Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[76] of cannon and saw the smoke rising up out of a valley about two miles ahead of us. A messenger was immediately despatched to Gen. Blunt, and we moved forward. About one mile further on, we came upon about four thousand of the enemy, moving round under cover of a heavy piece of timber, flanking Gen. Herron upon the right. Colonel Wickersham, then in command of the detachment, put the cavalry into position and brought his howitzers forward and opened fire upon the rebels, determined to hold them in check, if possible, until General Blunt came up with his infantry and artillery. But a few shots had been fired, when the enemy charged upon and took possession of one of our little pieces, in charge of the Ohio Tenth, but it was almost immediately retaken by a small detachment of tile Iowa First, and the enemy compelled to fall back.

Companies A, L, and M, of the First Iowa, were thrown out as reconnoitring parties--companies B, C, D, and K put into position immediately in front of the enemy's advancing columns, not with the expectation of repelling them, or even checking their advance, had they advanced rapidly upon us; for we were on thickly timbered ground, where cavalry could do but little against infantry, covered by thick brush and large trees as they advanced upon us. The object was to gain time by making as great a show as possible, and thus compel them at least to move slowly and cautiously forward. This manoeuvre had the desired effect. The artillery and infantry came up just as the enemy's line had got within eighty paces of our right, when we were moved out of the woods into an open field in front, to support Rabb's battery, that was put in position, and three regiments of infantry were sent into the woods to take the place we had left. By this time the enemy had brought up a battery anti put in position upon the hill-side, and opened fire upon our infantry. Now commenced the most deadly conflict that it is often the fortune of old warriors to witness. The constant roar of cannon and rattle of musketry was almost deafening for the space of half an hour, when the enemy's battery was silenced and they were compelled to fall back. One of their artillerymen, captured by our men, admitted that the first three shots from our battery killed one hundred of their men. Their dead were piled upon the ground in every direction, while our loss did not exceed twenty men. The First Iowa cavalry escaped wonderfully, considering the position they occupied before the artillery came up. For the space of half an hour the balls flew around us like hail, cutting the limbs from the trees over our heads and all around us, and yet but two men of the regiment were wounded. Captain Chase, of company C, had two ball-holes in his coat; Orderly Sergeant William A. Clark, who was at the right, by the side of Capt. Chase, had his horse's hip cut by a musket-ball, and private Wilson, of the same company, had a ball put through his hat; with these exceptions we came out of the battle unscathed.

Many of your readers would have felt proud of their noble sons and brothers, had they been where they could have seen them at the time I just referred to — every man in his place, scarcely moving a muscle as the balls whistled by his head, his pistol drawn and his horse “in hand,” ready to execute every command that might be given ; and even after every company, except the one from Burlington, (company C,) had been ordered from the ground, leaving them alone with three thousand rebels advancing upon them, now within eighty yards' distance, firing upon them through every opening of the brush where they could see them, not a main moved from his place until the order came to the Captain to bring off his company. When the command was given, the company moved as steadily and in as good order from the field as they could have (lone were they marching out for drill or review. Such men can be relied upon everywhere, under any circumstances.

The enemy having left their position in front of Gen. Blunt's camp, in the night, as I have before stated, marched some fifteen miles and attacked a regiment of Arkansas troops (the First) camped for the night on the banks of the Illinois River, cut them up very badly, destroyed their train, and took a portion of their men prisoners. They next surprised and attacked Gen. Herron's body-guard, consisting of one battalion of the First Missouri cavalry, who had preceded the column some distance as advance-guard, killing and wounding, a number of them, taking the Major and a number of his command prisoners.

Gen. Herron came up about eight o'clock in the morning, when they pitched into him, thinking, as some of their wounded officers, with whom I have since conversed, told me, that his command would just about finish out their “breakfast,” when they intended to fill back upon Gen. Blunt, whom they supposed to be still upon “Cane Hill,” and dine upon his command. They thought that they would have little or no trouble in annihilating both the commands in twenty-four hours. But, alas for human calculations, they were doomed to be sadly disappointed. When they ran upon Gen. Herron they caught a “tartar.” With an Iowa General to direct, and Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana troops to execute, tile capture of six thousand men, even though twenty thousand were pitted against them, was no easy task, and they soon found it to be so, to their sorrow.

A wounded lieutenant-colonel said to me yesterday: “Our plans were well laid, our men fought bravely, but you out-generaled us in every move. We ought to have whipped Gen. Herron easy before Gen. Blunt came up, but we failed in all our calculations.”

The Iowa regiments engaged, and more especially the Nineteenth, has added largely to the enviable reputation of our Iowa soldiers. The three companies from Louisa and Henry suffered perhaps more than any others. They fought like tigers anti fell like soldiers, making two villains bite the dust for each one of them that fell.