Mr. Alonzo Keables, of Company B, 3d Iowa Infantry, passed through here yesterday. He left his regiment at Cairo on Tuesday; so of course the Third was not at the taking of Fort Donelson, as was stated by the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Keables says it was reported at Cairo that the Seventh had been again badly cut up at the late battle – losing 500 out of 630, the number it took into the field. This, however, is not probably, as the whole number of lost according to all accounts, does not exceed 1,300 at the most, and it is not all probable that one regiment has such a large proportion, though there is too great reason to fear the Iowa troops have suffered heavily in the encounter.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 21, 1862, p. 1