Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-09-29

| cil"H, tcil you w H"oo lo' III "
the left and meet that charge or we
are nanked."
"Wait till | see the General" said
the Adjutant. "IIeil! in five min
utes, tell you, we are lost" and
putting 8, urs to their horses, away
they galloped, both losing their hats.
! clambcrcd down, and selzing that
which thought to be my Com
mander's, followed at best possible
speed, only to find the cold fighter
bareheadcd in the burning sun,
forming his men to the left, under a
brisk musketry fire. Not minute
was there to spare. On came the
foe, clear to the edge of the wood,
but met battery double shotted
with grape and canister, and a
staunch line OF men face to face tho
withstood them, repulscd them and
charged them in return entirely
through the timber, and then re-
turned to the former position. Cap
tured officers said they were never
more astonished than to find us pre-
pared to nncet them, they were sure
they were coming in upon our flank
The following is paragraph OF
Col. Shaw's official report:
''To Col. Gilbert, 27th Iowa, Mai
ELelhart, 32d Iowa and Capt. Crane
18th low: and their command is
due the safety Of the army. Had
they failed to move into the position
assigned them (although a difficult
one, that Of changing from under
hre), or with less celerity, or failed
. bold it steadily after taking it,
our lel; and rear would have Acen
enveloped by overwhelming num-
bers, and nothing could have saved
us, net even the fighting qualities Of
the 10th Army Corps
Thus usefully to our cause, and
right gailantly, YOU paid yonr last
respects to the trans-Mississippi
rebels, and glad cheer went up
when, the second day atterward,
You stood once more on the bank Of
the Mississippi river, ready to en-
bark for NicEsburg.
Remaining here but a few days,
he command moved with Smith 5
force, Oh June 9Th, by boat, to Sun
nv Side Landing, where it embarked
for the purpose Of joining IN the at
tack uron the rebel Mar:nadukc,
who had blockaded the Mississippi
river both above and below Green
Vile
On the morning of June 9th the
forces marched several miles thro'
4 drrnchine rain tour own Colonel
Gilbert commanding the Brigade),
and after q spirited action com
vletelv routed the rebels. Again
embarkine on the next day, you ar
rived at Memphis on the 10th of
June.
Just at this time occurred that Sc
rious disaster, perhaps one would
be iusti.iabe in saying that dis
graceful biunder, bv which Sturgis'
command in Northern Mississippi
had been trapped, routed and liter
ally cut to pieces BY the forces of
the rebel Gen. Forrest.
Alter few days Of preparation,
Gen. Smiths command set out to
retrieve t'possibie that misfortune
by the intiction Of a good sound
chas.isement on the enemy. Nov
ing via Of Moscow and Lagrange.
Tenn, You marched down into Mis-
sissippi as far as pontotoc, the lat
ter part Of the march driving the
enemy before YOU. Here evidently
Forrest had prepared himself foi
battle; and you all deemed 1t iney-
liable when, early in the morning
o July 18th, our forces were order
cd cut on rapid march toward Tu
nelo. As soon as this was discov-
cred by the rebels doubtless be
licsing the intention to be the
avoidance of battle. whereas its real
object WAS to enable Gen. Smith to
select his own tieldD, they gave
chase, and [ inflicted considerable
| damage upon the flank and rear of
the column, without injury, howcv-
er, to the nth.
Before sunset the head of the col
unn reached a broad and somewhat
crested Semicircular plateau OF land
near Tupclo, when Gen. Smith, hay
ing attained his object, ordered his
forces, fast as they arrived, into
camp, faced to rear in line of battle.
Early next morning commenced the
battle OF I'upelo, than which, fer the
numbers engaged, perhaps few other
battles OF the war were more COM
pletely a success in an open stand
up fight.
Repeatedly, pcrsistcntly the enc
my charged, but every time were
compelled to fall bacl, with terrible
slaughter. \ wounded rebel Major
who icn into our hands declared his
belief chat no; ten in his entire reg
imeut ESCAPED unharmcd. Recently
I tecame acquainted with one o
the rebel officers inoW member q
| CongrcSS( WHO met lis on that field
ana who was also in the night At
tack, which especially You were in
strumen;al in repeIling. His de
! scrip,ion Of the havoc to their rank
hv Your bullets is in the highes
degree complimentary to You i
, soldiers. He bears the sears 0
service fer the ''lost cause" hu
says, while lie was sincerely an,
earnestly a confederate, yet, whel
The surrender came, he accepted tn
situation in good faith; hut he al
dcd, There is y difference anon:
/ us, for some of the id hound
want t. keep on fighting vet"
! On the evening Of the 18th Q
= July when yon had got nicely int
5 camp ana were cooking >rppcr, 80
, will remember how unceremonious
= " the enemy upset Your coffee Wit
t some solid shot from batter
| planted upon the crest Of hill
. fully half 4 mile to the southwark
c nor the splendid line Of rebels, VII
, had charged and were driving on
$ cavalry before them. I'm sure
5 shall never forget the alacrity wit
e which you hastencd out Of cam
G and derloyed into line, nor the "a
] ! ,,,o,,n, l.