From Cairo

CAIRO, April 1. – The rebel camp at Union City has fallen into our hands.

Col. Buford with 1800 men, composed of the 27th Illinois, a detachment of the 2nd Illinois cavalry, and part of the 15th Wisconsin proceeded to Hickman by transports and thence to Union City, where they fell upon the rebel camp yesterday, and completely routed the enemy.  They destroyed all his tents, camp equipage, stores, &c., and brought off one hundred prisoners and one hundred and fifty horses.  The rebels are supposed to have numbered two thousand, and were under command of the notorious H. Clay King.  Their loss is stated at 20 killed.  Our transports on their return to Island No. 10, had rebel flags flying under the Union flags.

There was very heavy firing yesterday, at Island No. 10.  It is supposed our gunboats are at work in earnest.

The weather is clear and war.  River Falling.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4

Capture of the Rebel Camp at Union City

100 Confederates taken Prisoners

Union City taken by the Federals

CAIRO, April 1.

The rebel camp at Union City has fallen into our hands.  Col. Buford, with 1,800 men, composed of the 27^th Ill., a detachment of the 2^nd Ill. cavalry, and part of the 15^th Wis., proceeded to Hickman by transports from vicinity of Island No. 10, and crossed to Union City, where they fell upon the rebel camp yesterday, and completely routed the enemy without the loss of a man.  They destroyed all the tents, camp equipage, stores, &c., and brought off over 100 prisoners and 150 horses.

The rebels are supposed to have numbered 2,000, and were under command of the notorious Clay King.  Their loss is stated at 20 killed.

Our transports on their return to Island No. 10 had the rebel flags flying under the Union flags.

There was very heavy firing yesterday at Island No. 10.  It is supposed our gunboats are at work in earnest.

Weather warm and clear.  River falling.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 3, 1862, p. 2

The steamer Evansville . . .

. . . with 360 Rebel Prisoners on board, from Island No. 10, and Lo Moth Hospital, bound for Prairie du Chien, came up yesterday afternoon, and while at the landing, wooding up, afforded a large number of citizens the opportunity of seeing a lot of genuine secesh. Through the politeness of the surgeon in charge, Dr. A. G. Quinlan, we were permitted to go on board and make a closer inspection than could be made from the shore. – Capt. O. C. Johnson, 15th Wisconsin with a guard of twenty men, constituted the escort. – The prisoners, as a general thing, were dirty and ignorant and possessed little of the bearing of soldiers, some wore semi uniforms of jeans and butternut homespun, and others were wrapped in blankets. About 250 of them were sick, and were stretched upon the lower deck, the floor in the cabin and in the state rooms. Nine have been buried since the boat left Cairo. Some of them seemed depressed and others satisfied with their lot. We conversed with an intelligent young man, who said he came from Alabama, not far from Montgomery. His company hand been in the service but a short time having been raised to fill up the First Alabama at Pensacola, but they were ordered to Island No. 10 and placed as a guard over the water batteries, which were spiked a few days before the surrender by a detachment sent from our gunboats. He stated that the rebel guard were compelled to wade in water to their breasts in order to reach the parapet upon which the guns were placed and many became sick in consequence. He, for one, was glad of the exchange.

There were many others of the same mind. – All were well satisfied with their treatment since their capture, and said it could not be better. Much amusement was created by a remark of one of them that, “you Northwestern men will fight, but your New England Yankees are another sort of men.” They seemed to have full faith in the ability of the hardy sons of the West but little in the Down Easters.

Three Rebel flags were exhibited, one of which bore the following inscription: “Mississippi Devils, presented by the ladies.” Another, a cavalry flag, “Victory or Death,” and the third “Alabama.”

The prisoners assisted in wooding, and the Surgeon informed us that they had done so during the trip. One fellow, whom we learned came originally from Vermont, and lately from Alabama, was extremely merry, and said he was only anxious to wood up in order to get the old tub up to Prairie Du Chien.

A number of ladies went on board, and some of them held interesting conversation with the Rebels, who seemed honored by their presence.

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

15th Wisconsin Infantry

Organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in February 14, 1862. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., March 2, thence to Bird's Point, Mo., March 5, and to Island No. 10 via Columbus and Hickman, Ky., March 14-17. Attached to Flotilla Brigade, Army of Mississippi, to April, 1862. Garrison at Island No. 10 to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Army of Mississippi, to September, 1862. 31st Brigade, 9th Division, Army of the Ohio, September, 1862. 31st Brigade, 9th Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Right Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to March, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps, to October, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Separate Division, District of the Etowah, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865.

SERVICE.--Operations against Island No. 10, Mississippi River, March 17-April 8, 1862. Expedition to Union City, Tenn., March 30-April 2. Union City March 31. (Four Companies detached for duty at Bird's Point, Mo., March 5 to April 16; rejoined at Island No. 10.) Garrison duty at Island No. 10 till June (Cos. "G" and "I" till October, 1862). Moved to Union City, Tenn., June 12, thence to Humboldt and Corinth, Miss. Moved to Jacinto July 20, thence to Florence, Ala., August 21-24. March to Nashville, Tenn., thence to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 26-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg to Crab Orchard, Ky., October 1-16. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. Stanford October 14. Island No. 10 October 17 (Cos. "G" and "I"). March to Nashville, Tenn., October 19-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Expedition down the Cumberland River toward Clarksville after Morgan's guerrillas November 15-20. Wilson's Creek Pike December 25. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Nolensville December 26-27. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Reconnoissance from Murfreesboro March 6-7. Methodist Church, Shelbyville Pike, March 6. Reconnoissance to Versailles March 9-14. Operations on Edgefield Pike and Shelbyville Pike June 4. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty Gap June 24-27. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Caperton's Ferry, near Bridgeport, August 29. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8. Charleston, Tenn., December 28. Operations in East Tennessee till April, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8-13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Near Cassville May 19. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Pickett's Mills May 27. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Duty at Atlanta till September 29. Ordered to Chattanooga, Tenn., September 29, thence to Whiteside Station October 17 and guard bridge and railroad till February, 1865. Companies "A," "B" and "E" mustered out December 1, 1864; Company "C" January 1, Companies "F" and "G" January 14, Companies "I" and "K" February 11 and Companies "D" and "H" February 13, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 86 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 241 Enlisted men by disease. Total 336.

SOURCE: Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1679-80