The Itasca came up Sunday morning . . .

. . . bringing several wounded. Capt. Abe Wilkin and Lieut. Halliday came on her; also Captain Moore of Bloomfield. They are at the Wilkin House. Neither of them is dangerously, altho’ all are severely wounded. Capt. Moore is shot through both legs. Captain Wilkin through the arm and Lieut. Halliday in the thigh. Lieut. H. was a prisoner with the rebels one day – says there are a few among the secessionists who are intelligent and gentlemanly, but the great body of the rank and file are awful hard, the less that is said about them the better. While he lay upon the field Beauregard was pointed out to him by a wounded rebel. He saw Dr. Edelin and Dr. Pendleton, both belonging to the rebel Cavalry.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April, 26, 1862

From The Iowa Second Regiment

PITTSBURG LANDING, Tenn., April 8th, ‘62

EDITOR GAZETTE: Ere this, I have no doubt, the telegraph wires have brought you the intelligence of another hard fought battle, and another glorious victory to our arms.

This was the hardest fought battle on this continent, and to attempt describing it would be a thing almost impossible.

I have no time to give the particulars, as there is a great deal of work to do at the present time, but for the benefit of our friends, who have the interest of the Iowa 2d at heart, and are anxious to hear of their fate – as they know we must have played a prominent part in this great battle – I will say a few words.

The Iowa 2d fared very well – only ten or twelve killed and about one hundred wounded. Companies B & C had none killed and but few wounded; and they slightly; with the exception of Capt. Bob Littler. At ten o’clock on Sunday morning he was struck on the left arm by a piece of shell which shattered it in a horrible manner. He was at the head of his company at the time he was struck. The boys – or at least a few of them – led him from the field to the transports, where his arm was amputated close to the shoulder. He is now at Savannah doing very well. He being the only commissioned officer in the company at the time, the command fell upon Sergt. Suiter, and right nobly did he do his duty – leading the company through the thickest of the fight until its close on Monday evening. He won a commission by his bravery, and is to be promoted to a Lieutenantcy immediately.

Captains Cox, Moore and Wilkins and several Lieutenants were wounded, none of them seriously. Col. Tuttle was acting Brigadier General during the battle, and will be promoted to one if justice has its reward. Lieut. Co. Baker was in command of the regiment. Both won laurels, and two braver men never existed. All the boys, as usual fought well, as did nearly all Iowa troops.

Our loss in killed, wounded and missing will not fall short of ten thousand; the rebels at least double our number. The ground for miles and miles around us is literally covered with dead bodies.

This has been a death blow to the South and goes to show how hopeless is their cause. A wounded prisoner told me Beauregard was telegraphed by Davis to win the fight by Sunday night, or we would be reinforced by Gen. Buell, hence the attack on Sunday. Had not Gen. Buell arrived on Sunday night, nothing but a decided blow on our part would have terminated the battle successfully to us, for the rebels had gained a great deal of ground and taken several of our batteries. – Upon the arrival of Buell, the fight assumed a different aspect; the enemy was driven back until every foot of ground was regained, and also our batteries.

We lay on the field all night, and as soon as it was light enough on the following morning to distinguish objects, hostilities were resumed. By 3 o’clock on Monday we pressed upon them so hard that they were compelled to retreat, which they did in great confusion. Our forces under Gen. Buell are in hot pursuit, and if they are not careful the grand army of the South will be totally annihilated. Their forces are estimated at one hundred thousand.

JULES.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Moring, April 16, 1862, p. 1

From the Iowa Second Regiment

Correspondence of the Davenport Gazette.

Pittsburg Landing, Tenn.,
April 8, 1862

EDITOR GAZETTE: Ere this, I have no doubt, the telegraph wires have brought you the intelligence of another hard fought battle, and another glorious victory to our arms.

This was the hardest fought battle on this continent, and to attempt describing it would be a thing almost impossible.

I have no time to give the particulars, as there is a great deal of work to do at the present time, but for the benefit of our friends who have the interest of the Iowa Second at heart, and are anxious to hear of their fate – as they know we must have played a prominent part in the great battle – I will say a few words.

The Iowa Second fared very well – only ten or twelve killed and about one hundred wounded. Companies B and C had none killed and but few wounded, and they slightly; with the exception of Capt. Bob Littler. At ten o’clock on Sunday morning, he was struck on the left arm by a piece of shell which shattered it in a horrible manner. He was at the head of his company at the time he was struck. The boys – or at least a few of them – led him from the field to the transports, where his arm was amputated close to the shoulder. He is now in Savannah doing very well. He being the only commissioned officer in the company at the time, command fell upon Sergt. Suiter, and right nobly did he do his duty – leading the company through the thickest of the fight until its close on Monday evening. He won a commission by his bravery, and is to be promoted to a Lieutenantcy immediately.

Captains Cox, Moore and Wilkins [sic] and several Lieutenants were wounded, none of them seriously. Col. Tuttle was acting Brigadier General through the battle, and will be promoted to one if justice has its reward. Lieut. Col. Baker was in command of the regiment. Both won laurels, and two braver men never existed. All the boys, as usual fought well, as did nearly all the Iowa troops.

Our loss in killed, wounded and missing will not fall short of ten thousand; and the rebels at least double our number. The ground for miles around is literally covered with dead bodies.

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862