Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-08

side him, the lock Of hair, a brown
lock- tinged with grav was in his
hand. Again and again he lifted the
tress of hair to his lips, as his eyes
looked feebly out cross the misty
sea that: binds the shores OF life and
DEATHS as If he saw his mother reach
ing out toward him with arms that
had nursed him in infancy, to die, alas,
fighting against his country, and
against the counsels Of her whose
memory lived latest in his departing
its ear. the tall tree above him bent.
his home and friends were far away.
In this, our first battle, the End Iowa
entered the engagement 500 In ranks,
and lost 40 killed and 100 wounded.
largely during the advance up the hill
and before it fired shot. Our flag
was riddled with bullets. AS Twombly.
the last color guard, crossed over the
works the flagstaff was shot half in two
between his hands Not single color
guard but Twombly was on his feet at
the close Of the engagement.
Tho Casualty List.
After forty eight years Of course It
is impossible for me to remember all
the names of those killed and wounded
lin the regiment. Col. futile was in
jured when inside the works by can
non shot knocking log from under
him. The first to fall in our company
go was Sergeant Dunn, then Jas.
Duckworth and Andy Patterson, next
to fall was jolly-hearted VIM. Drake,
cheering for his country's sake; JOS
eph Rhoades was next to fall; then
Joseph Nidy, In advance Of all; next
fell Comrade George Vert. shot IN
his knee, mortally hurt; Corporal John
Jones, wounded and died; Gabe john
son and John Patterson. both shot IN
their side: Sergeant, Stoner lost his
right arm; John Pirtle's wound gave
universal alarm; Jas. Stevens and
Tom Colliver both shot in their shout
der; Sam Fouts left a, leg there TO
moulder: Hiram Sloan wounded in
both thighs; Lige Kinnick, Hen Jones
and Pete Tharp shot In heads above
their eyes, Lieut. Weaver on scalp;
John Hurless in leg; VIM. Buchanan
in finger.
All honor to the brave boys of the
End Iowa and all others who fell at
Donelson, and today sleep in southern
graves. May their names never be for
gotten May their deeds ever gid the
pages and the archives of the coun-
try they died to save. May their
graves ever be kept as halloWed
ground; their blood consecrated a
cause that gloriously triumphed. The
blood of the dead and wounded at
bOHSlSOl secured Lie llISl pIOuu VIZ
tory of the war. Bull Run was a sad
disaster. Our gallant heroes at Will
sons creek had to retreat. Mulligan
and his braves at Lexington, after
long siege of lighting and suffering
from thirst and hunger, finally had to
surrender. Grants attack on Belmont
had proven repulse. These reverses
weighed heavily upon the expectations
of the loyal people The hopes of the
ne cjn
and despair. 1t, had been a period of
disappointment and dependency for
the north from the firing on TT. Sump-
ter until that ever memorable Febru-
airy 10, 1852. On that day darkness
faded to light, the tide turned, victory
had come to our army at last, and as
fast as the news flashed across the
country that the End Iowa had planted
the stars and stripes upon the heights
of Fort Donelson--where, like Ma
poleon's star Of Austerlitz, 1t pointed
to other victories--there went up one
universal rejoicing from Maine to Cal
ifornia. There was ground for congrat-
ulations, for a stronghold of the Con-
.federacy had been captured, and
rebel general and $4,000 rebel soldiers
taken prisoners.
The soldiers who fought, and sur
vived the battle of Donelson, formed
q rallying magnet around which was
organized the army of the Tennessee
an army that followed the destinies of
Grant, Sherman, Mcpherson and Lo-
gan, fighting great battles, and win
ming brilliant victories in every battle.
An army that in all it's marching and
fighting from DOnelson, Tenn, to
Bentonville, N, c., never was driven
from battle field in defeat An army
that opened up the Mississippi river
from head to mouth, drove the rebels
off Of Mission Ridge into Georgia, then
crossed the blue ridge and drove them
out of Georgia, swept down to the sea-
cutting the Confederacy in twain, and
kindled sixty thousand camp fires
along the tide waters at Savannah and
the coast. Then turning their faces to-
ward the north, moved up slowly
through the Carolina states toward the
rebel capital. The rebel congress saw
the light of their camp fires in the
distance, and fled. Lee and Johnson
became alarmed, and surrendered, for
well they knew the victory that ever
followed, when the old flag of Fort
Donelson led the way.