The National tribune., 1909-10-14
WITH TIE 2OTH IOWA.
Service From Cane Hill, Ark, to Mo.
bic, Ala.

| service from zane Hill, AK, 10 Mo-
Bile, Ala.
Editor National Tribune: I had been
elected to a good position in the schools
of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when Lincoln
called for 100000 more volunteers to
| defend the Flag and prevent the threat
ened dismemberment of the Union. My
| father-in-law, Rufus III. Lueore, then
! so years old, received a recruiting cnm-
mission from Gov. Harland. of Iowa,
and / Immediately resigned my position
and enlisted with him. We recruited
100 volunteers, some of them former
pupils of mine, at Cedar Rapids and
! Marion On Aug. %, 1862, we met at
! the courthouse and organized our com
| pany, which chose by ballot Rufus H.
iLucore. of Marion, Iowa, as Captain; j.
| Hoilan, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as First
Lieutenant, and Wilson Wightman, of
Marion, Second Lieutenant. The COM
pany was ordered to Clinton for muster
into the 28th Iowa. VIM. Nee. Dye,
of the Regular Army, was Colonel; J..
b. Leake, of Davenport, Lieutenant
Colonel, and VIM. G.. Thompson, of
Mariou Major. We bivouacked at Dav-
enport one week, then sailed down the
Mississippi River to St. Louis, and soon
became part of the Army of the From
| tier, Our brigade was composed of the
l5tth ILL.,. commanded by Col. John c.
BLACK, the goth Iowa. commanded by
Col. Dye, the goth Wis, and the 26th
Ind. Gen. Totten was commander of
Ithe Army of the Frontier until removed
10 another field. Later Gen. Heron,
OF Dubuque, was commander.
We. were ordered to Rolla, Mo-, then
! to Springfield, Mo-. on foot, marching
and countermarching, wading streams,
drinking filthy water, suffoeating with
clouds OF dust, many suffering with the
measles and camp diseases and dying
from overexertiGn. Herron's command
! were at Camp Lyon, near Wilson Creek.
Mo-, when news came that Gen. Blunt
was surrounded. on or about Dec. 4,
1862 our army was ordered to march
with great haste to Cane Hill. Ark. to
relieve him. Before daylight we were
Ipushing on southwark. In three days
and nights we marched 103 miles, and
reached Fayetteville, Ark, just at day
Hight. Soon we heard the booming of
| earnon to the front, and for II miles
! on double-quick. at short intervals,
reaching the battlefield at Prairie Grove
at 9 or 10 o'clock. and fought until
I after dark with the help of Blunts
army after 3 p. m. This was on Dec.
| I. and we lay on the cold, bare ground,
/ with no covering except fatigue suits.
( But We expected to renew the conflict
lin the morning.
During the night Gen. Hindman
moved his army secretly toward the Ar
I Kansas River, leaving their dead and
| wounded on the battlefield. I COM
niauded our company without serious
iloss. and we drove the rebels to Van
lburen, Ark, the next day, after burying
! theii. dead. / participated in the siege
! of Vicksburg, Miss. until Gen. Pember-
| Ton surrendered some $4,000 rebel SOL
diers to Gen. Grant, another very i'm
portant victory for the Union army.
served as Second Lieutenant to the day
| of the surrender, marching with my di-
tvision from the entrance left near the
! Mississippi River to take charge of that
part of the rebel army in our imme-
tdiate front, who devoured the hardtack
distributed to them like half-starved
lchildren.
That night I was so sick with fever
| and chronic diarrhea that / was re-
moved to the hospital in unconscious
ness. Later 1 was granted leave of alb
lsence by Gen. Grant, on Surgeons GER
! tificate of disability, carried on stretch
er to steamer and conveyed North to
save my life. After partial recovery
| returned to my command at Carrollton.
near New Orleans, La, and embarked
| for steamer bound for Brownsville, Tex
on the Rio Grande River, under COM
mand of Gen. n. P. Banks. This was
not a wise move, and later I was pro-
moted to First Lieutenant and our COM
mand returned to New Orleans. served
under Gen. Granger at Mobile Point,
where Fort Gaines surrendered to his
| forces. Here i was sent to hospital
avain in New Orleans, and On Jan. 10.
1865, / was granted an honorable dis
charge.-Wilson Weightman. Conners.
| Mont