Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-17
Marmndnke,s Roasting.

cOH1IneUC upon oeu. MdIilauuhc .
letter was inadvertently omitted.
The "brave and distinguished con-
federate" as the Ottum,Ud Democrat
delights to characterize Marmaduke,
maintains in his letter his reputation
for cowardly deception. General
Steele's force in Arkansas he magni-
fies from 5000 men to 10000; and
his own force-opposing Steele-he
assumes to have been three brigades,
aggregating only 1000 men. He
boasts that he hurled his three brig
AIDES upon Steele's army upon its
moving out Of Arkadelphia, and
when we'll stretched out upon the
march. The fact is he hurled his
force upon the 29th Iowa Regiment,
about 500 strong, and succeeded i'm
getting threshed with heavy loss.
The writer hereof was a member of
that gallant little force of Hawkeyes
under Col Benton, and saw that day
some specimens of the bravery Of
this "brave and distinguished Con-
federate," and his desperate and
daring Cossacks." The 10Th Iowa
was the rear guard Of Steele's army
and it's supply train of 500 wagons.
The latter were stretched out a dis
tance Of ten miles upon the road,
and the little rear guard was that
distance from the nearest portion Of
our main column. One of Marina
dukes brigades, under Gen. Green,
suffered itself to be chased some
eight or ten miles from the scene by
a company of the 1st Iowa cavalry.
So much for the bravery of that part
of the rebel force. Cabell's brigade
satisfied itself by discharging a few
skirmishing shots at a quarter-mile
distance from the hills skirting the
road and Shelby's brigade display
ed its bravery by attacking us on the
rear in cowardly way in Federal
uniform. For three hours we beat
them back until we were reinforced
by 50th Indiana and after one vol
ley from the two regiments combin-
ed, the cowardly Cossacks retired
and gave us no further trouble until
they had combined their three brig
aides, just ut nightfaii, when they
made another attack and were again
repulsed. Had they displayed a
tithe of the bravery now claimed
for them and their commander, they
might have galloped over our little
guard and captured and destroyed
Steele's entire train. Had Marina
duke been the brave and chivalrous
officer that his friend Evans pre-
tends, he would not have been cap
tured skulking in Federal uniform,
and would not have suffered his men
as he habitually did, to wear the
blue in order to steal advantages in
their cowardly disguise which they
dared not undertake to gain by man
ly conflict upon the open field. His
mode of warfare was essentially
that of a guerrilla, in all its features.
The guerrilla Generals bravery
was again displayed at Poison
Springs, few days later, when his
force captured about one hundred
men of the lst Kansas colored regi-
ment and shot them in the head
after Surrender.
Again the bravery of his force was
shown a week later at Jenkins
Ferry, when Steele's army had, by
sending off detachments, been re-
duced to $500 men, and the whole
rebel trans Mississippi force, includ-
ing Prices, Dick Taylor's and Kirby
Smiths, fresh from their victory
over Banks, combined to the num-
Der Of 10000 men, and intended to
annihilate Steele's army. Here 20,-
900 were hurled upon $500 repeated
Iy from day-break to midday, and
were each time driven back over
their heaps Of dead, and finally re-
tired from the field In uster humilia-
ton. And the General has the bra
very to tell US that had Gen. Pagan
properly co-operated with the twen-
ty other Confederate Generals,
Steele's army would have been fore
ed to an unequal contest, and would
been captured.
Steele was not on the field. at all,
and nobody knows where he was.
Brigadiers Rice and Solomon were
the only General officers we bad to
meet Major Generals Dick Taylor,
Kirby Smith, Sterling Price, Jno. $.
Marmaduke, et al, and Brigadiers
Shelby, Scully, Waul, Randall, Ca