No. 85.
Report of Col. Hugh T. Reid,
Fifteenth Iowa Infantry.
I have the honor to report that the Fifteenth Regiment of
Iowa Volunteer Infantry from Benton Barracks arrived at Pittsburg on Sunday
morning, with orders from General Grant’s headquarters to report to General
Prentiss. Finding that his headquarters were some 4 miles from the Landing, I
proceeded at once to report to him in person, and found a heavy fire of
artillery and musketry already commenced along the lines. Orders were received
from his aide to bring up my command as soon as possible, and I returned to the
river for that purpose. The regiment was rapidly disembarked, ammunition
distributed, and the men for the first time loaded their guns. We then marched
to the heights in rear of the Landing, and formed in line of battle preparatory
to an advance, our right resting on the road leading from the Landing to the
field. At this time an order was received from a member of General Grant’s
staff directing me to hold the position upon which we had formed, and to post
such other troops as could be found about the Landing on the right of the road,
extending to the bluff of the creek, emptying into the river below the Landing,
in order to prevent the enemy from flanking it through the valley of this
creek, and also to prevent all stragglers from returning from the battle-field
to the Landing, and to hold ourselves as a reserve. The regiment was then
advanced across the road to the right, so as to stop the progress of the
multitudes returning from the battle-field, which could only be done by
threatening to shoot them down. Some of them were induced by threats and
persuasions to fall into line, but most of them had the Bull Run story, that
their regiments were all cut to pieces, and that they were the only survivors,
and nothing could be done with them but to stop their progress. Captain Benton
[Bouton] placed his battery on our right, commanding the road leading from the
battlefield to the river and also commanding the ravines to our right and left.
Colonel Chambers, of the Sixteenth Iowa, formed his regiment on the right of
Benton's [Bouton's] battery, resting the right of his regiment on the bluff' of
the creek above mentioned. In this position we remained for about an hour, when
an order was received from the engineer of General McClernand’s staff, by
order, as he said, of General Grant, for the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa to
advance some 2 miles to the support of General McClernand’s division, on the
extreme right of our lines. The advance was made, the Fifteenth leading,
supported by the Sixteenth. We were led by the staff' officer of General
McClernand first to the right, across a deep ravine and through thick
underbrush, in a direction directly from the firing; then one of General Grant’s
staff came up and said a wrong order must have been given us, in which opinion
the undersigned fully concurred, and after consultation of the two staff
officers the head of our column was turned to the left, and we marched in
search of General McClernand’s division, his staff officer showing us the way.
The road as we marched was filled with retreating artillery, flying cavalry,
straggling infantry, and the wounded returning from the field. We reached an
open field in front of the enemy, who were concealed in a dense wood and among
tents, from which other regiments had been driven earlier in the day. Through
this field the two regiments marched under a heavy fire from the enemy's
artillery, and took position, by direction of General McClernand, near the
tents. A regiment, said to be from Ohio, was on the field when we arrived, or
came on soon after, and took position on the extreme right of the Sixteenth.
The Fifteenth, which occupied the left, advanced upon the enemy and drove a
part of them from their concealments among the tents and planted our colors in
their midst, while the whole left wing of the regiment advanced under a
murderous fire of shot and shell from the enemy's artillery and an incessant
fire from the musketry. Our flag-staff was shot through and our colors riddled
with bullets. For two hours from 10 to 12 o’clock, we maintained our position,
our men fighting like veterans. The undersigned was severely wounded by a
musket-ball through the neck, which knocked him from his horse, paralyzed for
the time, but, recovering in a short time, remounted and continued in command
throughout the fight. Fifteen of the 32 commissioned officers who went on the
field had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoners; 22 officers and men had
been killed, and 156 wounded. The Ohio regiment had left the field. The enemy
were attempting to outflank us on the right and left. We were unsupported by
artillery or any other regiment except the gallant Sixteenth, which had also
suffered severely. It became necessary for the two regiments to retreat or run
the risk of being captured, and by order of General McClernand the retreat was
made. Portions of the regiments rallied, and fought with other divisions later
in the day and on Monday.
Where nearly all fought with bravery it might seem invidious
to particularize, but I hope to do no one injustice by specially pointing out
those whose personal valor during the action came under my notice.
Lieutenant-Colonel Dewey had his horse shot under him. Major Belknap was always
in the right place at the right time, directing and encouraging officers and
men as coolly as a veteran. He was wounded but not disabled and had his horse
shot under him, but remained on the field performing his duty on foot. Adjutant
Pomutz distinguished himself during the action for his coolness and courage.
He, too, was wounded. Captains Kittle, of Company A; Smith, of Company B;
Seevers, of Company C; Madison, of Company D; Hutchcraft, of Company E;
Cunningham, of Company G; Day, of Company I; Hedrick, of Company K, who was
captured in a charge upon the enemy, all distinguished themselves for their
gallantry and courage in leading forward and encouraging their men. Captain
Blackmar, of Company F, was wounded in the action and disabled. First
Lieutenant Goode, of same company, also wounded. Captain Clark, of Company H,
was not in the engagement, having been left sick in the hospital at Saint
Louis. Captains Hutchcraft and Day were both severely wounded. Second
Lieutenant Penniman, of Company A, and Hamilton, of Company I, were killed
whilst bravely performing their duty. First Lieutenant King and Second
Lieutenant Danielson, of Company H, were both severely wounded while acting
well their part, thus leaving the company without a commissioned officer. First
Lieutenants Studer, of Company B; Porter, of Company D; Craig, of Company E;
Hanks, of Company G; J. Monroe Reid, of Company I, who, though wounded himself,
continued in command of the company after the captain was disabled and the
second lieutenant killed, and Eldredge, of Company K, all deserve special
praise for the manner in which they conducted themselves on the field. Second
Lieutenants Lanstrum, of Company B; Brown, of Company E; Second Lieutenant
Herbert, of Company C, and Sergeant-Major Brown, who was severely wounded,
conducted themselves well on the field. The non-commissioned officers generally
were at their posts and performed their duty. The color-sergeant, Newton J.
Rogers, who fought in the First Iowa at Springfield, gallantly bore our
standard forward and planted it among the enemy, where it was bravely
maintained and defended by portions of Company C, Company E, Company I, and
Company K.
It must be remembered that this regiment had just received
its arms, and that the men had never had an opportunity of learning the use of
them until they came on the battle-field; that they had just landed and were
attached to no brigade, and fought the enemy without the support of artillery
in a position from which more experienced troops had been compelled to retire.
The enemy, too, against whom we fought, the Twenty-second Tennessee and two
Louisiana regiments, are understood to be among their best troops.
We have no means of learning the loss of the enemy in this
engagement except from what they told some of our wounded men who were taken
prisoners by them and left behind the next day, when the enemy made their final
retreat, but from this source we learned that they had 40 men killed in the
immediate vicinity of our colors and a large number wounded.
While we mourn our comrades in arms the gallant dead whose
lives were sacrificed on the altar of their country, we are solaced with the
belief that a grateful people will in after times pay a proper tribute to their
memory.
To Quartermaster Higley great credit is due for the masterly
manner in which he performed the arduous duties of his office on the field and
elsewhere during the fight, and after it was over in providing for the comforts
of the wounded and protecting the property of the regiment. To our surgeon, Dr.
Davis, we are under great obligations for his energy and skill in the
performance of the numerous operations rendered necessary. Assistant Surgeon
Gibbon also performed valuable service in the midst of great danger on the
battle-field in attending the wounded there and having them carried to our
temporary hospital on board of the steamer Minnehaha. The chaplain, the Rev. W.
W. Estabrook, too, for the time laid aside his sacred office and resumed the
use of the surgeon’s scalpel with great success, and the wounded of numerous
regiments besides our own shared in the skill of our medical staff.
Attached hereto will be found a list of the killed, wounded,
and missing, making a total loss of 186.*
H. T. REID,
Colonel, Commanding Fifteenth Iowa.
ASST. ADJT. GEN.
FIRST DIV., ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Commanded by General McClernand.
__________
*See revised statement, p. 105.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
X (Serial No. 10), Part I, pages 288-90
James S. Porter, of Ottumwa, Iowa, was the fifth Major, and was appointed on March 23, 1865, being promoted from Captain of Company D, to which position he had arisen from that of Private in that Company. He was a conscientious, faithful and brave officer, and a thoroughly loveable man. As a company commander he was what is represented by the words "level headed." He shirked no duty and always did it well. And his commanding officer never left his society without feeling that he had learned something in patience, good manners and solid sense. He was a man who knew what his duty was, and did it without questioning. And though no words ever passed his lips which could be called profane, he seemed to rise to the occasion when there was work to do, and other men did the swearing. He was a true soldier and was always ready. He lives at Ewing, Nebraska, and now, as when in service, is beloved by all who know him.
