It turns out just as we anticipated it was the brigade of Col. Lauman, acting Brigadier General, consisting of the 7th, 2nd and 14th Iowa and the 25th Indiana which made the gallant charge up the hill over the enemies [sic] breastworks, driving him out of the upper position of his fortifications at the point of the bayonet and deciding the fortunes of the three days’ bloody struggle. It was this brigade which first planted the stars and stripes upon the rebel works which they carried, restored the flagging spirits of our army, and held the ground which they had taken.
Although the accounts which we get are all Chicago accounts and colored almost as highly as those of the battle of Belmont, being written by the same persons yet, it evidently was not considered wise this time to omit all mention of the most gallant achievement of the three days fighting or of the persons who participated in it. We find in the Chicago Tribune the following reluctant mention of this decidedly most brilliant bayonet charge, in its execution and result, of the war:
In the afternoon Gen. Grant saw that something should be done to restore the spirits of our disheartened troops, and ordered General Smith to make an assault on the west wing of the enemy’s works. Gen. Smith, as quick as horseflesh could bear him, rode along his lines and ordered his men to prepare for a charge which caused shouts of joy to ring along his lines. – Without a moment’s unnecessary delay Colonel Lauman’s brigade, the 2d and 7th Iowa, and the 11th and 24th Indiana, charged up to the enemy’s redoubt driving the rebels before them at the point of the bayonet like frightened sheep, and gaining possession of their outer works.
Gen. Smith behaved like one inspired for nothing less than continual victories. He could be seen riding along the lines with his had swinging on top of his sword amid the thickest of the fight, encouraging his men and cheering them on to victory, regardless of the deadly missiles flying around him.
The Colonel of the 2nd Iowa was the first to mount the enemy’s works with his men close in his wake. The storming was complete. Our troops gained a position inside of their works where they lay on their arms all night and prepared to follow up their success in the morning.
These Chicago reporters are subsisted and paid out of the means of Uncle Sam, by Chicago and Illinois Generals and Colonels, for the express purpose of puffing the aforesaid Generals and Colonels, and they do it without rime [sic] or reason, monopolizing the telegraph lines to the end. We are surprised that any mention was made at all of Col. Lauman and our Iowa troops. They tell us that such and Illinois Regiment fought like tigers, but were compelled to fall back – Col. So and So acted like one inspired – the Illinois _th fought with desperate courage until their ammunition became exhausted – the _th Illinois, being cut to pieces were compelled to fall back, which they did with good order, gallantry, etc., etc. But it being necessary to do something to revive the flagging spirits of our army, the Iowa Brigade, under General Lauman, marched into the rebel fortification and ran up the stripes and stars. That is all, recited in the fewest possible words, no praise being awarded except to Grant and Smith.
At 2 o’clock, we received the following dispatch, for which we paid the moderate sum of five dollars. It confirms what we said above:
CAIRO, Feb. 19, 1862
EDITOR HAWK-EYE: – Col. Lauman’s brigade were the first inside the breast works at Fort Donelson. The casualties of the 7th Iowa are light, only one man (M. C. Stewart,) company D, is known to be killed. No more than 15 (fifteen) are wounded, none dangerously. The Second Iowa is badly cut up. Two of their captains are killed – one is Captain Cloutman. Major Chipman is wounded in the thigh.
J. R. N.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 2
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