boats. On the evening Of the 4th day
we arrived al Rockport. the County seat Of Hot
SPRINGS county, and situated on the banks OF the
| Ouachita river. This evening we got notice IL we
wished to write home there a train going back
next day, all wrote but for some cause the train
did not go back. On the evening OF the 9TH day we
arrive at Arkadelpha the county seat Of Clark co.
which is also situated the banks Of the 0aachita
river. At this place we lay by two days We had
still been picking up bushwhackers, untlby this time
we had quite number Of prisoners, something like
hundred there was great many ofthem took the
oath while we lay here and what is the most strange
many ofthe citizens that had always been very pro-
min ecessionists, In and took the oath pre-
scribed by the President. The boys wanted to do
washing while .hey lay here, the citizens asked
them dollar per pound for soft soap, but they did
not sell much but the boys done their washing. On
the morning Of the 81st OF March left Arkadepha
for Camden we marched that day to spoonvile, and
that night we had nothing to eat but fresh beef and
parched corn. We have beer on half rations all the
time since we had eat what we started with from
this place. The next day we marched to the Little
Missouri river a distance Of % miles, this day the
rebels attacked supply train but, repulsed
with loss. -
| clay at this place several days, and on the 4th
Of April we had a right sharp fight, our Regiment
repulsed three four to one, we were supporting
the artillery we held our fire until they got within
about Is yards Of us, when we opened on them, you
would have laughed to have seen them run but we
knew We had not force enough to follow up the ad.
| vantage we had gained, but they went ahead and
did not wait for us we had IT men wounded, 4 of
whom died. Rebel loss much heavier. On the sth
we were jsned by Genf Thayer's forces, the 10th
we moved forward to Prairie De Hand where we had
heard that aenr Price fortifying. They had
right sharp artillery fight that evening" the 18th they
skbmished all day, In the evenin we formed line
of batte and ma de ready for engagement that
night we lay our arms, and the rning OF the
18th marched out TO Civ ethem fight, but they had
neuvering Of troops the prettiest sight
witnessed; we were rolling prairie, where W e
could see all the troops moving, they appeared IS
cool as II on drill; after we had become satisfied
that they had deserted their works to ok up the
line of march for Camden which place arriv ed
the 18th day Of April about II o'clock at night,
| all hungry and tired for we had marched IS miles
that day and whipped 400 rebels. The next morn
ing had nothing to eat, but there ha nd.
mills In camp and we ground corn and baked slap
jacks, and did very we'll On the 18th of the month
we sent out forage train and they return ed to-
camp they were attacked by an Overwhelming free
and the entire train of wagons some 200, and 1900
mules and horses. We lost in the fight pieces Of
tllery. The train guarded by the 18th Iowa and
the LIST Kansas colored troops the 18th lest 100
and the coored Regt. lost some two hundr ed, the
enemy did not show any quarter to the negroes,
neither did the negroes and they fought like mad
men, and were determined not to yield the field; the
idea that the negroes will not fight has been prove
to be false for they efectuaily tried this
pedi'ion. there but two Regiments Of them with
US, and they were both severely tried.
On the 22d day Of April our Brigade consisting Of
the 48d Ind, Seth iowa and 77th Ohio were ordered
to Pine Blu to guard supply train, we got along
very we'll until the morning Of the 25th, about 10
4sd Ind in front of the train the s6th Iowa
in the and the nth Ohio tn the rear the
Country was very swampy, and the train which
consisted of $40 wagons, which threw the Regiments
three miles apart. When the attack was made in
'front.' the seth double quicked up at least three
miles they then opened on the 4Sd Ind, and seth
the most CALLING fire ever witnessed. We drove
them back twice. but it was all of no avail, they had
ave Brigades OF fresh troops, while we had but
small Brigade that had been the train for
month, but continued the unequal contest for
nearly three hours when were forced to surrender
ourselves prisoners Of war Neither the 36th nor
43d surrendered Regiment. but were overpower-
ed by force of numbers and taken by Ones twos and
tens at time, and In many Instances the rebs had
to wrench the arms out ofthe mems hands. The 18th
Ohio surrendered as Regiment, some think they
did not discharge their duty. do not wish to give
| an opinion, but they did not come to relief at
any rate, and lost but few men. There some
215 killed and wounded an d alb ont two thirds
| of them from the seth. The 43d had only
about 240 men in the beginning their loss heavy
to the number engaged The enemy's loss was much
| heavier than ours, in that we had the advantage,
they up in solid columns while we were trying
to ourselves behind logs, which accounts for
the difference In killed and wounded. slightly
over; was by fence and just In the act Of
shooting rebel that was at hand, when heard
some one call out behind me, lay down your rims
you id niger thief and on looking around
beheld rebels within about ten steps of me
ready to fulfill their threat, and as matter Of pol
icy did as ordered, and was sent to the rear
where taken care of In military style. IL was
then but a short time until the boys were all cap
tured Henry Adco,k was slightly " ounded In the
calf Of the leg. E. O. sloper was killed on the field;
you have no doubt got q list Of casualties of the
fight, but doubt whether they ever get an exact
list. We ept to Marks Mills and vicinity
We were aeateoAs well as we could be under the
circumstan ces the Citizens brought milk and
dered every aid in their power, for which shall
ever feel grateful We all paroled on the 18th
this month and arrived at this place the ED,
or the greater portion of Il mean the wou nded,)
The other boys were sent to Marshall, Texsas. Our
loss in the action killed and captured sol men,
only SO getting away. The loss Of the Brigade In
killed and capt ured about 800 men and officers.
We in good health only for cur wounds, and they
are doing as we'll as we could wish. do not know
what will be done with us yet, some think we will
get to 60 home furlough, although, we may be
sent to parole camp. m in condition that
not be of any service to the Government, and am
going TO try to get home.
On the reception ofthe Of our capture, (Which
in the evening" Gen. Steele decided to evacuate
Camden, which he did on the next evening. He was
compelled to abandon great many wagons which
were all DESTROYED. He evacuated at o'clock In
the evening and the troops were the move all
night and all the next day. They moved on unmo.
Tested until the evening Of the Goth Of April when the
rebels d, ed into their This was just as our
troops got to Saline River but troops held tn EN-