The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-04-06

- " lAe COuuillOuS existing
s. the moment the general was killed
70 and for some minutes thereafter.
Having called your attention t
y these facts, we will now proceed to re
g late some of the incidents which le
o UP to this movement and the death o
J, General Wallace.
On the morning of the first day
: battle the regiments previously enum
0 Grated as brigade under command
q OF Brig. Genl futile, Genl Wallac,
lbeng division commander, took DO
! s1tion in shallow sunken road which
ran at right angles to the Corintf
road from point where it divided
and passed around an old stump
Emerging from the woods, It rar
through the cotton field surrounding
the Duncan house on the left, beyond
which the confederates were plainly
visible drawn up in line OF battle and
supported by number OF field bat
teries.
1 Our right flank was unprotected for
nearly half mile Fortunately for
/ US, our enemy did not discover this
1 opening in our line until about four
o'clock in the afternoon, or If they
did, they were SO busily engaged in
our immediate front as to be unable
4 to take advantage of it. About noon
companies A and d OF the Second
Iowa we're moved to the west side of
the road to guard our flank and to
occupy as much as possible of this
vacant space. The balance of the ID
and 18th regiments were shifted to oc-
cupy the space made vacant by our
withdrawal.
Soon after We took this new posi-
ton, three of our men reconnoitered
to the right until they came in sight
of McClernands division about one
half mile distant, and reported the
fact to our company officers who APP
parently took no notice of 1t. About
four O'Clock two OF these men made
another tour of investigation in the
same direction. Returning quickly
with the intelligence that a force of
confederates We're marching in col
umn past our right to the rear. This
information was Immediately con-
veyed to General Wallace, who sent
an aide to investigate. He reported
the situation as extremely serious,
and demanding instant action. Where
upon Wallace ordered Brigade Com
mander Tuttle to about face the End
and 18th regiments which were on the
east side Of the road, then quarter
wheel into line on the Corinth road,
making Company q the pivot, Com
panies and A being on the west
side of the road. This movement you
will observe, accounts for the Sew
enth Iowa regiment being at the
head of the column. also why after
striking the road they right faced and
marched until Companies ID and A
could have space to fall into line fol-
lowing g. Company A was thus
placed in the rear of the whole Inc.
This was purely an emergency move
ment. While it was taking place,
General Wallace and one aide, neither
of whom had orderlies. the absence OF
which, while justifable in this in
stance, nevertheless was very un.
usual and in this particular case, as
the sequel will show, was destined to
prove quite disastrous, rode to the
rear of Company A, of which I was
file closer This action of the gen.
eral accounts for the impression
formed by General Polk and his aide,
M. r. Tunno, of the confederate army.
that he was trying to rally his troops.
He was merely inspecting his posi-
ton. (See Tuno letter June 9th, 1879
The general then turned and rode to-
ward the head OF the column evident
ly with the intention of hating it, but
as he came to little rivulet a mo-
ment later he turned in his saddle so
that the right side of his face was di
rectly toward the enemy marching
parallel to us on our left. At that in.
slant a shot hit him on or near the
right temple. As he sprang from his
horse. he did SO in the direction he
was looking, namely, towards the
rear He fell on his face with out
stretched nandS and feet, while ire
mor-like waves passed over his body,
and | thought him dead His aide dis
mounted at once and tried to raise
him. stopped to assist him. While
there were some signs of life, still I
was soon convinced that his wound
was mortal. Looking through the
woods to the left observed that the
confederates had halted, right faced
and were in line Of battle ready to
march upon us. Although I had no
fear of being taken prisoner, having
some Influential friends among the en-
envy, who were under obligations to
me for protecting one OF their wound
ed from insult at Fort Donaldson. also
for befriending some Of the Camp
Jackson prisoners at st. Louis, never T
theless did not care TO be captured
II / could avoid it,
The Escape.
| told the aide that as could be
of no service to him, ] would endeay-
or to oyertake my regiment which by