The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-05-31
Letter from ssLlne"..Jas. A. Henderson
OF the 07th Iova.-Capture Of MOBILIZE.
The 18th and 1eth Army Corps--Com.
Ing Home.

ing Home.
MOBILE, ALA, May 10th, 1865.
Col. II have been shown q copy of the
McGregor Eeus Of April 2sth, 1855, in
which is letter written by one Jas. A.
Henderson, of the 9th Iowa. He stated
) That the 10th Army Corps, on the 20lh oI
March, marched to pdnt within 20 miles
of Mobile and waited for the 18th Army
Corps to come up. On the s5th the l 9th
A. c. took the advance and marched 8
miles and camped within miles Of the
rebel fort On the 26th the 10th corps was
engaged in holding several brigades in the
rear and investing Fort Spanish, with the
18th corps one mile in the rear of them
On the 9th the 10th corps was and still is
in the advance, and the 18th A. G. batteries
are doing awful havoc with their men, and
already several Of the 18th Iowa had been
killed by their SHE'LL
Now, COL, do not want to make you
any trouble, or through the columns of
your paper wound the feelings Of any one,
but in justice to the boys Of the 18Th, would
simply state that the 10th did not "march
to point within 20 miles of Mobile on the
Goth Of March," but that they were trans.
ported from Dauphin Island and safely
landed at the mouth of Fish River, where
they debarked and waited until the night
Of the Gath, when the 18th, after days
hard marching, building corduroy roads for
upwards Of IS miles of the way, arrived
and went into camp at 10 o'clock at night.
On the morning of the 25,h the 10th corps
took the advance and moved to a point
called Deer Park, where we all encampcd
for the night, (littls thinking that on the
nert day rs .ould BE- killing off tho 16th
A. GU On the morning Of the 26th the
grand army moved in the following order,
on four different roads: Col Bertran's
Brigade Of the Sd Division, 18th A. c., on
the extreme left or shore road Of the Bay,
Gen. Veatche's 1st Div, 18th A. c., fright
in 'front.' on the I'd parallel road, followed
by his and the Sd Div train, with the re
maiuder of the Sd Div. as a rear guard,
while the 18th took the two parallel roads
to the right Of the 18th. Thus you will
see by the map that l sent you some time
ago, that the 18th covered as much ground
as did the 18th, and of a much rougher
nature, cut into deep and narrow de8les
and studded over with thick under.brush,
making it difficult for the skirmish line to
advance with that steadiness and precaution
that should always be exercised on like
occasions.
After moving some q miles, the column
halted for the purpose Of closing up and
reconnoitering in the front; the story was
soon told: the General and staff soon came
riding back, informing Gen. Slack that they
we're just ahead, and at the same time
ordering the olst Iowa forward as skirmsh.
ers. Four companies were deploycd, with
six remaining as reserves. They move
rapidly forward, driving the enemy's pickets
before them to point within one mile of
Spanish Fort, in which position they re.
mained until o'clock A. NJ. Of the 27th,
during which time the boys all concur in
saying that the 10th was not in the adrance,
and furthermore, it was not until late in
the evening that the whereabouts of the
10th corps could be told! At A. NJ,
9th, the whole line commenced advancing,
and night found the skrmishers of the 18th
as close as any along the line, with the
rear we'll closed up. I will here state that
Gen. Carr, Sd Div, 10th Corps, was on our
immediate right, and his skirmshers were
not as far advanced by 80, and in many
places 100 yards, as were the lines Of the
18th corps, there being no troops ia the
rear except Gen. Girard's Div, 18th A. c.,
and if l mistake not the 9th Iowa at that
time was with it, building rear defences
and gabions for the batteries in the front
not having participated in the engagement
The heavy firing that he heard was nothing
more than the skirmish line of the 18th
corps, advancing with unflinching bravery
to within 80 yards Of the rebel stronghold
and from its moving toward, give it much
J the appearance of the feet moving up to the
! work. But alas, that feet! God knows
how anxiously VIC all looked for its coming.
but it did not come until the day after the
surrender Of the city, for the reason, tn,
commanding fficer said, it could not BE-
done soith safety!
, On the evening of April sd we moved
to the mills on the Biminett, and at 3 A
NJ. Of the Sd, We took up position in the
rear of Blakely. 10 the left Of Gen. Andrews
, Sd Div, 18th A. c.; at 2 P. NJ. Gen.
Girard's Div, 10th A. c., formed on cur
left, extending toward the Bay, where ".
remained until the evening of the 9th,
? when . charge Vas made upon the whole
line, resulting in carrying the works, and
! We are not informed that the 10Th corps
took any more active part in this brillian,
affair than did the 18th! On the night ol
: the 1lth, the 1st and 80 Divisions, 18th
A. G., moved back to Sta.k's Landing
E embarked on board Transports, crossed the
5 Bay, disembarked at "Magnolia Race.
> course" and by l3 ~, Of the 18th, the
: Stars and Stripes were waving from the
e Custom House and other public buildings
5 within the city limits.
Now, Mr.. HENDERSON, for all this,
. would respectfully refer you TO the records
Of this campaign, and you must certainly
! agree with me that to each of these corps
should be ascribad the praise of having