The National tribune., 1891-07-30
THE SMITH RAID.
Another Cd Iowa Ca,alrgmnn Gives His Version OF
the Affair


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Having seen
several accounts Of the William Sooy Smith
cavalry raid through the State Of Mississippi IN
February, 1864. thought / would like to let
the world know through your columns that
was thar" on that raid, and was a member OF
Co. Il, "a Iowa Cav, aud 81 the Army of the
Mississippi. Cemrade win A. McTeer Adiu-
tant ID Tenn. Cav, in your issue Of Nov q,
1880, gives the best account Of il Of any / have
read.
claim that VIC whipped and drove Forrest
and Chalmers two days before we ever COM
meuced 10 retreat know that Lieut.. Bandy
and - meu Of my company, ] being one Of the
party. in accommodating, were halted in a wood
land pasture near a lane. and q rebel column
came down tho lane az a trot march. and we
fired into them with our Sharpe's carbines Das
we did not have our Spencer's then aud then
charged them with yell aud sabers cut their
column in two and run them some distance /
was bit with CHANGING bali on the knee in that
engagement.
We drove Forrest across the Tombigbee
River, and kept lighting across the river aud
right there is where the retreat commenced;
as j was one 81 about q battalion that was left
to fight Forrest across tho river TO keep IN an
pcaraBces until the retreat was organized aud
got under way, and when this rear battalion
commenced TO fall back as ordered, then the
most desperate fighting that / experienced
during the war occurred. as Gen. Smith had
pushed everything ahead on the retreat and
left ms no support. There Is where we carried
out Gen. Smiths order 10 meet charge with
charge. Our sabers were not ground, but they
did good work all the same. We struck large
swamp ms we rctTeatcd, cordGroyed with logs
aud poles It would mire a supe on either
side so the rebels could not flank US, and all
they could do was 10 charge our rear, which
they did almost continuously. 1t was charge
aud countercharge The rebels could not stand
the cold steel sabor charge, and as soon as we
would give them a volley from our carbines VIC
would charge them with sabcrs, throw them
into confusion and then would wheel and run,
and load our carbiDcs as we ran. Only for this
swamp tile last one Of that little band would
have been killed or captured
Soon after We got out OF the swamp we met
! reiniOrcements coming back 20 us. / shall
1 always blame Gen. Smith for leaving SO small
force to fight FORESTS whole army without
any support whatever j think Gen. Smith as
a military man WAS total failure. Soon after
getting OF the corduroy aud swamp hile run
4 ming aud loading, a limb Of a blackjack. or
! some other kind Of jack, knocked my hat Off
and The J0huulcs were too close for me 20 get
! IL. So tho next morning early my company
/ *, "a Iowa Cav was sent on patrol through
/ Okolona. and as / was bareheaded, il became
I a military necessity" for me TO dispOssess a
/ dudish-loOking individual walking the side
/ walk, Of Iris hat il was a good hat, and did
4 me great service. ] will say that il was the
I ID n. j. Cav that FIRST stampeded Ny com
I pauy was dcpoyed on the left flank on the day
OF the stampede, as skrmshers. Ny pony gave
out aud J was sent 20 the pack train, aud was
marching along, aiming 10 get 10 my regiment,
when the stampede commenced.
VIII say that as we went down in Aberdeen,
/ Miss, myself aud five comrades dined with
Joe Davis's wife, sistcr-in-law Of President JEFF
Davis; had wine aud a sumptuous dinner
/ IHos NJ. sKAGGs private, Co. X, "a Iowa Cav,
1 Sturgeon, Mo.