The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-13


sulssn. After marching for several days |
over simply an Indian trail. the whole COM |
mana predicted the loss or the necessary aban- |
Comment of the guns. Maj. (now Col Dav-
idson requested, but did not order, 1t. (now
Capt) Connolly to reruxn 10 our lines, offer
ing TO furnish him an escort. To this the
lient replied that he could take the guns
wherever the commander led thercolumn, and
he made good his assertion ty bringing them
back successfully. Nothing was more start
ling to the deluded Indians than the report
Of the brass bull dogs. The enemy's camp
was attacked February I'd. The surprise
complete. They lost So killed. Sc prisoners
| and 80 stands of arms. Our loss was killed,
mortally wounded Lieut.. Capron, dash
ing officer, being one of the latter and three
| slightly wounded The breaking up OF this
nest was productive of gieat good. The in
habitants in North Car lima and Tennessee
| had suffered terribly from the fiendish atroci
| ties of the Indians The killing and captur-
| ing of many of their leading men caused the
| Indians to submit, and their barbarities are
u lor z 2 praoticed upon the inhabitants of
mat region. Gen. Grant, in an ofhcivi report
| to the secretary of war, characterized this ex-
petition as one of the most brilliant achieve
| ments of the war.
| The regiment took part and participated in
4
| Georgia last summer. 1t was also In the
Stoneman raid Whilst the main body of our
cavalry under this cou rageous chieftain was
| fighting the enemy near Macon. the bulk of
the 18th was ordered under Laridson, to make
a raid south Of Macon for the purpose of cut
ting the enemy's communication. His or
ders were thoroughly executed. Railroad
bridges locomotives. cars and depots In val
ne of hundreds of thousands of dollars, were
l oil or In
lowered about the command. Some days al
ter accomplishing this work, and while it
was making its way back, it struck Capron's
| brigade on the retreat from Macon. Believing
the command to be out of donger, and the
men being overwhelmed with fatigue and
stupid from the loss of sleep, orders were
given to halt and rest for a few hours. The
location of the brigade having been pointed
ont to Wheeler,s force by spies, before day
in the camp. sabreing the pickets and sue
ceeded in capturing, and killing some $50
enlisted men and l6 officers The officers
aud men who escaped suffered untold horrors
from fatigue and hunger, before they sue
ceeded in reaching our lines. Many of the
brave fellows who were captured have eked
out miserable existence in loathsome south
ern prisons, while many others have return
ed, exchanged or paroled with only strength
|
it with their blistering tears, and curse the
authors of their barba.ous and c.uel treat
ment, when their spirit. have taken fight to
the relms above
The l4th has the distinguished honor Of
being the first federal troops to enter Allan
Ia
During the late advance of Hood in Ten
nessee, Capron's brigade including the 18th
was near the Tennessee river, on the extreme
! - e. Z.
the remnant drew Springfield rifles at Mari
eta, Georgia. With these unwieldy caralrs
arms the brigade fought Forrest, holding
him at bay like a crouching lion. Being
frequently surrounded, it always succeeded
in charging through the enemy in splendid
style. The night If the 2Sd of November
and the night Of the 29th will ever be memor
able in the history of the 18th. Being sur
rounded the rebel le,sions were charged and
scattered, Co., l.. participating and doing
its duty as brave men only can.
; On the 18th day of December. first day +
fight at Nashville. it moved out before day
light, held its ground in the face of fearful
can"nade from the enemy's guns and towards
evening advanced across open field in
front of q rebel battery having an unobstruct
ed range not to exceed four hundred yard,
| from the regiment. 1t took the position u
I was ordered TO take two hundred yards from
. the rebel artillery, and when arri ing her,
the former limbered up and retired hastily
Being dismounted on the advance the prn
cipal duty assigned the regiment was Il
L support battery NJ, Of the 4th regulars.
The officers of our company in the l4th ar,
Captain I'll. G. Connolly, Rock Island; Firs
Sergeant, n. n. Burpee. De Kalb; Second
Sergeant VIM NJ Moore, Edgington.
Gems. Sehofeld and Stoneman have ex
!, pressed the highest opinion of the 18th Off
ally and nnofhcially. The 18th would hav,
been with zen. Stopeman on his late expedi
: ton in North Carolina, had it had been abb,
2 TO secure horses.
As a citizen of the county, having prid
Q in the valor and honor of her sons. il
!, Justice to her heroic dead who have Offered
9 up their lives on the altar of their country, i
} gives me pleasure to make a note, mer
memorandum of the gallant acts of Co. l., n
L well as the l4th cavalry.
l. Coz.