The National tribune., 1883-11-08
PRINCETON, MINI.
BEFORE ATLANTA,
And the Part that the Eleventh Iowa Played
There.

There.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Your account of the Reunion of my old
Uowa) brigade at Cedar Rapids, Ia. calls to
mind the little part which / took with part
of the regiment (the Eleventh Iowa infantry
on that memorable 22d of July, 1864. detail
Of 100 or 125 men, under the command of Cap
tain Neal, company Z, and L1eutenants Caid-
well, company C, and Cassell, company ], were
sent to the right and front to alter the works
which the rebs had evacuated the night or
afternoon before We had been at work about
half an hour lit was about 1890 a. m.) when a
shot was fired by picket to our left and rear
lit had been extremely quiet along the line all
of the morning), and in ten minutes more the
entire skirmish-line was firing, and we knew
that battle was imminent Captain Neal
ordered us to fall in, and we commenced
double-quick along the road toward the regi-
ment, and had gone about quarter of a mile
when we came upon the rear of full rebel
line and a battery The line was across the
road, and another line close behind them You
may imagine our confusion at this time. In
moment the rebs about-faeed their line, and,
with the command Halt, You d Yankees"
they began firing ON us. However, we did not
halt,-at least some of US did not--but took our
chances of gaining our lines rather than to be
taken prisoners, and eight or nine of us sue
ceeded, under fire of musketry, grape, and
canister, in getting into General Potts brigade
of our DIVISION and, after resting a few min
utes with them, started for our brigade, which
seemed to be hotly engaged to the left and rear
of Potts. We had proceeded few hundred
yards, and upon entering the scrubby tim
Der and brush just at the rear, as we supposed,
of our command, when we came upon another
rebel line and the same command TO halt
greeted US as before, and all that | know is
that, on arriving at the works of Potts brigade,
only one man of my company II J was with
me-Newton Davis. Here we rested and held
little council of war; agreeing to stand by
each other through that day until death should
separate US. After eniisting with the Thirty
second Ohio Il believe that was the regiment,
though We did not stay long enough to take
the name of the colonel or captain) we started
to the front into deep rayine to get drink
and replenish our canteens, and had hardly
commenced to fill our canteens before line OF
rebs came out of the thick woods within fifty
yards of u.s. 1t was noiseless advance,-not a
word of command to the men had we heard,
and not even the order for US to halt,-and they
did not FIRE on us. Our only show to keep from
being taken prisoners this time was to follow
up the course of the ravine, and not undertake
to climb the steep side, back in direct line to
Potts brigade. We came out at the extreme
right of the Seventeenth Corps and we enlist
ed this time with company A of the Seventy
second Illinois. It was probably twenty min
utes from that time that the flank of the Fif-
teenth Corps was turned, and the rebs drove
them from their works and were charging on
to the right flank of the Seventeenth Corps.
And right here, at the angle IN the works, felt
like hating, and SO expressed myself IN strong
terms, and a good many brave boys did stop
right here, and because the fate of war was in
our favor, assisted by our legs-which had a
record by this time-Davis and got over the
hill, with the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps
badly doubled up. But they soon rallied aud
drove the rebs from the entire line, and held
their position TO the end Of the day. We saw
a number of the wounded of regiment
being brought back, and from them learned
again the position of the Iowa brigade, and
once more made the effort to join them, and
succeeded. Ourcompany was out sskirmishers,
but just where the boys were the colonel could
not tell So we took our position on the left OF
the coiors at about 5p. M, and the rebs made five
unsuccessful charges on cur works before dark.
| Behind small embankment, about three feet
| high and seventy feet long, Immediately in
| front of Leggett's Fort lot of brave rebels
| had collected, with several stands of colors,
| afraid to undertake to retreat before darkness
| to cover them. All night long they kept firing
at us, and we in turn at the fash of their guns
and when morning came and we were under q
| flag of truce between the contending lines to
| bury the dead, we counted sixty dead behind
! this small breastwork, lying almost Us though
/ they had stood up in turn TO be shot.
| Captain Neal and Lieutenant Caldwell, of the
| detail, were killed, and Lieutenant Cassell was
/ captured. do not remember who of my com
pany-e xceptJ. e. Coe (who was taken prisoner
and Newton Davis-were Of the detail, but the
| acknowledgements report of Iowa shows six
missing men from company FL on that day.
/ T. p CANDEE,
Adj't 18th La Vet Inf
| GEnRGETnIVN Coz