To-day Colonel Rowett assumes command of the Third Brigade, consisting of the Seventh, Fiftieth and Fifty-seventh Illinois Infantry, and the Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, with head-quarters in Rome.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 245
Six companies of the Seventh, and six companies of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry, under the command of Colonel Rowett, leave Rome on a scout. We march about nine miles out on the Kingston road and go into camp for the night. Hogs, chickens, roasting-ears and fruit abound in abundance. We live high to-night. After all is quiet in camp, scouts are sent out to see if they cannot discover something hostile said to be threatening these parts.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 249
Negroes by the hundreds are flocking to our camp; all sizes and ages, ranging from one year to one hundred years old. Poor deluded beings, how extravagant have been their conceptions relative to the Yankees. An order from headquarters at Baily Springs this evening informs us that Colonel Rowett has fought himself away from Camp Butler and returned to the command of the regiment. Remaining in camp at Jackson's until the fifteenth, we leave and report to regimental headquarters. Immediately Captain Ring receives orders to proceed with the detachment to Center Star, where we arrive in the evening and go into camp, after which patrols are sent out to Bainbridge and Lamb's Ferry. This detachment will long remember their camp and stay at the Jackson plantation; how Captain R, Sergeants N. and A. made journeys across the Blue Water, and how the Captain when coming in contact with one of the South's fair literary stars, discoursed so freely upon the American and English poets—especially upon the merits of the Bard of Avon.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 231-2
It is raining this morning, but soon ceases and clears off; the sun now shines refreshingly. This evening the regiment arrives back from their scout, with thirty rebels captured at Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. All seem in fine spirits; much elated over the success of their expedition, and none more so than Colonel Rowett, who never seems more in his element than when on Charley at the head of his regiment, thundering over the hills and through the ravines of Tennessee. There is always power felt where he moves.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 207
Ere it is light the bugle is sounded, and after hastily dispatching our breakfast, we move on our way. All along the road to-day we encounter squads of rebels, scouting parties from Johnson's and Roddy's commands, all of which goes to prove that the raiders Johnson or Roddy, or both, are on the north side of the Tennessee, and in consequence we anticipate considerable opposition before we reach our destination. Sure enough, at four o'clock P. M., our advance is checked. Colonel Rowett soon dismounts the regiments and forms a battle line. Our skirmishers are advanced and firing soon commences in every direction, sounding as though we were surrounded. A scout is now seen dashing from the brush to where the Colonel stands. He informs him of our danger and the fearful odds against us; that the rebels would soon be upon us if we remained there any longer. The bugle is sounded; the men spring into their saddles. Charley is champing and neighing. The Colonel's eye seems to be everywhere. He is now dashing down the road, with the regiment closely following. On we go towards Waterloo. The rebels hover on our flanks, front and rear. There is promiscuous firing all evening. They seem loth to throw any considerable force against us; feel loth to try our steel. By nine P. M., we arrive at Waterloo, four miles from Eastport, Tennessee River. The rebels soon abandon their expected game. At Waterloo we go into camp, having traveled sixty-five miles since morning, capturing twelve rebels during the day and evening.
* Misdated as Sunday, September 28, 1863. September 28th fell on a Monday.
This morning the command is again divided into detachments and directed to operate on different roads. Colonel Rowett with one detachment of the command formed from the Seventh Illinois and Seventh Kansas, moves with full speed towards Swallows Bluff to intercept a battalion of rebels said to be crossing the Tennessee at that point. Coming up, the Colonel discovers that the guerrilla leader has already succeeded in crossing all his horses and men with the exception of about thirty who were now waiting for their raft to return. As soon as Rowett and his troopers were seen above them on the bluff, they saw at once their situation, and for the first time during our raids in West Tennessee the rebels offered us battle, being well protected by the bluff and readily aided by the more lucky portion of their command on the opposite shore, who were in easy musket range. A casual observer would not have considered their resistance altogether hopeless with these advantages in position. The Colonel discovered at once that to capture them could not be accomplished without a fierce assault. The assault is made, the enemy's resistance is determined. Showers of leaden hail come rattling on the bluff from beyond the river, but they do not check the two Sevenths. Led by the gallant and fearless Rowett they charge up the bluffs, raining a shower of bullets from their superior guns into the rebels on the other bank. Some tall, and the remainder retreat back under cover. A portion of the command with their long range muskets succeed in keeping the enemy back; while the remaining portion pay their attention to the squad under the bluffs who are soon compelled to run up the white flag. Among the number captured was a Major. We soon discovered that this battalion belonged to the regular confederate army, which accounted for the stubborn resistance. In this encounter the Seventh Kansas lost one man killed and two wounded.
The entire command now forms a junction, and with our prisoners we move on about eight miles and go into camp for the night. It soon commences to rain, threatening to be a dark dreary night for the soldier, for of course we have no shelter.
