Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-10

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them in position opposite the isolated
position of Stuart.
e nsss wef Formed wt5h9 sMai a5sI.leT k three sse
peeted attack, but uncertain Of its d.
~rection. After organizing this attack,
General Johnston went further toward
the certer Of the field, where in a few
hours he received his death wound.
To the right Of Stuart, but out Of
sight, were the 9Th and l2th ~Illineis,
under Macarthur, who had haan dis
they were proceeding along. or In the
vicinity Of the Hamburg read, they
were met by hostile troops, and went
b,avely to work. During the en-
counter one of the bloodiest on the
field, the 9th Illinois suffered the
greatest loss in killed and wounded Of
any federal regiments during the bat
tie
Various and partial attacks were
pushed upon Stuart, during which the
list Ohio, the largest regiment In his
brigade, fled to the Landing, it's Col
onel leading and it's lteutenant-eelonel
being killed in the vain attempt to
rally it.
Quart, in search Of a position, fell
back TO a deep, rugged ravine, about
three hundred yards to the left and
gallant fight with the eight hundred
remaining men Of his brigade. After
maintaining his position until after
q o'clock, and leaving half his men
killed or wounded at this ravine, and
being out of ammunition, he retreat
ed to the right and rear. and toward
evening tool his place in line with
| nfhoy. froons nnor ffa T.ondtnr n1lr.
ing this conflict the 55th Illinois lost
the greatest number in killed and
wounded of any federal regiment dur
ing the battle, excepting the 9Th Illi-
nois.
Hurlburt's and w. H. L. Wallaoe's
divisions had come into the fight at
various times and in various positions.
Hurlburt mainly to the left. Brigades
and In some instances, single regi-
ments, had been detached and sent
where some e%xigency demanded. Two
Of Hurlburt's brigades advanced to the
support of the left center and met the
debris of Premises broken division.
They entered the fight with spirit,
for the most part, attached to the
remnant of Prentiss's division. and his
left occupied various positions, grad
uallY swaying to the rear during the
pulsatiens of the battle.
To the right of what remained of
Prentiss's division, came Tuttle's bril-
gade, and a portion of Sweeny's and
W%allace's division, and to the right Of
this, certain of McClernand's regi-
ments. These men of Wallace's were
the veterans Of ,Donnelson, well officer
ed and they had deliberately marched
to that position from the rear, and
had suffered none of the demoralizing
effects of a sudden attack.
Hurlburt's left was stubborn, and
about half-past two In the afternoon
Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston, while
leading a somewhat unwilling Tennes-
see brigade, received his death wound
it is said at the hands of either the
82d or 41st Illinois, The assault threw
Hurlhurt's left further to the rear, un-
til the federal line assumed somewhat
the form of an arch.
In the hours that followed, this be-
came the key to the battle, around and
upon which the hopes of an actual and
and a possible nation chung In doubt,
Its left was composed Of Hurlhurt's
battered regiments, its center or apex,
of the small remnant of Premises di-
vision. It's right, of Tuttle's brigade,
which as yet, had suffered small loss.
On both the right and left. Ind prob
ably at Intervals, were certain accre-
lions from the battlefield, which can
not be named as organizations-ali,
however, striving manfully for the
cause.
1t had been welded together by the
heat of battle. and embraced, at that
time, no skulkers. Many of the best
batteries in the army We're in this line,
The choice men of Iowa, Illinois. Mich
igan, Missouri, Wisconsin and KEN
lucky were there. Hundreds of brave
men floating from the debris Of the
battlefield. fell in here and there, COM
tented with a chance to fight and die.
Such generals as Grant, Wallace.
Hurlburt, Prentiss and Tuttle, direct
ed and participated in it's honors and
horrors. Grim old Col. Shaw, the yet
~uncrowned Mcpherson, and hundreds
Of equally brave subordinates, helped
Yates (they should be named firstl.
%corporals, sergeants, ~lieutenants. cap-
tains. field officers and generals-all
were acknowledged heroes, not by
brevet, but by divine appointment.
As the life blood of Albert Sidney
Johnston dubbed away, the strong
nerveless. The great nerve center of
the confederate army ceased to send
its mandates to the extremities, and
a lull followed. Shortly such men as
Bragg, Hardee. Breckenridge and
Polk, gathered up the reins, and the
fiery chariot rolled on. Troops were
gathered from other portions Of the
field. Fragments were put in charge
of whomsoever had courage to lead.
Battery after battery was ~concentrat-
ed, and for a time the events of this
great battle conferred in this vortex.
Finally at 8 o'clock, Hurlburt re-
ceived word that Stuart had been
driven in, M his battered brigades
Withstand the shock of the re-en-
forced confederate right. were with
drawn to the Landing, sadly depleted,
but with organizations yet complete.