From Cairo

CAIRO, February 18.

Gov. Yates, Ex-Gov. Wood, Auditor Dubois and many prominent citizens from all parts of Illinois are here to look after the wounded Illinois soldiers from Fort Donelson.  Gov. Morton and many prominent citizens of Indiana are also here for a like purpose, on account of the gallant men of that State who participated in the battle.

A salute of fifteen guns was fired this morning by order of Brig. Gen. E. A. Paine, in honor of the arrival at this place of Gov. Yates, commander-in-chief of the Illinois troops.  It was answered at Bird’s Point at 2 o’clock p.m.  His Excellency held a public reception at the St. Charles Hotel, and all the officers paid their respects to the Governor.  He was received by Col. Buford and the others of the 27th Illinois, and the officers of each regiment came up in a body led by ther several regimental bands.

Col. Buford said they came to welcome the men, who had supplied the wants of the Ill. Boys and so nobly cared for all the troops he had sent forth to avenge the wrongs and injury to the flag of our country.  Gov. Yates responded briefly, but with deep feeling, paying a handsome tribute to the memory of the fallen at Fort Donelson, congratulating their brethren in arms, for the achievement of the late victory of our arms over a traitor foe.  Seven thousand of the rebel prisoners from Fort Donelson, have arrived here and departed up the Mississippi, to be disposed of by Gen. Halleck.  The question of what to do with them was discussed among the commanding officers here last night and the conclusion seems to be that they will be divided, a portion going to Alton and a portion to Chicago and probably a third portion to Fort Wayne and Detroit.  Troops are continually arriving and departing for the seat of war, and our army will soon again be in readiness to advance.

It is believed that, if permitted to do so, very many of the rebel prisoners would gladly take up arms on the side of the Union.  The privates almost to a man declare that they have seen quite enough of the secession elephant.  The officers, however, are generally very morose, and bitter in their expressions relative to the north.

In addition to the list of killed and wounded previously reported, are the following:

45th Illinois, commissary serg’t Traverse, Killed; Lt. Col. Maltby, ball in leg; Cornelius Shay, flesh wound in the thigh; Lieut. H. Boice, severe wound in hip from a minie ball; Geo. Poppleton, severely wounded in the foot.

Times’ Dispatch

CAIRO, Feb. 18.

Col. Buford, with a small force, went down the river on a reconnoisance to-day.  When within four miles of Columbus, heavy cannonading was heard, not, however, with any regularity.  On moving across the river, where a view of the place could be obtained, he discovered a heavy cloud of smoke, covering a large space.

Col. Buford believes the solution of the affair to be, that the rebels are dismounting their guns and blowing up magazines preparatory to evacuating the place.

A large number of the rebel prisoners brought down yesterday belonged on the Cumberland river, as they passed their homes looked wistfully for some face of recognition.  Many were under the impression they would be paroled, and when they found they were to be sent North, were ready to take any oath.  Two-thirds manifest a desire to return to their allegiance.  Some acknowledged they had been humbugged into their present unfortunate position.

Six thousand prisoners have already arrived here, and the others will be brought down as soon as transportation can be procured.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 20, 1862, p. 1

Second Iowa Cavalry

General Pope’s Division were compelled to withdraw from their advanced position at Farmington, On Friday the 9^th inst.  The following account of the action of our 2d Cavalry in the affair is given by the correspondent of the World:

At 11 the Second Iowa Cavalry were ordered to the front, to be ready for emergencies.  They reached the ground about 12, and were instantly formed in the rear of our lines of infantry, where they remained, subject to a screaming ball at short intervals.  The brigade of Gen. Palmer, with a supporting brigade of Ohio regiments, formed on the brow of a hill stretching across a cleared place half a mile across.  The artillery on both sides was pouring out a storm of flame and sulphur.  The confederates seemed to have in the clearing at Farmington a dense column of infantry, and on the left a battery of four pieces; in the center section, and on the right our ten pieces were mounted nearly opposite the road, as it emerges from the swamp at about two thousand yards distance.  The exchange of shots was rapid and well sustained from 11 till 12.

WE GIVE GROUND.

It soon became evident from the movements of the enemy that they intended to get between our position and the only road out by a flank movement on our right and left.  After a lapse of an hour and a half their batteries opened again at an [angle] so as to deliver a cross fire.  Their cavalry had disappeared.  Ours was ranged in along the edge of the woods. – Gen. Paine, who was in command of the whole, wisely deemed it best to withdraw from the ground.  To do this without leaving anything on the field was a nice task.  It was 2 o’clock and the enemy was spreading his lines out through the inclosing woods.  The artillery of the enemy was raking our collected force with shot and shell.  Our wounded were being carried off in teams and ambulances as they fell.  Further resistance without support was useless.

THE HEROIC CAVALRY CHARGE.

In this extremity Gen. Paine, excited at the time, gave the order for the batteries to fall back to the road and the infantry to follow. – To cover this retreat, and stop this hail of hurtling balls and shell the cavalry was called upon.  The regiment of Second Iowa Cavalry under command of Col. Hatch, and majors Love and Kuhen, and three small companies of regulars, under Lt. Gordon, were ordered to charge upon the batteries!  The order was a rash one, but it was an order.  Five hundred, in all, to charge a battery in the face of ten thousand!  But they did it, and thanks to the bad gunnery of the rebels, they nearly all returned to tell the tale; many of them alas, speaking by gasping wounds and riddled tattered garments.

THE BRAVE IOWA CAVALRY.

Lieut. Gordon, who is himself a conspicuous character in more than one charge of cavalry, says the sight transcended all belief.  The brave Iowans who had but recently left their plows a-field, now called upon to face death and ride to the cannon’s mouth, with the true spirit of heroes filed up the ravine; and on reaching the top of the hill spread out, galloped up to the batteries demolishing like lightning a line of skirmishers in their way,

“Cannon to the right of them,

Cannon to the left of them,

Volleyed and thundered.”

Truly enough for the whole of the guns were sweeping the plain with shrapnel and canister.  Luckily the depression was too great.  The balls whistled and flew into the ground all around and beneath them.  The mortality among the horses was fearful – ninety-three of the number being wounded and killed.  Col. Hatch’s anxiety for his men to follow him had now changed into anxiety to recall them.  Onward they charged, right up to the batteries, slashing and hewing down the gunners with their sabers, dead to the call of their gallant leader, who saw that the object was accomplished, the guns limbered and silenced, and the enemy on the right in disorder, while on the left wing he was closing in.

THEY COVER THE RETREAT.

Orderlies sent to the different companies finally rallied the men.  Slowly and deliberately they road back over the field.  The enemy was silent on the left.  Our artillery and infantry had passed into the woods and were falling back to the main body.  The route was strewed with dead horses.  The wounded were helped on to the horses of their comrades while the unhorsed took to the woods on the left – Gordon, who more prudently, but with equal coolness remained in the rear, saw the desperate charge and cared for the sufferers, burying two on the field with sabers while still under fire.  Taken altogether this is one of the most magnificent feats of the war.  No cavalry charge since that of the memorable Light Brigade is comparable with it.  In these days when cavalry is beginning to be looked on with some distrust, it is creditable to see one regiment which will not flinch in its duty even at the risk of certain death.

INCIDENTS.

Lieutenant-Colonel Miles, of the [Forty-eighth] Illinois Regiment, had his leg shot off by a cannon-ball on the field.  His limb has since been amputated, and at last accounts he was sinking rapidly from loss of blood.  Colonel Hatch had a ball through his hat and his [stirrup broken] by the force of a shell which killed the horse on his right.  The end and some of the whole matter is, then that they occupy Farmington to-night instead of we ourselves.

Gen. Paine, Capt. Keserck, of the Missouri battery, and Gen. Palmer, who witnessed the charge, are loud in their praises of the officers and men.

LOSSES.

The Second Iowa is the principal sufferer in the fight, taking the brunt of the fight and nearly all the glory.  The regulars had three killed and some ten or twelve wounded.  The losses of the infantry cannot be arrived at with accuracy as I write.

REPORT OF COL. HATCH.

CAMP NEAR FARMIGNTON, May 10.

Lieut. Marden, A. A. G. Brigade:

I had the honor to report, complying with orders to report, with Second Regiment to Gen. Granger.  Did so, receiving instructions from Gen. Pope to report to general commanding the advance.  I reported at 12 o’clock to Gen. Palmer, who ordered me to throw out two companies to the left of Farmington road, and hold the balance of command in reserve.  Our infantry, who held the field above us being driven in to the brow of the hill.  Gen. Paine ordered the regiment to charge the enemy’s batteries.  Moving the column to the top of the hill, ordered Major Kuhen, with companies H, G, & C, of the Second Battalion, and Major Love, with the Third Battalion, to charge the batteries on our right, Major Hepburn those on our left, in echelon of squadrons, deploying the columns to the right and left.  When we passed the infantry columns we attacked their skirmishers and supports, driving them in, killing and wounding some.  No effect was produced on the battery on our left.  Near the main Farmington road the battery and supports were protected by a rail fence.  Major Kuhen gallantly attacked the battery near the building known as the cotton mill, Company F, Lieut. Riley, alone attacking two guns in battery on our extreme right.  The center battery was fairly carried, the enemy limbering up his guns without taking them off the field.

Finding our horses badly blown for a long charge over rough ground, a distance of twelve hundred yards, and the infantry in great force, ordered all companies on the right to retreat to the right and rear, forming on the swamp road, and those on the left to then join their command.  The conduct of men and officers was in every respect commendatory. – Capts. Lundy, Egbert, Lieuts. Owen, Horton, Seutger, all had horses killed under them. – There were about four hundred men in the charges.  Our loss will scarcely exceed fifty killed and wounded; fifty horses, as many wounded and unserviceable.

EDWARD HATCH,

Lieut. Col. Com’d’g Second Iowa Cavalry

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 2

From Pittsburgh Landing

PITTSBURGH LANDING, TENN.
May 9 – 9 p. m.

To Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War

Gen. Paine’s Division made a reconnaissance to Farmington to-day and found about 4,500 of the enemy, and drove them in handsome style. An artillery reconnaissance went to Glendale at the same time and destroyed two trestle bridges and some track on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. It has been a splendid day’s work for the left wing. The weather is clear and the roads are becoming good.

(Signed.)

THOMAS A. SCOTT,
Assistant Secretary of War

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 10, 1862, p. 4

From The Second Iowa Cavalry

Camp Near New Madrid, Mo.,
Saturday, April 12, 2 P.M.

ED. GAZETTE. – We shall be off before you receive this – I hope in Memphis. General Pope’s army here is divided into six divisions – first under command of Gen. Paine; 2nd Gen. Stanley; 3rd, Gen. Hamilton; 4th, Gen. Palmer; 5th Gen. Plummer; 6th, Gen Granger. Col. Elliott is in command of the 2nd Brigade of the 6th Division, composed of the 2d Iowa Cavalry, 2d Michigan Cavalry, and two squadrons of the 1st Ill. Cavalry; Lt. Col. Is in command of the regiment.

The second Battalion of the 2d Cavalry is now leaving for the boats. The river is lined with transports; all are to be aboard to-night, and the fleet moves down the river early in the morning. It will be a grand army afloat; and our landing place, MEMPHIS.

Look out for more news from the West. – While the stereotyped phrase, ‘all quiet,’ ‘safe in our trenches,’ is echoed from the ‘Grand Army of the Potomac,’ the watchword in the West is ‘forward,’ and with each ‘forward’ a ‘victory.’

All is haste, and I close to write you from Memphis. In haste,

DIFF.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 16, 1862, p. 1

GEN. POPES REPORT

Operations at New Madrid and Island Number 10.

EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, New Madrid, Mo.
April 9, 1862.

Major General H W. HALLECK:

The canal across the peninsula opposite Island No. 10 – and for the idea of which I am indebted to Gen. Schuyler Hamilton – was completed by Col. Bissell’s engineer regiment, and four steamers were brought through on the night of the 6th. The heavy batteries I had thrown up below Tiptonville completely commanded the lowest point of the high ground on the Tennessee shore, entirely cutting off the enemy’s retreat by water; his retreat by land has never been possible through the swamps. On the night of the 4th Capt. Walke, of the navy, ran the enemies batteries at Island No. 10; with the gunboat Carondolet, and reported to me here. – On the night of the 6th the gunboat Pittsburg ran the blockade. Our transports were brought into the river from the bayou, where they had been kept concealed, at daylight on the seventh and Paine’s division loaded. The canal has been prodigiously laborious work. It was twelve miles long, six of which were through heavy timber which had to be sawed off by hand four feet under water.

The enemy has lined the opposite shore with batteries, extending from Island 10 to Tiptonville, Merriweather Landing, to prevent the passage of the river by this army.

I directed Capt. Walke to run down with the two gunboats at daylight on the 7th to the point selected for crossing, and silence the enemy’s batteries near it. He performed the service gallantly, and I hear bear testimony to the thorough and brilliant manner in which this officer discharged his difficult duties with me; and to the hearty and earnest zeal with which, at all hazards, he co-operated with me.

As soon as he signaled me, the boats containing Paine’s Division, moved out from the landing and began to cross the river. The passage of this wide, furious river, by our large force, was one of the most magnificent spectacles I ever witnessed. By twelve o’clock that night, the 7th, all the forces designed to cross the river were over, without delay or accident.

As soon as we began to cross, the enemy began to evacuate Island No. 10, and his batteries along the shore. The divisions were pushed forward to Tiptonville as fast as they landed, Paine’s leading. The enemy was driven before him, and although they made sever attempts to form in line of battle and make a stand, Paine did not once deploy his columns. The enemy was pushed all night vigorously, until at 4 o’clock A. M., he was driven back upon the swamps and forced to surrender. Three Generals, seven Colonels, seven regiments, several battalions of infantry, five companies of artillery, over one hundred heavy siege guns, twenty-four pieces of field artillery, an immense quantity of ammunition and supplies, several thousand stand of small arms, a great number of tents, horses, wagons, &c., &c., have fallen into our hands.

Before abandoning Island No. 10, the enemy sunk the gunboat Grampus, and six of his transports. These last I am raising, and expect to have ready for service in a few days. The famous floating battery was scuttled and turned afloat with all her guns aboard, she was captured and run aground in shoal water by our forces at Madrid.

Our success is complete and overwhelming. Our troops, as I expected, behaved gloriously. I will in my full report endeavor to do full justice to all. Brigadiers General Paine, Stanley and Hamilton, crossed the river and conducted their divisions with untiring activity and skill. I am especially indebted to them. Gen. Paine, fortunate in having the advance, exhibited unusual vigor and courage, and had the satisfaction to receive the surrender of the enemy. Of Col. Bissell of the Engineer regiment, I can hardly say too much. Full of resource, untiring and determined, he labored night and day, and completed a work which will be a monument of enterprise and skill.

We have crossed this great river with a large army, the banks of which were lined with batteries of the enemy to oppose our passage; have pursued and captured all his forces and material of war, and have not lost a man, nor met with an accident.

JOHN POPE, Major General

– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862

Caught In Their Own Trap

An incident that occurred to the rebel forces stationed in the shore batteries at Island No. 10, illustrates how easily, fortuitously, or perhaps we ought in this case to say providentially, an army may be caught in a position from which it is impossible to escape. About five thousand men were stationed in and [a]bout the shore batteries.

On Sunday night, as soon as they saw the Pittsburgh run the blockade in safety, and knowing that the transports to convey Gen. Pope’s forces across the Mississippi had been got thro [sic] the slough, and that very soon a strong force would be in their rear, they abandoned their camp and all its contents on Monday afternoon, and left for Tiptonville, only five miles below by land, but by the river, fifteen miles below New Madrid, hoping thence to escape by their transports. But on reaching the little town what was their surprise to find the gunboats Carondelet and Pittsburg moored to their shore. On the left was a swamp through which runs the outlet of Reelfoot lake; in the front were the gunboats; on the right was the Mississippi, and they found when too late, Gen. Paine, with a strong force, posted in their rear. The rebels were caught in a trap from which there was no possible escape. A bloodless victory, with two thousand prisoners, was the immediate result. Great numbers fled to the swamps, but were soon gland to surrender, raising the whole number of prisoners taken there, at the Island and other places, to near five thousand men. Thus what the rebels acknowledged to be the key of the Mississippi, a position strong by nature, and fortified with consummate skill and great expense, and defended by five thousand men, and a hundred and twenty-five cannon in battery, most of them very heavy, and numbers of them rifled, was taken, and the whole army captured by Com. Foote and Gen. Pope, without the loss of a single man. History will record it as taken all in all, the most wonderful and brilliant achievement of the war.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Friday, April 18, 1862 & also in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday April 17, 1862