The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-15
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
A BRAVE RECORD.
What Senator Aliens Co. G. of the sgd
Iowa, Experienced.

| what senator Aliens Co. Il, OF the 81.
Iowa, Experienced.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I want t.
relate some incidents in which my compan,
participated, which I am sure viii interes
many of the veterans. / enlisted in CO. G.
32d Iowa, at Camp Franklin, Dubuque
! Iowa, where the regiment was assembled t.
be mustered into the United States service
under President Lincoin's call for 800, 00t
more, July Q, 1862. My acquaintance will
/ VIM. V. Allen, now United States Senator
dates from that time too. He was then
member of Co. G, and enrolled and
doing full service as private. His age was
10, but to entitle him to muster into the
service he was carried on the rolls as Il
years old. His muster-in dated Aug. p
1S62-the regiment was mustered in at a
later date. Allen was mustered out with
his company at Clinton, Iowa. Aug. %, 1865.
completing his full term of three years in
the service of his country.
We were almost constantly in the field
during our whole term of service l cannot
give all the incidents of our long, weary
marches, reaching hundreds of miles through
swamps and timber under the heat of a south
ern sun, through mud and rain, and at all
Z
ties from Cape Girardeau Mo, to Pleasant
Hill, La, where Co. G went into battle with
less than 40 men and came ont with a loss OF
two killed, % wounded and four missing; OF
the 80 days fighting which followed as our
division covered the retreat of Banks down
the Red River; the daily skirmishes south OF
Alexandria, where our lines were extended
to protect cotton-gins preparing and baling
cotton for shipment to New Orleans.
We finally reached the Mississippi River
about the 10Th of May, defeating the enemy
the day before at Yellow Bayou. thus ending
a campaign, worn out with fighting and
marching, which was so gloriously begun by
the capture of Fort DeRussey on the Red
River two months before.
Our army, under the command of Gen. A.
j. Smith, being a part of the Sixteenth Corps,
was ordered up the river to join Gen. Sher-
man. At Lake Chicot, above Ficksburg,
Marmaduke controlled the river. On June
the battle of Lake Chicot gave Us undis-
turbed possession of the river.
Arriving at Memphis about the middle of
June, the news of the defeat of Sturgis at
Guntown and his retreat reaching the city,
A. J. Smith with his Guerrllas was in
structed to find the enemy. We found For
rest and Lee at Tupelo, Miss, July IA, 1861.
The Oxford raid followed in August
In September A. J. Smiths army was after
Price i'll Missouri, following Gen. Price over
and across the Slate of Missouri, march of
700 miles A. ]. Smith arrived in st. Louis,
No, the latter part Of November, and i'm
was ordered to the relief of Gen.
Thomas, at Nashville, where, on the 10th of
December, 1864, the 32d Iowa charged and
battery Of five guns with 80 men.
Allen was with the colors as we carried the
works
The pursuit of Hoods army through mud
and rain to the Tennessee River; the trans
fer of A. J. Smiths Corps to New Orleans,
thence TO Mobile, where the 32d Iowa took
part in the charge and capture of Fort
the last battle Of the war, the next
day starting for Montgomery, the Capital of
the State. The news of the surrender of
Gen. Lee was received by courier while we
were on march.
The trip from Montgomery to Yicksburg
up the Mississippi River to Clinton, Iowa,
for muster-out completes the story of William
V. Aliens company. There have been in
situations that Allen was not soldier
Senator Allen participated in every march
and was present in every battle in which his
regiment was engaged. My acquaintance
with Senator Allen dates from my enlistment
in company. 1T is great pleasure for me to
say that his record as brave, fearless soldier,
always efficient and ready for duty, either on
picket, march or battlefield, without regard
to surroundings, was equal TO any mans in
the regiment, and | may say with pardon
able pride, the regiment was peer to any i'll
the field. Aliens bearing as a soldier was
noble and geneIOus-the boy gave evidence of
The man.-WM l.. CARPENTER, Adjutant,
32d Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa.