The National tribune., 1892-12-08
SHERIDAN AT BONNEVILLE.
A Cd Iowa Cav. Soldier Tells How He Went
with Gen. Alger.

with Gen. Aiger.
@OMRADE SIMPSON, in THE Ma
a TIoNAL TRIBUNE OF Sept. %, in
writing up that little affair at Boone.
vile, Miss land which probably gave
Sheridan his first starr, July l. 1862. is a little
of. and OF course he will excuse me if / put
him straight. He says that " Col. P. H. Sheri-
dan commanded the brigade composed of Cd
Mich and ID Iowa Cav, on outpost duty at
Bonneville, Miss. Boots and saddles sounded,
aud Capt. Alger, with two companies of the I'd
Mich. Cav, made detour to the rear" etc.
hava a very distinct recollection of that day.
Sheridan was in command. Gen. Chalmers
attacked the I'd Mich. on picket duty; boots
and saddles sounded early before sunrse).
Correct so far. Capt. Alger had command of
about 90 men, including officers, but they were
about '"alf and 'alf" Cd Mich. and I'd Iowa.
An order for detail of two commanding officers
and IS or 30 well-mounted men came to the I'd
Iowa headquarters early on morning of July /.
Capt Paul A. Queal, with % men of Co. B, Col.
w. L. Hepburn's old company, and Capt.
Sam'l Gilbert, with an equal amount of men,
reported 10 Col. Sheridan's headquarters. |
was at that time right guide of Co. B. and well
do | remember the instructions from that ire
pressibe commander. Sheridan, that morning
ctwas the last order ! ever heard him give.
He said Capt Queal, you have some -
hard work before you. You are to gain the
rear Of those devils and charge them Charge
them If you lose every man you have and
yourself with them, -" Capt. Queal said,
'Sergt Herbert, that sounds like business
don't it :? > smiling he said SO. Capt. Gilbert
received like orders and each was told that
Capt. Alger would be in command We gained
the rear of Chalmers's line and after delay of
some minutes Immediately in rear of their
line. in mounting some of the ID Mich. boys
(prisOners). we charged into their lines all
right but failed to go through to orr line in
front. / shall always believe that had we gone
in in column by fours instead of squadron
front we would have gone through with but
little loss. OF course our delay in their rear
gave the rebs ample time to prepare for us;
then, there are other little incidents connected
with that delay, not down in history, that
possibly had somewhat to do with our failure
TO 20 through.
We didn't go through, but the movement
appeared to bring about the desired result.
When We fellows in the rear raised the yell,
our boys in front did the same, and together
with the footing of an old locomotive that
came laundering down the track from the d-
rection of Rienzi, anu the strong opposition he
met with in front, seemed to impress Gen.
Chalmers that heavy reinforcements were at
hand. SO he fastened to the rear and in 20
minutes after our striking them with our 90
men the whole of Chalmers's command was
going to the rear, and Sheridan and Hatch fol-
lowing him up
Chalmers had the entire mounted force be.
longing TO Bragg's army at that time. The
two regiments opposed TO him did not exceed
600 while their number must have been fully
5000. In fact, | was told by rebel officers that
they had fully 1000 men. In the melee eight
ID Mich. and eight I'd Iowa boys were taken
prisoners, including the writer, and, strange 10
say, just four from each company represented.
We made quite an extensive visit TO the south
md NJ Raona-;ifa tux in mil
itary escort lit wasn't safe to travel those days
without an escort, Mobile and Montgomery,
Ala: Columbus and Macon, Ga. We were the
guests of Maj. Rylander Tor some such name)
at Camp Ogethorpe, Macon, Ga, for three
months; then moved north in October via
Columbia, Charlotte, Petersburg. and ION to
Richmond" where in Libby Prison we made
out our own paroles and as soon as the reb
authorities could find an officer of sufficient
intelligence to see that our papers were o. K,
we were driven ION FOOT to Atkins Landing,
put aboard Union transport taken to Annap-
oils, Nd, cleaned up and clothed and fed, and
soon sent TO ST. Louis and thence to our regi-
ments. William Wallace, of my company, and
two of Co. f, reporting to companies near
Grand Junction, Tenn, about June 6, '63,
one man of our company having died, and Esh-
baugh, our company bugler, being left SICK
/ make this somewhat extended statement
TO show my good comrade of the bugle " that
part of the ID Iowa Cav. was strictly Sin it"
with Capt. z. A. Alger July l, 1862 One of
our company. living in this County, carries IL
buckshot around with him, received at close
range that day. Would be pleased TO hear from
any of the I'd Mich. boys who Swung around
the circle" with US. The two regiments were
not much together after that Summer, Sheri-
dan taking his I'd Mich. to the Department of
the Cumberland with him, leaving the I'd Iowa
in north Mississippi. L. HERBERT, I'd Iowa
CAV LIE Grand. Iowa.