General Pope’s Division were compelled to withdraw from their advanced position at Farmington, On Friday the 9th inst. The following account of the action of our 2d Cavalry in the affair is given by the correspondent of the World:
At 11 the Second Iowa Cavalry were ordered to the front, to be ready for emergencies. They reached the ground about 12, and were instantly formed in the rear of our lines of infantry, where they remained, subject to a screaming ball at short intervals. The brigade of Gen. Palmer, with a supporting brigade of Ohio regiments, formed on the brow of a hill stretching across a cleared place half a mile across. The artillery on both sides was pouring out a storm of flame and sulphur. The confederates seemed to have in the clearing at Farmington a dense column of infantry, and on the left a battery of four pieces; in the center section, and on the right our ten pieces were mounted nearly opposite the road, as it emerges from the swamp at about two thousand yards distance. The exchange of shots was rapid and well sustained from 11 till 12.
WE GIVE GROUND.
It soon became evident from the movements of the enemy that they intended to get between our position and the only road out by a flank movement on our right and left. After a lapse of an hour and a half their batteries opened again at an [angle] so as to deliver a cross fire. Their cavalry had disappeared. Ours was ranged in along the edge of the woods. – Gen. Paine, who was in command of the whole, wisely deemed it best to withdraw from the ground. To do this without leaving anything on the field was a nice task. It was 2 o’clock and the enemy was spreading his lines out through the inclosing woods. The artillery of the enemy was raking our collected force with shot and shell. Our wounded were being carried off in teams and ambulances as they fell. Further resistance without support was useless.
THE HEROIC CAVALRY CHARGE.
In this extremity Gen. Paine, excited at the time, gave the order for the batteries to fall back to the road and the infantry to follow. – To cover this retreat, and stop this hail of hurtling balls and shell the cavalry was called upon. The regiment of Second Iowa Cavalry under command of Col. Hatch, and majors Love and Kuhen, and three small companies of regulars, under Lt. Gordon, were ordered to charge upon the batteries! The order was a rash one, but it was an order. Five hundred, in all, to charge a battery in the face of ten thousand! But they did it, and thanks to the bad gunnery of the rebels, they nearly all returned to tell the tale; many of them alas, speaking by gasping wounds and riddled tattered garments.
THE BRAVE IOWA CAVALRY.
Lieut. Gordon, who is himself a conspicuous character in more than one charge of cavalry, says the sight transcended all belief. The brave Iowans who had but recently left their plows a-field, now called upon to face death and ride to the cannon’s mouth, with the true spirit of heroes filed up the ravine; and on reaching the top of the hill spread out, galloped up to the batteries demolishing like lightning a line of skirmishers in their way,
“Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Volleyed and thundered.”
Truly enough for the whole of the guns were sweeping the plain with shrapnel and canister. Luckily the depression was too great. The balls whistled and flew into the ground all around and beneath them. The mortality among the horses was fearful – ninety-three of the number being wounded and killed. Col. Hatch’s anxiety for his men to follow him had now changed into anxiety to recall them. Onward they charged, right up to the batteries, slashing and hewing down the gunners with their sabers, dead to the call of their gallant leader, who saw that the object was accomplished, the guns limbered and silenced, and the enemy on the right in disorder, while on the left wing he was closing in.
THEY COVER THE RETREAT.
Orderlies sent to the different companies finally rallied the men. Slowly and deliberately they road back over the field. The enemy was silent on the left. Our artillery and infantry had passed into the woods and were falling back to the main body. The route was strewed with dead horses. The wounded were helped on to the horses of their comrades while the unhorsed took to the woods on the left – Gordon, who more prudently, but with equal coolness remained in the rear, saw the desperate charge and cared for the sufferers, burying two on the field with sabers while still under fire. Taken altogether this is one of the most magnificent feats of the war. No cavalry charge since that of the memorable Light Brigade is comparable with it. In these days when cavalry is beginning to be looked on with some distrust, it is creditable to see one regiment which will not flinch in its duty even at the risk of certain death.
INCIDENTS.
Lieutenant-Colonel Miles, of the [Forty-eighth] Illinois Regiment, had his leg shot off by a cannon-ball on the field. His limb has since been amputated, and at last accounts he was sinking rapidly from loss of blood. Colonel Hatch had a ball through his hat and his [stirrup broken] by the force of a shell which killed the horse on his right. The end and some of the whole matter is, then that they occupy Farmington to-night instead of we ourselves.
Gen. Paine, Capt. Keserck, of the Missouri battery, and Gen. Palmer, who witnessed the charge, are loud in their praises of the officers and men.
LOSSES.
The Second Iowa is the principal sufferer in the fight, taking the brunt of the fight and nearly all the glory. The regulars had three killed and some ten or twelve wounded. The losses of the infantry cannot be arrived at with accuracy as I write.
REPORT OF COL. HATCH.
CAMP NEAR FARMIGNTON, May 10.
Lieut. Marden, A. A. G. Brigade:
I had the honor to report, complying with orders to report, with Second Regiment to Gen. Granger. Did so, receiving instructions from Gen. Pope to report to general commanding the advance. I reported at 12 o’clock to Gen. Palmer, who ordered me to throw out two companies to the left of Farmington road, and hold the balance of command in reserve. Our infantry, who held the field above us being driven in to the brow of the hill. Gen. Paine ordered the regiment to charge the enemy’s batteries. Moving the column to the top of the hill, ordered Major Kuhen, with companies H, G, & C, of the Second Battalion, and Major Love, with the Third Battalion, to charge the batteries on our right, Major Hepburn those on our left, in echelon of squadrons, deploying the columns to the right and left. When we passed the infantry columns we attacked their skirmishers and supports, driving them in, killing and wounding some. No effect was produced on the battery on our left. Near the main Farmington road the battery and supports were protected by a rail fence. Major Kuhen gallantly attacked the battery near the building known as the cotton mill, Company F, Lieut. Riley, alone attacking two guns in battery on our extreme right. The center battery was fairly carried, the enemy limbering up his guns without taking them off the field.
Finding our horses badly blown for a long charge over rough ground, a distance of twelve hundred yards, and the infantry in great force, ordered all companies on the right to retreat to the right and rear, forming on the swamp road, and those on the left to then join their command. The conduct of men and officers was in every respect commendatory. – Capts. Lundy, Egbert, Lieuts. Owen, Horton, Seutger, all had horses killed under them. – There were about four hundred men in the charges. Our loss will scarcely exceed fifty killed and wounded; fifty horses, as many wounded and unserviceable.
EDWARD HATCH,
Lieut. Col. Com’d’g Second Iowa Cavalry
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 2
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