The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-10-01

oudo Ol' ldOoCI dPpoluIolt uluI dill diu vi
his stall, and soon committed the whole
care of affairs along the Southern border
to his charge. The rebels in Missouri
We're audacious, and kept the border in
a tumult by their forays and threaten
ing demonstrations. Owing to Senator
Bussey1 shrtw d management of the
mea rs az ham,, nUn., OF these resulted
in anything 50 rious. Later in the sum
mer the rebel general IN command of
Northern Missouri organized u formi-
dable movement for the in ,asion of Iowa
and the capture OF keokuk. All the Or
ganized regiments had been sont away
from the State TO meet pressing de-
manIs elsewhere, and he had nothing TO
meet the invasion with but hastily
gathered ievies. But he gathered up
arms from every quarter, actually seiz-
ing them in one instance on the train,
where they were in transit for another
| department, and made his dispositions
SO wisely that the invaders were met
outside of the State and driven back in
confusion.
| Governor Kirk wood and General Free
mont then Insisted that he should take
command in the field. He was COM
missioned as colonel OF the third Iowa
|
in ten days after the first call was made,
and though he was as ignorant of tactics
and organizations as his recruits, and
the formation Of u new cavalry regiment
is practically trying work, he speed
lily made the Third Iowa one of best
mounted and drilled regiments in the
service. He was ordered to join the
Army of the South west, under Gen
| Il 1nft pn
racks, st. Louis, in February 1862, and
reached Springfield, Mo-, February 10,
where he expected to find General
Curtis, but the latter was already far
away on the chase after Sterling Price.
been brought to bay, and heavy battle
determined at all hazards, to be there
was bad and the roads terrible, but he
days time he had the satisfaction of re
porting with his command to General
Curtis on the banks of Sugar Creek, 200
miles away. This, it is conndentially
claimed, is the create st cavalry march
on record. General Curtis increased
his command to brigade by assigning
|
the First Missouri Cavaly, the Fremont
Hussars, the Benton Hussars, and three
pieces of artillery, and with this he took
part in the bloody battle of Pea Ridge.
Acting under Colonel Osterhaus, he
opened the battle of the second day by
striking the rebels in flank near Lee
town, as they were moving around the
flank of the army. The collision was
bloody, for the rebels had massed their
infantry there, and Colonel Bussey's
command suffered fearfully, having
encountered charge of Mcintosh g
division of cavalry, led by himself, and
three regiments of Indians under Gen
eral Pike. After the conflict the field
was strewn with bodies of the brave
men Of Colonel Bussey's company
with their skull cleft with the murder
GUS az, while many of them were scalped
They had the satisfaction, however, of
killing the rebel General Ben McCul-
Tough, whose fall did so much to take
the heart out of the rebels end insure
their defeat. He was shot from his
horse by Peter Pelican, of the Thirty
sixth Illinois.
Colonel Bussey led in the pursuit OF
the enemy after the battle, and came
; up with them at Rentonville, where
they attempted to make a stand, but
were started again by artillery fire,
and the pursuit vigorously kept up
until they reached their stronghold in
the Boston Mountains. In these oper-
ations Colonel Bussey inflicted loss
upon the enemy very much greater than
his command suffered, and his conduct
so pleased his men that they presented
him with magnificent sword, costing
several hundred dollars. He received
most efficient assistance throughout
from his adjutant, John w. Noble-now
his official superior-the Secretary Of
the Interior.
Colonel Bussey commanded his bri.
gade through the remainder of the
) operations of the spring and summer Of
, 1852, and the long and trying campaign
through Arkansas to Batesville. Ii
July he was assigned to the Third Bri.
gade of General Steele's Division Of the
Army Of the Southwest, and held this
>ccovecser>c rc>orrcc.s>coc>oS>o~.
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