The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-22
ana Regiment, recruited

/ 21A ~ 49, -
tered into active service in the field,
in the State Of Missouri, in the chase
for General Price, 10 August, 1861.
Colonel VEATCH was not skilled in
the service of arms, but with a versa
tile mind and a quick conception of
military affairs, he very soon compre-
hended the details of the tactics and
service. From this time forward his
military life is part of the history OF
Indiana and the Nation, and familiar
to most Of our readers. It is hardly
necessary TO do more than make a
brief reference to it. With his regi-
ment he participated in the Fremont
expedition to Springfield. No. IN the
Fall of 1861, and was q part Of the.
force which made the march to West
ern Missouri in the. Winter of
1912, which resulted in the Black
water fight and capture Of near 1000
prisoners, one of the first of our West
ern successes. He. with his regiment.
was given the place of honor Of
guarding the prisoners TO st. Louis.
From thence he with his command
was transferred to General GRANTS
army, then preparing for the cam
paign against Fort Doneison. The
Tw~enty-ffth Indiana, under the COM
mand Of Colonel FEATCH, partici-
pated 10 that memorable three days
battle. On the first day his regiment,
under his immediate command, was
assigned the honor of bringing on
the enga cement and opening the fight,
and right CALAMITY did they bear
themselves under his leadership. Ga
the third and last day, after being
almost constantly under the enemy's
fire, it was the Twenty-ffth Indiana,
with Colonel VEATcH at their head,
which formed part of the storming
party, which sealed the heights on the
left, drove the enemy from their
strongly entrenched works, held the
key to the whole line, restored u
wavering fortunes almost lost on the
right, and gained the great national
victory of Fort Donelson, so momen-
tous to the country. One hundred
and fifteen dead and wounded attest
the services of his regiment on that
field.
At the battle Of Shiloh, Colonel
VEATcH commanded a brigade of
HURLBURTs Fighting Fourth D.yis-
ion" He took the field early in the
morning of that bloody Sundays
fight, and maintaining his brigade
intact, kept up the fight against a
largely superior enemy in numbers,
and stubbornly resisted their advance.
He was everywhere present during
that day of disaster and retreat, en-
c~ouraging his gallant command, man
aging the movements Of his command
with skill and coolnesS, AID by his ex-
ample and daring, saving them from
rout and disgrace. On that day twice
was his horse shot under him, and be
was compelled to mount the third.
On the morning of the second day at
dawn he had his command in line and
advancing upon the almost victorious
enemy. Steadily did he push the
rebels back over the lost ground of
the day before, and at three o'clock
in the afternoon saw them flying be-
fore the victorious army of his gallant
chief, now leading the same army in
another fight, General ULYSSES S.
GRANT. For his services at Fort
Donelson and Shiloh, Colonel VEATcH
was promoted to the rank Of Brigadier
General.
In the celebrated advance Of PRICE
and VAN Dorm upon Corinth in 1862,
after they had been driven back by
sRosECRANs, they were met by Gen
erals ORD and VEATCH at Hatchie,
where General VEATCH again distin-
guished himself and his command by
one of the most brilliant victories of
the war. The battle was short,
bloody, and decisive, and fully estab-
lished General VEATCH's reputation
as a military commander of a high
order Of ability.
He remained with his command IN
West Tennessee and Northern Mis-
sissippi until ordered to the command
of the Post of Memphis about Janu-
airy, 1868, where he remained for