The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-13
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
THE BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE.

THE BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE.
Obsiructirg the Advance Of Prices Army.
EDrToR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: ] read with
great interest the story of The Lost Army"
because since Jack aud Harry Joined the three
years service il is 10Y history. In the paper of
Nov. Is, preparing for the battle OF Pea Ridge
the writer says: As soon as Gen. Curtis be-
came satisfied that the rebels were trying to
get around 10 his rear he ordered Gen. Dodge
10 cut down trees along the road leading north
from Bentonvlie, and the order was instantly
carried cut. 8 And during the after
nooa of the 9th Supervised the work Of a large
detail OF men, who fellel trees across the road
aud otherwise blocked it 10 delay the rebel adj
vance. He keptit up until the rebel skirmish-
ers began 10 IRE on his men" etc.
Permit NE to give a more minute account Of
8 detachment Of choppers sent out by Gen.
Dodge on this same road, and for the same pur-
pose and yet we are like him, we did not know
Of two expeditions. ! quote partly from my
diary written "a the time-Thursday March 8,
1862, after SiEel had successfully Joined with
Curtis. In the evening a large detachment
was detailed and armed with axes 10 20 cut
on the north road 30 try and make a blockade
70 hinder the rebels from getting IN oar rear
by cutting down the timber across the road.
The company ! belonged to III and Co c, 4th
Iowa, Gen. then Colouel) DOGge's own regi-
Y
dark when We started out on a by-Toad leading
60 the main northern road, perhaps two miles
distant On arriving at the main road a con-
EuitatiOn was held which end of the road TO
take-wcst, toward the rebels, or east, toward
our rear-the mounted officers In charge hay
ing gone on ahead, expecting Us to know what
they knew without telling Us, they having
turned TO the right and east, stopping 1T farm
house to await our passing But we concluded
he fer IN In Iap G1rl-
ness we could not take in the lay of the coun-
try al all. After passing thr0uuh large plan
tatlOn the road seemed 10 run through a coun-
Try where the large timber had ali been cut
ana the young. scattering timber was short and
scrubby. Occasionally we would pass by fences,
but we never came 10 amy timber large enough
TO block the road hut we did find something
else that began 10 alarm rs. We could begin
TO see quite a distance of, and we could dis
cover no moon. An investigation disclosed the
fact that il was the reflection from the rebel
Camphres, and that we were near the rebel adj
vance, SIX TO eight miles from camp. with not
over $50 armed men, except those with axes,
and what now 10 an old soldier viii seem foolish,
not gun loaded. A short council decided to
60 10 farther, and We were ordered to load. A
prisoner taken afterwaTd told us their advance
saw and heard rs load cur guns, but let rs pass
back, DOT wishing 10 let US know the movement
Of their army that night. So we returned, un-
mOlestedi to camp arriving there, according
80 my diary, at O'Clock IN the morning. The
rebel advance no doubt followed Us closely, bnt
not gun was fired. The morning found them
in cur rear, and the battle opened as given in
the story.
Permit me to fill in briefly a sketch of the
perilous position Of one company in the open
ing OF the battle III the rear. Co. II, 4th Iowa
(C0l. Dodge's regiment deployed in the timber
as skiTmishers in front OF the 81 i'll. Cav. Alter
they had found the enemy's cavalry the rebel
cavalry fell back. drawing Us on, and quickly re-
treated down raviae TO our left and disappear
ed, reappearing on our left, which caused us TO
al once ietface and rally and fix bayonets to re-
ceive cavalry charge. At once then, as they
had Us together in a body, they parted and a
battery opened from the brushy thicket, load
ed with canister. and the infantry at the same
time arose from their ambush and took part ia
trying 20 annihiiate that little band. Strange
that single one could escape from such q
storm. Captain, Lieutenant aud dozen COM
Tades felt its singing blast: the rest deployed
behind trees as quickly as possible, falling back
behind two pieces Of the LIST Iowa battery, which
had just arrived. And thus the battle was be-
gnn.-A. NJ BRENKERHOFF, Co. Ii, Attn Iowa.