Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-09-15
Ind wounded numbered 1913. This
.nnirnnnt and Tho Hnhtinp Thirtae

regiment and the fighting Thirteenth
formed neucleus shortly after the
battle for "Crockers famous brigade"
On that bloody field the Eleventh
Iowa fought part Of the time under
the direct orders of General Grant and
it's awful losses show with what gal
lantry it advanced and with what
ferceness it resisted the many
charges made on it's line. There were
hraver regiments at Shiloh than the
Eleventh Iowa, and no Iowa regiment
lost so many officers and men slain on
the field.
Two other Iowa regiments, the Fif-
teenth and Sixteenth, fought at Shiloh,
and lost severely in officers and men.
Unlike the Second, Seventh, Four
teenth, and others, these two com
mands had neither discipline nor ex-
perience. Rawer recruits never en-
tered battle Scarcely man of the
two regiments had ever loaded mus
ket and yet they had scarcely set foot
on the river bank until they were pick
ed uD and hurried into desperate bat
tie.
The Fifteenth regiment was lead
that Gay by Col. Hugh T. Ried. Its
major was w. w. Belknap, later Of
military fame and secretary of war.
The Sixteenth regiment was lead by
Col Chambers, who had been an Of
ficer in the regular army and muster
ing officer for most Of the Iowa
I troops.
At nine O'Clock that morning the two
regiments assigned as to brigade and
division, were thrown across the path
of the fugitives flving from the bat
tie at the front BY 10:30 a. m. they
had themselves been hurried to the
right front in support of the weakening
division Of McClernand "On our way
to the 'front.' says Chambers. I'VE met
more numbers of men of all arms re-
turning than belonged to the Fifteenth
and Sixteenth regiments; but for the
credit Of the state of Iowa not one
Of her quota did meet" On reaching
the hattie front the two regiments
/ were unfortunately lead into death
trap. In front of them was an open
field surrounded by woods. these filled
with victorious rebel regiments and
artillery. Once the little line of raw
soldiers was deliberately marched into
this open field as if on parade and in
full range of the blasts of musketry
and cannon that raked them with
appalling severity. A new order took
the line closer to the enemy and to
the woods, where a hard confliat ragged
for nearly two hours The loss was ex
tren ely severe. The Sixteenth had
131 end the Fifteenth 1856, mostly kill
ed end wounded.
Officers as well as nrivates were rap
idly falling, and at the critical moment
an Ohio regiment, supporting the right
gave way. The line was now being
f1anked and there was nothing to dc
but retreat or surrender In some dis
order and confusion the line gave way
and was soon in the rear mixed witt
other regiments that had been like
wise driven back
I officers and men had done theil
best. Major Bell1nap OF the Fifteenth
had been wounded, but kept in tn,
front, cool as veteran Col Reid was
wounded and like Bell1nap unhorsed
Lieut.. Jesse B. Pennyman and Rober
w. Hamilton were killed. Adjutan
Pomutz was wounded, as were Captain
(, r. w. Hutchcraft, James R. Day am
E. G. Blackmar. together with Lieuten
ants James S. Porter P. H. Goode, S
w King, John A. Danieson and j. M
Reid. Special mention was made b.
Col. Reid in his report of the gallan
conduct Of Lieutenants Studer, Craig
Hanks. Reid, Eldridge. Landstun
Brown and Herbert; of Sergeant Ma
jor Brown and of Color Sergeant Rog
; ers.
The Sixteenth regiment had los
Captain John Ruehl and Lieutenan
Frank NJ Doyle, killed, and Captai
Michael Zettler mortally wounded
Captain Alpheus Palmer, f. M. New
comb, E. S. Fraser, and Lieutenants j
H. Lucas, George H. Holcomb, p. Mi
Ter, Lewis Bnnde and Henry Meye
, were wounded. Col. Chambers ha
!, also been wounded.
| Lieutenant Colonel Saunders rallie
part of the Sixteenth regiment afte
: it fell back and this as we'll as frae
ments of the Fifteenth regiment. joir
ed with the forces supporting the ba
teries in the evening.
} When the sun set on that Sabbat
evening at Shiloh, our army, thoug
defeated, was not hopeless. Genera
Grants army had all done honorabl