OSCEOLA, MO., May 29th.
By order of Col Warren we had ceased all scouting, fancying
that we had effectually rid the surrounding country of the enemy, but we have
been suddenly brought to a terrible realization of our mistake. The Day before yesterday, while reading a
soldier came galloping up to my tent, inquiring for Major Leffingwell, who was
out in the country, and reported that our foraging party had been attacked and
two men killed. I immediately ordered
every man in our camp off duty, into the saddle, at the same time sending
information to the other companies. In a
few minutes ninety men were in the saddle, and we immediately started for the
scene of combat. A short way out we met
the remains of the train that had escaped, but they were so excited we could
gain no reliable information. We
galloped hard till we came to the spot, and we found at a glance the extent of
our loss. One man killed, Sergeant
Harbach, of Burlington. Two mortally
wounded, privates Cameron and Higgins.
Two slightly wounded, Sergeant Clarke and Al. Stoddard. Four missing.
Three horses killed and six mules taken.
The killed and wounded were all from our company. – They were shamefully
stripped. After seeing them started for
town in ambulances, with a sufficient escort, we started, just at dark, in
pursuit of the murderers, and rode all night. – We were unable to catch
them. At one time we passed within a few
hundred yards of them, but the night was very dark and the foliage so dense
that we missed them. We returned to camp
in the morning, after a fatiguing ride of forty miles, unsuccessful. Other scouts were sent out immediately, one
of which has just returned, having captured all the mules and arms that were
taken, scattering the miscreants in all directions. The two mortally wounded have since
died. If you see Stoddard’s friends tell
them he is but slightly wounded and is doing finely. A private in Co. F was killed to-day, accidentally
shot by Henry Hart. – Another had his arm broken. The Paymaster has just paid us off. But, like Peter Piper with his wife, would don’t
know where to keep our money, as we have nothing to spend it for and no way to
send it home. More anon.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, June 7, 1862, p. 2
