HEADQUARTERS 12TH REG’T IOWA INFANTRY
Pittsburg, Tenn., April 23, 1862
EDITORS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
From reports of the Battle of Pittsburg published in the St. Louis and Chicago papers, I notice that it is the general impression among the reporters that our Iowa men were taken prisoners in the early part of the engagement, on Saturday [sic], and some have gone so far as to state that our soldiers threw down their arms with little or no resistance. The latter statement is too palpably false to deserve notice.
The Iowa 8th, 12th and 14th went into the fight early in the day, held and even gained ground during the day while regiments on the right and left were repeatedly forced back and not till 4 o’clock were they surrounded and taken prisoners. I examined the ground where they were taken and it was literally covered with rebel dead. Our men instead of throwing down their arms, smashed them against trees and raved like madmen because they were compelled to surrender.
The reason they were taken was because they stood their ground while our forces on the right and left were driven back allowing the enemy to surround them.
Lieut. D. B. H.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 10, 1862, p. 4
Pittsburg, Tenn., April 23, 1862
EDITORS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
From reports of the Battle of Pittsburg published in the St. Louis and Chicago papers, I notice that it is the general impression among the reporters that our Iowa men were taken prisoners in the early part of the engagement, on Saturday [sic], and some have gone so far as to state that our soldiers threw down their arms with little or no resistance. The latter statement is too palpably false to deserve notice.
The Iowa 8th, 12th and 14th went into the fight early in the day, held and even gained ground during the day while regiments on the right and left were repeatedly forced back and not till 4 o’clock were they surrounded and taken prisoners. I examined the ground where they were taken and it was literally covered with rebel dead. Our men instead of throwing down their arms, smashed them against trees and raved like madmen because they were compelled to surrender.
The reason they were taken was because they stood their ground while our forces on the right and left were driven back allowing the enemy to surround them.
Lieut. D. B. H.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 10, 1862, p. 4
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