The National tribune., 1885-08-06
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
THE 9Th IOWA CAV,
And Its Brilliant Charge at Sugar Greek, Ten


Gen. Wheeler clear around the Army OF the
Cumberland as it lay cooped up at Chattanooga
in the Autumn of 1853, but nothing, SO far as 1
have observed, about the closing scenes OF that
expedition, as brilliant is any of the many raids
of those stirring times, or the part taken IN 1t
by the 9Th Iowa Cav. My real purpose is to
give an account of the fight at Sugar Creek,
Tenn, and the brilliant saber charge OF Co.'S
c, III and NJ, Lieut.-Col. Patrick leading. The
dates aud many of the incidents herein de-
scribed are from notes furnished me by Com
rade ID. l.. Knight, of ColfaX. Iowa, who was
member OF Co. c, and a participant in the
charge The comrade says: The pursuit of
Wheeler's rebel cavalry commenced with the
fight at Wartrace, so far as our regiment was
concerned, my date fixing that as Oct. A, 1868.
We drove them from the start through Shelby
vile and came onto Gen. Crook command at
Pennington"
Gen. Crook, being the only general officer
present, assumed command of the combined
forces. Our brigade, composed of the 4th Nigh
Cav, 9TH Pa 4th U. S, and 9th Iowa, was
known as Minty's Brigade; Col. X. III. L. Minty,
4th Mich. Cav, having up to this time been IN
command. About this time a controversy arose
between that officer and Col. w. w. Lowe, 5th
Iowa. as to seniority, which resulted in Col
Lowe assuming command, Col. Minty retiring
for the time. Further on Comrade knight
says: AT Pennington our brigade was pushed
to the front, the 9TH Pa. in advance, and our
regiment and 9TH Pa. took it turn about as adj
vance till we reached the Tennessee River.
On the 9th we had the advance and kept the
rebs ON the run till we reached Sugar Creek,
where we found them drawn up in line of bat
tie ON the opposite side of the creek"
1t was known TO Col. Lowe, through his
scouts. that there would be a stand made at or
near Sugar Creek, in order to gain time in
crossing the river some 10 or 15 miles distant
Know ng this he formed his line before reach
ing the stream. The formation was such that
Co. occupied the post of honor, being in the
road Co. II came next on the right, aud then
Co. III to the right of Co. III the other COM
panies being deployed to the left, except, /
think, Co. b, which held the extreme right
flank. do not now call to mind just the order
in which the left wing was formed, only that
my company (D) was on the extreme left. My
recollection of the affair is that Maj. Young
commanded the center battalion, Maj. Bracket
the right and the old war horse, Maj. Baird,
the left Lieut. Col. Patrick commanding regi-
ment. If SO, Maj. Young commanded the ad-
vance that day, Capt. Wilcox Co. II (the skir-
mishers), Capt. Matthias Co. c, Capt Waters
Co. NJ aud Capt. McNelly Co. B. Proceeding
with his notes, Comrade Knight tells us g Co.
c had the road, and was the first company over
the creek. They 1.-THE rebs) stood in line some
$50 yards in our front, on clear ground. Here
we halted and formed our line. Just at this
moment Capt. Matthias was wounded, and Lieut..
Nilhite took Command Of the company. Lieut.
Col. Patrick rode to our front, and gave the
order: Draw sabers! Charged Away we
went right at the Johnnies. Their line broke
before we reached them, and then such scam
per through the woods" Yes, my comrade,
rather think there was music in those woods.
] call to mind some of those incidents, and
wildly recall two good falls got in that chase.
My old roam horse, Billy" that / drew at
Benton Barracks in January, 1862, fell in the
fight at Sugar Creek, shot in the head, and fur
Their on a mile or SO down went the big
chestnut sorrel loaned me by Adjt Aston after
old 'Billy's" death. ! mourned for BILLY"
many days, and would not be comforted with
the Internally lazy mule which Capt. Curl pro-
cured for me to ride.
Pursuing his theme, Comrade Z. says: "The
Eight was running one, and covered nearly
three miles. Thirty rebels were killed on the
ground. and many more wounded. We cap
tured over 100 prisoners. The enemy was SO
demoralized that they ran for dear life, and
did not stop until they had reached the oppo-
site bank of the Tennessee River In their
flight many wagons were left sticking in the
mud, all of which fell into our hands. Lieut..
White, our company commander, lost his
horse early in the fight, but, fred with the
wonderful success of our charge, he kept up on
foot till he captured another steed. We had
only two men wounded Slightly, besides the
Captain. Co. III lost one man killed. Co. M
took some part in the charge, but as they had
to take the woods for it were soon left behind"
So much for Comrade Knights statement of
the fight. He was in it. He was boiling over
with excitement. So was every member of the
company. They were victorious 1t was, if
recollect rightly, the first real saber charge
any Of the regiments had made. The charge
was made up hill. Think of it! One company
nm " IN Tn 1yn daot,
against an overwhelming force. Every COM
pany, every man, was eager to get at the foe.
1t was useless to attempt to keep any sort of q
line in that
WILD, INFECTIOUS DASH.
The writer occupied a position on the ex-
treme left, in plain sight of the charging COL
umn. saw the gallant boys of Co. cutting
night and left as they rode side by side with
fleeing Johnnies. The excitement swept right
and left till every man of the 5th Iowa became
. demon of destruction. Platoons swept from
both wings through woods, entirely oblivious
Of the commands of officers. Every man for
the time was commanding General, upon
whose skill and proves hung the fate
of our glorious Union. One incident of the
engagement became so fixed in my mind, be-
cause OF its seeming righteousness at that time
Rebels were fleeing everywhere, seeking refuge
from the terrific onslaught of the hardy sons
Of our then Western wilds, when, all of a sud-
den, the cry Of ambush" was raised whence
its origin, never learned. Now, of all things
of which our brilliant commander had dread,
an ambush was the one most dreaded, and, be
it said to his credit, MAT" Patrick, with all
his fiery impetuosity, never permitted the
enemy to catch him mapping. Upon this occa-
sion he squared himself across the road, as soon
ss he found that orders were worth nothing in
that battle, and began cutting up and down
with his saber, hoping to stop the boys, and
yelling "ambush!"
TO H WITH YOUR AMBUSH"
. duck of the head, and away and on dashed
the men of the 9Th Iowa. Stop then? No! A
wall of fire could not have impeded the pro-
gress of those fiery horsemen. There was q
fire burning in every breast just tt IN that COM
pletely destroyed the idea of sui rior officer
Wheeler was brilliant and DARN chieftain
His many expeditions had, as rule been sue
cessful. He was considered the best cavalry
officer that the rebels had in their Western
armies. What if We could destroy his COM
mand and make its commander our prisoner 2
That was the prevailing thought in the minds
of the Union boys that day. Would it not be
q brilliant achievement for our regiment and,
over all, would it not be one more nail in the
Confederate coffin, in the construction of which
the Union armies were just beginning to see
their way clear for its final completion IL
would form bright page in the history of our
Nation which we were helping to make. 1t
would place US high up on the roll of honor.
The glorious old 9Th Iowa Cav. never re-
oeived half, no, not a TENTH of the credit it was
entitled to. Show me where any part of that
splendid organization ever did less than its
whole duty. Sugar Creek was small atom of
the whole, yet it made name that day; 30