The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-09-03
SILVER CREEK.
Comrade Tells of a Sharp Little Fight in Mis-


souri,.
To THE EDITOR Havin. never seen any
thing in print i'll regard to the little fight on
Silver Creek, in Randolph Co., Mo-, will at
tempt to give it as 1t occurs to me now after
nearly "a years have passed and many OF the
boys who took part i'll the affair have passed
over the dark river, and these still remaining
on this side are fast blossonIing for the grave.
1t was in the Winter of 81 and '62, after Gen.
Pope had driven the Confederates from Lexng-
ton and vicinity south to andI beyond the Usage,
that our command, consisting of parts of the lst
Iowa and 1st Mo. Cav, under command of Maj
Hubbard, of the LIST Mol he being the ranking
Otficcr,) were ordered north of the Missouri
River to look after Col Poindexter, who was
raising and coupling regiment for the Con-
federate army. A portion of my regiment (the
1St Iowa Cav.) was left at BOOnyille, where the
9Th Iowa was stationed. On the night of the 9th
of January, 1862, after we had just retired to
our hunks for the light, the alarm was sounded
and the long roll beat, calling the infantry to
arms, and boots and saddles was sounded in the
cavalry camp. Inavery short time all were under
arms and in readiness to march. We crossed the
old Muddy in rickety old ferryboat and set out
for Fayette County seat of Howard County,
where we arrived about o'clock in the morn
ing, and where we found the balance of our
cavalry enjoying rest after a hard ride over
and through the Persian Hills. By daylight the
Il
Fayette We set out on long, hard ride, and
in the afternoon arrived at Roanoke County
seat of Randolph County, without meeting the
enemy.
We here learned that there was a camp on
Silver Creek, some eight miles away, and again
we started, and about 4 p. m. found the Con-
federates encamped in the valley, apparently
waiting for u.s. Forward, trot, march Z"
was the order given, when the pickets fired
sd D,nll
for mile or more, hen we came to the brow
of hill. Left front into line J" was the next
order; prepare to fight on foot" and almost
as soon l can write it we were dismOunted
and going down that hill on double quick, the
Johnnies pouring into us a perfect shower of
bullets, one of which struck your humble SER
want across the back of the neck, doing no
more damage than cutting away the collar OF
my jacket and knocking me down but was
on my feet almost instantly again, and the first
thing saw was Jim Scott, of Co. A, sitting and
leaning against tree, shot through the face.
The ball entering one cheek and passing through
the mouth, came out through the other cheek.
jim was not much of talker for awhile after
that, but he came out all o. K, and did good
service afterwards. We were soon hard at it
hand to- hand, but SO sudden was our rush down
the hill and determined the charge that the
Confederates broke and scattered to the woods.
We captured quite a number of prisoners all
the baggage and camp equipage, and some 200
horses, some of them fine ones. Quite num-
Der were killed and wounded on both sides
how many am unable to say, but we gained a
glorious victory.
Col POindexter, the Confederate, had a
couple of prisoners, taken at Renick, on the
North Missouri Railroad, few days before.
They belonged to Col. Birge's SharpshOoters.
Their names were Shock and Mitchell. They
were dressed in the uniform of the regiment,
and it will be remembered that they wore gray
hats adorned with mink tails. Our boys
thought they were Confederate officers and
poured into them niurderOus fire, they all
the time trying to make themselves known.
Mitchell was wounded, but Schock came
through all right, and was afterwards promoted
to a Lieutenancy in an Ohio regiment.
One more little incident of the engagement and
will close. After the Confederates broke We fol-
lowed them some distance into the woods, and
Maj. Hubbard called to Phint florence, one of
our buglers, and told him to sound the call !;
but Phint told him he did not know how.
About this time your humble servant caught
sight of young Confederate behind white
oak tree, in the act of firing at a Federal. /
commanded him to surrender, and upon seeing
me he dropped his gun and came to me, beg
ging of me not to shoot him. Some other of
my comrades coming up were going to shoot
him, but prevented them from doing so, and
took him prisoner. In the engagement two of
my company were badly wounded - Andy
Johnson and Neal Thompson.-J. Ii. SPRINGER,
Co. /, list Iowa Cav, Carleton, Neb.