St. Louis, Mo., April 2, 1862.
DEAR FATHER: — I know there is no one who would like to have
a word from me more than you. I write but little — am very weak from my wounds;
do not sit up much; but I hope ere long to be all right again. Nothing now but
the battle will interest you. It was a terrible three days to me; how I got
through God only knows. I got off a sick bed to go to the fight, and I never
got a wink of sleep for three days and three nights. The engagement was so long
and with us so hot that it did not appear possible for us to hold our ground.
We lacked sadly in numbers and artillery, but with good judgment and good grit
we made it win. My officers were very brave. Little Captain Taylor would stand
and clap his hands as the balls grew thick. Captain Burton was as cool as a
cucumber, and liked to have bled to death; then the men, as they crawled back
wounded, would cheer me; cheer for the Union; and always say, “Don't give up
Colonel, hang to em;” and many who were too badly wounded to leave the field
stuck to their places, sitting on the ground, loading and firing. I have heard
of brave acts, but such determined pluck I never before dreamed of. My
flag-bearer, after having been wounded so he could not hold up the colors,
would not leave them. I had to peremptorily order him off. One time when the
enemy charged through my lines the boys drove them back in confusion. Price
fought bravely; his men deserved a better fate, but although two to one they
could not gain much. Their artillery was served splendidly — they had great
advantage over us in this. Mine run out of ammunition long before night and
left me to the mercy of their grape and canister. Had I have had my full battery
at night I could have whipped them badly. After the Fourth Iowa's ammunition
gave out or before this all the other Regiments and Brigades had given way,
leaving me without support, and when I found my ammunition gone I never felt
such a chilling in my life. It is terrible right in the midst of a hot contest
to have your cartridges give out. We had fired forty-two rounds, and had but a
few left. I saved them and ceased firing, falling back to my supports. The
enemy charged me in full force. I halted and they came within fifty feet. We
opened on them such a terrible fire they fled. General Curtis rode into the
field then and asked me to charge. This would have blanched anybody but an Iowa
soldier. No ammunition and to charge! We fixed bayonets, and as I gave the
order the boys cheered and cheered, swinging their hats in every direction.
CHARGE! and such a yell as they crossed that field with, you never heard — it
was unearthly and scared the rebels so bad they never stopped to fire at us or
to let us reach them. As we marched back, now dark, nearly one-half the entire
Army had got on the ground and the black-coats (Fourth Iowa) had got their fame
up. The charge without ammunition took them all, and as we passed down the line
the whole Army cheered us. General Curtis complimented us on the field, and
what was left of the Fourth Iowa held their heads high that night, though a
gloomy one for those who knew our situation. The next morning it fell to my lot
to open the battle with my artillery again, and for one hour we poured it into
them hot and heavy. We opened with thirty-two guns; they answered with as many,
and such a roar you never heard. The enemy could not stand it and fled. Our
whole army deployed in sight that morning and it was a grand sight with the
artillery playing in open view. I had read of such things, but they were beyond
my conception. This closed the battle and we breathed free. I escaped most
miraculously. A shell burst right in front of me, and, tearing away my saddle
holsters and taking off a large piece of my pants, never even scratched me. My
clothes were riddled and I got a hit in the side that is serious, but did not
think of it at the time.
Yours, etc.,
G. M.
SOURCE: Grenville M. Dodge, The Battle of Atlanta: And Other Campaigns, Addresses, Etc., p.
35-6
No comments:
Post a Comment