The National tribune., 1890-06-26
THE CHARGING BRIGADE.
How the Second Brigade. Seventeenth Corps. G.
the Name.

the Name.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of May 8, Comrade Walker, of the 9th Iowa.
takes exception TO my speaking of the old Sec
Ond Brigade as tho Charging Brigade" of the
Seventeenth Corps, and wants TO know how and
when we became so famous. In the article re-
ferred TO, gave an account of the charge of
the 9th Wis battery at jackson, Miss, May Id,
1868, and only spoke of the old Second Brigade
as their support, | knew the Third Brigade
well-the 5th aud 10th Iowa, 93d Ill. and
26th Mo.-cOmmanded by Col. Boomer, of tho
Goth, who was killed while calamity leading q
charge on the works ut Vicksburg, Miss, on
the ed of May. OF the exploits of this bril-
gade / could not write, as / was not a member
of it; but know that they would be interest
ing reading, and ! hope Comrade Walker will
write them up. and The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
will no doubt publish them, and we will all
take pleasure in reading and profit thereby.
Now, in answer to the question rs TO how the
Second Brigade became so famous: In the hrst
place the 18th was the "boy" regiment of Iowa,
seven-tenths of the command being under 81
years old, aud many being like the writer of
this article, who enlisted at l6, and was not u
when mustered cut in August, 1865. Conse-
quently we were not expected TO achieve as
much glory in battle as men. But in one par
ticular we cXcelled all other regiments from
our State. That was in kicking" In fact,
we were "kickers" from way back; and al
though % years have rolled by since we were
mustered out, and the aches and pains superin-
duced by the COTnth and VicksbuTg campaigns,
by the battles about Chattanooga, the marches
through Georgia and the Caroliuas cause our
bones TO ache aud our energies TO flag, we still
retain the old propensity, especially when some
one knocks the chip" off of our shoulder,
aud IN that spirit will compare the records of
the 9th aud 18th Iowa in the Vicksburg cam
paign. At the battle of jackson. Miss May
ID, 1868, the 18th Iowa led the advance on tho
main Jackson road, aud was commanded by
Col. ID. b. Hills. Together with the S0th Ohio,
10Th Mo. and 9th Wis battery all under Col.
5. A. Holmes, of the 10TH they charged bri-
gade that had just arrived from the Army of
| Northern Virginia and had engaged in many
battles there, commencing with Bull Run.
They routed this brigade, after stubborn re-
slstance, and drove them through Jackson. In
this engagement the 18th had 3i7 men, and lost
l6killcd, 81 wounded and three missing. Com
pany A, TO which 1 belonged aud held the rank
OF Lieutenant at that time, had four killed and
sixteen wounded.
In this battle the 9Th Iowa lost four wounded.
| This is no reflection on the regiment, aud the
difference in losses was on account of the 18th
being IN the advance, and consequently "out
OF luck " that day. On the 10th, two days
later, the regiments were again engaged at
] Champion Hills. In this fight the 5th was out
OF luck They led the advance and struck 1t
rich. On the morning of the 10th the 18th
| Iowa and 10th Mo. were IL miles from Cham
! pion Hills when the battle commenced. Throw
ing away everything except rifles, cartridge
boxes and cantccns, (we did not have anything
in our haversacks,) we started on a wild ruu
for the scene Of the engagement, and reached
there about p. m, taking position, the 18th
in the rear Of the Odd III. and tine 10th Mo- in
the rear OF the 9th Iowa. Both of these regi-
. -. q a.
tiOn, having taken the cartridges from the boxes
OF the dead and wounded that lay scattered
around. As soon as our line was formed the
/ SD and 5ti We're moved out by the flank when
we were led in a charge by Col. Hills drove
/ the enemy from their odgHeut, aud captured
/ four guns Of Naddeil's Alabama battery. The
( enemy rallied again, when the remnant Of the
! two regiments again charged under Lieut. Col.
/ &. X. Viewer, Col Hills having had his horse
shot and was disabled by the tall during the
I first CHARGE routing the 3lst Alabama, cap
/ turing many prisoners and their colors and
| color bearer.
After the march Of - miles at double-quick,
only III men went into this fight We lost Fl sc
/ killed, 81 wounded and one missing. The 9Th
! Iowa went into this engagement under Lieut.
/ Col. T. 5. Sampson with $50 men and lost 10
killed aud 70 wounded. The charges OF the 18th
! Iowa were made under the direction of Gen.
/ Grant in person, who spoke to the men cheer
/ ingly and said This is the charging brigade
OF the Seventeenth Corps"
On the 22d Of May the 9TH Iowa engaged in
the assault on the works at Yicksburg, aud gall
lantly BithstoOd a ere OF the enemy from their
works Oh the right, left aud in front aud lost
( two killed and II wounded. In leading this
assault az the head OF his brigade Col Boomer,
OF the 2Gth Mo, was shot through the head and
] instantly expired. Ia his death the army be-
sieging Eickseurg lost one Of its most brilliant
and gallant young officers. The 18th Iowa did
not take part ia the affairs of the 22d. being
still at Big Black River guarding the rear. But
/ 10 Offset this they were detailed with the Seth
/ H., Col q. b. Raum commanding, 70 make the
I assault on Fort ELL, June 20, 1863. These two
regiments were commanded by Col. c. Viewer
Of the 18th, and at 1890 ?. they were led into
/ the breach made by Gen. Logan at Fort Hill
! AT this point they were Joined by the 3ist and
! 3Gth Ill. This was haHd-to-hsnd fight in tho
crater Of the biowR-up Tort, and we were sue
/ cessful IN foiling the enemy in their attempts
1 10 occupy the crater. We fought with our rifles
/ while they threw six and IO-pound shell into
! our midst, which caused fearful havoc among
our men, but instead Of ntimidating them il
/ caused them 10 fight more desperately. W.
| remained IN the crater until IL o'clock mid
night, when we were ordered to fall back Oui
/ loss was four killed aud Al wounded out o.
! l2l men who went in.
This ended the hard fighting about Vicks
burg. The surrender took place on the 9TH o.
July. After the fall Of Vicksburg tho brigad,
10 which my regiment belonged was transferred
10 the Fifteenth Corps Later / may write
| about what the 9Th and 18th Iowa did in tn,
battles about Chattanooga and at Missionary
Ridge. Then Of the campaigns through Geor
gia and the Carolinas. But hope what i have
already written will convince Comrade Walke
that the Second was the Charging Brigade
Of the Seventeenth COrps-H. NJ. KENDER