A private
letter from Rev. C. G. Truesdell, chaplain of the 2d Iowa Cavalry, dated May
16th, says:
“To-day we
heard from some of our missing men.
Those who were left on the field, wounded in last Friday’s skirmish,
were picked up by the enemy and taken to Corinth, and a few were captured who
were not wounded, but their horses having been killed and wounded, and the men
unable to escape on foot, they were taken prisoners, but provisions being
rather scarce in Corinth they concluded to return all the privates loose on
parole, which they did to-day, and several of them returned to camp. Among them were John Berg, and Mr. Raymond,
of Maquoketa.
“Lieut. Owens
was not killed, as we at first supposed, but was wounded in the head, and is
now a prisoner and in their hospital with some others of our regiment who were
more or less injured. Mr. T. B. Sweet,
of Co. B, died very suddenly.
“Both armies
are now large and well prepared, and can fight desperately, and it will be a
terrible fight if at all; but the intentions of either are known only to those
having the management of the affair. We
are now ordered to prepare two days’ rations and be ready to start at daybreak
to-morrow morning. We will be ready, but
whether the fight comes off or not you will know by the papers before this
reaches you.”
– Published in The
Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa,
Thursday Morning, May 22, 1862, p. 1
