ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER,
NEAR DOVER, TENN., Feb. 17.
MY DEAR FATHER. – I expect you all imagine I am dead by this time, but thank God I am here safe, and with but slight injuries. We left Fort Henry on the 12th of February, marched all day and encamped three-fourths of a mile from this fort – so near that we dare not make camp fires for fear of drawing shells from the enemy. We were up bright and early on the morning of the 13th, got our breakfast of hard crackers and water, and awaited orders. About 9 o’clock, A. M., we drew up in battle line, loaded our rifles, and in a few moments were marching in full battle front, through the thickest woods, and over the deepest ravines. We were halted and put over the brow of the hill in front of the enemy’s entrenchments. This part of their fort is situated on top of a high hill, with high entrenchments and rifle pits thrown up all around. In front of this entrenchment is a miserable steep hill, on the side of which was fallen timber very thick. At the bottom was a ravine, and then came another hill, thickly grown with timber. On top of this was where our regiment was drawn up – we on the right, the 25th Indiana on our left, and the 7th Indiana on the extreme left of them.
Just previous to our moving, Col. Lauman, of the 7th, Iowa, senior Colonel commanding our brigade, detailed me as one of his aids, but allowed me the privilege of being with my regiment – as much as possible, as Col. Shaw and myself were the only officers commanding the regiment. Our Lieut. Col. was a member of the court martial at St. Louis, and could not be released. Major Leonard was sick at the time of the fight, and could not go, consequently the Colonel and myself were the only mounted men in the regiment.
The Colonel gave me the command of the left wing of the battalion, and I was behind this part of the regiment when we moved down the hill. We had not got down in the ravine before the enemy fired at our Colonel and myself. They had thrown out their sharp-shooters as skirmishers, and they were hid behind fallen trees in our advance. From this concealment they fired at us – one ball coming so near my face as to make me gracefully nod my head.
We continued our march, and in going up the hill over a little point our regiment was received with grape, shell, canister, ball and musketry. Such a fire soldiers seldom encounter. They had three concealed batteries, which they opened on us, and all their men were concealed; not one could we see during the fire – only as they popped their heads over the breastwork, and then woe to them; for we shot every man we saw. During the first charge the regiment directed the right wing going to the right, to save themselves behind a portion of the hill. The left wing under my command, instead of giving way, went on until I told them to save themselves behind trees, which they did by laying close to the ground. About this time a spent ball struck my horse, knocking him down and me with him. I jumped up and followed the boys until the fire became uncomfortably warm. I sat down behind a tree, for every man in the regiment had to do this to save himself, but not a man retreated. They seemed to have spotted every officer in the regiment, for their sharpshooters played on us unmercifully. I could get in no position to evade the range of some of their rifles. I will venture that fifty shots were fired within one foot of my head, one passing through my hair on the back of my head. The whole regiment was under this galling fire for three hours, but by laying close to the ground we saved ourselves, as they could not get the range of their guns low enough. We had two men killed instantly and 14 fell wounded. The sharp shooters on our side then commenced work, and silenced every battery we were exposed to, thus leaving us an opportunity to get the regiment out of the fire, and form in the hollow or ravine below, where we were secure from their shots in this position.
We remained until after dark, when the order was given to cautiously move to our quarters of the night before. The 25th Indiana, on our left were obliged to quail as we did. A part of their regiment moved up the hill to a little further than we, but suddenly the enemy from behind the entrenchments, opened fire on them, and they had to run for dear life. In their retreat to the bottom of the hill, it seemed as though two-thirds of their men fell; but only 14 were killed and 50 wounded. The unnecessarily exposed themselves and suffered the consequences. The Iowa 7th, in this action was cautions to lay low; it lost only one man that day, and he was in our regiment, or where we were. It is equally as brave as any regiment yet. The bitter experience at Belmont taught them to move cautiously. I must say, Colonel Lauman is a brave man, yet I think our Colonel is the bravest man I ever saw. He was as cool as a human could be, never manifesting either fear or excitement. He remained on his horse during the whole engagement, and sat there with his legs thrown across the saddle, lady style. I was not frightened, until they seemed to direct their shots particularly at me, and then I felt as though mere chance would effect my escape. All the boys yelled and begged of me to move to save myself, and I headed their advice as soon as I could. In Friday, the day following, we did little but to skirmish and pick the rebels off were we could. We slept on our arms at night, out in the woods. The greatest hardship I ever endured in my life, or ever expect to, I realized this trip. We lived on hard crackers and water, and slept on the ground with only a light blanket. One night it rained till 12 o’clock, then snowed until morning. I slept on the damp ground with my little blanket over me, and in the morning every particle of clothing was frozen hard. I thawed myself out by a large camp fire in the morning.
On Saturday the fight became general. The gunboats had done all they could, so the only thing left for us was to take the fortification at the point of the bayonet. The Iowa Second made the first charge, supported by the Iowa 7th and 14th, also the Indiana 25th. We marched up the hill in as heavy a fire as could be, and men fell on every side. Capt. Slaymaker, Iowa Second, fell just above me, and I almost stumbled over his body. We took the first entrenchment, and held the second in spite of the fire. We laid under their entrenchments all night, in mud that froze us in tight. On Sunday morning the rebels formed in battle line on their entrenchment without their arms, under the white flag. They surrendered unconditionally, and the order came for the Second Iowa to march inside the entrenchments first, followed by the 14th Iowa and then on the 7th. We took the fort and marched in first. Ours was the 4th brigade, composed of the Iowa 2d, 7th, and 14th, also the 25th Indiana, and Birge’s sharpshooters, all commanded by Col. Lauman. We all fought like devils, and would have died by inches rather than retreat. The entire fight lasted four days, during two of which we fought all day. – All the regiments here – 40 in number – had fighting to do, and only those who have seen, can imagine how a battle-filed looks. Our loss in the 14th is 3 killed and 21 wounded. In all the Iowa regiments, 47 killed, and 237 wounded; the Iowa 2d having 40 of the killed and 160 of the wounded. I had my horse knocked from under me the first day, and was knocked head over heels the second day by a piece of shell, which struck me on the side and stomach, not tearing the skin, but bruising me. I am up and around, and only a little sore. My injuries are not worth mentioning.
Your affectionate son,
N. N. TYNER.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 1, 1862, p. 2
