Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-27

central tier Of counties, newly welded into
regiment marched behind the man Of
destiny to that field. A soldiers burial to
"A of them, wounds and pain to 127 and
captivity or an unknown fate to - were
the awards for herosm that opened new
page in martial history.
Belmont was 4 remarkable affair, not
officially diguiiied as n battle-only an en-
ragcmcnt. The L niOn troops engaged had
not before been under fire. They lost in
killed fully one half as many as in wounded
an unusually large proportion. The geu-
eral average during the war was one killed
to three wounded. Five infantry regiments
participa ed, and four of them became
noted throughout the war as fighting regi-
mcnts and are included in the 800 whose
| losses in battle were excessive. The Sew
enth lowa-to use a common and much
abused army eNpresslOn-was "literally cut
to pieces" The proportion of killed to
wounded was over T.. toe
The Confederate post at Belmont was
point Of observation for the more impo.tant
position at Columbus, Ky, on the opposite
Side Of the Mississippi. 1t consisted of a
camp on the bluff surrounded by abatis Of
fallen trees, and when Grant attacked it on
Nov. I, 1861, was manned by about 1000
men, with six cannon. Grant had 5000
men. The Seventh Iowa and the Twenty
second Illinois formed Il provisional demi-
brigade led by Colonel II. Doucherty of the
| INVENT -second. The colonel of the Seventh
y. G. Lauman-was novice in war
Tie lieutenant colonel had served in a
3montAs' regiment, and the maior-Elliot
W. Rce-had just been promoted from the
ranks Of Company c.
Tie little army s2iled from Cairo on
transports to n landing about three miles
above belmont and got on shore without
alarm 20 the enemy After marching a
mile through q wooded swamp the column
reached cornheld and the companies Of
the Seventh depovcd as skirmishers and
lodged among the tall cornstalks to the
farther end OF the field. \ company Of
Contcdcrotcs We're seCreted in wood be-
yond the field and fired few shots at the
lowans killing one man.
y line of battle was formed in the field.
and the whole command moved on through
the woods The fghting was steady and
continuous from that point forward. The
wa was ob-tructcd 10y heavy underbrush
and fallen trees, and the men had to climb
over or crawl under the obstacles as best
they could, the while keeping lookout for
the enemy. In places the ground was
swaMTy, and. between fighting. finding .
road and waiting for the cannon to be
dragged along with column, the march was
far from easy.
The delay gave the enemy time to select
positions and ret in good shots. At jhe
end d Il mile the whole line was held up
I by "A neW oh>' acle-a sort Of secondary
river bank that formed good natural
hrca,tWork for the CunlcdtrateS. Grants
column had also Got within range of the
fcilpleres at Belmont and Of the heavy
guns at Columbus, and shot and shell tore
through tnc forest, giving the farm boys q
taste Of real war. The Confederate rifle
men were favored " It'll picked shots, and Of
hcerS and men began to fall RAPIDLY. The
mouGt,d neI were Ike chosen targets Of
the enemy, and several staff officers were
endorsed. Grants horse was shot under
him.
The plan of attack was to keep the left
flank near the river to prevent rt-cniorce-
mcnts crossing over from Columbus to Bel
mont, and by spreading out the line par
| TALLY surround the camp. \ united effort in
/ the nature of n charge. but prevented from
being one by the roughue~S of the Ground,
drove the enemy from his embankment
through the woods to an ouen space around
the camp. When the excited soldiers saw
the defiant flag waving over the guns and
tine COntcderdtcS running back acres, the
| fields, their enthusiasm knew no bounds
The spreading of the line created a zap in
the ranks opposite the cuemy's battery,
. lie seventh Iowa rushed into the space,
and in a few minutes drove the gunner,
| from their pieces hy hot ire of bullets. \
Al oh. l,,.