The National tribune., 1884-04-10
The peata, of Colonel Terrence.


The Death of Colonel Terrence.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your issue of February IS Comrade J. B.
Noble, f Kansas, asks some member of the
30th Iowa to give an accent of the death of
Colonel Terrence al Cherokee Station. / will
try to answer Comrade Noble as best can from
recollection. The LIST division 18th corps bad
taken up the line of march to re-entorce our
troops at Chattanooga, and on the second day
out from Iuka had considerable skirmishing
with Roddys mounted infantry and cavalry
but went into camp with orders to move at 6
o'clock a. m. The next morning it was raining
hard and we got orders not to move that day.
By some means the Seth boys heard that there
was rich farmhouse about two miles in front
and we obtained permission to go out there
foraging. We went out with four or five wag-
ons and thirty or forty men, and found plenty
of forage and half dozen sred-hot" Southern
women, who seemed to be very inqusitive as
to what command we belonged to and where
we were going, and if "we'uns didn't git badly
whipped in the skirmish of the day before; -
to which we replied that we were out with a
large forage train from Iuka and had got
handled pretty roughly the previous day, but
thought we could stand it, as we had got our
train about loaded and were going back the
next day. The ruse worked better than we
intended it to, for our train had hardly got
back TO camp when the rattle of mushetry on
the picket-line warned us of trouble The
long roll sounded and the Both wero in line in
less than no time, and Terrence on his big bay
Sclim horse, gave the order LOAD at will y
and Boys, keep your powder dry" as it was
raining hard at the time. Companies and b
were ordered to the support OF the pickets and
Colonel Terrence then waited for General Os
terhaus, who was approaching US at keen
gallop. On coming up and learning what was
the matter, he ordered the colonel to take his
regiment and whip the rebels. So, passing our
companies { A and 81 which were deployed at
each side of the road, and the pickets, we ran
right into the rebel skirmish line endways and
received their volley. Colonel florence imme-
diately formed the regiment in line of battle
in an old road that ran at right angles with
the one we had come out on, and ordered us to
lie down and wait till our pickets got back
before firing. lie supposed our skirmishers
were still in advance, for great many of the
| rebels had ON blue overeDats that they had
captured somewhere, and when, in forming the
battle line, the left of the regiment came right
in amongst the Johnnies, and we went to pep
pering away at them, Colonel Terrence rode
down to the left and ordered the men to cease
firing, declaring that we were killing our own
men. When told that they were rebels, he said
j Will see,1 and rode forward right through in
front of company K, wheTenpon he received two
balls from the enemy-one through the head and
DLc luLcuGI bllt DIcttSl anu 16li from MS morse
dead. While this was transporting on our
front the rehs were passing both our tanks,
and Major Cramer, comprehending the situa-
ton, ordered the regiment to fall back as best
1t could. The rebels got possession of the
colonels body for few moments, as we fell
back on re-eDforeeInsnts who were coming TO
our aid. The regiment lost heavily for the
number engaged especially in officers. Colonel
Terrence was a brave man, as well as good
M ryfn emf fha - he
ginning in a cavalry company in Missouri, and
would undoubtedly have risen with the rest OF
the Iowa colonies had he lived. He was well
liked by the officers and prisates of the regi-
ment S. E. PARKER
kALoEAs IOWA. Co. K, Both Iowa.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
On the night Of the 10Th of October, 1863,
the 30th Iowa went into camp at late hour
in an open glade near Cherokee Station, Ala. On
the morning of the zist Col. Terrence received
orders from Gen. Osferhans that the command
would remain in camp that day. Abouttwely
o'clock m. orderly of the general rushed into
the camp of the 30th regiment, that regiment
being fnrtherest advanced, and cried out that
the enemy We're upon US. Terrence ordered his
regiment under arms, and, without waiting for
further orders moved rapidly by right flank
some 300 yards to where was thick growth of
timber Win very TRICK underbruSn OF small
pine. Here the colonel halted the command
and then formed two companies as skirmishers,
and after they had deployed they passed into
the thick underground of timber ON the left of
the main road and disappeared for time
Terrence then ordered the regiment to move
by right lank down the principal road
at a doubles quick, and. seeing men dressed
IN blue uniforms, threw his command in line
Of battle on the left of the road to follow up,
as be thought, our skirnlishers. But soon it
was discovered that they were not our Skin
mishers, but thatwe were following up line of
Johnny skirmishers dressed in our uniform
About this time they had led US back to or in
front Of their main line of dismounted cavalry
who opened a terrific fire On rs, mortally wound
ing the colonel and Captain Randall, and
wounding twenty three men. At this time it
was found that the regiment in double-quick-
ing down the road, had swung into line OF bat
tie in front of our own pickets, and that the
enemy was upon Us, and we were compelled TO
fall back but we rallied On the coors, and find
ing that the enemy was in possession OF Colonel
Torrence's body, we again moved forward. drove
the enemy back, and recovered the body of our
beloved colonel. r. ID. CRAMER
MEMPHIS, No. Major, Both Iowa Inf